CANBERRA/MELBOURNE: The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) held its annual Advocacy Week in the Federal and Victorian Parliaments accompanied by international guest Gev Iskajyan, focusing on the critical issues facing the Armenians of the Republic of Artsakh a year since they were ethnically cleansed from their homes.
Mr Gev Iskajyan, the National Grassroots Director of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) who previously served as the Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of Artsakh, was in Australia to share his first-hand account of life under Azerbaijan’s 9-month-long blockade of Artsakh and discuss internationally coordinated efforts to deal with the release of Armenian hostages and sanctions against Azerbaijani officials.
As part of the annual Advocacy Week, Mr Iskajyan met with several key Australian political leaders in Canberra, including Senator Simon Birmingham - Senator for South Australia and Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister; Michael Sukkar MP - Member for Deakin; Paul Fletcher MP - Member of Bradfield; Senator Andrew Bragg - Senator for New South Wales; and Senator Dave Sharma - Senator for New South Wales.
During his time in the nation’s capital, Canberra, Mr Iskajyan also addressed senior officials at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), where he - alongside the ANC-AU - called for further action to support the release of Armenian hostages and for Australia to join its international partners in considering sanctions against Azerbaijani officials accused of war crimes against Armenians.
Mr Iskajyan also had the opportunity to travel to Victoria and meet with state legislators, including Michael Galea MP - Member for South Eastern Metropolitan Region; Ann-Marie Hermans MP - Member for South Eastern Metropolitan Region; Renee Heath - Member for Eastern Victoria; Kat Theophanous MP - State Member for Northcote; Kim Wells MP - State Member for Rowville and Chris Crewther MP - State Member for Mornington
Mr Iskajyan said, “My presence here during the ANC-AU’s Advocacy Week was focused on coordinating international efforts to secure the release of Armenian hostages and to advocate for sanctions against Azerbaijani officials responsible for war crimes.”
“Sanctioning Azerbaijani officials for their war crimes and human rights violations is not merely a response to the atrocities witnessed in Artsakh — it is a necessary and preventive measure. By holding the perpetrator regime accountable, we can send a powerful message that such violations will not be tolerated by the international community,” he added.
During his visit to Australia, Mr Iskajyan also had the opportunity to meet with Armenian-Australian youth at the Armenian Apostolic Church of Holy Resurrection, where he discussed his time in Artsakh, his new role as the National Grassroots Director at the Armenian National Committee of America, and the internationally coordinated efforts to secure the release of Armenian hostages and sanctions against Azerbaijani officials accused of war crimes.
Mr Iskajyan also attended the organisation’s night of nights in Melbourne and Sydney which raised $155,000 to assist the community's advocacy efforts in 2025. Read more here.
