{"id":9566,"date":"2026-10-06T18:58:34","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T18:58:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hrhyerevan.org\/https-hrhyerevan-org-interview-with-zhenya-mayilyan\/"},"modified":"2026-10-13T07:22:26","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T07:22:26","slug":"https-hrhyerevan-org-interview-with-zhenya-mayilyan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hrhyerevan.org\/en\/https-hrhyerevan-org-interview-with-zhenya-mayilyan\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with a Human Rights Defender: Zhenya Mayilyan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Human Rights House Yerevan is conducting a series of interviews with human rights defenders. The third participant in the interview series is Zhenya Mayilyan, President of the \u201cReal World, Real People<\/a>\u201d NGO.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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1. <\/strong>What is your organization\u2019s mission, and what are the main areas in which you work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our organization\u2019s mission is to contribute to improving the quality of life of people living with HIV, people who inject drugs, people in need of palliative care, and other vulnerable groups; protecting their rights; and ensuring conditions for a dignified life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReal World, Real People\u201d Social NGO was founded in 2003 by doctors living with HIV and other individuals. It became the first organization in Armenia to focus its activities on the issues faced by people living with HIV. To this day, the direct participation of beneficiaries remains at the core of the organization\u2019s work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organization\u2019s main areas of activity include raising awareness about HIV and AIDS, reducing discrimination and stigma, developing palliative care and pain management services, and implementing harm reduction programs for people who inject drugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, the organization works on human rights protection and advocacy, contributing to ensuring access to healthcare, social, and psychological services for people living with HIV, people who inject drugs, people in need of palliative care, and other vulnerable groups. We also work to eliminate discriminatory laws and practices, create equal opportunities, and protect the right to a dignified life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the organization\u2019s office is located in Yerevan, our services are accessible throughout Armenia, including the regions. Within the framework of certain programs, support is also provided to people living with HIV who reside outside Armenia. In addition, the organization cooperates with local, regional, and international networks working on HIV, human rights, and gender equality issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. <\/strong>What significance does Human Rights House have for your organization, and why is it important for human rights defenders?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The organization works with vulnerable groups, including people living with HIV, people with tuberculosis, and other groups, providing care and support services, as well as engaging in human rights protection and advocacy. In this context, Human Rights House Yerevan plays an important role in several ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, it serves as a platform for the protection of human rights defenders. Since the organization works to protect the rights of vulnerable groups, it often faces various challenges and pressures. Therefore, it is important to have an organization that can support and protect the rights of organizations and professionals engaged in this work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, Human Rights House Yerevan cooperates with international and regional organizations and regularly participates in the preparation of various reports and assessments. Through these processes, the organization has an opportunity to raise issues related to the rights of its beneficiary groups and contribute to bringing them to the international agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third, Human Rights House Yerevan is important not only as a platform for human rights work, but also as a safe and supportive environment. It enables human rights defenders and civil society representatives to exchange experience and information, receive professional and moral support, build collaborative relationships, and strengthen solidarity in the field of human rights protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3.<\/strong> In your opinion, which area of human rights protection in Armenia today requires the most attention and change?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the serious challenges in the field of human rights protection is the increasing pressure on human rights defenders and civil society representatives. Journalists, human rights defenders, and representatives of civil society organizations, in particular, are often subjected to targeting, smear campaigns, and various forms of pressure, which negatively affect their mental health and professional activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the perspective of organizations working with vulnerable groups, displaced and forcibly displaced persons are among those who require particular attention today. In recent years, especially among people forcibly displaced from Artsakh, there have been numerous social, economic, and psychological challenges that require systematic and long-term solutions. For these people, it is important not only to provide basic social support, but also to ensure the full exercise of their rights, their inclusion in public life, and the creation of dignified living conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4. <\/strong>What has been your greatest achievement as a human rights defender, and what is the issue that still requires the most work to resolve?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, we have seen quite significant positive changes in the field of HIV, and I consider these to be achievements and successes that have generally had a positive impact on the legal status of people living with HIV and the vulnerable groups we represent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, I can mention pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which has become free and accessible to everyone. Another example is that women living with HIV can now give birth not only in one centralized hospital, but in a wider range of hospitals, as provided for by law. People living with HIV can also receive services in shelters and support centers. A great deal of effort has been invested in establishing shelters, which is a very important achievement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At present, there are several issues that we are actively working on, such as opportunities for remote education and employment for people living with HIV, as well as the decriminalization of HIV-related issues. Overall, however, it seems that we have not yet reached a point in Armenia where a person living with HIV can live openly and fully with their HIV status, or where people who use drugs have access to internationally recognized standards, or where our communities are free from discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are not issues that can be resolved by working for just one or two years. They require long-term efforts in order to bring about meaningful change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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