SYDNEY/MELBOURNE/CANBERRA: The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) has announced Ms Siranush Sahakyan will be visiting from Armenia to headline the organisation’s 2025 Advocacy Week from 24–30 November 2025.
Ms Sahakyan, a legal professional with over 15 years of experience in human rights advocacy, judicial reform, and anti-corruption will lead a two-day advocacy delegation in the Australian Federal Parliament, participate in the two-day ANC-AU Youth Advocates program, and attend the Armenian National Committee of Australia’s Annual Gala in Sydney and Melbourne.
Throughout her career, Sahakyan has held pivotal public roles, including serving as Chair of the Ethics Commission for High-Ranking Public Officials and as an ad hoc Judge at the European Court of Human Rights.
Ms. Sahakyan has become one of the leading voices for the rule of law and human rights protection in Armenia. She currently serves as President of the International and Comparative Law Center and as Armenia Director of the Armenian Legal Center for Human Rights and Justice. She currently represents Armenian prisoners of war and their families in international proceedings, combining legal advocacy with documentation, policy engagement, and public outreach.
Her authoritative expertise and first-hand insight into the illegal detention of Armenian hostages, including eight Armenian government officials from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), will be a key focus in meetings with Australian government officials and senior departmental figures in Canberra, as the ANC-AU seeks to inform policy discussions, and advocate for the rights and wellbeing of Armenian hostages.
During her visit, Ms Sahakyan will also participate in the 2025 ANC-AU Youth Advocates, alongside a group of tertiary aged students who will travel to Canberra to master the art of advocacy and amplify the issue of Armenian hostages. Her participation will offer the 2025 cohort a rare opportunity to engage with and learn from one of the world’s leading human rights defenders.
To register for the Youth Advocates program, click
here.
Ms Sahakyan’s program will conclude with a Keynote Address at the Armenian National Committee of Australia’s Annual Gala in Sydney on Saturday, 29 November 2025 at the Sofitel and the Annual Gala in Melbourne on Sunday, 30 November 2025 at Slate Restaurant Bar. She will join a long list of dignitaries and community members in celebrating the organisation’s 50th Anniversary.
Tickets for the Sydney Gala can be purchased
here and tickets for the Melbourne Gala can be purchased
here.
ANC-AU Executive Director, Michael Kolokossian, welcomed the announcement, saying: “We are deeply grateful to Ms Sahakyan for joining us during Advocacy Week and supporting our efforts to secure the release of the Armenian hostages detained in Azerbaijan.By combining informed dialogue, strong community engagement, and determined political pressure, we hope to help secure justice and freedom for those unlawfully detained.”
