“Armenia Pro Bono Collaborative Project” Wins 2025 PILnet Global Award

The International and Comparative Law Center is proud to announce that  the Armenia Pro Bono Collaborative Project has been named the winner of the 2025 PILnet Global Award  in the Global Partnership category. The PILnet Global Awards honor outstanding legal initiatives  worldwide that advance social change, strengthen civil society, and protect the public interest. 

The Armenia Pro Bono Collaborative Project, is a joint initiative of I.C.Law Center and leading  international law firms Orrick, Baker McKenzie, Simmons & Simmons, and Reed Smith, as well as local  organizations and human rights lawyers.  

The Project was launched to provide urgent legal support to ethnic Armenians forcibly displaced from  Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) following Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor and subsequent  large-scale military attack. 

Working in partnership with the Artsakh Union, the project filed applications on behalf of 173 victims  before the European Court of Human Rights. The initiative mobilized more than 120 volunteer lawyers  across multiple jurisdictions, who, together with human rights attorney Ara Ghazaryan and Artsakh Human  Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan, prepared and submitted 113 applications. These cases concern  violations of the rights to return, property, family life, and effective remedies under the European  Convention on Human Rights. In total, over 1,600 pro bono hours were contributed within just three  months, demonstrating the impact and effectiveness of coordinated legal action in times of crisis. 

“This recognition by PILnet underscores the importance of solidarity among legal professionals in  responding to humanitarian crises,” said Siranush Sahakyan, the Director of I.C.Law Center. “Our  collaboration demonstrates that when lawyers unite across borders in defense of human dignity and justice,  the impact can be both immediate and lasting.” 

Artak Beglaryan, the President of the Artsakh Union, said: “Receiving this award is a powerful  acknowledgment of the urgent need to safeguard the fundamental rights of the Artsakh people. It brings  vital international attention to our plight and strengthens our ongoing efforts to secure legal protection and  accountability.” 

The PILnet Global Awards were presented at the annual Global Awards Dinner held in Rome on November  13, 2025, celebrating innovative pro bono partnerships and local impact projects from around the world,  with the human rights lawyer Arpi Avetisyan attending from the Armenian side. "This project is bigger  than the access to justice for the applicants," said Arpi Avetisyan, "It is also a beacon of hope for tens of  thousands of people forcefully displaced from their homes in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh)" 

The International and Comparative Law Center extends its gratitude to all partner firms, volunteers, and  organizations who contributed their expertise and dedication to this initiative. I.C.Law Center extends  special thanks to human rights lawyer Arpi Avetisyan, whose dedicated coordination of the project was  instrumental in ensuring the seamless collaboration between local and international partners. Her leadership  and commitment were essential to the project’s success. 

The award reaffirms I.C.Law Center's commitment to using law as a tool for accountability, human rights  protection, and social justice. 

*The International and Comparative Law Center is implementing its activities in close partnership with the  Armenian Legal Center for Justice and Human Rights.