It has been 15 days since the family in stress and emotional experience, because they are unable to obtain a visa to reach the daughter who is in critical condition.
On different occasions, the Head of the EU delegation to Armenia Traian Hristea assures that pursuant to the agreement signed between Armenia and the European Union, the visa issuing process specifically for citizens has been facilitated: the process of submitting supporting documents with regard to applying for visa has been simplified. This privileged groups include also citizens of Armenia who have health problems. But, as to how the French Embassy has treated the Ghazanchyan family recently does not only crush the words said by the Head of the delegation, but does not fit in the morality, conscience and the logic, in general.
It has been 15 days since Marieta Ghazanchyan’s daughter, Ruzanna Grigoryan-Khachatryan, is in coma in one of the clinics in France, she does not come to consciousness and does not speak. So many days, French doctors are fighting day and night for the young girl’s life. The doctors did everything possible to make her come out of coma, every day they are even bringing her three-month-old baby to her, make the baby cry so that at least from the voice of her child’s cry she will come to consciousness. Ruzanna was transported from Strasbourg hospital unconsciously and connected to artificial respiration apparatus and since then she does not come to consciousness. Professor of the clinic told Rusanna’s husband that Rusanna’s parents should urgently arrive in France because many such cases have happened in their practice when the presence of the parents, the words and talking to the patient, they have come out of the coma. Rusanna’s incident occurred on 6 November. On November 9, the French hospital professor had called the French Embassy to Armenia, informing that the parents should be next to the girl. The professor had also sent Rusanna’s diagnosis to the Embassy of France by fax. In the documents addressed to the Embassy, the doctor also wrote, “Given the severe and critical health condition of Ruzanna Grigoryan-Khachatryan, her parents’ presence is requested here.”
As said by Ms. Marieta, Rusanna’s husband, who has a legal right to live in France and is married to her daughter by marriage registration agency, has urged Rusanna’s parents to apply to the French embassy with passport and photos, because there had been such cases, and the French embassies to other countries had quickly responded and supported. “We did so. On Monday, we went to the embassy, and they told us to wait and they will call us. We waited for the whole day, but they did not call. On Tuesday, we took an appointment for 11 o’clock taking only our passports and photographs with us. We were told that they are aware of our problem and they had received the letter from the professor in France, but we have to submit documents that are required for tourist visa. And one of the documents should be a reference from the bank regarding our bank account, in three-month flow. We were told that our case is an emergency one, and we will not be examined long.”
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Marieta Ghazanchyan and her husband submitted several important papers: a reference from the workplace, marriage certificate, the passport of the son to be left in Armenia, health insurance, reserved ticket and so on. Mrs. Marieta told that on November 13, they re-entered the embassy, where they were informed that they are well-aware of the case and as a humanitarian gesture, they do not charge the visa fees. Not to keep the parents waiting for days, the lady who took the interviewer urged them to come on the same day after the answer. “She said, since your case is an extraordinary one, we will not let a few days pass. We came, but we did not get the answer, they said, your case is a complex one, and the consul is hesitating, go and come tomorrow,” said Mrs. Ghazanchyan.
The next day, the parents waiting for the Embassy response with trepidation were told that they both are rejected, due to the lack of documents. “This is an emergency case rather than a tourist tour. Should we knew that such an accident would happen, we would have deposited money in the bank three months ago. What is the difference between an accident and the tourist tour?” Mrs. Marieta said that when they informed the clinic about the rejection, the French doctors expressed surprise. After receiving the rejection, Mrs. Marieta demanded a meeting with the Vice-Consul. The Embassy employee has reasoned that the Vice-Consul is very busy and cannot meet with us. “We were told to sign that we were rejected, but I did not sign. I do not agree with their stereotyped answer, which is given to everyone the case of rejection, I do not go to a tourist trip, an accident has happened, and I need to be near my child. With its rejection, the Embassy also violates my rights as a parent. The matter is about my daughter’s health, I doubt that the consul has looked at my documents,” says Ms. Marieta.
Following the advice of the Embassy staff, on November 18, Mrs. Marieta sends an e-mail to the Consul with a request to reconsider their case. On November 19, she applied to the Embassy for learning about the fate of her letter, the embassy informed that if the answer is positive, she will get it within 10 days, if not, there will be no answer. In despair, the spouses have applied to the hotline of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia. They have considered their appeal and had redirect the application to the Consular Section of the Ministry, and it turned out that the head of the department in on a business trip and he can examine the spouses’ application only next week. “I was told from the ministry that they do not have any leverage to influence on the embassy, and I say that this is an emergency case. So, how are you going to defend the interests of the citizen of Armenia, if not in such matters? As a parent, my rights are violated. Let them at least permit one of the parents. I’m not applying for going to a wedding, nor I have intention to leave Armenia. Thank God, we have job, live a normal life, should I have had such an intention, I would have made a transaction with the banks.”
