by Melisa Gevorgyan
The Arab Organization for Human Rights (AOHR) has filed a legal complaint in Armenia against David Papazian, the reported chair of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), accusing him of complicity in mass civilian harm in Gaza through his leadership role in the aid body.
In its submission to Armenia’s Prosecutor General, AOHR alleges that Papazian “played a key role in designing, endorsing, and overseeing the implementation of an operational aid delivery model that has led to mass civilian harm.”
The complaint asserts that the GHF was not a neutral humanitarian actor but rather “established to serve the strategic objectives of the war as defined by the Israeli government,” undermining independent relief efforts traditionally led by UN agencies.
AOHR’s filing cites UN reports and other documentation, accusing Papazian of being “fully aware” of findings that acts of genocide, including the deliberate use of starvation, were being committed in Gaza. Despite this, the group says, he proceeded with his role “in pursuit of sordid financial gain.”
The rights group has submitted evidence, including UN documents, internal communications and financial reports. They called on Armenia’s prosecutors to examine the case and if substantiated, initiate legal proceedings. “Prosecuting David Papazian would demonstrate Armenia’s commitment to justice and the international legal order,” AOHR stated.
It is important to note that the Armenian Prosecutor General’s Office has launched public criminal proceedings against David Papazian, who was the former director of Armenian National Interests Fund (ANIF), as the organization had come under media scrutiny for financial irregularities and mismanagement of state funds. This time his name has once again has come in the headlines on the international stage.
Therefore, if Armenia proceeds with the AOHR complaint, it would not only test the country’s willingness to apply international criminal law against its own citizens but also highlight whether its justice system can rise above political sensitivities and past controversies. For Papazian, whose name has long been associated with financial mismanagement at home, the stakes are now far higher, as allegations of complicity in war crimes abroad are serious and carry the weight of international law. The outcome will show whether Armenia is prepared to uphold its pledge to fight impunity, or whether this case too, will be mired in politics and unresolved accountability.
