Saturday, December 13, 2008

Syrian Ambassador to Armenia was charged with harassment.

Employees of the Embassy of Syria in Armenia appealed to the Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyanu and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallemu to complain about inappropriate behavior of the Syrian ambassador. However, due to the fact that ministers have not responded to the letter, officials told the media about what's happening, IA Regnum.

The complainant claimed that Ambassador Hamid Salloum permits for staff sexual harassment and humiliation. In a statement issued on PanARMENIAN.Net message to Edward Nalbandyanu specifies that the recently sacked Salloum woman cooks, which is not to reciprocate its sexual harassment.
Formally, it was announced that the woman left the post at their own request, as it does not know Arabic. That wording, in turn, led officers Armenians fear of dismissal on the basis of nationality. They argue that until August 2008, when the ambassador was appointed Hamid Salloum, ignorance of the Arabic language has never been an obstacle to work in the office.
According to Regnum, another group of employees the embassy sent a rebuttal of the complaint media colleagues. The document states: "We deny all the former employee said the embassy against the interim attorney."

Whats happening in the Syrian Embassy in Armenia?

15.12.2008 18:22 GMT+04:00

PanARMENIAN.Net

The Syrian Embassy in Yerevan has officially refuted information that the Embassy staff addressed the RA Foreign Ministry to complain about sexual harassment and inadequate behavior of Ambassador Abdul Hammed Sallum.

The message received by PanARMENIAN.Net says that the Embassy staff denies having any problems with the Syrian diplomat.

This information is false. All we have witnessed is deferential attitude and courtesy. We regret that former employee circulated her personal complaint, the message says.

On December 11, PanARMENIAN.Net received the following letter:

We, the staff of the Syrian Embassy in Armenia would like to draw your attention to an urgent issue, which has aroused vast grievance among the employees of the Embassy.

When each of us was accepting their job at the Embassy of Syria in Armenia, he or she was happy because they thought that they would have to deal with serious diplomats from whom they could learn a great deal, as well as would be able to meet their financial needs. It was the case until 20 days ago.

Before then the working atmosphere at the embassy was mild and friendly. The employees would work with the diplomats as with friends. None of our rights was ever violated: the employees of the embassy had never seen the Ambassador in underwear, female employees had never received dating proposal from the Ambassador who threatened them to fire immediately if they rejected. Shortly after working for two weeks the new Ambassador dismissed the cook (female) working in his house, as if upon her own resignation note.

The resignation note had not been written by the cook and the reason could not be mentioned naturally. That immoral decision was made knowing that the woman was the only one working in the family. Moreover, just for the sake of diplomatic correctness the author of the decision did not even wish to receive and talk to that woman for the last time who had lost her job by a pen stroke, who was highly virtuous, possessed higher education degree and who fulfilled all her duties. The reason for dismissal was claimed to be the absence of knowledge of Arabic.

Now most of the employees of the Embassy who are citizens of the Republic of Armenia and have high sense of dignity are under the threat of losing their jobs. Those who gave us our jobs at the embassy were also ambassadors, and not knowing Arabic has had no role in losing jobs so far.

We request considering all the information we have provided since it is truthful. We have high hopes that friendly relationships between our countries will never allow that Ambassador Abdul Hammed Sallum change the Embassy staff due to personal needs.

We are confident that the phenomena of sexual harassment, abuse of power, volatilities are considered unlawful, immoral and condemnable in Syria as well and will in no way and never honor that country.

We anticipate your urgent response to this matter and hope the matter will be resolved in reasonable terms with no need to involve the attention of local and foreign mass media.



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