Donate
Contact
Employment
About Us
Mission
Our History
Board of Directors
Our Staff
Directions
Volunteer
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Contact Us
Our Work
Women's Rights
Analysis of Laws
Monitoring/documentation
Trainings
Advocacy
Human Trafficking
Labor Trafficking
Sex Trafficking
Advocacy
Refugees/Immigrants
Legal Help/Ayuda Legal/L'aide Juridique
National Asylum Help Line
Immigration policy
Client stories
Education
For Educators
For Attorneys (CLEs)
International Justice
Diaspora
LGBTI rights
International advocacy
Death penalty
Human rights defenders
Transitional justice
Deadlines: Intl mechanisms
Nepal School
Publications/Tools
Publications by country
Publications by topic
Annual reports
Newsletters
Toolkits/fact sheets
Manuals
UN & other submissions
Trainings & Presentations
News & Events
Events
Upcoming Events
Human Rights Awards Dinner
Continuing Legal Education
First Friday Coffee Hour Series
Spring 2021 Events
Press Room
Our Experts
E-News
Take Action
Istanbul Convention Saves Lives
Document and Report Human Rights Violations
Minnesota Legislative Priorities
Federal Immigration Policy
End Immigration Detention
Volunteer
Asylum Attorneys
Bond Representation Attorneys
Internships & Fellowships
Interpreters & Translators
Office and Events Support
Immigration Court Observers
Bearing Witness Report
Periodic Reports
Immigration Detention and COVID-19
WATCH Court Observation
Trafficking Attorneys
Donate
Donate Online
Monthly Giving
Planned Giving
Workplace Giving
Stock Gifts
Employer Matching
Blog
Quick Links
Asylum
-
Seek Asylum
-
Get Help for Detainees
-
Info for Pro Bono Attorneys
Stop Violence Against Women
-
StopVAW.org
Human Rights Training
-
Access Training
Educators
-
Teach Your Students
Home
>
Our Work
>
Publications/Tools
>
UN & other submissions
>
Armenia Domestic Violence UPR 2019
Armenia—Domestic Violence—Universal Periodic Review—July 2019
The Advocates for Human Rights, together with Human Rights Research Center and The Women’s Resource Center Armenia submitted a stakeholder report on domestic violence in Armenia to the U.N. Human Rights Council for Armenia’s 3rd Cycle Universal Periodic Review.
Domestic violence remains a widespread problem in Armenia. Over 700 cases of abuse were reported in 2018, and 62 women died between 2010 and 2017. Victims of domestic violence receive little support; there are no state-run shelters, and a shortage of NGO-run shelters. Law enforcement and judges are not properly trained to process domestic violence cases, and often engage in victim-blaming behavior, rendering victims unprotected from further instances of abuse. Often abusers are not held accountable under the law until one or several victims have been killed. Many NGO’s and human rights defenders who support victims of domestic violence are often targeted by extremist groups as “Destroyers of families”.
During its 2nd Cycle UPR, Armenia accepted many recommendations related to gender equality and domestic violence, but noted recommendations relating to gender discrimination. The government also passed the Prevention of Violence within the Family, Protection of Victims of Violence within the Family and Restoration of Peace in the Family law in 2017. The law is beneficial in that it defines domestic violence and obliges regions to establish support centers; however, it fails to criminalize domestic violence, and over emphasizes keeping families together, which hinders a woman's capacity to divorce their abuser. As such, the law fails to meet international standards.
This stakeholder submission suggests several recommendations for Armenia, including:
● Increase awareness of domestic violence through national campaigns
● Amend the Armenian Criminal Code to ensure that domestic violence is classified as an aggravated crime. Establish procedures that are specific to criminal proceedings
● Under a separate chapter of the Criminal Code, define forms of domestic violence including marital rape, sexual harassment, psychological violence, coercive control, and economic violence as criminal offenses
● Adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation, recognizing gender-based violence as a form of discrimination, and prohibit discrimination against women, including through the use of sanctions as required under the Istanbul convention
● Amend the 2017 Prevention of violence within the Family, protection of Victims of Violence within the Family and restoration of Peace in the Family to remove references to traditional values and emphasis on reconciliation to bring the laws in line with all of the requirements of the Istanbul convention