Alexander Pracht
In its annual report on global human rights trends published on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) described Armenia’s human rights record as persistently uneven, praising some reform efforts while outlining a range of serious and unresolved concerns.
While commending the authorities for pursuing anti-corruption measures and rule-of-law reforms, the report highlighted what it described as ineffective investigations into allegations of police abuse, a lack of judicial independence, and the excessive use of pre-trial detention in criminal proceedings.
HRW also raised concerns over a law adopted in June granting police access to CCTV footage in cities. Although the report noted that the final version of the law was less intrusive than initial proposals, it pointed to ongoing problems with personal data protection, including the use of facial recognition technologies.
On media policy, the report criticized the government’s decision to establish a so-called “Public-Benefit Media Environment” fund to support licensed broadcasters. Local media organizations have criticized the initiative, arguing that it unfairly favors certain outlets and risks state interference in editorial independence.
The report identified domestic violence as a persistent problem in Armenia, describing existing shelter and support services for survivors as not inclusive of persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities. At the same time, HRW welcomed the recent adoption of a Gender Policy Strategy and Action Plan aimed at advancing gender equality.
“Discrimination and police inaction or abuse continue to deter many [...] LGBTpeople from reporting hate crimes. When complaints are filed, investigations are often ineffective, and charges rarely reflect homophobic or transphobic motives. Armenia’s criminal code does not recognize sexual orientation or gender identity as aggravating factors in crimes,” the report said.
HRW also said Armenia struggled to provide adequate social protection for more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh following Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of the region in September 2023.
Notably, the report did not address the prolonged confrontation between the Armenian government and the Armenian Apostolic Church, which dominated much of last year’s domestic political agenda. This included criminal cases against senior clergy members, such as Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, who was sentenced to two years in prison for public calls for a violent change of government, and Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, who is on trial on charges related to an alleged coup plot and a planned terrorist attack.
Some legal experts have described the charges against the clerics and others as selective, while punishments were described as disproportionate compared to similar cases. The HRW report also did not mention what a number of intellectuals have characterized as government interference in the internal autonomy of the church.
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