Armenia’s human rights record remained uneven in 2016, Human Rights Watch said in a recently-published report.
The organization said authorities used excessive and disproportionate force against peaceful protesters, assaulted journalists, and pressed unjustified criminal charges against protest leaders and participants. Ill-treatment in custody remained a persistent problem, and investigations have been ineffective.
Other concerns, according to HRW, include domestic violence, often perpetrated with impunity, violence, and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and unnecessary restrictions on access to pain medications for people with life-limiting illnesses.
"In July, Armenian authorities used excessive force against peaceful protesters demonstrating support for a radical group opposed to the government, and assaulted journalists reporting on the demonstrations. Authorities arbitrarily detained dozens of protest leaders and participants, pressing unjustified criminal charges against them and denying some of them basic rights of detainees," the watchdog said.
An armed group known as Sasna Tsrer (Daredevils of Sassoun) stormed a Yerevan police patrol department in mid-July and took everyone inside hostage. Throughout the following days, the group released the captives one by one. After negotiations that lasted for a little over two weeks, the gunmen agreed to surrender to the law enforcement bodies. Three police officers were killed during this period.
"Despite evidence that violence against women remains common and sustained pressure from women’s rights groups and activists, Armenia has no law criminalizing domestic violence and has not ratified the Council of Europe’s Convention on Prevention and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence. The Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women published a report documenting 30 cases of women killed by intimate partners and family members between 2010 and 2015. The report notes that domestic violence is grossly underreported and largely perpetrated with impunity. Coalition members receive more than 2,000 calls about domestic violence each year."
