This page provides information on the national frameworks to address hate crime in Armenia. The information provided here should be viewed alongside data presented on Armenia's hate crime report page.

Hate crime recording and data collection

Crimes committed in Armenia, including hate crimes, are registered by the Information Center of the Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia, along with information about the perpetrator and the criminal proceedings initiated. There are no separate records of hate crimes in the Police Information Centre.

Within the General Prosecutor Office, hate crimes are recorded by the relevant subdivision of the Prosecutor's Office assigned to a given case (for example, the Prosecutor's Office of Marz province, the city of Yerevan, or the garrison military prosecutor's office).

Following the adoption of a new Criminal Procedure Code, the forms used by the Prosecutor's Office were amended to include a statistical record of all hate crime cases.

Hate crime victim support

Armenia's Criminal Procedure Code does not grant special recognition to hate crime victims, and their status does not differ from the status of victims of other offences.

Civil society organizations (CSOs) are the primary support providers to hate crime victims in Armenia. CSOs typically offer legal assistance, social services, medical assistance and psychological support. However, the work of support providers is often hindered by insufficient resources and limited territorial reach. CSOs' assistance includes services facilitated through 24-hour hotlines and emergency shelters.

There are no measures in place to ensure the sensitive and respectful treatment of hate crime victims by the police.

In line with the provisions of Article 74 of Armenia's Criminal Procedure Code, hate crime victims can access a range of special protection measures free of charge, including transfer to another place of residence. The body providing special protection may house victims in state or non-state accommodation, support centres, their own service buildings, or residential spaces rented for use as a safe place (point 28 of Annex No 1, approved by Government Decision No. 560-N of 22 April 2022). Non-state accommodation and support centres are used with the consent of their executive bodies.

According to Article 50 of Armenia's Criminal Procedure Code, all victims have the right to be informed of the charge(s) against the accused. They also have the right to receive the following free of charge: copies of procedural acts related to their status; copies of decisions to initiate, not initiate, terminate, suspend or dismiss criminal proceedings; copies of the indictment, final act or final judicial act; a copy of the probative action and other actions in the proceedings conducted with the victim's participation, including a copy of the annex thereto; and a copy of the decision on assigning expert examination and the expert opinion. Furthermore, victims have the right to review all materials related to the proceedings once preliminary investigations are completed and request copies free of charge. Specific protection measures are available for victims of domestic violence.

According to part 3 of Article 179 of the Criminal Procedure Code, if criminal proceedings are not initiated, the investigator is obliged to promptly inform the person who submitted the report in writing, along with confirmation from the supervising prosecutor. The written explanation must state the grounds for the decision and clarify the procedure and time limits for appealing the decision.

According to Article 159 of the Criminal Procedure Code, compensation may be awarded in case the offence results in the following damages: (i) direct property damage; (ii) expenses incurred for the replacement or repair of property that was lost, damaged or destroyed; (iii) reasonable healthcare expenses, including additional food and care; (iv) reasonable expenses for the burial of a deceased victim or a person declared to be a victim, including to erect a memorial stone or tombstone, and to maintain the grave site. Victims also have the right to bring actions under civil procedure for the compensation of damages left unsettled.

Hate crime capacity building

Armenia implemented ODIHR's programmes on Prosecutors and Hate Crime Training (PAHCT) and Training Against Hate Crime for Law Enforcement (TAHCLE) in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Topics related to addressing hate crime and discrimination are included in the course descriptions and thematic plans of the undergraduate, middle (secondary) professional education and training courses for police officers provided by the Faculty of Law of the Academy of the Police Educational Complex (Ministry of Internal Affairs). The Police Educational Complex is responsible for developing and conducting mandatory training courses related to addressing hate crime. The training courses include guidance on identifying discrimination, supporting victims of hate crime, and understanding the relevant procedures of international and domestic law. Hate crimes are also covered during in-service training courses for police officers in Armenia.

Police officers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia regularly participate in online conferences, work meetings, and training courses to learn about international best practices and standards in the field of combating hate crimes and protecting human rights.

The Academy of Justice includes a mandatory course titled “Current Issues on Ensuring Equality and the Prohibition of Discrimination”, in its annual training programmes for judges and prosecutors. The course addresses issues of hate speech.      

In the annual training programme for investigators, the Academy of Justice includes a mandatory course on “Peculiarities of Examining Public Speech Aimed at Inciting or Advocating Hatred, Discrimination, Intolerance or Hostility, as well as Public Calls for Violence". The course also studies international definitions of hate speech and the concept of bias indicators.