ILGA-Europe has released the Annual Review 2025

ILGA-Europe has released its Annual Review, shedding light on the state of LGBTI rights across Europe and Central Asia. 

 In 2024, the human rights situation for LGBTI people in Armenia remained precarious, with persistent discrimination, violence, and legal shortcomings impacting the community. Cases of bias-motivated speech and violence, denial of services, and institutional failures underscored the challenges faced by LGBTI individuals throughout the year. 

 One significant incident occurred in July when a café owner publicly outed and insulted a gay customer before denying him service. Despite reporting the case to law enforcement, the investigation failed to recognize the discriminatory nature of the act. Pink NGO documented the incident and will include it in its annual report for 2025. Similarly, in the employment sector, a trans asylum seeker was repeatedly denied job opportunities due to their gender expression, with some employers withdrawing job offers upon discovering the individual’s unchanged gender marker on official documents. 

 Armenian courts saw some progress in recognizing LGBTI rights. In January, a court granted asylum to a Chechen man who had fled torture in Russia, ruling that LGBTI people are not safe in Chechnya and Russia. Additionally, in a landmark decision, a court overturned the prosecutor’s dismissal of a case in which a father had abused his son due to his sexual orientation, affirming constitutional protections against discrimination. In another precedent-setting case, authorities acknowledged bias-motivated intent when prosecuting two attackers who assaulted a gay American citizen. 

 Despite these legal advancements, political discourse remained hostile, with LGBTI issues being weaponized by opposition groups, particularly in debates over constitutional amendments and domestic violence legislation.  

LGBTI individuals continued to experience discrimination in educational settings, with multiple cases of bullying and abuse reported. A lesbian teenager was forced to transfer schools multiple times due to persistent harassment, while a gay student endured a decade of mistreatment before finally reporting it. Additionally, the employment sector saw ongoing barriers, with Pink NGO documenting multiple cases of workplace discrimination against trans individuals. 

The Armenian government made limited legislative progress in protecting LGBTI rights. Although the Ministry of Justice proposed a new anti-discrimination law, it omitted explicit references to sexual orientation and gender identity. Furthermore, the proposed Equality Body was placed under the Ombudsman’s office rather than as an independent institution, weakening its authority. At least 57 cases of discrimination, violence, and hate speech were documented, including instances of conversion practices, domestic violence, and extortion. 

Internationally, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe urged Armenia to include explicit protections for LGBTI people in its draft equality law. However, domestic law enforcement continued to fail in effectively addressing violence and discrimination, as evidenced by the lack of investigations into hate crimes and threats against LGBTI individuals. 

A notable development in family law occurred in April, when Parliament amended the domestic violence law to recognize “partners” in civil unions, extending protections to LGBTI individuals. However, domestic violence remained widespread, with many victims choosing not to report cases due to fears of further harm. 

The persistence of conversion therapy was also a concern. Two cases documented by Pink NGO involved a teenage girl being forced to undergo treatment by a psychologist and neurologist, and a gay individual encountering a counselor who encouraged heterosexual experiences. These cases illustrate the continued presence of harmful practices within Armenia’s medical and psychological fields. 

The situation for LGBTI people in Armenia in 2024 demonstrated both legal progress and systemic failures. While some court rulings affirmed protections, political discourse and law enforcement practices continued to undermine the safety and rights of the community. Advocacy efforts remain crucial in pushing for comprehensive legal protections and effective implementation of anti-discrimination measures.