Increase of SOGI-related cases of discrimination

Starting from January – June 2019 Pink Armenia documented 24 cases of discrimination related to sexual orientation and/or gender identity (SOGI). For comparison, it is worth noting that in 2018 the overall 25 cases have been documented.

Three of the registered cases occurred during the earlier years but revealed only in 2019.

There are 7 cases of domestic violence in those documented cases. The violence was largely used by parents after learning that their child is, might be or is associated with LGBT people.

Parents and other family members subjected them to physical violence, beatings, illegally deprived of their liberty, all of which was accompanied by various insults, cursing, and threats.

Parents have also subjected their children to economic violence by limiting their financial resources, didn’t let them attend school, and didn’t allow them to wear clothes that match their gender identity.

Most of the victims subjected to violence in the family didn’t want to involve the police. There are were 6 registered cases, when acquaintances or friends of LGBT people having learned about their SOGI informed about it to the members of those individuals’ families, thus violating their right to privacy and personal life.

Two cases of extortion were recorded; when the acquaintances of LGBT people asked money from them, threatening to tell their family members about their homosexual relationships.

There were also 5 registered cases of threats to life and causing physical harm. In these cases, threats were accompanied by offensive expressions and swear words about the SOGI of a person.

Four cases of physical abuse by strangers have been recorded, one of which included physical abuse of a conscript by the president of the Central Medical Commission. Police department has been informed; a criminal case was opened and is now in the preliminary stage.

One case of sexual harassment was registered, coupled with discrimination based on SOGI of a person.

The cases registered by the organization were usually involving interconnected violations, meaning the perpetrator s were violating several human rights and freedoms of the person at once.