Armenia to establish liability for ‘milder forms’ of hate speech

On Monday, Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan shared plans to establish liability for milder forms of hate speech, noting that there were some existing liabilities for more severe infractions.

The statement came during a press briefing, with Armenpress quoting Galyan as saying that the current regulations in Armenia were not sufficient to fully address the issue of hate speech.

In addition to establishing liabilities, a variety of campaigns to raise awareness as another way to tackle the problem were being planned, said Galyan.

Armenpress also quoted Galyan as saying that they planned to develop a separate strategic document on equality and the prohibition of discrimination, which would establish new accountability measures.

Following the minister’s statement, the Justice Ministry launched a public awareness campaign on Tuesday ‘aimed at combating hate speech and discrimination, and promoting a culture of respect and inclusion’.

As part of the campaign, the government has put up posters encouraging dialogue and an atmosphere of respect in Yerevan and other cities and communities.

Again on Monday, the Human Rights Defender’s office and the Yerevan Office of the Council of Europe hosted a conference dedicated to strengthening communication between state institutions and media in combating hate speech in the public sector.

Galyan’s statement came amidst an increase in hate speech targeting Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, following a major rally on 29 March, and a subsequent series of protests against the suspension of social support provided to the refugees.

Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenian population fled to Armenia following Azerbaijan’s takeover of the region in September 2023.

Armenian officials, media affiliated with the government, and influencers have been accused of hate speech against Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, which Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan ‘strongly condemned’ on 9 April.

However, following an appeal from Roman Yertsyan, a lawyer originally from Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian Investigative Committee has failed to launch an investigation into a Facebook post by a user named Arsen Ars Arshakyan celebrating reports that 30% of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians in Armenia had left the country.

‘God willing, may they never return, and may it be continuous’, wrote Arshakyan, who has over 6,000 followers on Facebook and generally posts pro-government content.