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ARMENIA SHOULD INTENSIFY ITS EFFORTS TO ENSURE GENDER EQUALITY AND PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
15:13, March 10, 2015
"Gender inequality and violence against women are serious human rights
concerns in Armenia. More vigorous efforts are needed to address them,"
said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human
Rights, publishing the report of his visit to Armenia from 5 to 9
October 2014.
The adoption of gender-related action plans and the 2013 Law on Equal
Rights and Equal Opportunities for Women and Men are steps in the
right direction, but extensive gender bias still hampers the effective
empowerment and equal treatment of women. As a matter of priority,
the Commissioner recommends eliminating all vestiges of gender bias in
school curricula, the adoption of a comprehensive anti-discrimination
law, an increase in women's representation in public and political
life, as well as more resolute measures to promote gender equality,
including in the labour market.
The existence of violence against women, including domestic violence,
is increasingly acknowledged in the public debate in Armenia. However,
the authorities have yet to adopt measures commensurate to the extent
of the problem. "Thousands of women are victims of violence every
year in Armenia. The phenomenon remains largely unreported because
of a poor response from State institutions and a cultural, societal
and family environment which tends to justify and accept violence
against women. It is crucial that the messages by political and
community leaders are unequivocal in this regard: violence against
women can never be acceptable. At the same time, judicial authorities
and law enforcement officers should be trained to better identify,
investigate and prosecute cases of violence against women, with
adequate punishment for the perpetrators. These measures should
be supplemented by sustained efforts to raise public awareness on
domestic violence and gender equality, including in schools, and the
adoption of specific legislation on violence against women, providing
sufficient safeguards and protection to victims. The ratification of
the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence
against Women and Domestic Violence would also be an important step."
The on-going justice sector reforms should be used to achieve the
long-standing aim of ensuring an independent, impartial and effective
judiciary in Armenia. "Judges should be better shielded from internal
and external pressure and it is necessary to reinforce self-governance
and to circumscribe the role of the President of the Republic in
selecting, appointing, promoting and dismissing judges. Necessary
safeguards should also be adopted to prevent the arbitrary use of
disciplinary proceedings against judges."
Noting the still-dominant position of the prosecutorial authorities
in the criminal justice system, the Commissioner underscores the
importance of ensuring defence rights, in particular by upholding
the principles of equality of arms, adversarial proceedings and the
presumption of innocence, as well as reinforcing access to legal aid.
The Commissioner also notes with concern the frequent resort to
pre-trial detention as a preventive measure and stresses that remand
in custody should be used only in exceptional circumstances, giving
priority to non-custodial measures.
The persistent reports of ill-treatment by law enforcement officials
as well as the lack of effective investigation into serious human
rights abuses are of deep concern to the Commissioner. "It is high
time that the Armenian authorities address these issues in line with
their human rights obligations. Strengthening safeguards against
torture and ill-treatment, excluding all evidence obtained under
duress and pursuing more vigorously policies and practices to ensure
accountability for serious human rights abuses, including those
committed during the March 2008 events, are among the most urgent
measures to be taken."
Lastly, the Commissioner recommends addressing the problem of
non-combat violence in the army by ensuring accountability and
strengthening measures to prevent violence, also in cooperation with
NGOs and victims' relatives.
http://hetq.am/eng/news/58927/armenia-should-intensify-its-efforts-to-ensure-gender-equality-and-protect-human-rights-in-the-justice-system.html
15:13, March 10, 2015
"Gender inequality and violence against women are serious human rights
concerns in Armenia. More vigorous efforts are needed to address them,"
said today Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human
Rights, publishing the report of his visit to Armenia from 5 to 9
October 2014.
The adoption of gender-related action plans and the 2013 Law on Equal
Rights and Equal Opportunities for Women and Men are steps in the
right direction, but extensive gender bias still hampers the effective
empowerment and equal treatment of women. As a matter of priority,
the Commissioner recommends eliminating all vestiges of gender bias in
school curricula, the adoption of a comprehensive anti-discrimination
law, an increase in women's representation in public and political
life, as well as more resolute measures to promote gender equality,
including in the labour market.
The existence of violence against women, including domestic violence,
is increasingly acknowledged in the public debate in Armenia. However,
the authorities have yet to adopt measures commensurate to the extent
of the problem. "Thousands of women are victims of violence every
year in Armenia. The phenomenon remains largely unreported because
of a poor response from State institutions and a cultural, societal
and family environment which tends to justify and accept violence
against women. It is crucial that the messages by political and
community leaders are unequivocal in this regard: violence against
women can never be acceptable. At the same time, judicial authorities
and law enforcement officers should be trained to better identify,
investigate and prosecute cases of violence against women, with
adequate punishment for the perpetrators. These measures should
be supplemented by sustained efforts to raise public awareness on
domestic violence and gender equality, including in schools, and the
adoption of specific legislation on violence against women, providing
sufficient safeguards and protection to victims. The ratification of
the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence
against Women and Domestic Violence would also be an important step."
The on-going justice sector reforms should be used to achieve the
long-standing aim of ensuring an independent, impartial and effective
judiciary in Armenia. "Judges should be better shielded from internal
and external pressure and it is necessary to reinforce self-governance
and to circumscribe the role of the President of the Republic in
selecting, appointing, promoting and dismissing judges. Necessary
safeguards should also be adopted to prevent the arbitrary use of
disciplinary proceedings against judges."
Noting the still-dominant position of the prosecutorial authorities
in the criminal justice system, the Commissioner underscores the
importance of ensuring defence rights, in particular by upholding
the principles of equality of arms, adversarial proceedings and the
presumption of innocence, as well as reinforcing access to legal aid.
The Commissioner also notes with concern the frequent resort to
pre-trial detention as a preventive measure and stresses that remand
in custody should be used only in exceptional circumstances, giving
priority to non-custodial measures.
The persistent reports of ill-treatment by law enforcement officials
as well as the lack of effective investigation into serious human
rights abuses are of deep concern to the Commissioner. "It is high
time that the Armenian authorities address these issues in line with
their human rights obligations. Strengthening safeguards against
torture and ill-treatment, excluding all evidence obtained under
duress and pursuing more vigorously policies and practices to ensure
accountability for serious human rights abuses, including those
committed during the March 2008 events, are among the most urgent
measures to be taken."
Lastly, the Commissioner recommends addressing the problem of
non-combat violence in the army by ensuring accountability and
strengthening measures to prevent violence, also in cooperation with
NGOs and victims' relatives.
http://hetq.am/eng/news/58927/armenia-should-intensify-its-efforts-to-ensure-gender-equality-and-protect-human-rights-in-the-justice-system.html