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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

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