The Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO is concerned about the recent incidents of violence against transgender people; six or more cases in a month. Materials are being prepared by the police in connection with four of the cases, in the case of the remaining two, transgender people have not applied to the police because they have been afraid that their personal data will be published.

 Summary case description

 On July 31, 2022, Vahe Yeghiazaryan beat a transgender woman by shouting curses on the territory of the Rossiya cinema in Yerevan, causing her physical injuries and psychological pain. In the video hate speech, insults, threats that similar cases will be continuous against the representatives of the transgender community on his part are heard. In order to justify and encourage the violence, “Luysi Banak” presented a letter of gratitude to Vahe Yeghiazaryan.

On August 13, 2022, at 06:30 AM, a transgender woman was brutally beaten by a group of people, who received various physical and psychological injuries.

On August 19, 2022, a transgender woman was assaulted and abused by one of the drivers of the Yandex taxi service on Kajaznuni street, receiving physical and psychological injuries.

On July 30, 2022, on Abovyan Street in Yerevan, the driver of the Yandex taxi service threatened two trans people with violence and death, cursed in the presence of many people and attacked trans people with an object in the car that was used as a cold weapon, saying that people like them should be killed and burned.

On August 13, 2022, a group of people attacked and abused a transgender woman at the intersection of Mashtots-Amiryan streets, damaging her face and various parts of her body, causing physical and psychological injuries.

On August 17, 2022, a security guard of the “Akvatek” sports complex pushed a transgender person out, saying that was not their place.

The Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO has been receiving many calls and letters from transgender people claiming that due to recent developments, they are subjected to violence, persecution and receive many threats of death, that they can no longer live in the atmosphere of fear and anxiety.

All of this is facilitated by the TV series “Corruption 2, Retribution” broadcast by Yerkir Media JSC with the participation of Gor Vardanyan, where transgender people are spoken of in a blasphemous and humiliating way, where members of the community are called “miscarriages”, where it is mentioned that trans people should be held and beaten in prison, where insulting and humiliating words are used, which undermines the dignified life, safety and well-being of trans people.

The next worrying fact is that Vahe Yeghiazaryan, abusing the transgender woman, continues to spread hate speech and calls for violence among the public through his social pages, endangering the lives and peace of many transgender people. These statements are followed by comments and posts encouraging violence against transgender people.

The abusers are free, and the climate of impunity encourages the formation of extremist groups. The unabated level of hatred is further exacerbated when various radical groups, representatives of civil society, religious leaders, politicians, journalists and representatives of other sectors of the society spread hate speech and threats against transgender people and remain unpunished.

Unfortunately, transgender people in Armenia continue to be the target of daily stigma, discrimination, violence, humiliation and abuse.

We call on:

• The RA police, the prosecutor’s office, the human rights defender and relevant bodies to ensure the safety of trans LGBIQ people and all the rights granted to them by the RA Constitution.
• The diplomatic representatives, international funders, who direct their resources and funds to improve justice and establish equality in the RA, to take steps to prevent violence and discrimination against the community members.

The Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO will continue to closely monitor the developments of the cases and use all the domestic and international human rights mechanisms for the full establishment of the equality of transgender and LGBIQ people.

 August 26, 2022 Armenia, Yerevan