Lilit Martirosyan Spoke as a Speaker at the Council of Europe Training “Policing Hate Crimes against LGBTI Persons”

On November 8-9, 2025, a training titled “Policing Hate Crimes against LGBTI Persons: A Training Program to Ensure Professional Police Performance” was held in Dilijan, organized by the Council of Europe.

The purpose of the training was to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement officers to identify, investigate, and prevent hate crimes based on SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity), as well as to ensure fair, equal, and respectful service for all citizens.

During the event, Lilit Martirosyan, President of the Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO, participated as a speaker. In her presentation, she introduced the organization’s activities and provided an overview of hate crime cases and legal proceedings based on SOGI, recorded during 2024 and January - October 2025, highlighting their impact on the Trans and LGBIQ communities. She also presented the organization’s services, key directions of legal assistance, and discussed the effectiveness of legal protection mechanisms, as well as positive trends and existing gaps in law enforcement responses.

Lilit Martirosyan also responded to questions from representatives of law enforcement agencies, sharing her observations on the specificities of investigating hate crimes based on SOGI. Representatives of Pink Human Rights Defender NGO, a partner organization of the Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO, also spoke during the training, presenting cases of discrimination and hate crimes against LGBTIQ individuals on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity that they had documented. 

Lilit Martirosyan emphasized the importance of law enforcement efforts, cooperation, and support for the LGBTIQ community, underlining that mutual trust and professional preparedness are fundamental to ensuring justice and protecting human rights.
                                                                     

The Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO extends its sincere gratitude to the Council of Europe for organizing the training, providing a platform for collaboration, and supporting the strengthening of professional capacities in this field. The training served as an important opportunity for sharing experiences, knowledge, and best practices aimed at building a legal system in which every individual is protected from discrimination and violence based on their identity, sexual orientation, or gender identity.