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Legal Framework
In 2003, the Armenian Penal Law decriminalised consensual sexual intercourse between men. The former Armenian Penal Law, which entered into force in 1961, criminalised ‘sodomy’ in Article 116: ‘sexual intercourse of man with another man (sodomy) is punished by confinement for up to five years.’ This Article was repealed with the introduction of the new Penal Code of the Republic of Armenia adopted on 18 April 2003.
The Constitution of Armenia recognises marriage between men and women if they are at least 18 years of age under Article 35. This article is gender-specific and does not recognise partnership or marriage between homosexuals.
The Republic of Armenia is progressively cooperating with the European Union to improve the situation of LGBTI persons in Armenia, but the process of institutionalising their rights remains slow. According to ILGA’s 2009 report Forced Out: LGBTI People in Armenia, ‘as long as they remain ignored, LGBT people remain unprotected and exposed to institutional and social homophobia.’
For more detailed information on the protection of LGBTQI+ rights in Armenia, visit the Armenia ILGA World Database.
The number of hate crimes and acts of humiliation against LGBTI people in Armenia is considerable. The public media is mainly quiet about LGBTI issues and there is relatively little public awareness of the situation of LGBTI persons, according to ILGA.
The first LGBTI NGO in Armenia, ‘We for Civil Equality’ was established in 2006 and a second LGBTI NGO, Public Information In Need of Knowledge, aka ‘PINK’, was established in 2008.
The latest report on the situation of LGBTI rights in Armenia by Pink shows that LGBTI persons are discriminated against in terms of access to education, housing, and employment. Homophobia is publicly displayed in Armenia: according to the Human Rights Watch 2013 World Report, on May 8 2012, ‘unidentified people threw a homemade bomb at DIY, a Yerevan bar frequented by LGBT and women’s rights activists.’
We have not found any relevant case law at this time but welcome suggestions.
Organisations supporting LGBTQI+ individuals
We are not currently aware of any organisations working with LGBTQI+ persons in Armenia, but welcome suggestions.
Country of Origin experts in LGBTQI+ rights
We do not currently have any specialists on LGBTQI+ issues in Armenia, but we welcome suggestions.
Armenia Legal Assistance
Find organisations providing legal assistance to refugees in Armenia.
Armenia COI
Find Armenia Country of Origin information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents.
We are always looking to expand the resources on our platform. If you know about relevant resources, or you are aware of organisations and/or individuals to include in our directories, please get in touch.
Last updated May 2023
