VIDEO: The 3 Main Dangers of the Istanbul Convention

The President of the Bar Association, Ara Zohrapyan, a member of the initiative "No to the Ratification of the Istanbul Convention," commented on the Istanbul Convention during a press conference held today. He stated that after the acceptance of the convention, Armenia could grant refugee status to LGBTQ individuals from other countries based on gender grounds. He said, 'Article 69 of the convention notes that each of the grounds of the convention can also be interpreted from a gender perspective, and that if there is evidence of a fear of persecution based on one or more of those grounds, applicants should be granted refugee status. Point 313 of the explanatory report related to this article stipulates that parties may choose to extend this interpretation to gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender individuals who are also victims of persecution based on gender roles. Following the adoption of the Istanbul Convention, our country could grant refugee status to LGBTQ individuals from other countries based on gender grounds. It has become clear from media reports that some LGBTQ individuals are seeking refuge in Armenia citing issues in their own countries.'

Zohrapyan mentioned three main dangers of the convention. For more details, watch the video on Hraparak.am.