The Victim was a Trans Woman: Ombudsman

The Office of the Human Rights Defender has initiated an investigation into the murder incident of a 28-year-old resident of Armavir Province, which was reported in the media the day before. Letters have been addressed to state authorities demanding a thorough and multi-faceted examination of the circumstances of the case.

Considering that according to media reports, the victim is a trans woman, the Defender emphasizes that the competent authorities must give proper assessment within the framework of the investigation to whether the murder was motivated by hatred based on the victim's gender identity.

The ongoing monitoring by the Defender’s office shows that hate speech is circulating on social networks, where the murder is justified due to the victim being a trans woman.

The Human Rights Defender reiterates that the dissemination of hate speech and calls for violence on any grounds is highly condemnable, posing a serious threat to the entire human rights protection system and potentially leading to hate-motivated crimes.

It should be noted that the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Armenia guarantee equality before the law for all and the protection of all citizens from any form of violence or threats thereof.