The Human Truth Foundation

Human Rights, Equality and Freedom in Armenia

https://www.humantruth.info/armenia_human_rights_and_freedom.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2018

#armenia_human_rights #human_rights

Armenia
Republic of Armenia

[Country Profile Page]
StatusIndependent State
Social and Moral Index75th best
LocationAsia, Europe
Population3.0m1
Life Expectancy72.04yrs (2017)2

Armenia does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Armenia does better than average for commentary in Human Rights Watch reports3, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms4, opposing gender inequality5, supporting press freedom6, its nominal commitment to Human Rights7 and in LGBT equality8 although widespread harassment, discrimination and violence against LGBT folk still exists13. But, there's bad news too. Armenia does worse than average for the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)9 (still good for Asia), speed of uptake of HR treaties10 and in freethought11 (still good for Asia). And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 for its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice12. Domestic violence persists as a serious problem and in 2017 there were many examples of human-rights defenders facing threats and harassment, and excessive force was used against protesters and journalists13.


1. Armenia's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to Asia (2020)14
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank14
1Hong Kong24.3
2Taiwan28.2
3Japan41.9
4S. Korea45.5
5Cyprus46.5
6Mongolia60.3
7Georgia64.2
8Armenia71.4
9Philippines78.3
10Kyrgyzstan79.5
11Turkey82.4
12Russia83.0
13Israel83.3
Asia Avg99.9
q=51.
Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)14
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank14
1Sweden9.0
2Norway14.5
3Denmark14.5
...
62Seychelles66.7
63Namibia69.4
64Paraguay70.4
65Armenia71.4
66Montenegro71.8
67Honduras71.9
68Mauritius72.4
69Liechtenstein73.6
World Avg87.9
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark15. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are The Solomon Islands, Somalia and Tuvalu15.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe15, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Micronesia and Australasia15.

For more, see:

[In 2017] Human rights defenders faced threats and harassment. Domestic violence persists as a serious problem. The government introduced in parliament a draft law on violence in the family, but women's rights groups opposed it, fearing it emphasized keeping families together rather than protecting victims. Many children with disabilities lack quality education and live in institutions separated from their families. The government overhauled the onerous system for prescribing and accessing opioid pain medications. Discrimination against women and people with disabilities, and based on sexual orientation and gender identity, persisted. [...]

In November, Armenia and the European Union (EU) signed a Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, aiming to strengthen political dialogue, increase economic cooperation, and promote reforms, including on human rights and the rule of law. Following the EU-Armenia Human Rights Dialogue in May, the EU called for adoption of laws against domestic violence and discrimination, and for effective investigation and prosecution of crimes committed by law enforcement.

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)13

2. Human Rights & Tolerance

2.1. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments
Higher is better3
Pos.2017
Score3
1=UK9
1=France9
1=Germany9
...
41Nepal0
42=S. Korea0
43Guatemala-1
44=Armenia-1
44=Ivory Coast-1
44=Kosovo-1
44=Honduras-1
44=Peru-1
Asia Avg-5.0
World Avg-1.9
q=123.
In terms of commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, Armenia ranks 43rd in the world.

Human Rights Watch comments concentrate mostly on negative issues, however, they also make positive comments for those countries that engage in human rights defence around the world, or who make improvements at home. By adding up positive and negative comments (including double-points for negatives that involve large scales and crimes against humanity), the Social and Moral Index turns HRW commentary into quantified values. Some countries may be unfairly penalized because HRW have not examined them, and, some countries "get away" with abuses if they manage to hide it, or if it goes unnoticed - a negative point has been given for those countries in which HRW specifically state that access to investigators has been barred. The points were limited to a minimum of -10 because there are some points at which things are so bad, with abuses affecting so many, it is difficult to be more specific about the depths of the issues.

2.2. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR
Higher is better7
Pos.2009
Treaties7
1Argentina24
2=Chile23
2=Costa Rica23
...
80Morocco17
81=Guinea17
81=Russia17
81=Armenia17
84Egypt16
85=Togo16
85=Belarus16
85=Seychelles16
Asia Avg12.7
World Avg15.1
q=194.
In terms of its nominal commitment to Human Rights, Armenia ranks 75th in the world.

There are many international agreements on human rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of human rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

2.3. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag
Lower is better10
Pos.2019
Avg Yrs/Treaty10
1Ecuador2.15
2Uruguay2.25
3Tunisia3.65
...
105Iran10.81
106Albania10.94
107Israel10.97
108Armenia11.00
109Lithuania11.03
110Mozambique11.04
111Tajikistan11.08
112Ethiopia11.13
Asia Avg10.97
World Avg10.02
q=195.
Armenia comes 108th in the world when it comes to speed of uptake of HR treaties.

Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.

For more, see:

2.4. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom

#freedom #politics

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom
Lower is better4
Pos.2014
Rank4
1Hong Kong1
2Switzerland2
3New Zealand3
...
52Israel52
53Peru53
54Bosnia & Herzegovina54
55=Armenia55
55=Macedonia55
55=Suriname55
58El Salvador58
59Ghana59
Asia Avg94.6
World Avg79.7
q=159.
Armenia ranks 55th in the world with regard to supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms.

The Human Freedom Index published by the Fraser Institute is...

... a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraint. It uses 79 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas: Rule of Law, Security and Safety, Movement, Religion, Association, Assembly, and Civil Society, Expression, Relationships, Size of Government, Legal System and Property Rights, Access to Sound Money, Freedom to Trade Internationally, Regulation of Credit, Labor, and Business. [...]

The highest levels of freedom are in Western Europe, Northern Europe, and North America (Canada and the United States. The lowest levels are in the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. [...]

Countries in the top quartile of freedom enjoy a significant higher per capita income ($37,147) [compared with] the least-free quartile [at] $8,700). The HFI finds a strong correlation between human freedom and democracy.

"The Human Freedom Index" by The Fraser Institute (2016)16

2.5. Press Freedom

#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK

Press Freedom
Lower is better6
Pos.20136
1Finland638
2Netherlands648
3Norway652
...
70Kenya2780
71Zambia2793
72Mozambique2801
73Armenia2804
74Malawi2818
75Congo, (Brazzaville)2820
76Kuwait2828
77Nicaragua2831
Asia Avg4378
World Avg3249
q=178.
Armenia is positioned 73rd in the world with regard to supporting press freedom.

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index17

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

"Authorities failed to bring to justice officials responsible for excessive use of force against protesters and journalists, including during largely peaceful protests in Yerevan in July 2016. [...] Authorities aggressively prosecuted protest participants and leaders"13.

2.6. Slavery

#burundi #eritrea #france #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery
Lower is better
18
Pos.2018
% Victims18
1Japan0.03
2=Canada0.05
2=Taiwan0.05
...
97Gabon0.48
98Sierra Leone0.50
99Uzbekistan0.52
100Armenia0.53
101Mozambique0.54
102=Russia0.55
102=Moldova0.55
102=Egypt0.55
Asia Avg0.79
World Avg0.65
q=167.
Armenia is positioned 100th in the world when it comes to eliminating modern slavery.

The taking of slaves has been an unwholesome feature of Human cultures since prehistory19. Private households and national endeavours have frequently been augmented with the use of slaves. The Egyptian and Roman empires both thrived on them for both purposes. Aside from labourers they are often abused sexually by their owners and their owners' friends20. The era of colonialism and the beginnings of globalisation changed nothing: the imprisonment and forced movements of labour continued to destroy many lives except that new justifications were invented based on Christian doctrine and the effort to convert non-Christians. By 1786 over 12 million slaves had been extracted from Africa and sent to colonial labour camps, with a truly atrocious condition of life21. But they were not the only ones to blame; in Africa internal nations such as the Asantes sold and bought tens of thousands of slaves22.

The abolition of the slave trade was a long and slow process. Until a relatively modern time, even philosophers, religious leaders and those concerned with ethics justified, or ignored, the problem of slavery23. The first abolitionists were always the slaves themselves. Their protests and rebellions caused the industry to become too expensive to continue. After that, it was the economic costs of maintain slave colonies that led the British to reject and then oppose the slave trade globally. Finally, the enlightenment-era thinkers of France encouraged moral and ethical thinking including the declaration of the inherent value of human life and human dignity24. A long-overdue wave of compassionate and conscientious movements swept across the West, eliminating public support for slavery, until the industries and churches that supported it had no choice but to back down.

'Modern slavery' includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones and the vulnerable.25. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi26, Eritrea26, Indonesia27) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say that in 2016, 40.3 million people were living in modern slavery28.

For more, see:

3. Gender Equality

Armenia is on the way towards ending gender inequality but women are still in an unfavourable position much of the time.

See:

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality
Lower is better
5
Pos.20155
1Switzerland0.04
2Denmark0.04
3Netherlands0.04
...
58Tunisia0.29
59Malaysia0.29
60Barbados0.29
61Armenia0.29
62Cuba0.30
63Costa Rica0.31
64Maldives0.31
65Chile0.32
Asia Avg0.36
World Avg0.36
q=159.
Armenia is positioned 61st in the world in terms of opposing gender inequality.

The UN Human Development Reports include statistics on gender equality which take into account things like maternal mortality, access to political power (seats in parliament) and differences between male and female education rates. Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchalism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

For more, see:

3.2. Gender Biases

#gender #gender_equality #prejudice #women

Gender Biases
Lower is better
9
Pos.2022
%9
1Sweden31.829
2New Zealand34.430
3Australia37.030
...
42Russia91.430
43Turkey91.630
44China91.830
45Armenia92.130
46Ecuador92.330
47Venezuela92.430
48Nicaragua93.230
49Kazakhstan93.430
Asia Avg94.24
World Avg83.93
q=88.
Armenia comes 45th in the world in terms of the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators).

The Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) looks at gender biases across seven criteria; the % given here is for the total people who are biased across any of those criteria. By subtracting the value from 100%, you can see that those who do well on this index, you are seeing a count of those who do not appear to be biased against women in any of the criteria, and so, doing well on this index is a very positive sign for any country.

The data was included in UN (2022) with full results in Annex table AS6.7.1; their data stems for ranges between 2005 and 2022, depending on the country in question.

3.3. Year Women Can Vote

#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote
Lower is better
Pos.0
Year
1New Zealand1893
2Australia1902
3Finland1906
...
23=Lithuania1921
23=Sweden1921
23=Azerbaijan1921
23=Armenia1921
23=Georgia1921
28Ireland1922
29=Tajikistan1924
29=Mongolia1924
Asia Avg1907
World Avg1930
q=189.
Armenia ranks 23rd in the world when it comes to the year from which women could participate in democracy.

Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.

For more, see:

4. Prejudice

4.1. Anti-Semite Opinions

#antisemitism #christianity #germany #indonesia #israel #jordan #judaism #laos #morocco #netherlands #pakistan #philippines #religion #religious_violence #saudi_arabia #spain #sweden #turkey #UK #vietnam

Anti-Semite Opinions
Lower is better
12
Pos.2014
%12
1Laos0
2Philippines3
3Sweden4
...
80=Senegal53
80=S. Korea53
82Iran56
83Armenia58
84Malaysia61
85=Turkey69
85=Greece69
87Saudi Arabia74
Asia Avg48.2
World Avg36.8
q=101.
Armenia ranks 19th-worst in the world regarding its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice.

Anti-Semitism is the world given to irrational racism against Jews. It is not the same as anti-Judaism (involving arguments against the religion) nor the same as anti-Zionism (arguments against Israel). In history, influential Christian theologians concocted the arguments against Jews that led, very early on, to widespread Christian action against Jews31,32,33,34. As Christianity rose to power in the West and presided over the Dark Ages, there were widespread violent outbursts against Jews of the most persistent and horrible kind. The Crusades were frequently aimed at them and the feared Spanish Inquisition paid Jews particular attention. The horror of the holocaust instigated by German Nazis in the 1940s was followed (finally) by the era of European human rights and a movement against racism in general.

The places that are the least anti-Semitical are a few countries of south-east Asia (Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam) and some of the secular liberal democracies of Europe (Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK). The worst countries for antisemitism are Islamic states of the Middle East35, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews36,37. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"38. In 2004 the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia reported on violent anti-Jew crimes in the EU and found that that largest group of perpetrators were young Muslim males39.

For more, see:

4.2. LGBT Equality

#equality #homosexuality #human_rights #ICCPR #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people face harassment, discrimination, and violence. ... Officials opened investigations in several cases, but the law does not include anti-LGBT bias as an aggravating circumstance. Fear of discrimination and public disclosure of their sexual orientation prevents many LGBT people from reporting crimes.

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)13

LGBT Equality
Higher is better
8
Pos.2017
Score8
1Netherlands103
2Belgium90
3Sweden86
...
88=Marshall Islands20
88=Guinea-Bissau20
88=Micronesia20
88=Armenia20
92Mozambique17
93=Laos15
93=Haiti15
93=Azerbaijan15
Asia Avg-02.1
World Avg12.6
q=196.
Armenia ranks 82nd in the world regarding LGBT equality.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence40. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country across the world, often against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right, protected by privacy laws41. Despite this, homosexual activity is outlawed in around 80 countries40. The Social & Moral LGBT Equality Index was created to compare countries and regions, granting points to each country for a variety of factors including how long gay sex has been criminalized and the extent of LGBT legal rights. Graded negative points are given for criminality of homosexuality, unequal ages of consent, legal punishments and for not signing international accords on LGBT tolerance. The signs in many developed countries are positive, and things are gradually improving. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region (Scandinavia in particular being exemplary). The Middle East and then Africa are the least morally developed, where cultural bias goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

4.3. Freedom of Thought

#europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #netherlands #religion #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment

Freedom of Thought
Lower is better
11
Pos.202111
1=Belgium1.0
1=Netherlands1.0
1=Taiwan1.0
...
114Madagascar3.3
115=Italy3.3
115=Macedonia3.3
115=Armenia3.3
115=Philippines3.3
115=Trinidad & Tobago3.3
115=Tajikistan3.3
115=Bosnia & Herzegovina3.3
Asia Avg3.7
World Avg3.0
q=196.
(still low for Asia)Regarding freethought, Armenia ranks 109th in the world.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights42. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish43. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era44 of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted45. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief46. The best countries at doing so are Taiwan, Belgium and The Netherlands11,47 and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia11,48.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed49. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief43, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion50 and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"51 and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see: