Armenia’s National Assembly has approved in its first reading a package of legislative amendments aimed at preventing domestic and family violence, developed at the initiative of Anna Hakobyan, wife of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The initiative received 62 votes in favor, with none against and 34 abstentions.
The legislative initiative was authored by several female lawmakers from the ruling Civil Contract parliamentary faction. One of them, Zaruhi Batoyan, presented the main provisions and proposed new regulations during a parliamentary session, according to Sputnik Armenia.
The proposed amendments to the Law on the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence and the Protection of Victims of Domestic and Family Violence introduce several measures, including criminal-law protections for victims and accountability for perpetrators.
The legislative changes seek to strengthen victim protection, eliminate the reconciliation process, hold perpetrators accountable, prevent victims from being questioned repeatedly, and prohibit house arrest for abusers, particularly when they share a home with the victim, to avoid further trauma. Rehabilitation for perpetrators would also be provided.
The bill stipulates that police officers arriving at the scene of an incident must have body cameras attached to their chests to enable the collection of facts and evidence needed for subsequent legal proceedings.
Anna Hakobyan had proposed amending the Criminal Code to recognize domestic violence as a separate criminal offense. She also sought to meet with the leaders of opposition parliamentary factions and female lawmakers to discuss the issue, but they declined.
