Domestic Violence in Moldova - The Advocates for Human Rights

prosecuted and women are not provided adequate protection from further acts ofviolence. There are no government-supported domestic abuse advocacy programs inArmenia to assist victims in filing complaints or in maneuvering through any part of thelegal process. In addition, Minnesota Advocates found little evidence of any effort toensure that law enforcement officers and public officials responsible for investigating andpunishing violence against women are receiving training to understand the unique andcomplicated issues involved in domestic assault.There are no government-sponsored prevention programs or programs to providecounseling or specialized mental health care to victims of domestic violence. There areno shelters or safe houses and no social programs to deal with the problems created bydomestic violence. There are no government services available to victims of violence, asoutlined in the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and CEDAWGeneral Recommendation 19, and there is no support of the NGOs that are attempting toprovide such services.B. The Council of EuropeSince 1996, Armenia has had special guest status with the Council of Europe andhas participated in various Council activities. Armenia formally applied for membershipin March 1999, and in November 2000 the Committee of Ministers resolved to inviteArmenia to become a full member and accede to the Statute of the Council of Europe. 244In order to conform to European practice, Armenia is in the process of changing variousaspects of its government and legal structure.Membership in the Council of Europe means that Armenia undertakes acommitment to become a party to the organization’s conventions, which includesratification of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights andFundamental Freedoms. 245 The fundamental rights set forth in the European Conventioninclude the right to life (Article 2), the right to liberty and security of the person (Article5) and the right to an effective remedy for human rights violations (Article 13), all ofwhich are violated when a woman is a victim of domestic violence and the governmentdoes not effectively address the problem.V. CONCLUSIONWomen in Armenia are routinely denied their fundamental right to be free fromviolence. Legal, economic and social structures prevent women from obtainingappropriate redress for domestic violence crimes. There is a lack of understanding of the244 See Committee of Ministers’ Resolution, Res(2000)13, Invitation to Armenia to become a memberof the Council of Europe, adopted November 9, 2000. For further information, see also Armenia’sapplication for membership of the Council of Europe, Opinion No. 221, Parliamentary Assembly, availableat.245 213 U.N.T.S. 222, entered into force September 3, 1953.Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, Domestic Violence in Armenia, December 2000 45