Armenia criminalizes hate speech, justification of violence

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian National Assembly on Wednesday, April 15 approved a law criminalizing public calls for and justification of violence.

The new law bans public calls for violence against a person based on social or personal circumstances, or the public justification or propagation of such violence.

In particular, public calls for violence based on gender, race, skin color, ethnic or social origin, genetic characteristics, language, religion, worldview, political or other views, property, status, birth, disability, age or other personal or social circumstances are now forbidden and punishable by law.

Earlier, a working group was established in the parliament to fight against hate speech, whose leader was Sargis Khandanyan, a member of the ruling My Step bloc.