Human trafficking in Armenia

The Armenian government has increased its overall law enforcement efforts against human trafficking; however, it has not demonstrated efforts to prosecute cases linked to previous allegations of government officials’ complicity. Armenia prohibits trafficking in persons for both forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation through Articles 132 and 132-1 of its penal code which, as amended in January 2010, prescribe penalties of at least five years’ imprisonment and up to 15 years’ imprisonment – penalties that are commensurate with those prescribed for other serious crimes, such as rape.

The government investigated 15 cases of trafficking – including nine sex trafficking and six labor trafficking investigations – compared with 13 investigations in 2008. Armenian courts prosecuted 19 individuals in 12 trafficking cases during the reporting period, compared with eight individuals prosecuted in 2008. Authorities convicted 11 trafficking offenders in 2009 – including eight individuals for sex trafficking and three for labor trafficking – up from four convictions in 2008. All 11 convicted offenders in 2009 were given prison sentences; no traffickers received suspended sentences. Four offenders were given sentences ranging from three to five years’ and seven offenders were given sentences ranging from seven to 13 years’ imprisonment. As a result of the government’s anti-trafficking partnerships with outside parties, approximately 447 government officials received training from anti-trafficking NGOs, international organizations, foreign governments, and the Armenian government on a range of anti-trafficking issues including the application of Armenia’s anti-trafficking law and the national victim referral mechanism, investigation techniques, and forced labor. Although there were no new reports of government officials’ complicity in trafficking over the last year, the government demonstrated only modest progress in the reopened investigation of a well-documented 2006 corruption case. The separate trial of a former deputy principal of a state-run special needs school who was accused of forcing two students to beg in 2008 remained in progress at the conclusion of this reporting period.[1]

In 2017, the government of Armenia maintained the law enforcement efforts, and investigated 16 trafficking cases, compared to the 14 investigations from 2015. From the 16 cases, 5 were sex trafficking, 10 labor trafficking and one was both. That year the government also trained 334 investigators from the Investigative Committee and 83 police officers on labor trafficking issues. In cooperation with INTERPOL, the Armenian government coordinated investigations with four foreign governments.[2]

In 2019, Armenia did not convict any traffickers and prosecuted less than in 2018, making it the third consecutive year that the government identified fewer trafficking cases. Victims were subject to low access to justice, procedures and victim-witness protection which resulted in re-victimization and homelessness. Not a single government labor inspection was conducted throughout the reporting period which caused a reduction in the ability to identifying, investigating and preventing forced labor.[8]

The Government of Armenia has demonstrated mixed efforts to identify and provide protection to victims of trafficking. The government did not spend the funding that it had allocated for victim assistance in 2009, but in March 2010, it signed an agreement with a local NGO to provide funding for facility rent for one trafficking shelter from February through December 2010.

In September 2009, the government issued a decree that ensures victims are provided access to free state-provided medical services; two victims received such medical assistance during the reporting period. The government continued to implement its national victim referral mechanism. In March 2010, the government enacted changes to the national referral mechanism, increasing government-funded assistance and shelter for trafficking victims from seven to 30 days after their initial identification; additional assistance was contingent upon their cooperation with law enforcement investigations.

NGOs expressed concern that the national referral mechanism was disproportionately focused on prosecuting trafficking offenders rather than assisting victims. The government significantly increased the number of identified victims during the reporting period: law enforcement officials identified 60 victims in 2009 and referred 22 of them to NGOs for assistance, compared with 34 victims identified and 20 referred for assistance in 2008. Foreign-funded NGOs assisted 26 victims in 2009, compared with 24 victims in 2008. Victims were encouraged to cooperate with law enforcement bodies; in 2009, all 60 victims assisted police with trafficking investigations.

NGOs also reported improved sensitivity for victims’ rights among judges and prosecutors. Foreign trafficking victims identified within Armenia were permitted to stay in the country and work in the local economy. In November 2009, the government enacted a legislative amendment that exempts trafficking victims from criminal prosecution for any unlawful acts they may have committed as a direct result of being trafficked; there were no reports of victims being penalized for such acts during the reporting period. The lack of appropriate victim-witness protection continued to be an issue of concern; this may have hampered Armenia’s prosecution efforts.[1]

The protection efforts were maintained in 2017, where 22 victims were identified compared to the 9 from 2015. 19 of the victims accepted assistance from NGO-run shelters, and the government allocated 18.8 million AMD ($39,260) for victim protection efforts, including the costs to run the shelters. The government also placed 1.8 million AMD ($3,650) into the compensation fund which provides trafficking victims with a one time pay out of 250,000 AMD ($520). In February 2017, one of the NGO-run shelters was closed since the donor-funded project had ended.[2]

The Armenian government has undertaken anti-human trafficking prevention efforts, particularly through awareness raising during the reporting period. In 2009, the government’s Migration Agency allocated about $8,000 for the publication and distribution of 100,000 brochures and leaflets describing legal procedures for Armenians seeking to work abroad. These materials were distributed to migrant travelers at the airport in Yerevan and also at employment centers and social resource centers.

The government also provided approximately $20,000 for an awareness campaign targeted at adolescents titled “Campaigns Among Youth to Increase Awareness on the Threat of Trafficking.” The campaign included a digital video conference discussion of the dangers of trafficking that aired on Armenian public television. The campaign also included additional regional workshops to train youth leaders about the dangers of trafficking – this information was then disseminated to their peers. Border officials did not specifically monitor emigration and immigration patterns for evidence of trafficking, and the government made no discernible efforts to reduce demand for commercial sex acts.[1]

In 2017 the government increased the prevention efforts for human trafficking and developed and adopted the 2016-2018 National Action Plan (NAP). The Inter-Agency Working Group against Trafficking in Persons regularly met throughout the year and published semi-annual and annual activity reports. Various prevention projects and activities were conducted by government agencies, and the police held awareness-raising discussions in schools, transmitted videos, and participated in television programs devoted to trafficking issues. Individuals that were crossing the border were provided with information on the risks of trafficking from the Ministry of Diaspora.[2]

• Human rights in Armenia
• Human trafficking in Europe
• Social issues in Armenia