Înapoi A new Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia adopted in line with Council of Europe expertise

A new Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia adopted in line with Council of Europe expertise

On 30 June 2021, the Armenian Parliament adopted a new Criminal Procedure Code (CPC). The new criminal procedure legislation is a result of several years of complex legislative work of the Armenian authorities. The Council of Europe supported the preparation of the new Code with legal expertise. The Code incorporated most of the Council of Europe recommendations, delivered at the drafting stage.

“The adoption of the new Code which enshrines the European human rights standards is a very welcome development”, stated Martina Schmidt, the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan. “The new CPC provides for a balanced protection of public and private interests in criminal proceedings; the role of the court at the pre-trial stage of criminal proceedings has been strengthened; the role of defense lawyer in gathering evidence has expanded; the Code provides for better guarantees of the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of those involved in the criminal proceedings, based on the European human rights standards”, she added.

Along with the recently adopted new Criminal Code, the new criminal justice legislation should contribute to the progress in the execution of relevant judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Armenia.

The Council of Europe will continue providing expert and technical assistance to the Armenian authorities aimed at facilitating the implementation of the newly adopted legislation in line with European human rights standards.

This cooperation is one of the priorities the Action Plan of the Council of Europe for Armenia 2019-2022.

The support to the drafting of the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes has been provided under the framework of the project “Supporting the criminal justice reform and harmonizing the application of the European standards in Armenia”, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe in their Partnership for Good Governance II.

Armenia 2 July 2021
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Strasbourg, France Strasbourg, 1-2 July 2024
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Addressing hate speech and hate crime: regional gathering of the network of Equality Bodies from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership Region

A two-day workshop on addressing hate speech and hate crime took place at the premises of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, involving Equality bodies from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership regions.  The event supported by the EU and Council of Europe, gathered 50 representatives from both regions who discussed and exchanged on the best practices, measures and common challenges when addressing hate speech and hate crime. Through monitoring and reporting, policy advocacy, raising awareness and supporting victims equality bodies play a fundamental role in protecting human rights and ensuring that all individuals are treated equally.

In her opening remarks, Angela Longo, Head of Anti-discrimination Co-operation Unit, Council of Europe, underlined the significant progress in engaging with Equality Bodies through this network, regularly exchanging best practices and addressing the challenges of hatred and intolerance in societies. She highlighted that this new chapter of discussion delves into the grey area between hate speech and hate crime, addressing issues of incitement and biases,

Representatives from Equality Bodies had the opportunity to discuss and enhance their knowledge on the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers Recommendation to member States on combating hate crime, adopted on 7th May 2024, as well as gain a clearer understanding of EU standards in the field of hate crime. Moreover, participants engaged in exchanges with peers from the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia (OBERAXE), who shared insights on addressing hate speech in the public discourse. The National Office Against Racial Discrimination (UNAR) in Italy provided practical examples for developing counter-narratives and raising awareness initiatives.

They also explored opportunities to advocate for legislative reform, foster multisectoral co-operation, enhance data collection, and overall improve national mechanisms to counter hate crimes.

This seminar was organised within the action “Promoting equality and combating racism and intolerance in the Western Balkans” and the project “Promoting equality and non-discrimination: towards more resilient and inclusive societies” – co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe  under the joint Programmes “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” and “Partnership for Good Governance”.

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