ECtHR Communicates Lilit Martirosyan’s Case to the Government of Armenia

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has communicated the case of transgender human rights defender and activist Lilit Martirosyan to the Government of Armenia, advancing the proceedings to the next procedural stage.

The case concerns the wave of hostility that followed Lilit Martirosyan’s speech before the National Assembly of Armenia in 2019, including death threats, the unlawful disclosure of her residential address, hate speech, and public incitement to violence against her.

Lilit Martirosyan maintains that the Armenian authorities failed to ensure her safety and did not provide effective protection of her rights, despite the exhaustion of all available domestic legal remedies.

The communication of the case means that the ECtHR has formally invited the Government of Armenia to submit its observations on the case as part of the Court’s ongoing examination. This stage does not constitute a final judgment but represents an important procedural milestone, indicating that the Court has decided to proceed with the case.

We will provide further updates as new information becomes available throughout the proceedings.

We reaffirm that no LGBTIQ+ activist should be subjected to violence, persecution, hate speech, or threats because of their human rights advocacy or activism.