The US Department of State has published its annual report on the state of human rights in different countries of the world. The ‘Caucasian Yazidi Cultural Centre’, following tradition, presents excerpts from the report touching on the rights and freedoms of the Yazidi people.

“...The Armenian Constitution and legislation guarantee freedom of expression, including for the press and other media. In general, the Government respects these rights, albeit with some exceptions...”. The report states that despite official assurances of freedom of expression – “citizens can generally criticise the government without fear of retribution, but there are exceptions”. In particular, the Council of Europe's Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities expressed serious concern about the criminal cases against human rights defender Sashik Sultanian, which they believe has an oppressive effect on freedom of expression, particularly among human rights defenders from national minorities. The authorities have not stopped the charges against Yazidi human rights defender and former president of the Yazidi Centre for Human Rights, Sashik Sultanian, despite domestic and international calls to respect his freedom of expression. The situation is exacerbated by widespread hate rhetoric against human rights defenders and civil society, which local experts say is often supported by governmental and even foreign actors.

The report also mentions pressure on investigative journalists covering high-level corruption. Various national and international human rights groups operate without significant government restrictions, but their views are not always taken into account in policy formulation.

The report highlights the situation of mother-tongue education in Yazidi communities. It notes that enrolment and school attendance rates for children from the Yazidi community are well below average, with girls more likely to drop out of school due to early marriage. The Committee of the Council of Europe expressed concern about the high dropout rate among Yazidi students and the insufficient availability of education in the Yazidi language, given the size of the community. As a result, Yazidi children often face discrimination and problems in education, which reduces their academic performance compared to their Armenian-speaking peers.

Link to the full report:

state.gov/reports/2023-country-reports