Armenia has seen a marked rise in domestic violence since the country’s defeats and border clashes with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. After the 2020 war and a sustained blockade, Azerbaijan took full control of Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, triggering a mass exodus of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians. Many men who fought in those conflicts returned with unhealed trauma and little or no psychological support, while displaced families lost homes, jobs and social networks.
Rights groups and service providers link that combination of trauma, economic uncertainty and unresolved conflict to a surge in violence at home. Domestic violence is often underreported, but Armenia’s national prosecutor’s office recorded an unprecedented rise in 2024 — the highest since the country’s domestic violence law came into force in 2018. Reported murders related to domestic violence climbed from three in 2023 to 13 in 2024. The prosecutor’s office said it has no formal analysis explaining the rise; human rights defenders point to the psychological toll of the 2020 war and its aftermath.
Experts say that pattern is consistent with global observations that intimate partner violence can increase up to five years after a conflict. Zara Hovhannisyan of Yerevan’s Women’s Support Center said the post-war surge reflects a mix of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), socio-economic consequences of war and a lack of consistent support systems. She also singled out rising alcohol use among veterans as a contributing factor.
Advocates also note that greater awareness and improved outreach can raise reporting levels. Karine Davtyan, founder and head of the Women’s Rights House NGO, said outreach and growing trust in support centers partly explain higher recorded numbers. According to data Davtyan obtained from authorities, Armenia had recorded 1,588 domestic violence cases as of September 30, 2025 — already surpassing 2024’s total of 1,360.
The situation among Nagorno-Karabakh refugees has been especially acute. Displaced people often live in cramped conditions, have lost livelihoods and face ongoing psychological distress. Rights groups warned after the 2023 exodus that these stresses could fuel gender-based violence. More than two years later, advocates describe the response as inadequate: many men who served in the military and witnessed fighting remain without coordinated mental-health care, while women shoulder material and economic hardship.
Similar trajectories have been documented in other post-conflict settings. An OSCE survey covering several eastern European countries found that intimate partner violence more than doubled within five years after conflict compared with levels before, during and more than five years after conflict. Women Against Violence Europe has reported that participation in armed conflict and exposure to war trauma can trigger violent episodes, and OSCE research links men’s lasting physical and psychological effects from conflict — compounded by financial hardship — to increased alcohol and substance abuse, factors that can contribute to domestic violence.
‘Ending this cycle of violence requires placing women’s protection, leadership and participation at the center of humanitarian, peace and recovery efforts,’ Kalliopi Mingeirou, head of the Ending Violence against Women section at UN Women, told DW. ‘There can be no lasting peace or recovery without the safety, rights and dignity of women and girls.’
Advocates say addressing the rise in domestic violence in Armenia will require sustained mental-health services for veterans and displaced people, economic support for affected families, and strengthened protection and reporting mechanisms so survivors can access help safely.