Is war to blame for the increase in domestic violence? DW 11/08/2025

"Armenia has seen a lot of violence over the past five years. The small country in the Caucasus, with a population of about 3 million, was defeated in the 2020 war with Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Still, many of the ethnic Armenians who lived in the region stayed. In the years that followed, Armenia saw a series of bloody border clashes with Azerbaijan. Then, in September 2023, Azerbaijan seized full control of Nagorno-Karabakh, leading a mass exodus of more than 100,000 Armenians, who at that point had survived a nine-month blockade and war."

"Many of the Armenian men who had fought in that war returned home carrying unhealed trauma after all, they had witnessed a lot of death and violence. Yet they received little to no psychological support. Their difficult state was compounded by other issues, too, including the uncertainties of the still unresolved conflict between their country and Azerbaijan. All these factors contributed to a surge in domestic violence."

"Though such crimes often go underreported due to cultural and other stigmas, data from the national prosecutor's office shows an unprecedented rise in 2024 the highest since Armenia's domestic violence law came into force in 2018. According to the prosecutor's office, murders related to domestic violence increased from three in 2023 to 13 in 2024. The prosecutor's office told DW that it has no analysis to explain the rise in domestic violence. Human rights defenders link the surge to the psychological toll of the 2020 war and its aftermath. This aligns with globally observed domestic violence increases up to five years after a conflict."

Armenia endured intense violence over five years, including defeat in the 2020 war with Azerbaijan and repeated border clashes. Azerbaijan’s September 2023 seizure of Nagorno-Karabakh triggered a mass exodus of over 100,000 Armenians after a nine-month blockade. Many fighters returned home with unhealed trauma and little or no psychological support, while ongoing conflict uncertainties compounded distress. Those factors contributed to a surge in domestic violence, often underreported due to stigma. National prosecutor data shows an unprecedented rise in 2024, with murders related to domestic violence rising from three in 2023 to 13 in 2024, and human rights defenders link the surge to PTSD and post-conflict psychological impacts.

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