Publications
State-Sponsored Hate: How Armenia’s Ruling Party and Pro-Government Media Target Karabakh Refugees
The publication is available only in Armenian.
Democracy Watch
Publications
Media Under Attack: The Spread of Hostile Political Rhetoric in Armenia
The publication is available only in Armenian.
Democracy Watch
Torture at Police Station and Zero Charges: The Case of Tigran Ulubabyan
By Aram Tadevosyan On March 17, lawyer Roman Yeritsyan posted on Facebook about Tigran Ulubabyan being tortured by officers at the Lori Regional Police Department and being subjected to insults. Thanks to several media outlets, the incident received widespread public attention. The story of an individual’s rights violation quickly shifted to a broader discourse, from police […]
Publications
Armenia’s Local Elections: When the Government Influences the Outcomes
By Tatév Ghazaryan Since the political shifts of 2018, Armenia has seen a surge in local democratic transformations. As in Yerevan, regions and communities needed to align with the new political reality by electing new local authorities. Concurrently, since 2016, communities have undergone a process of consolidation, merging into larger administrative districts. This restructuring introduced […]
Publications
Sexism, Stereotypes, and Insults: Armenia’s Ruling Party’s Troubling Rhetoric
By Tigran Grigoryan In recent weeks, the rhetoric of Armenian politicians, particularly within the ruling party, has raised significant concerns about the use of offensive and politically incorrect language in public discourse. These incidents underscore the need for greater accountability and the protection of democratic values, particularly in the face of growing political polarization. Andranik […]
Publications
The impact of U.S. aid cuts on Armenia’s civil society and media
By Tigran Grigoryan As anticipated, the new Trump presidency is creating serious challenges for civil society and independent press around the world. The recent decisions by the administration to freeze foreign aid and curtail the activities of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have had a crippling effect on Armenia’s civil society and independent […]
Publications
When Accountability Fails: ANIF’s Troubling Legacy
By Tigran Grigryan Hetq’s recent investigation revealed that on May 4, 2023, the Armenian government invested AMD 1.5 billion (around US$3.8 million) in a newly established company, CFW CJSC, led by an individual with close ties to Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan’s wife. What makes this deal even more alarming is that the company received the funds just […]
Publications
Targeting the Free Press: The Ruling Party’s Smear Campaign Against Azatutyun
By Tigran Grigoryan The ruling Civil Contract party has launched a public smear campaign against Radio Free Europe/Radio Libety’s Armenian Service (Azatutyun). Two high-ranking government officials—Arayik Harutyunyan, the head of the Prime Minister’s Administration, and Ruben Rubinyan, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly—have led verbal attacks against Azatutyun. Harutyunyan accused Azatutyun of spreading “fake” news and […]
Publications
Freedom of Speech on Trial: The Case of Edgar Ghazaryan
By Tigran Grigoryan The Armenian government’s treatment of opposition figures continues to raise concerns about freedom of expression and political repression. The latest case involves Edgar Ghazaryan, a former high-ranking official, ex-ambassador to Poland, and now a vocal government critic through his YouTube platform. Ghazaryan faces criminal charges over statements deemed defamatory, with potential consequences […]