By Tigran Grigoryan and Karena Avedissian Local Level Political Suppression An opposition member of Yerevan’s city council Grigor Yeritsyan was relieved of his duties last week, with ruling “Civil Contract” party cited repeated absences from the meetings of the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs of the Council as the reason for his removal. Yeritsyan has […]
By Karena Avedissian In online Armenian spaces, it is not uncommon to see political forces labeling people they disagree with “Turks,” “traitors,” or “Russian agents.” Some degree of polarization is typical in any society, but at a certain point, when it becomes about “us versus them,” it becomes toxic and signals something more troubling — […]
By Tigran Grigoryan and Karena Avedissian The state-run Corruption Prevention Commission has fined the heads of Hrazdan and Artashat towns 300,000 drams (approximately $776) each for failing to submit required written statements about conflicts of interest. These community leaders signed contracts with relatives and politically connected individuals without notifying the Commission, as mandated by law. […]
By Tigran Grigoryan Armenia has been lauded for its democratic progress in the years following the 2018 Velvet Revolution. The promise of a more transparent, accountable, and inclusive government ignited hope among its citizens and caught the attention of the international community․ However, alongside notable advancements in electoral processes and freedom of speech, concerning trends […]
The Armed Forces and combat units of Armenia’s National Security Service, including the Armenian border troops, are currently undergoing initial stages of reform. Today, the army and the NSS special forces are generally considered to have a low level of combat readiness. However, the country possesses sufficient resources, primarily financial, to carry out the necessary […]
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By Tigran Grigoryan and Karena Avedissian Police violently suppressed a Tavush for the Homeland protest with stun grenades and beatings last week, injuring dozens of demonstrators and journalists. While some protestors displayed violent behavior, the majority did not, making the police’s response excessive and disproportionate. Both Amnesty International, and over a dozen Armenian civil society organizations and […]
By Tigran Grigoryan and Karena Avedissian Opposition deputy Ashot Simonyan was physically and verbally assaulted last week by riot police in an incident involving over a dozen officers who surrounded the politician. While one officer was fired, no criminal charges have been brought against him or any other officers involved in the assault. Several Armenian civil society […]
By Tigran Grigoryan and Karena Avedissian The Armenian National Interests Fund (ANIF) is set to be dissolved, with its management transitioning to the State Property Management Committee. ANIF is a governmental organization established in 2019, with a mandate “to consolidate and effectively manage the ownership of Armenian state-owned enterprises, to promote export growth and investments in Armenia by […]
