EN
HY

Publications

Democracy Watch

Democracy Watch: Violent dispersion of protesters and media polarization

Violent Dispersion of Protesters in Kirants Police have violently dispersed demonstrators protesting the handover of four villages to Azerbaijan. The detainment of three dozen protesters who were blocking the road in Kirants, Tavush region violates Armenian citizens’ right to peaceful assembly. Armenian human rights defender Artur Sakunts notes that “when peaceful demonstrators are detained, law enforcement must […]

Read More
Publications

Delving into the Armenia-France CAESAR Howitzer Deal

France and Armenia have agreed on a contract for the delivery of CAESAR self-propelled howitzers to Armenia. In December 2023, the French Senate recommended a prompt review of the CAESAR artillery systems’ delivery to Armenia. They also urged a quick response to all requests from the Armenian authorities, especially concerning their artillery needs. The Senate […]

Read More
Publications

The government’s housing program for NK Armenians won’t be effective

This article is available only in Armenian

Read More
Publications

Evaluating Potential Prospects for Military-Technical Cooperation Between Armenia and the Czech Republic

Military ties between Armenia and the Czech Republic can be traced back to 2010, when the Czech Defense Minister and a delegation of Czech businessmen made their first visit to Armenia. This visit led to the signing of an agreement on military cooperation, marking the start of this partnership. The Armenian leadership hailed this agreement […]

Read More
Democracy Watch

Assault on opposition activist, attack on the media, controversial land deals and procurements by ruling party members

Introduction Welcome to DEMOCRACY WATCH, brought to you by CivilNet and the Regional Center for Democracy and Security. Weekly recaps will highlight and examine the pivotal challenges facing Armenia’s democratic institutions.  Political Repression On April 15, opposition activist Samvel Vardanyan confronted ruling party deputy Hakob Aslanyan on a bus and began insulting him. After this […]

Read More
Democracy Watch

Call for transparency, divisive rhetoric and political polarization

The past week saw a surge in the use of divisive and polarizing language by key political figures in Armenia. The government’s decision earlier this month to initiate the delimitation process with Azerbaijan has sparked a significant public backlash, as many see the government’s current approach as unilateral and devoid of consensus. Here are three […]

Read More
Publications

Populism and Armenia’s foreign policy

This article is available only in Armenian. 

Read More
Publications

Assessing Armenia’s Military Diversification Efforts: Partnerships with India and France

France and India have now emerged as Armenia’s primary arms suppliers. Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan expressed optimism about the new agreements, saying in February that they “will enhance the future of the army and the quality of armaments.” After the border clashes in September 2022, Armenia recognized that the Russian arms and military equipment […]

Read More
Publications

Armenian media should build trust, not sacrifice it for more clicks

The media is the least trusted institution among the Armenian public. According to the results of the CRRC’s Caucasus Barometer survey, in 2022, 73% of respondents said they do not trust the media. Another survey conducted by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation among youth in Armenia in 2022 again indicated low trust in the media. Only 12% of respondents […]

Read More