Continued pressure on Iranian protesters and anti-corruption stagnation in Armenia
12.02.2026
By Tigran Grigoryan
Renewed Developments in the Iranian Protest Case
In a previous Democracy Watch report, we examined how protests by Iranian residents in Yerevan—and the Iranian ambassador’s criticism that Armenia was allowing “anti-Iranian forces” to mobilize—were followed by a ban on a planned march and the summoning of several protesters by Armenian law enforcement. At the time, we warned that perceived external pressure influencing domestic procedures could set a troubling precedent.
Recent developments suggest those concerns have deepened. Reyhane Majidi, a 35-year-old Iranian national residing in Armenia, has reported sustained pressure from the National Security Service (NSS) following her participation in protests outside the Iranian Embassy. According to Majidi, NSS officers arrived at her rented apartment without presenting official documentation and compelled her to accompany them for questioning. She says she was held for four hours and warned to stop criticizing the Islamic Republic of Iran—both publicly and on social media—or face deportation.
Majidi claims that officers accessed her mobile phone, required her to unlock it, reviewed personal content, and deleted social media posts critical of Iranian authorities. She was reportedly given one week to leave Armenia voluntarily.
Despite the expiration of that deadline, she states she has received no formal written notification or legal justification for deportation. According to her associates, NSS representatives have continued to call, warning that failure to depart voluntarily could result in forced removal.
The NSS confirmed to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service (Azatutyun) that Iranian nationals were summoned for questioning but did not clarify the legal grounds, describing aspects of the matter as confidential. The agency stated that any deportation decision must ultimately be made by a court.
Civil society organizations have expressed serious concern. In a public statement, the Women’s Resource Center declared: “The threat of deporting her to Iran is unjust and may endanger Majidi’s life, given the Iranian regime’s grave violations of women’s rights. We also condemn such conduct by NSS officers and urge the immediate implementation of an impartial and comprehensive investigation into the incident.”
Human rights defenders indicate that if genuine national security concerns exist, they must be formalized in written decisions subject to judicial review. Verbal warnings and informal pressure, they argue, fall outside the framework of due process and undermine rule-of-law guarantees.
The case raises fundamental concerns regarding freedom of expression and the resilience of Armenia’s institutional safeguards when confronted with geopolitical sensitivities. The broader story is also indicative of a deeper contradiction: in recent years, Armenia’s ruling party has frequently fetishized and instrumentalized the concept of sovereignty to score political points, attack critics, and justify actions that have raised constitutional concerns. Yet when there is a genuine need to protect Armenia’s fragile democratic institutions from foreign pressure and interference, the government appears unwilling to resist and instead complies. As previously noted, this behavior creates a dangerous precedent and leaves the door open for other external actors to intervene in Armenia’s democratic processes.
Anti-Corruption Stagnation
These developments coincide with modest backsliding in Armenia’s anti-corruption performance.
According to Transparency International’s Anti-Corruption Center, Armenia’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) score declined by one point to 46 (on a scale from 0 to 100). In the ranking of 182 countries, Armenia shares 65th–69th place, a slight drop from the previous year.
Armenia remains second in the region after Georgia (50 points) and continues to score above the global average, which fell to 42 in 2025.. Armenia also outperforms neighboring Turkey (31), Iran (23), and Azerbaijan (30), as well as other Eurasian Economic Union members.
However, a score of 46 reflects a lack of progress. The slight decline suggests that anti-corruption reforms have yet to deliver the systemic transformation anticipated by business actors and experts whose perceptions inform the CPI. Even small drops may signal emerging reform fatigue.
Democracy Watch is a joint initiative of CivilNet and the Regional Center for Democracy and Security.
This material has been funded by UK International Development from the UK government; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.