Freedom of Association
CSO Meter Report on Armenia: Little Change in 2023
In late 2023, the CSO Meter project, developed by the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law Stichting, published reports assessing the state of civil society across the Eastern Partnership countries, including Armenia. The report on Armenia indicated that the country’s civil society environment remained largely unchanged from 2022. However, the authors highlighted some notable developments.
One significant legislative change in 2023 introduced a requirement for NGOs to declare their ultimate beneficial owners. The amendments have also introduced fees for registering beneficial owners, resulting in increased operating costs for civil society organisations.
Another issue raised was the tendency of the government to equate NGO activities with economic activities. Civil society projects were often treated as services, although, unlike companies, NGOs operate on a non-profit basis. The CSO Meter analysis warned that this approach could make it difficult to fund projects through grants, as Armenian legislation does not provide a clear definition of the term "grants". The report recommended that the authorities clarify the definition in line with international best practices and distinguish between NGOs and economic activities.
Additional recommendations included involving civil society experts in the early stages of law and policy drafting.
Freedom of Peaceful Assembly
Activists Detained During Protests Against Prime Minister Pashinyan
In November and December 2023, a series of protest rallies took place against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's decision to recognise Nagorno-Karabakh as Azerbaijani territory. The protests were organised by the opposition "Zang" (Bell) movement, which denounces the current government’s domestic and foreign policy as “failed” and a threat to the country's security and sovereignty. The participants in the action marched through the streets of Yerevan with bells, symbolising an alarm about the threats to the country, as well as an open tent, symbolising “the state and home”. They also sounded the alarm to symbolise the threat to statehood. Special units of the police, the so-called “red berets,” intervened multiple times to detain participants during peaceful protest actions, such as blocking traffic and setting up tents. The Armenian Ombudsman’s Office noted that these incidents reflect an increasing restriction of freedom of assembly and criticised the arbitrary enforcement of the law by police.
● On 25th November, security forces detained eight members of the "Zang" movement for attempting to set up a tent on Mashtots Avenue in the Yerevan city centre. All those detained were released the same day.
● On 26th November, six activists were detained again, this time for refusing to obey a police order to limit the protest march to the sidewalk. The movement posted a video of the arrests to its Telegram channel, where the red berets can be seen shoving activists into a van and confiscating their tent.
● On 28th November, six "Zang" activists were detained after once again attempting to set up a tent. The police demanded that they remove the tent on the grounds that putting it up would disturb other citizens. The activists refused, citing the Ombudsman’s position that the freedom of peaceful assembly also applies to actions such as setting up tents during a demonstration. They were subsequently arrested by police for “failure to comply with a lawful police demand.”
● On 2nd December, 13 activists were detained, before being released later that same day. As the Caucasian Knot reports, they claimed that they were not trying to put up a tent, but that they simply failed to hold it and dropped it on the ground “under the influence of gravity, in accordance with the laws of physics.” The police again asked them to remove the tent because a passer-by had “expressed his dissatisfaction.” When they refused, the police arrested them with the help of the red berets.
Police in Yerevan are detaining members of the Zang (Call) movement who are demanding Pashinyan’s resignation. They erected a tent in the city center on Mashtots Avenue, symbolizing the state and home. The initiative urges all Armenians to join and 'save our home - Armenia.' pic.twitter.com/XPBEJBfilr
— JAMnews (@JAMnewsCaucasus) November 25, 2023
Freedom of Expression
Sputnik Armenia’s Broadcaster Suspended for 30 Days
In December 2023, Armenian authorities suspended the broadcasting licence of Tospa, the local partner of the Russian news agency Sputnik, for 30 days. The decision followed the broadcast of comments by Russian journalist Tigran Keosayan, who had made “ironic and offensive” remarks about Armenia. The regulator also accused him of encouraging illegal acts, without elaborating further. In a separate case, the regulator also ordered Tospa to pay 500,000 drams (around USD 1,200) for comments that "did not correspond to reality" and were likely "to cause panic" in Armenia.
Keosayan, who is on the sanctions lists of numerous countries for promoting Russian propaganda, is also the husband of Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the Russian government-funded broadcaster Russia Today.
Sputnik, widely regarded as a vehicle for Russian disinformation, has been banned in EU member states due to its role in spreading propaganda, including content related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Russian Embassy in Yerevan condemned the suspension, suggesting it would negatively impact Armenia-Russia relations.