Advancing Democratic Culture in Armenia

Eurasia Program:
Advancing Democratic Culture in Armenia

The unchecked spread of disinformation in Armenia takes advantage of existing societal vulnerabilities and threatens the fragile process of democratic reforms. Freedom House seeks to help Armenian civil society, the public and the government develop a common vision for a democratic Armenia.

Entitled Advancing Democratic Culture in Armenia, this Freedom House project creates spaces for dialogue among civil society, the government, policymakers, journalists, and the public. Through research and analysis, support for grassroots initiatives, media literacy activities, advocacy, and convenings, Freedom House and partners aim to identify best practices to address disinformation in order to defend democracy and human rights in Armenia.

Current Partners: 

• Union of Informed Citizens
• Boon Foundation
• Civilitas Foundation
• Civil Youth Center
• Goris Press Club

Key Initiatives

Featured Events

Freedom House engages with leading experts, representatives of local civil society, and the government to facilitate public discussions on the most pressing and controversial issues facing Armenian democracy and human rights.

Toward Information Integrity: Rising to Current Challenges in Armenia’s Information Space

On November 25-26, 2021 Freedom House organized a regional stakeholder meeting in Yerevan, "Toward Information Integrity: Rising to Current Challenges in Armenia’s Information Space." The event featured participation from local civil society and government representatives including the head of the Yezidi Center for Human Rights, Sashik Sultanyan, Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Armenia, Chip Laitinen, and Freedom House's director of Europe and Eurasia Programs Marc Behrendt. The discussion was facilitated by Freedom House's Project Specialist, Andranik Shirinyan, and highlighted the challenges facing civil society in the country surrounding disinformation and freedom of speech.

• Download a detailed summary in English
• Download a detailed summary in Armenian

Boundaries Between Information, Disinformation, and Confidentiality in Matters of National Security: What is Media Terror?

On May 18, 2021, Freedom House Armenia hosted an event discussing the current state of disinformation in the media, the boundary of information and disinformation as it pertains to national security and the definition and the use of the term "media terror" in the current discourse within Armenia. The event included a panel of several prominent members of local civil society as well as representatives from the Armenian Human Rights Defender's office and the Public Relations and Information Center SNCO under the Office of the Prime Minister. 

• Watch the event recording
• Download a detailed summary in English
• Download a detailed summary in Armenian

Current Narratives on the Correlation of Democracy, Human Rights and Security in Post-War Armenia: True or False?

Freedom House engages with leading experts, representatives of local civil society, and the government to facilitate public discussions on the most pressing and controversial issues facing Armenian democracy and human rights. On February 11, 2021, Freedom House Armenia hosted an event titled "Current Narratives about the Correlation of Democracy, Human Rights and Security in Post-War Armenia: True or False?" The event featured the participation of several prominent members of local civil society as well as the Armenian Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan and Freedom House's director of Europe and Eurasia Programs Marc Behrendt. The discussion was facilitated by Freedom House’s Project Coordinator Sossi Tatikyan and emphasized the danger of disinformation after the war, as well as the link between democracy, human rights, and security and the importance of continued democratic progress in Armenia.  

• Watch the event recording
• Download a detailed summary in English
• Download a detailed summary in Armenian

Program Publications

Disinformation and Misinformation in Armenia: Confronting the Power of False Narratives

Freedom House Armenia’s new report calls attention to the severity, complexity and shape of disinformation narratives circulating in the country, and assesses the risks they pose to democratic development. The report analyzes major narratives across four topics that have circulated in Armenia: democracy and civil society, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, and social and cultural issues. The report calls on the state, media, civil society and international partners to strengthen their responses to these vulnerabilities, with particular attention toward building sustained resilience. 

Download English PDF   Download Armenian PDF