Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression reports 30 cases of media rights violations in Armenia from January to March 2026
ArmInfo. During the monitoring period in Armenia from January to March 2026, the Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression has recorded 30 cases of media rights violations.
The press service of the Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression told ArmInfo that these cases included one instance of physical violence, 22 cases of various types of pressure, and seven cases of violations of the right to receive and impart information. The Committee clarified that the physical violence against a journalist was recorded in the Armenian parliament, when security officers used force to expel the journalist from the legislative building on highly dubious grounds. It is also noted that since 2022, criminal cases have been initiated in nine of the reported cases of physical violence, but none of these cases have been resolved. The Armenian Prosecutor's Office has merely stated that preliminary investigations are ongoing in all of these cases.
It is noted that during the monitoring period, the overwhelming majority of overt insults and threats against media outlets and journalists from political circles, as well as obstruction of legitimate journalistic activity, came from government representatives—seven out of eight cases. "The intensity of the flow of lawsuits against media outlets and journalists has remained high: 14 new such lawsuits were filed in January-March, all on charges of libel and insult. Of these, six were committed by government officials, two by business representatives, two by journalists, one by an opposition figure, and three by citizens (two of whom were associated with the opposition figure)," the Committee added.
At the same time, it was noted that during the reporting months, the number of violations of the right to receive and disseminate information decreased compared to the same period last year. Seven such cases were recorded. "According to a report published on March 19, 2019, by the international human rights organization, Freedom House, Armenia has been ranked among the partly free countries for the third year in a row, with a score of 54 out of 100. In terms of internet freedom, the Republic of Armenia is ranked among the free countries, with a score of 72 out of 100. However, the media landscape remains highly polarized, with serious issues, including disinformation, widespread dissemination of fake news, manipulative publications, use of offensive language in public spaces, and a severe lack of civilized debate.
The upcoming parliamentary elections in June will further exacerbate the situation. Conflicts recorded during the period under review were mainly political in nature. In several cases, journalists ignored professional ethics and favored the interests of political patrons, while officials clearly violated principles of good public service," the Committee stated.