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.