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Armenia

https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/

April 2024

Agreement to transfer villages prompts protests
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Armenia formally agreed to transfer control of four abandoned villages to Azerbaijan on 19 April as part of ongoing peace negotiations between the two countries. The abandoned villages have been under Armenian military occupation since 1991 and neighbour populated Armenian villages, whose residents have raised concerns over security and the ability to maintain their livelihoods when the transfers go ahead. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has argued the unilateral handover is necessary to preserve Armenia’s security, but the announcement was met with significant opposition criticism and large public protests beginning on 25 April. Protesters hold that the unilateral handover has instead diminished national security, given Azerbaijan’s recent claims that much of Armenia is actually historical “western Azerbaijan.” Tens of thousands were reportedly protesting in the capital of Yerevan by 9 May, calling for Pashinyan’s resignation.

Sources: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Azatutyun, International IDEA, Jam News

March 2024

Plan to transfer villages to Azerbaijan raises tensions
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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has suggested, under significant political pressure and threats of military action from Azerbaijan, that Armenia would hand over four abandoned Azerbaijani villages that have been under its control since the early 1990s. Pashinyan argues a handover is necessary to head off Azerbaijani military aggression, and domestic opposition argues the handover only weakens Armenia’s national security and heightens the risk of conflict. There is currently no specific timeline of when the handover of de jure Azerbaijani territory to Azerbaijan would occur.

Sources: OC Media, Eurasianet  

Investigations put spotlight on ruling party finances
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Two separate journalistic investigations found a pattern of large campaign donations from individuals who professed no knowledge of ever donating to the ruling Civil Contract Party. Many of the individuals also had insufficient financial means to make the payments or were connected to wealthy businessmen and senior government officials. Civil Contract reportedly raised AMD 506.5 million (USD 1.25 million) for last year’s municipal elections, and individual donors contacted by journalists frequently either refused to speak on the record or claimed to not have made a donation at all. Some who did acknowledge making a donation had given the party an amount several times greater than their annual incomes. Local NGOs and activists have demanded a criminal investigation, but the Office of the Prosecutor-General has responded that no unusual activity has taken place and said it will not file charges.

Sources: OCCRP, Radio Azatutyun 

December 2023

Civil Contract accused of undermining local democracy

After abruptly leaving a municipal coalition agreement in the country’s second largest city of Gyumri and replacing a mayor in the town of Alaverdi on 5-6 December, the ruling Civil Contract party has been accused by domestic NGOs and media of undermining the functioning of local democratic institutions that it does not control. Police answerable to the national government have allegedly been used to pressure opposition public officials and interfere in local governments, Armenian rights organizations accused Civil Contract of using blackmail and behind-the-scenes pressure to force local officials to abandon governing coalitions and support its candidates, and the party’s representatives have boycotted proceedings and abandoned coalitions without explanation, paralyzing local governments. Civil Contract was previously accused by opponents and civil society organizations of carrying out similar campaigns in the capital Yerevan and in Vanadzor, the country’s third largest city.

Sources: OC Media, CivilNet, Azatutyun (1), Azatutyun (2), Hetq

October 2023

Armenia ratifies Rome Statute

The Armenian Parliament on 3 October adopted a bill ratifying the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The move comes after Armenia’s defeat in the Second Karabakh War and government frustration at the lack of support during and after the conflict from Russia, its historical security guarantor who operates two military bases in the country. Armenia has insisted the move was not anti-Russian but predicated on its own security interests, such as one day turning to the court to prosecute crimes committed by Azerbaijan during the two states’ decades-long conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Sources: Eurasianet, Deutsche Welle

Surprise and confusion as Karabakhis labelled refugees
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The Armenian government approved on 26 October the extension of “temporary protected status” to the more than 100,000 Armenians who fled Nagorno-Karabakh after the disputed territory returned to Azerbaijani control in September 2023. The announcement was met with surprise and anger, as nearly all Karabakhi Armenians also hold Armenian passports they believed also indicated they held Armenian citizenship. The status will be legal for one year. Karabakhi refugees are eligible to apply for Armenian citizenship in order to gain voting rights, pensions, and access to other social services.

Sources: Eurasianet, Civilnet

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Global ranking per category of democratic performance in 2023

Chevron
Representation
80/173
Rights
52/173
Rule of Law
92/173
Participation
87/173

Basic Information

Chevron
Population Tooltip
2 968 130
System of government
Parliamentary system
Head of government
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (since 2018)
Head of government party
Civil Contract
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
List Proportional Representation
Women in lower or single chamber
36.40%
Women in upper chamber
Not applicable
Last legislative election
2021
Effective number of political parties Tooltip
2.92
Head of state
President Vahagn Khachaturyan
Selection process for head of state
Indirect election (assembly)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
23/01/2020
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
94.84%
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Human Rights Treaties

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State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
State Party
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
State Party
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
State Party
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
State Party
Convention on the Rights of the Child
State Party
International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
Signatory
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
State Party
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
State Party
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
State Party
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
State Party
Equal Remuneration Convention
State Party
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
State Party
Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
State Party
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
State Party
Regional Treaties
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 4 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 6 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 7 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 12 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 13 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
in
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Performance by category over the last 6 months

Representation neutral Representation
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Representation neutral Rights
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Representation neutral Rule of law
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Representation neutral Participation
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Global State of Democracy Indices

Hover over the trend lines to see the exact data points across the years

Explore the indices
Representation
Representation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rights
Rights
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rule of Law
Rule of Law
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Participation
Participation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4

Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time

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