On June 23, 2016, the day of the annual Universal Rights Awards Ceremony in Yerevan, Freedom Defender Award went to Citizen Observer Initiative in recognition of the outstanding efforts of a large team of active citizens of Armenia in pursuit of free and fair elections, and in the establishment of rule of law. The award was given by the international community, represented by the U.S. and British Embassies, Delegation of the European Union to Armenia, OSCE Office in Yerevan, Council of Europe Office in Yerevan and the United Nations Armenia Office who honoured individuals working to promote human rights, accountable governance, local government reform, and free speech in Armenia.

The Freedom Defender Award was presented to the observers of Citizen Observer Initiative by Her Majesty's Ambassador to Armenia Judith Farnworth. “Domestic observation contributes directly to the promotion and protection of human rights. It can improve the electoral culture and promote the integrity of the electoral processes," the Ambassador said.

The “Citizen Observer” initiative is a coalition, formed in May 2013, of the following NGOs – Transparency International Anticorruption Center, Europe in Law Association, Journalists’ Club “Asparez,” and Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor Office. Nearly 1000 individuals involved as observers and mass media representatives of Citizen Observer Initiative monitored the constitutional referendum voting in a quarter of all precincts of Armenia during 2015 December 6 Referendum, covering nearly all electoral districts in Armenia. They prevented and/or revealed more than thousand violations and filed complaints for hundreds of precincts. They have created a positive image of a responsible citizen who is eager to make a difference in protecting citizens’ rights to express their free will and comply with electoral standards.