The “CSO Meter 2025” report records backsliding in the areas of freedom of expression and the right to privacy

On December 4, Transparency International Anticorruption Center presented the “CSO Meter 2025” report, which assesses the state of the civil society environment in Armenia and reviews key developments of the year. According to the report, although the government has taken steps to improve state–CSO cooperation, 2025 saw deterioration in the areas of freedom of expression, the right to privacy, and digital rights.

The event was opened by TIAC Executive Director Sona Ayvazyan, who introduced the CSO Meter: Empowered for Action project and emphasized its importance for monitoring trends in the civic space and advocating for necessary improvements. Opening remarks were also delivered by Vaclav Štěrba, Deputy Head of the Cooperation Section of the EU Delegation to Armenia; Lilya Afrikyan, Head of the Participatory and Open Government Department of the Prime Minister’s Office; and Emina Nuredinoska, Legal Expert of the CSO Meter: Empowered for Action project.

The key findings of the study were presented by experts from TIAC and partner organizations. According to the report, the CSO environment in Armenia in 2025 was characterized by both certain positive legal reforms and persistent challenges. Compared to 2024, three areas received lower scores, yet the overall rating of the CSO environment remained unchanged, and the core issues posing challenges for CSOs continued to persist.

Among the positive developments, several new regulations aim to strengthen opportunities for CSO participation, creating a basis for more structured dialogue with the state. In addition, the newly established Participatory and Open Government Department within the Prime Minister’s Office is expected to develop a national methodology for participatory governance and enhance cooperation between CSOs and state institutions. However, the absence of institutional mechanisms for early-stage engagement in law- and policy-making processes, as well as the lack of participation channels in parliament, continues to hinder the full realization of the right to participate in decision-making.

At the same time, CSO financial sustainability has further weakened, as the lack of legislative incentives for diversifying funding sources and unresolved issues related to state support have remained unaddressed—amid the suspension of U.S. foreign assistance and a significant decline in donor funding.

Several dimensions of the report highlight issues that affect the Armenian society at large, yet have a particularly strong impact on civic space trends and the operational environment of CSOs.

Negative trends were observed in the area of freedom of expression, where the situation remained tense due to heightened political polarization, cases of pressure against journalists, and the initiation of criminal proceedings.

Violations of the right to privacy, including repeated leaks of wiretapping records, along with expanded surveillance powers of the police and insufficient public oversight, have increased concerns regarding state interference in private life.

Amendments to the Law on Police adopted in 2025 further expanded police and municipal access to CCTV systems. This is worrisome given the broad capacities for identifying individuals, the insufficient safeguards against the unlawful use of surveillance systems, and recurring instances of improper use of surveillance technologies in practice.

The presentation of the report was followed by questions and comments from participants on topics including the recruitment process for public councils, transparency concerns related to state funding, and the need for CSO engagement in the early stages of the legislative process, among others.

"CSO Meter: Empowered for Action" project is implemented with the financial support of the European Union, with the participation of ECNL and partner organizations from the Eastern Partnership countries. Reports on Armenia are available on the project website at: https://csometer.info/countries/armenia

About the CSO Meter

The assessment of the enabling environment for CSOs is based on the CSO Meter methodology and has been carried out annually in the Eastern Partnership countries since 2019. The CSO Meter tool consists of 11 thematic areas with standards and indicators used to evaluate the legal and practical environment for civil society, drawing on international norms and leading regulatory practices in the field.