Unexpected Changes Recorded in Armenia: Freedom House

Freedom House has published its annual report on the development of democracy worldwide, which also addresses Armenia. The director of the organization for the Eurasian region, Mark Behrend, provided his comments on this occasion to Voice of America.

The American organization Freedom House has released its annual report, which includes developments in Armenia over the past year. According to Freedom House, Armenia recorded unexpected progress in terms of democratization in 2018, alongside several other countries. The director of the organization for the Eurasian region highlights the domestic nature of events in Armenia.

“What happened was entirely an internal development in Armenia. It was unexpected and in no way provoked from the outside. They avoided the mistakes made by others,” says Mark Behrend, director of the Eurasian region at Freedom House.

According to the organization’s classification, Armenia continues to be ranked among partially free countries, having recorded a positive trend towards democratization last year. Alongside Armenia, Georgia also retains the status of a partially free country, according to Freedom House. Other countries in the region, specifically Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Russia, are classified as not free.

Freedom House’s report particularly highlights the changes recorded in Armenia, describing them as progress, whereby the mass non-violent wave of protests forced the previous authorities to respond to public demands. As a result, the government transitioned towards reform-oriented forces led by Prime Minister Pashinyan, according to Freedom House.

Despite the positive trends, Behrend emphasizes the necessity for a critical approach and accountability from those in power.

“It’s very important that civil society, which has been outside of power for many years, now has the opportunity to collaborate with the government, but at the same time, it is essential that it is critical and forces the government to be accountable,” notes Behrend.

The report finds that Armenia and other countries where unexpected changes were recorded in 2018 deserve special attention in 2019. The organization urges foreign donors to prioritize this subgroup of countries.

“Of course, it is necessary to support Armenia since financial resources are needed for these changes, and they must be compatible with the ongoing processes there. The security situation is severe for Armenia, and it continues to pose a major issue,” Behrend adds.

Referring to other countries in the region, the report states that the leaders of Russia and Azerbaijan have managed to secure new presidential terms through repression, misuse of state resources, and pressure on political opponents. In neighboring Georgia, it also notes a decline in democracy.

The report pays significant attention to the situation regarding democracy in the United States. It expresses concern about the retreat of democracy in the U.S., emphasizing that challenges to American democracy threaten to undermine political rights and civil liberties globally.