Armenia ranked “Free”, improves standing in Internet Freedom on the Net reportNovember 24, 2022 - 15:49 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia’s internet freedom score rose 3 points to 74 and is rated “Free” in the latest Freedom on the Net report by the Freedom House. Internet freedom in Armenia improved during the coverage period, largely due to the lifting of restrictions on the free flow of information that the government implemented in the previous coverage period during տհե 44-day war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabakh, the report said. Additionally, media outlets faced less significant cyberattacks than they did in the previous coverage period. However, the government amended the criminal code to criminalize grave insult in July 2021, which led to a multitude of charges against those who criticized Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. After the coverage period, the government announced it would not include the measures in the new the criminal code. Armenia is in the midst of a “significant transition” following mass antigovernment protests and elections in 2018 that forced out an “entrenched political elite”, Freedom House says. The government of Prime Minister Pashinyan has pledged to deal with long-standing problems including systemic corruption, opaque policymaking, a flawed electoral system, and weak rule of law. Concerns about political interference in the judiciary and hostile rhetoric toward the media from government officials persist, it said. The report added that the country continues to be seriously affected by the 2020 war with Azerbaijan, which saw several months of fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh. This report’s coverage period ended before the Azerbaijani military launched attacks on Armenian territory in September 2022. The text does not reflect internet freedom–related developments that occurred during the attacks. Top stories David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Partner news | Ucom General Director gives lecture at French University in Armenia The General Director of Ucom Ralph Yirikian delivered a lecture at the French University of Armenia. Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. |