CIVILNET

A Christmas wish list for Armenia

In this special year-end episode of Insights, host Eric Hacopian shares his Christmas wish list for Armenia in 2026: from peace and security to better governance, institutions, and public discourse. #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #insightswitherichacopian

Democracy Watch | 2025: A Year of Democratic Backsliding in Armenia

By Tigran Grigoryan The year 2025 proved to be deeply troubling for Armenia’s democratic development. Over the course of the year, a series of negative developments and entrenched trends cast serious doubt on the prospects for democratic consolidation in the country. Equally alarming were the growing questions about society’s capacity to resist increasingly overt anti-democratic practices. Throughout 2025, Democracy Watch [https://www.civilnet.am/en/democracy-watch/] consistently sought to draw attention to these developments. Taken together, the evidence allows for a clear and sobering conclusion: 2025 was a year of democratic backsliding for Armenia. One of the most consequential shifts of the year was the completed transformation of Armenia’s ruling party. The political force that came to power in 2018 on the wave of the Velvet Revolution, promising democratic reforms and a break with post-Soviet governance practices, has now fully evolved into a classic post-Soviet administrative resource party. The dominant feature of 2025 was the systematic use of state resources, law enforcement bodies, and the judicial system by the ruling party for domestic political purposes.

Trump Route: On the Ground in Armenia’s South

What does the planned “Trump Route” actually look like on the ground?CivilNet’s team travels to Armenia’s southern Syunik region to explore the local realities behind the TRIPP initiative — the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity — announced in Washington in August.From abandoned railways in Kapan and Meghri to the Armenia–Iran border at Agarak, this short film follows Eric Hacopian as he examines how geopolitics, infrastructure, and daily life intersect in a region marked by constant security concerns.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ

Government defends takeover of Electric Networks of Armenian: THIS WEEK IN BUSINESS

📍 A company linked to Khachatur Sukiasyan, a pro-government Armenian tycoon, is among the buyers of an Azerbaijani fuel shipment, RFE/RL’s Armenian service reported.📍 Armenia could take back control of some sections of its railroads, currently operated by Russia under a 30-year concession deal, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.📍 Speaking with CivilNet, Babken Tunyan, a leading pro-government lawmaker, defended the government's takeover of Electric Networks of Armenia, a major utility company.📍 Full interview with Babken Tunyan (in Armenian): https://shorturl.at/W1tWX#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #civilnetbusiness

Democracy Watch | The standoff in Etchmiadzin and the instrumentalization of law enforcement

By Tigran Grigoryan In recent days, the confrontation between Armenia’s ruling party and the Armenian Apostolic Church has reached a new level of escalation. On December 17, a group of bishops–who had earlier publicly demanded the resignation of Catholicos Karekin II and had also met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan–issued a statement  [https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/327873?fbclid=IwY2xjawO021FleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFsNzF1SEo4WE1SRjJFYXduc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHuu9Xa2RewpqBNvjzsOWRnVdHUUFCl7zDd7ZIIzlyldC93QEnuKDsI489aZV_aem_IlD4JQRNwoDNwKhbCAlb4g]calling on the public to gather the following day, December 18, at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to demand the Catholicos’s resignation. Shortly thereafter, the Aragatsotn Diocese, which has remained loyal to Catholicos Karekin II, announced [https://news.am/arm/news/921004.html] that the joint prayer service scheduled for December 18 would no longer take place at St. Hovhannes Church in Byurakan. Instead, it would be held at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin at 5:00 PM. The diocese called on the faithful to attend and pray together for “imprisoned clergy, detained and captive compatriots, and for the steadfastness of the Armenian Apostolic Church.” It soon became known that Catholicos Karekin II himself would attend the service. At the same time, major actors in Armenia’s opposition issued their own calls, urging supporters to be present at the Mother Cathedral of Etchmiadzin on December 18 at 5:00 PM. As a result, two distinct groups gathered near the cathedral the following day. The first–and significantly larger–consisted of supporters of the Catholicos, including members and sympathizers of various opposition forces. The second group comprised those demanding the Catholicos’s resignation, including representatives of the ruling camp and their supporters. During the prayer service, Catholicos Karekin II was present inside the Mother Cathedral. Outside, opposing chants from the two groups were heard. Attempts by some protesters opposing the Catholicos’s entry into the cathedral were blocked.