CIVILNET

Beyond the black-and-white narratives on Armenia

In this episode of the CivilNet podcast, CivilNet’s Eric Hacopian sets the record straight on some of the most contentious disputes in Armenia, from tensions between the government and the Armenian Apostolic Church to debates over foreign influence and electoral interference. He explains how such portrayals are harming Armenia’s institutions and global reputation. 0:00- The First Armenian Prayer Breakfast1:57- Who funded the Prayer Breakfast? 5:00- Any truth to the PM's claim that the Catholicos is a foreign agent? 8:16- What is behind the campaign against the Armenian Church? 9:37- How did Armenian issues get on the Tucker Carlson Show? 15:25- What's behind European Union assistance in the upcoming election? 21:35- What to look for by way of election interference from the government? 23:09- What’s the reason behind Pashinyan’s “Real Armenia” ideology 31:17- Pashinyan’s offer to give up the right of return for Artsakh refugees #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ

Pashinyan holds rally on Christmas Day, calls on Catholicos to step down

📍 Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a rally on Christmas Day and used the holiday to once again address his standoff with Catholicos Karekin II.📍 As Armenia launches its historic universal health insurance system on January 1, critics argue the government is not adequately prepared to ensure its effective implementation.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

Life by Syunik’s mighty mountain

For the past eight years, Hayk Barseghyan has been living right above Vachagan village in Syunik. His home is near Mount Khustup, in a place called Pskhu Khut. As a photographer always in search of beauty, he discovered this area and has been bringing it to life through his lens. Near his home, Hayk is building a “Gitatachar”, meaning “knowledge shrine”. He means to turn it into a sanctuary for learning, open to all. Watch CivilNet’s video from Khustup.The photographs by Hayk BarseghyanMusic byKatil - AknKatil - HoskHayk Pijoyan - EpisodeHayk Pijoyan - Old CarpetHogh - ErkanqHogh - Paron BanjarHogh, Arthur Aleq - Ernek Hayrik Muradyan - Bari lusoThe film includes excerpts from the movie Zori Miro.

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.