In Armenia, People Should Be Free to Criticize the Government, U.S. Embassy

The position of the United States is that individuals in Armenia should be able to criticize their government without fear of retribution. This statement was made by the U.S. Embassy in response to NEWS.am's inquiries regarding the recently formed culture of restricting freedom of speech and targeting journalists in Kazakhstan.

Although the media outlet specifically asked the embassy to address the new provision criminalizing severe insults, which has received negative evaluations from human rights defenders, as well as the incident involving ruling party MP Vahagn Aleksanyan insulting journalists from the parliamentary podium, the embassy provided a general comment on these topics.

"Freedom of speech is a fundamental right, and despite concerns about deliberate misinformation and security, people should be free to criticize the government without fear of retribution. A free press is an essential part of a functioning democracy. We are committed to supporting the principles of democracy, including the efforts of Armenian citizens to ensure freedom of expression," the embassy stated in a written response.

In response to a question about whether developments in the post-election period of local government elections and the criminal prosecution of some opposition leaders who won against the ruling party pose a threat to Armenia's democracy, the embassy noted that it has previously commented on reports of pressure against opposition candidates, encouraging the authorities to investigate credible reports. At the same time, the embassy emphasized that the diversity of election results highlighted the competitive nature of the elections.

"In our December statement, we commended the participation of Armenian citizens in the elections on October 17, November 14, and December 5, as well as their continued commitment to the path of democratic development. The diversity of the results highlighted the competitive nature of the elections, the resilience of Armenia’s democracy, and the significant progress Armenia has made over the years. In striving to enhance democracy here as well, we welcome Armenia's commitment to its agenda of democratic reforms," the embassy’s response concluded.