No Physical Violence Against Journalists Recorded in Armenia During Third Quarter of 2026, Report Finds

YEREVAN — No incidents of physical violence against journalists were recorded in Armenia during the third quarter of 2026, according to a new report by the Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression (CPFE).

The findings were presented by CPFE Chairman Ashot Melikyan during a press conference at the Armenpress press center, where he outlined developments affecting freedom of expression and the rights of journalists and media organizations.

Melikyan described the absence of physical violence as a particularly encouraging development, noting that such violence-free reporting periods have been rare.

“I want to emphasize this because we have had very few quarters with such a record. We documented one incident in each of the first two quarters of this year, but none in the third quarter,” he said.

He added that the overall number of such violations has declined during 2026 and expressed hope that the improvement would continue.

The report also documented 12 cases involving violations of journalists’ and media organizations’ rights to obtain and disseminate information during the third quarter.

This represents a significant decrease compared with the same period in 2025, when 23 such incidents were recorded.

According to Melikyan, the improvement was largely attributable to the absence of major political and social confrontations during the reporting period.

He also pointed to a more constructive atmosphere in Armenia’s ninth National Assembly, where political disagreements have become less confrontational.

Melikyan observed that parliamentary representatives have generally adopted a more respectful attitude toward accredited journalists.

He recalled that, at the beginning of the ninth National Assembly’s term, lawmakers had expressed an intention to engage in political debate without personal insults and to maintain a more civil political discourse.

“This has had a certain impact on relations with journalists accredited to parliament,” he said.

Melikyan noted that only two cases involving pressure or disrespectful treatment of journalists were recorded during the third quarter, a considerable improvement compared with the atmosphere during the previous parliamentary term.

Despite these positive developments, Melikyan cautioned against drawing overly optimistic conclusions about the state of press freedom in Armenia.

He identified the continued increase in lawsuits against journalists and media organizations as a significant concern.

According to the report, 18 new lawsuits were filed against media representatives during the third quarter, compared with 14 in the first quarter and 12 in the second.

The total number of such lawsuits reached 44 during the first nine months of 2026.

“There were more new lawsuits in the third quarter than in either the first or second quarter. The year is not yet over, so this trend may continue,” Melikyan warned.

He noted that most plaintiffs were representatives of government institutions and senior public officials, although businesspeople and private citizens had also initiated legal proceedings.

Melikyan attributed the continuing legal pressure on the media to several factors, including deep polarization within Armenia’s media environment, the close alignment of certain outlets with political groups, the promotion of partisan interests, and intolerance among some political figures.

While acknowledging measurable improvements in journalists’ physical safety and their treatment by public officials, he stressed that unresolved legal and political challenges continue to affect media freedom in Armenia.