Armenia climbs in Internet freedom rankings, named Free in new report

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia has improved its standing in a fresh report assessing the state of internet freedoms and personal liberties in 65 countries, prepared by Freedom House, a Washington-based think tank.

Ranked Free this year, Armenia scored 27 out of 100 in the global internet freedom ranking — the lower the number, the better a country ranks. Last year, meanwhile, the country scored 32 and was ranked Partly Free.

According to the Freedom on the Net report, Internet freedom in Armenia improved after citizens effectively used social media platforms, communication apps, and live streaming to engender political change in April 2018.

Tens of thousands of citizens took to the streets across the republic to protest the then ruling authorities and staged a massive peaceful disobedience campaign. Leader of the movement, then lawmaker Nikol Pashinyan ultimately swept to power and became the country’s new Prime Minister.

However, it said, online journalists “were physically harassed and assaulted for live streaming protests in and around Yerevan during the Velvet Revolution.”

While neighboring Georgia is also ranked Free, Azerbaijan is Partly Free, Turkey, Iran and Russia are Not Free.