Freedom on the Net: New report puts Armenia among Free countries

PanARMENIAN.Net - In the latest Freedom on the Net report, published on Monday, November 14 by the Freedom House, Armenia scored 30 points (0 = Most Free, 100 = Least Free) and was subsequently listed among the Free countries, registering, however, a 2-point decline against the previous year.

No types of Internet topics - Criticism of Authorities, Corruption, Conflict, Political Opposition, etc. - were censored in Armenia, which has some 1.8 million daily Internet users, the 65-country report says.

The Freedom House lists several incidents as key developments affecting the situation in the country.

"The past year in Armenia has been marked by periods of civil unrest and regional conflict. In 2015, a constitutional referendum changed the country from a semi-presidential system to a parliamentary republic, a change which critics say would allow President Serzh Sargsyan to serve beyond his second term in office. The referendum was marred by suspicions of ballot stuffing and pressure. In April 2016, hostilities broke out between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces over the Nagorno Karabakh territory, resulting in casualties on both sides. Later, in July 2016, armed anti-regime militants clashed with police in the capital.

"While Armenians are generally free to express themselves online without restriction or fear of sanction, some incidents of censorship occurred during and after the coverage period, coinciding with the periods of violence and unrest.

"However, historically the internet has remained relatively free in Armenia, with gradual improvements in infrastructure and accessibility connecting more of the population. Activists regularly use social media as a tool to promote their causes, and opposition and independent media flourish online," the report said.

According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the internet penetration rate reached just over 58 percent in 2015, compared with 42 percent in 2013 and just 15 percent in 2009.

The Armenian government does not typically restrict internet access, the report says, though in an isolated incident Facebook was reportedly unavailable for approximately 40 minutes in July 2016 during a period of civil unrest in Yerevan.

An armed group known as Sasna Tsrer (Daredevils of Sassoun) stormed a Yerevan police patrol department in mid-July and took everyone inside hostage. Throughout the following days, the group released the captives one by one. After negotiations that lasted for a little over two weeks, the gunmen agreed to surrender to the law enforcement bodies. Three police officers were killed during this period.

There have been few cases of prosecutions against internet users or bloggers for content posted online, while no cases of imprisonment or other criminal sanctions for online activities were recorded over the past year.

Armenian internet users are able to access a wide array of content online, though online media outlets based within the country are subject to financial and political pressures, the report adds.

Also included in Free countries are Georgia and the United States, among the Partly Free states is Azerbaijan, while Turkey, Iran and Russia are listed as Not Free.