Human Rights and Political freedom
Reiter
Index | Score (Rank) |
Corruption Perceptions Index 2022 | 46/100 (63/180) |
FreedomHouse Freedom Score 2022 | 54/100 |
FreedomHouse Democracy Score 2022 | 34/100 |
Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index 2022 | 68.97/100 (51/ 180) |
Points are awarded between 0-100, whereby |
Armenia is developing into a democracy despite facing many challenges after years of being part of the authoritarian Soviet Union. This development includes the adoption of a multi-party system, the principle of separation of powers, and the protection of human and civil rights. However, Armenia is not yet a liberal democracy. This is reflected in its rankings in various political indices. FreedomHouse (2022), for example, classifies Armenia in its Nation in Transit Report, as a “transitional or hybrid Regime“, citing issues arising from the Nagorno-Karabakh as the principal challenge regarding future democratic normalisation. Nevertheless, Armenia is making gradual improvements, for instance, in the judicial sector.
The number of civil society actors in Armenia is steadily increasing and they are becoming more integrated into the political process. As of January 2018, there are thousands of NGOs, unions, associations of minorities and religious groups as well as several thousand media outlets and many civic movements. As they play a crucial role in promoting democratisation and liberalisation, this progress is supporting the democratic development in Armenia.
Sources: Aleksanyan (2019, pp. 308–310); Azatyan (2019, p. 151); FreedomHouse (2022)