Armenia’s freedom of information law has remained in place through protests, political change and conflict, but advocates say the country still needs stronger government transparency and better access to public data. The law, adopted in 2003 following a civil society campaign, has seen few major changes since then.
Liana Doydoyan, co-founder of the Freedom of Information Center of Armenia (FOICA), says the law was based on international best practices and was among the world’s most advanced when introduced. She now wants it updated to account for developments in digital technology.
The government has pledged reforms on anti-corruption, democracy and digital administration. Under its commitments to the Open Government Partnership, Armenia aims to establish a unified legal framework for open data by 2027. Doydoyan says that, so far, ambitious plans have not produced measurable results.
Armenia does not yet have a government-run open-data portal. Instead, volunteers at Opendata.am bring together information from public sources. Activist Ivan Begtin says the government has not taken up an offer to use the community-run portal for free. He also points to limited data expertise in public administration and a fragmented IT system, with services developed at different times and supported by different foreign donors.
Journalists say obtaining useful information through formal requests has become harder in recent years. Hetq investigative journalist Vahe Sarukhanyan says critical reporters can be labelled as opposition figures, even when their work focuses on uncovering misconduct. National security is cited in refusals, particularly for information related to the war with Azerbaijan, he says.
Those seeking public information describe the quality and accessibility of records as a more persistent obstacle than outright secrecy. CivilNet journalist Gevorg Tosunyan points to difficult-to-use public databases, including records on company ownership, and says an electronic land registry has gone years without an update. Applicants can challenge refusals in court, but cases may take years in an overloaded judicial system. Public pressure can sometimes help: Tosunyan says officials have released information after he raised the issue on Facebook.
The article also describes growing polarization in Armenia’s civil society and financial pressures on independent media, which often rely on foreign funders. FOICA provides training for public employees, monitors government conduct and publishes an annual list of information that authorities have withheld. Despite the obstacles, freedom of information remains a core democratic safeguard in Armenia, the report says.
Sources: netzpolitik.org.