by Manishak Baghdasaryan
After more than three decades in the Yerevan Press Building, Aravot newspaper—one of Armenia’s oldest independent publications—has been ordered to vacate the premises. The State Property Management Committee declined to renew Aravot’s lease, citing the termination of the 2013 agreement. While officials claim the decision is administrative, the move has raised concerns about potential political motives.
Aravot has consistently maintained a critical editorial stance toward the current government, regularly publishing content scrutinizing Nikol Pashinyan and his administration. Its removal from the Press Building follows similar experiences faced by other outlets such as Azg, Hraparak, and Tesaket, all of which previously occupied state-managed spaces and were eventually displaced.
Anna Israelyan, Aravot’s online editor, views the trend as part of a broader pattern. “Media housed in state buildings always get pushed out eventually,” she told, adding that despite years of neglect in the building’s maintenance, the outlet paid its rent consistently. “We understood that it might not even be worth the stress to fight back.”
This incident adds to growing concerns about media freedom in Armenia. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, 15 lawsuits were filed against journalists—12 of them initiated by state officials. Of those, four came directly from Prime Minister Pashinyan and another four from Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan. Currently, nearly 70% of all legal actions against media in Armenia are filed by political figures.
While Armenia ranks 34th in Reporters Without Borders’ 2025 Press Freedom Index—a relatively strong position compared to regional neighbors—press watchdogs continue to flag the country for troubling trends. These include increasing legal pressure on journalists and the physical displacement of critical outlets. Armenia remains a bright spot in a difficult regional context, bordered by countries with much lower rankings: Turkey (159), Azerbaijan (167), and Russia (171). However, observers warn that even incremental setbacks can erode hard-won democratic gains.
Government officials maintain that they support freedom of expression and the rule of law. Yet the departure of independent outlets from once-symbolic spaces like the Press Building has fueled debate over whether actions on the ground align with those stated commitments.
