The right to freedom of expression continued to be unduly restricted in Armenia, the Amnesty International report on the human rights situation in the world for 2021 noted.

"The right to freedom of expression continued to be unduly restricted.

"The government introduced several legislative amendments curtailing independent media and other critical voices. In March, the National Assembly increased the maximum fine for insult and defamation to AMD 6 million (approximately US$12,000). In August, another set of legislative amendments criminalized insulting public figures, making repeated insults punishable by up to three months’ imprisonment. In September, police opened a criminal case under this new law against a Facebook user for insulting the prime minister in a comment under a photo featuring him.

"The authorities continued the prosecution on trumped-up charges of human rights defender Sashik Sultanian in retaliation for his criticism of the treatment of the Yazidi ethnic minority in Armenia. An investigation into his alleged incitement of national hatred had been opened in October 2020, after he published an online interview on problems faced by the ethnic Yazidis. His trial started in August and was ongoing at the end of the year. If convicted, he could face three to six years in prison.

"The Prosecutor General’s Office and state investigative bodies failed to effectively investigate attacks and threats against NGOs and media outlets, including looting of the offices of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Open Society Foundations, in the aftermath of the conflict in 2020."

Referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, the report noted: "The Covid-19 pandemic and the aftermath of the 2020 conflict exacerbated the country’s economic hardships. According to the World Bank, Armenia suffered an 8% contraction in GDP, leading to the impoverishment of 70,000 people and driving 720,000 people into a lower welfare group.

"The elderly and less well-off were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, facing greater obstacles in accessing healthcare due to the lockdown restrictions and repurposing of public healthcare resources.

"Their ability to cover routine expenses – especially household services, utilities, food, medicines and medical services – also decreased significantly.

"Vaccination uptake remained low, with only 23 % of the population receiving a full dose of the vaccine by December, amid a widespread anti-vax campaign. In response, in August, the government made Covid-19 vaccination mandatory for all government workers and many private company employees."