Activist criticizes Armenian authorities' anti-corruption record

On the International Anti-Corruption Day observed on December 9, Armenian human rights advocate and co-founder of the Njar movement, Nina Karapetyants, assessed the government’s seven-year record in tackling corruption.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his team came to power in 2018 vowing to root out entrenched graft. But Karapetyants claims that despite early promises, those expectations have not materialized.

“It seems the issue for the current government was never about fighting corruption, but about deciding who would oversee the process,” she told Panorama.am. “The public was promised real change. Instead we watched people become key actors in the very corruption they pledged to eliminate.”

According to her, investigative reports show that the authorities match previous governments in the scale of corruption. According to her, officials appear unwilling to address wrongdoing among political allies.

Karapetyants also drew parallels with the use of force by police against opposition activists.

“When they were opposition members, they condemned the use of excessive force. Now that they give the orders, they seem untroubled when oppositionists are targeted,” she said. “The same logic applies to corruption.”

She added that the government has “managed to tame the horse of corruption and is riding it forward at full speed”.

Karapetyants argued that the absence of strong institutions leaves the country unable to halt the trend.

“The justice system remains dependent on the authorities. Opposition parties may raise valid points, but the government quickly turns any debate into, ‘Look what you did when you were in power’,” she said.

As for civil society, she believes its influence has dramatically weakened. “Many activists who spent years fighting injustices now prefer to look the other way.”

According to Karapetyants, the past seven years have not brought structural change but merely a rotation of interests.

“One group stepped away from business and state tenders and another group took their place,” she claimed. “For ordinary citizens, it makes no difference whether the relative of a former lawmaker or a relative of a current official wins the tenders. The result is the same.”

She added that individuals with no previous involvement in sectors such as construction or roadworks have suddenly become major players after their associates entered government.

Karapetyants also accused the authorities of becoming “the biggest single-source purchaser”.

Although the current leadership promised to transform the system they inherited, Karapetyants believes they have instead adopted its methods.

“Corruption isn’t just about taking money or rigging tenders,” she said. “It’s also about appointing unqualified people to key positions because they are friends or relatives.”