Armenian Government Faces Scrutiny Over Secret Research Grants

As reported by OC Media, Armenia’s government has come under criticism for quietly allocating more than ֏207 million (around $515,000) to a Yerevan-based research institute through confidential decisions made over five years, alongside granting it a long-term, rent-free property in the capital.

Between 2020 and 2025, the Ashot Hovhannisyan Institute for Humanities received annual state grants through a programme ostensibly designed to support civil society organisations. The government classified the related decrees as secret, later declassifying them only in late October following media inquiries.

According to documents obtained by CivilNet, officials justified the secrecy on the grounds of “urgent needs to study sensitive issues” related to Armenia’s political climate after the 2018 revolution and the 2020 war. The allocations were made without open competition, despite existing regulations requiring civil grants to be distributed through public tenders.

In addition to the financial support, the institute was given a 348-square-metre state-owned property in central Yerevan for 15 years free of charge, under a 2021 directive signed by the prime minister. The Prime Minister’s Office later stated that confidentiality was lifted because the research “had lost its urgency” following the Armenia–Azerbaijan agreement reached in Washington on 8 August.

The institute was co-founded by cultural historian Vardan Azatyan, now rector of the State Academy of Fine Arts and, since January 2025, a member of Armenia’s government-appointed Public Council. Azatyan has previously written in support of the 2018 revolution, and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan publicly referenced a research project “with one of our partner organisations” in 2024 — widely understood to be the same institute. That same year, it also collaborated with First Lady Anna Hakobyan on an educational campaign.

Opposition politicians and watchdog groups have raised concerns that the grants represent the use of public money to favour organisations aligned with the ruling Civil Contract party. Transparency International Armenia criticised the process, noting that it contravenes a 2003 government regulation on grants by bypassing competitive procedures.

Officials have not clarified why the funded projects were considered sensitive or which government policies relied on their findings. The institute stated online that all its research was public, adding that only the government held information explaining the classification. It described its work as focused on “institution-building and post-revolution transformation.”

Civil society groups have been instrumental in Armenia’s political development since 2018, but critics say the government increasingly relies on a narrow circle of preferred partners, while others report barriers to participation. The administration denies any political bias, insisting that reforms aim to ensure transparency and accountability.

The Prosecutor General’s Office has yet to say whether it will review the funding. CivilNet reported that it has submitted formal requests for information to both the government and prosecutors.