Civil society in Armenia is being silenced by Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation lawsuits (SLAPP), abusive legal cases used to intimidate journalists or activists who exercise their freedom of expression and information on matters of public interest.
Since 2018, activists and protesters in Armenia have been issued with an alarming 30 SLAPP suits by mining companies in an attempt to suppress and muffle their concerns instead of addressing them.
The Amulsar gold mining project in south eastern Armenia, operated by Lydian Armenia, triggered mass protests over the negative implications of the project for the local people and the environment in 2018. Activists, Environmental organisations, and a range of media outlets raised their concerns over the damaging effects the mining process and the the use of cyanide to extract the gold would have on the region’s rivers and lakes. The protests lasted until 2020, after the Amulsar Gold Project was paused.
During the two years of protest, Lydian Armenia managed to file 19 SLAPP lawsuits against its critics. It used these defamation suits in order to counteract and dispel the criticism over it’s mining project and attempt to be compensated for reputational harm. After a long period of uncertainty over the continuation of the project, the Armenian government finally backed the project in 2023, and a year later, acquired a 12.5% stake in Lydian Armenia. Subsequently, civil society organisations issued a statement to raise their concerns over the mining project. This unleashed a new cycle of hate speech and defamation on social media, targeting environmental activists and human rights defenders. On top of that, the ZCMC mining company, in which the Armenian government has a stake as well, lodged an additional 10 SLAPPs between 2023 and 2024, demanding much higher monetary compensations.
The project is currently on hold after a number of investors withdrew and the international pressure increased. Nonetheless, several of the SLAPP suits are still ongoing.
FoEE strongly condemns the use of legal processes to silence activists and media. SLAPP lawsuits embody a severe attack on freedom of expression and information. They are a threat to local democracy and environmental protection activities, as they they discourage people, affected communities in particular, from discussing environmental issues, which risks worsening damaging situations.
FoEE stands in solidarity with Armenian civil society. Whether it is in Armenia or elsewhere in Europe, countries have a duty to protect activists, environmentalists and human rights defenders from persecution and prosecution for their opinions. Legislation should never be allowed to come in between those rights. Ultimately, it is the duty of a democratic state to guarantee a free and functioning civic space.
