Abortion Ban Claim in Armenia Is False, AI-Generated Video Misuses CivilNet Logo

Hayk Hovhannisyan, #CivilNetCheck

A video bearing the CivilNet logo has been widely circulating on social media in recent days, claiming that the Armenian government is preparing to completely ban artificial termination of pregnancy. 

Specifically, an English-language video spreading on the X platform claims the government has finalized legislation that would impose a total nationwide ban on abortion, reversing decades of established policy. The video frames this as a response to demographic challenges and suggests it is designed to appeal to conservative and religious voters ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections.

The circulating video is fake and does not correspond to reality. It is not a CivilNet production, but it uses the CivilNet logo to create a false impression among users that the content was authored by the Armenian media outlet.

The circulating video was created using artificial intelligence (AI) tools. The voice is synthesized, and the footage is edited to create the illusion of a real news broadcast. The video has been actively spreading on the X platform since February 8 through dozens of fake accounts, most of which are pages unrelated to Armenia and primarily post content about humor, sports and cryptocurrency topics. Such pages are often used to give artificial scale to disinformation campaigns.

International researchers characterize disinformation campaigns carried out in this format with the names "Matryoshka" (also known as "Operation Overload" or "Storm-1679"). This is a Russian-origin network that specializes in creating fake videos using the logos of authoritative media outlets, including BBC, Euronews or Deutsche Welle. This time, CivilNet is the target used to give the story the appearance of local news to Armenian audiences while simultaneously reaching international viewers through English-language versions.

It is noteworthy that this campaign stands out for its hybrid approach, where the "Storm-1679" campaign is combined with the tactics of another well-known "Storm-1516": the fake is first published on foreign websites as an "investigative article" so that it can later be presented as a reliable primary source.

As a primary source, users reference an article published on the Turkish "ODA TV" website titled "New tension in Armenia: Abortion ban". It claims that Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia's prime minister since 2018, initiated the abortion ban to win votes in elections. The article's author is Turkish journalist Okay Deprem. The latter has recently been notable for spreading false information about Armenia and, according to open sources, has ties with Russia.

The Turkish journalist's article with the same wording was also published in the Chinese state-owned CGTN Türk media outlet under the title "Abortion ban in Armenia." However, the publication, as well as a number of other articles by the Turkish journalist, have currently been removed from the Chinese website.

This is not Okay Deprem's first such publication. Previously, he spread fake news about the alleged possible cession by Pashinyan of land from Syunik, Armenia’s southernmost province bordering Iran and Azerbaijan, the construction of dozens of mosques in Armenia at the request of Turkish President Erdoğan, as well as the alleged approval by the authorities of an LGBTQ parade.

The Armenian Ministry of Health has officially denied the circulating information, emphasizing that there is no initiative regarding an abortion ban. The ministry characterized the materials as manipulative and disinformation that align with hybrid influence tools.

These fake news items circulating on social media are part of broader foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). Armenia has faced increased targeting since Pashinyan's government began distancing itself from Russia, its traditional security ally, following the 2020 war with Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Since the beginning of 2025, there has been a sharp increase in the information space of foreign-language fake "scandalous exposés" that are presented as being from internationally authoritative media outlets, but are actually published on fake websites mimicking authoritative media outlets or politically-connected websites. 

International investigations, including reports by the French "VIGINUM" agency, confirm that these operations are linked to Russia. Similar scenarios have previously been applied against Ukraine, Moldova, France and Germany, typically targeting countries that have sought to reduce Russian influence or strengthen ties with Western institutions. For example, before Moldova's elections, the "Matryoshka" network targeted President Maia Sandu using similar manipulative methods.

Previously, similar campaigns have targeted Pashinyan with fabricated accusations about alleged secret biolaboratories, luxury villas in Canada and France, and sex trafficking, which were often published on fake news websites and spread on social media. These campaigns have intensified as Armenia has pursued closer relations with the European Union and the United States, while tensions with Russia have grown over Moscow's perceived failure to protect Armenia during conflicts with Azerbaijan. 

Read also: Tracing Disinformation Against Armenia: From Narratives to Organised Networks