Civilnet
By Gevorg Tosunyan
Armenia has recorded a steep increase in court-approved wiretapping and surveillance requests in recent years, prompting legal experts and civil society actors to warn of expanding state monitoring and potential political misuse of investigative tools.
Official judicial data shows that requests for operational-intelligence measures—primarily phone interceptions—have climbed significantly since 2018 and accelerated over the past three years. Courts approved more than 600 surveillance requests in the first half of 2025 alone, nearing the annual totals of 2023 and 2024, which ranged between 600 and 750. More than 60% of these requests pertained to phone tapping and were granted by the courts.
Lawyers say the official numbers reflect only part of the picture. They allege that surveillance is often conducted without proper judicial authorization, expanding far beyond the framework envisioned by Armenian law. “Interceptions are becoming widespread—not only based on court decisions,” attorney Raffi Aslanyan said, arguing that surveillance tools are increasingly used in a political context.
Opposition figures have echoed these concerns, claiming that leaked recordings frequently surface in pro-government media outlets before becoming grounds for criminal proceedings. MP Gegham Manukyan said such materials are routinely deployed for public shaming and political pressure.
Legal experts also point to what they describe as systemic issues in the approval process. Attorney Liparit Simonyan said some law-enforcement bodies artificially “upgrade” alleged offenses to qualify for wiretapping. He cited cases where judges inserted additional wording—such as raising the value threshold for a bribery allegation—to justify surveillance. Decisions, he added, often appear “copy-pasted,” with only names and dates changed.
Beyond the approval process, lawyers warn that confidentiality rules are routinely violated. Despite legal prohibitions, sensitive recordings from high-profile investigations have repeatedly leaked online. Some have later proven to be edited or selectively presented, shaping public perceptions long before defense teams gain access to the full recordings.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, addressing the issue at an anti-corruption event in October, rejected claims of mass illegal surveillance. He argued that operational-intelligence laws clearly regulate when such tools may be used and said similar systems exist “in all democratic countries.” Pashinyan acknowledged that his government is investing in more advanced surveillance technologies but framed this as necessary to combat organized crime adapting to “new technological approaches.”
While the government insists all monitoring occurs within legal boundaries, legal professionals and rights advocates warn that the rapid expansion of surveillance—combined with leaks, weak judicial oversight, and limited accountability—has made Armenians’ right to privacy increasingly vulnerable.
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