Spotlight on Silence: Surveillance State: Armenia’s Biometric Crackdown | Ep 446, Jun 15, 2025 [EP446]

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Guest:

• Rafael Ishkhanyan

Topics:

• Armenia legalizes round-the-clock surveillance.
• Law enables political targeting, critics warn.
• No oversight, no privacy laws.
• Silence from Armenia’s new geopolitical allies.

Episode 446 | Recorded: June 12, 2025

Show Notes

In this episode of Groong: Spotlight on Silence, we speak with Rafael Ishkhanyan of the Armenian Center for Political Rights about Armenia’s sweeping new surveillance law. Passed quietly in March 2025, the law grants police 24/7 access to camera networks across public institutions and allows for real-time facial recognition, raising deep concerns about privacy, political targeting, and unchecked state power. We explore what the law says, what it leaves out, and why international silence—despite clear risks to civil liberties—has been so striking.

Main Topics Addressed

• Overview of Armenia’s new surveillance law passed in March 2025
• Scope of facial recognition and biometric surveillance across public institutions
• Legal and technical gaps in Armenia’s regulatory framework
• Political abuse potential, including selective targeting of opposition figures
• Chilling effects on public behavior and civic engagement
• Lack of international response despite parallels to Serbia, France, and Canada
• Armenia’s poor data security record and implications for the future

Key Questions Discussed

• What exactly does the surveillance law authorize, and how broad is its reach?
• Why was the facial recognition component left vague in the legal text?
• Does the shift from private to public sector access meaningfully reduce surveillance?
• What international legal standards does the law contradict?
• How could this system be used for political repression or voter profiling?
• What does Armenia’s cybersecurity track record tell us about risks of abuse?
• Why is there little international outcry compared to similar laws in other countries?
• What steps, if any, can still be taken to halt or review the law?

Referenced Articles & Sources

• Big Brother in Armenia (ACPR report)
• Episode 344: Draft Surveillance Law
• CSO Meter on Armenia’s surveillance law
• CSO Meter: “Right To Privacy” Rankings
• CSO Meter: “Freedom of Peaceful Assembly” Rankings

Wrap-up

That’s our show! We hope you found it useful. Please find us on Social Media and follow us everywhere you get your Armenian news.

Thanks to Laura Osborn for the music on our podcasts.

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