March 4, 2019
Open Society Foundations-Armenia are dismayed that parts of public and political discourse in Armenia in recent weeks have been preoccupied with false allegations about our work and the work of our grantees, culminating in an incident on Sunday evening involving Narek Malyan and members of the student organization Restart. We condemn any personal attack of this nature as well as those who promote falsehoods in an attempt to divide us; we call on all parties to engage in reasoned and informed dialogue at this critically important time for the country.
The allegations against Open Society Foundations-Armenia that culminated in Sunday’s incident are wholly false. Any suggestions that Open Society Foundations-Armenia aim to weaken Yerevan State University or undermine Rector Aram H. Simonyan are ludicrous, insulting, and untrue.
Armenia stands at a pivotal moment of transformation from a closed society—with widespread violations of human rights and freedoms, inequality, and public mistrust—into a democratic and open society.
Since the beginning of the revolution we have supported a peaceful process centered on love and reconciliation. We call on all those committed to a new Armenia to work together. Open Society Foundations-Armenia stands with civil society organizations and all Armenians working to advance sustainable, systemic reforms for the benefit of all citizens. We denounce those who seek to divide our society through the politics of fear and violence.
Open Society Foundations–Armenia opened its doors in 1997. Since then, the Foundation has supported a broad range of civil society groups, including women’s shelters, investigative journalism outlets, human rights defenders, and organizations monitoring elections and public spending. For over two decades, we have proudly supported innovative initiatives in education and public health, which include among others, new courses, specializations, and access to over 6,000 scientific journals at major state universities, as well as the introduction and adaptation of palliative and end-of-life care.