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PRESSING THE PRESS: EXPERTS VOICE CONCERN OVER DECLINING FREE SPEECH STANDARDS IN ARMENIA
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan
ArmeniaNow
03.05.11
Ashot Melikian (left), Edik Baghdasaryan talked about the issues of
freedom of press.
The World Press Freedom Day (May 3) served as an occasion for Armenian
experts and chief editors to assess numerous issues Armenia is facing
in that sphere. As Ashot Melikyan, Chairman of the Committee for the
Protection of Freedom of Speech, says the committee's study of 2010
revealed that media in Armenia are "in a dangerous transition zone
from semi-free to not free".
In their reports on press freedom, international organizations place
Armenia among the "not free" courtiers. Namely, Freedom House, an
international human rights watchdog, in its report made public this
week placed Armenia 146th on the list of 196 countries.
"There has been a regrettable tendency of regression over the
past few years. The situation is truly alarming, when outstanding
representatives of political circles take active steps against mass
media, especially print media proving, in fact, that the role of
media is not really appreciated; they are not tolerant enough of
criticism and would actually like media to be fully controllable,"
said Melikyan during his meting with reporters, referring to lawsuits
over the past year against some newspapers with considerable amount
of financial compensations they were obliged to pay after acts of
defamation and insult were decriminalized.
(As many as 12 lawsuits have been filed against print and online media
within the first quarter of this year over alleged libel and insult.)
Editor-in-chief of the Hetq online daily Edik Baghdasaryan said in
response to the Ombudsman's Council of Information Disputes founded
recently that he objects to the Ombudsman defending the reporters'
rights.
"We have to defend our rights on our own," said Baghdasaryan.
According to him, the fact that state structures deny access to
information is a bigger issue.
"It is practically impossible to get information from state bodies.
When definite questions are asked, answers to those are never received,
especially when related to corrupt deals, property of certain people,
etc. To me the top issue in Armenia is that state structures are
closed systems," says Baghdasaryan.
From: A. Papazian
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan
ArmeniaNow
03.05.11
Ashot Melikian (left), Edik Baghdasaryan talked about the issues of
freedom of press.
The World Press Freedom Day (May 3) served as an occasion for Armenian
experts and chief editors to assess numerous issues Armenia is facing
in that sphere. As Ashot Melikyan, Chairman of the Committee for the
Protection of Freedom of Speech, says the committee's study of 2010
revealed that media in Armenia are "in a dangerous transition zone
from semi-free to not free".
In their reports on press freedom, international organizations place
Armenia among the "not free" courtiers. Namely, Freedom House, an
international human rights watchdog, in its report made public this
week placed Armenia 146th on the list of 196 countries.
"There has been a regrettable tendency of regression over the
past few years. The situation is truly alarming, when outstanding
representatives of political circles take active steps against mass
media, especially print media proving, in fact, that the role of
media is not really appreciated; they are not tolerant enough of
criticism and would actually like media to be fully controllable,"
said Melikyan during his meting with reporters, referring to lawsuits
over the past year against some newspapers with considerable amount
of financial compensations they were obliged to pay after acts of
defamation and insult were decriminalized.
(As many as 12 lawsuits have been filed against print and online media
within the first quarter of this year over alleged libel and insult.)
Editor-in-chief of the Hetq online daily Edik Baghdasaryan said in
response to the Ombudsman's Council of Information Disputes founded
recently that he objects to the Ombudsman defending the reporters'
rights.
"We have to defend our rights on our own," said Baghdasaryan.
According to him, the fact that state structures deny access to
information is a bigger issue.
"It is practically impossible to get information from state bodies.
When definite questions are asked, answers to those are never received,
especially when related to corrupt deals, property of certain people,
etc. To me the top issue in Armenia is that state structures are
closed systems," says Baghdasaryan.
From: A. Papazian