“These restrictions have taken the form of legislative initiatives, rules and regulations, and practical actions restricting journalistic activity,” said Ashot Melikian of the Committee to Protect Freedom of Speech.
Presenting a quarterly report released by his organization, Melikian singled out serious curbs on journalists’ freedom of movements inside the Armenian parliament building which were imposed days after the current National Assembly held its inaugural session on August 2.
Under the new rules introduced by parliament speaker Alen Simonian, reporters accredited to the parliament can no longer interview deputies coming out of the chamber or enter a section of the building housing their offices. Simonian, who is a senior member of the ruling Civil Contract party, cited security concerns and the need for greater media respect for parliamentarians.
Opposition lawmakers, human rights ombudsman Arman Tatoyan and Armenia’s leading media associations rejected that explanation.
Those groups expressed outrage at Simonian’s attempts to block press coverage of an August 11 parliament session that descended into chaos amid bitter insults traded by pro-government and opposition deputies. Security officers entered the press gallery overlooking the chamber and ordered journalists present there to stop filming or photographing the ugly scenes.
“It was an unprecedented and condemnable action,” Melikian told a news conference. “Journalists must be able to show the public what kind of a National Assembly was elected and how each deputy behaves.”
Melikian also condemned recent government-backed bills that tripled maximum legal fines for “slander” and made it a crime to gravely insult state officials and public figures.
“Nobody is going to defend slanderers or slander in general,” he said. “What we emphasize is that very often strong criticism is interpreted as a grave insult. We all know that officials and politicians regard such criticism as an insult.”
The bill on heavier defamation fines was authored by speaker Simonian. President Armen Sarkissian refused to sign it into law in April, asking the Constitutional Court to assess its constitutionality. The court ruled earlier this month that the bill does not run counter to the Armenian constitution.
The Armenian authorities’ decision to criminalize slander and defamation was strongly criticized by Freedom House late last month. The Washington-based democracy group said it testifies to a “clear degradation of democratic norms in Armenia, including freedom of expression.” Pro-government lawmakers rejected the criticism.