Armenpress

JOURNALISTS AND PUBLIC SERVANTS UNAWARE OF LAW ON FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS: A non-governmental organization, called
Team and Armenia’s Public Service Council have organized a seminar for press
secretaries of government agencies to raise their knowledge of the Law on
Freedom of Information.
According to Ashot Melikian, the head of Committee for Protection of
Freedom of Speech, provisions of this law are not fully applied in Armenia
and neither journalists nor public servants are aware of them.
Avet Demurian, the chairman of Team, said similar seminars will be
conducted also for public servants in regions.
Ashot Melikian said officials who are supposed to disseminate information
about government agencies’ activities very often appear to be the main
obstacle, avoiding provision of information that may harm their agencies’
reputation.
Melikian went on to argue that public servants have to realize that
journalists fulfill their official duties, which is to provide diverse
information to public, but not advertise this or that agency.