PRESS IN ARMENIA DESPERATELY AGGRESSIVE

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| 01:31:59 | 11-06-2005 | Politics |

Not long ago Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan stated that our press
is free more than it is needed.

Human rights activist Vardan Harutyunyan considers that Serge Sargsyan
confuses two notions – freedom and aggressiveness of press. “Free
press in the press that functions in free society, where each word or
thought finds response. If New York Times writes that a senator has
taken a bribe, it should bear responsibility for the information”,
he said. In his opinion, our press is desperately aggressive.

In his opinion, free press, strong state, free and strong citizens can
exist only in conditions of civic society. It is natural that there
can’t be free press until we have free society. “The authorities should
not complaint of aggressive press, as they do not have will for the
formation of civic society. According to Vardan Harutyunyan, freedom
of press should be fixed in the Constitution. “However implementation
of such a clause can be questioned presently”, he says adding that the
law “On Press” in not a necessity in Armenia. If freedom of speech is
fixed in the Constitution, it is enough. The law exists for introducing
limitations and divisions. I think no limitations should function in
this view.

According to another human rights activit, chairman of the Helsinki
Association Mikael Danielyan, there is no freedom of speech in
Armenia, though there is censure and self-censure, what badly harms the
democratic processes in the republic. Mikael danielyan also considers
that there shoud not be any law on press, since it would limit
constitutional rights. “Free press, no censure. This line is enough
for free press in the country. Any law limits rights”, he resumed.

Diana Markosyan

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress