WATCHDOG FINDS LACK OF PRESS FREEDOM IN ARMENIA
By Heghine Buniatian in Prague

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Oct 24 2006

Armenia continues to rank below most other countries of the world in
terms of the protection of press freedom, a Western media watchdog
group said on Tuesday, citing continuing attacks on local journalists
and widespread "self-censorship."

The annual Worldwide Index of Press Freedom released by the Paris-based
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) rates 168 nations on indicators such
as censorship, intimidation and violence against journalists. Armenia
shares a lowly 101st place in the rankings with the southern African
state of Malawi, up from 100th rank it occupied last year.

The RSF director for Europe and the former Soviet Union, Elsa Vidal,
downplayed the slight change, saying that it does not indicate an
improvement of press freedom. She argued that the country has lost
12 places in the RSF rankings in the past three years.

Speaking to RFE/RL, Vidal said that Armenian journalists working for
private media continue to routinely exercise "self-censorship" and
that government censorship of state-owned broadcasters remains the
norm. She also cited fresh instances of violence and intimidation
of Armenian journalists reported during the period covered by the
latest RSF survey. "Two journalists have been threatened, and five
others attacked since September 2005," she said.

The most recent of those attacks occurred less than two months ago
when unknown men ambushed and beat up Hovannes Galajian, editor of
the opposition newspaper "Iravunk." It was strongly condemned by
leading Armenian media associations and human rights campaigners.

Armen Harutiunian, the state human rights ombudsman, warned last month
that violence against local reporters seems to becoming "systematic"
and poses a serious threat to freedom of expression. The New York-based
Committee to Protect Journalists added its voice to those concerns,
saying that the Armenian authorities "do little to apprehend and
prosecute the perpetrators."

Another New York-based group, Freedom House, branded the Armenian media
"not free" for a fourth consecutive year in its annual survey of press
freedom around the world that was released recently. The Freedom House
ratings of Armenia have markedly worsened since the April 2002 closure
of the country’s sole television station not loyal to the government.