Panorama.am

13:47 20/10/2007

A. MELIKYAN: `FREEDOM OF SPEECH REGRESSING IN ARMENIA’

`Freedom of speech is regressing in Armenia year by year,’ Ashot
Melikyan, Yerevan Press Club expert and chairman of `Protection of
freedom of speech’ NGO, said in a conversation with Panorama.am
reporter. In his words, the media, especially the broadcast media, is
under the control of the authorities in power. `Our monitoring
conducted during the parliamentary elections indicated that several
political parties had been deprived of air before the official
campaign kicked off. The broadcasting outlets are imposed to pressure
through illegal measures,’ the expert said. Melikyan assured that the
press is a little freer but it has little print run, and
consecutively, low impact.

The expert mentioned that the activities of several political figures
are not broadcast already. He believes the process has deeper roots in
the region. The regional broadcasters, local self-government bodies
and the republican circles urge to refrain from providing air to the
opposition. `It reminds the communist regime and not processes of a
democratic country,’ he said.

Source: Panorama.am