ARMENIAN LEADER LIFTS MEDIA RESTRICTIONS
Reuters
March 13 2008
UK
YEREVAN, March 13 (Reuters) – Armenian President Robert Kocharyan on
Thursday lifted some media restrictions imposed after post-election
street protests last month turned violent, the presidential press
service said.
Eight people died and more than 100 were injured after former
president Lev Ter-Petrosyan’s supporters took to the streets last
month, saying vote tallies were forged to hand victory to Prime
Minister Serzh Sarkysan, a Kocharyan ally.
Kocharyan declared a 20-day state of emergency on March 1.
Restrictions included a ban on street protests and a measure limiting
media to citing official information.
Kocharyan lifted that media restriction but left in force a measure
forbidding the publication of "obviously false and destabilising
information," the presidential press service said in a statement.
He also lifted a ban on the distribution of political leaflets
without official permission, the statement said. (Reporting by Hasmik
Lazarian, writing by Chris Baldwin, editing by Stephen Weeks)