OMBUDSMAN CONCERNED OVER NEW DRAFT LAW ON MEDIA

news.am
Dec 25 2009
Armenia

RA Human Rights Defender Armen Harutyunyan is concerned over the new
draft law by coalition that might affect negatively oppositional mass
media, RA Ombudsman said at the Dec. 25 press conference.

The matter concerns a package of legislative changes, enabling to
penalize the media or a journalist for contempt or libel for as much
as millions drams.

"Frankly, I consider that it would be good to have such a law. It
can actually fall short of European standards, but under these
circumstances I fear that will work unilaterally," Harutyunyan stated.

"It will be against oppositional press and have no affect on authority
media."

"I feel anxious about this fact. Probably, from practical viewpoint it
is good, but from legal application might be hazardous, as it looks as
we have issues with oppositional media only," the Ombudsman outlined.

The freedom of speech is opportunity to voice pluralist views. I am not
content with quality of our papers, but in any case it’s better to have
it this way than to get back to Soviet times of collective thinking."