Wednesday, Activists Claim Government Attempt To `Criminalize Criticism' . Sisak Gabrielian Armenia -- People rally near the venue of a standoff between security forces and a group of pro-opposition gunmen known as Sasna Tsrer, Yerevan, 27July, 2016 A number of human rights activists in Armenia have claimed that with the new draft Criminal Code an attempt is being made to criminalize sharp criticism of the government. The draft, in particular, stipulates that publicly justifying or promoting terrorism is punishable by up to three years in prison. According to Artur Sakunts, who heads the Vanadzor-based office of the Armenian Citizens' Assembly, authorities may carry out political persecutions against their opponents under the pretext of this article that needs expounding. He cited the example of the 2016 standoff between security forces and pro-opposition gunmen known as Sasna Tsrer who were making political demands and drew the support of a considerable number of opposition activists as well as politically neutral citizens who did not want the group consisting mostly of 1992-1994 Karabakh war veterans to be killed during the anticipated police storm. "When Sasna Tsrer group members where barricaded inside the police compound that they had seized peaceful protests were taking place outside with the aim to prevent bloodshed# And now this may be qualified as support," Sakunts said. The activist further claimed that the article of the Criminal Code could as well be applied against those who express antigovernment views during a public debate. He emphasized that he was against hate speech, but was also against silencing anti-government views. "Even the most extreme and offensive speech against an official cannot serve as a ground for prosecution because it is protected under conventions - it is public opinion," Sakunts explained. Head of the Helsinki Committee of Armenia Avetik Ishkhanian also believes that in conditions of Armenia the kind of article may be applied arbitrarily. "Suppose someone calls Soghomon Tehlirian (a man who assassinated Talaat Pasha, the former Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, in an act of revenge for the genocide), one of the greatest Armenians. Is he supposed to be prosecuted? Of course, this is very hypothetical, but clearly this article can be applied very arbitrarily," he said. Justice Minister David Harutiunian, who authored the bill, dismissed the criticism. "There is no criminal offense in this draft that has been included with anyone particular in mind," he said. "We study the experience of other countries on every step that can be seen as controversial, we discuss things with international experts to see the experience of courts in other countries, their interpretations." The minister said that they are ready to listen to all proposals of the civil society and human rights activists on the planned provision on terrorism, which he described as a subtle issue. Karabakh Leader On Trip To U.S. Amid Protests From Baku . Artak Hambardzumian Czech Republic/Armenia -- Karabakh leader Bako Sahakian gives an interview to RFE/RL's Armenian service, Prague, 12Jun2016 Nagorno-Karabakh's ethnic Armenian leader Bako Sahakian is paying a visit to the United States that has elicited a strong reaction from Azerbaijani authorities. Ahead of the trip last week U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Robert Cekuta was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Baku and handed a note of protest addressed to the U.S. Department of State over Sahakian's planned visit. In the note the Azerbaijani authorities urged the United States "to adhere to the norms of international law and not to allow on its territory activities aimed at violating the sovereignty of Azerbaijan." Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hikmet Hajiyev claimed that such a visit would "seriously harm the negotiating process [over Nagorno-Karabakh] and increase tensions in the region." Meanwhile, authorities in Stepanakert reported that the delegation led by Sahakian arrived in Washington on Monday and on March 13 the Karabakh leader visited the embassy of the Republic of Armenia where he met with Ambassador Grigor Hovannisian and the diplomatic staff. "A range of issues related to cooperation between the United States and the two Armenian states were on the agenda of the meeting," said the Karabakh leader's press office, adding that Sahakian stressed the importance of close cooperation between Karabakh, Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora as "a crucial factor for successful implementation of the scheduled programs." It is also reported that while in Washington Sahakian also visited the Permanent Representation of Nagorno-Karabakh to the U.S. and held a meeting with its staff. A range of issues related to the activities of the structure were on the agenda of the meeting, the source said. "The president [Sahakian] noted the importance of expanding and deepening cooperation with the United States, underlining that the representation should continue implementing daily professional work. He gave specific instructions in that direction," the report said. No other details of the visit, including possible meetings of the Karabakh delegation with representatives of the American side, have been reported yet. Richard Giragosian, the director of the Yerevan-based Regional Studies Center, attached particular importance to the visit of the Karabakh delegation in view of the fact that it follows the visit of the Armenian parliamentary delegation to the United States. "Nagorno-Karabakh is now taking the initiative in foreign policy, which should be welcomed," said Giragosian. "But on the other hand, because of its maximalist policies and aggressive stance, Azerbaijan is actively showing why Karabakh should not return to Azerbaijani control." The state-run Armenpress news agency quoted the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region as saying that during the visit of the Karabakh leader to the United States one of the streets in Glendale, a town in California that is home to a large Armenian community, may be renamed after Artsakh, which is the alternative name for Nagorno-Karabakh used by Armenians. The report says the Glendale City Council has unanimously voted to start the street renaming process. Nagorno-Karabakh, populated mainly by ethnic Armenians, declared independence from Azerbaijan during 1988-94 ethnic tensions and a war that claimed an estimated 30,000 lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Three decades of internationally-mediated diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the conflict have brought little progress. Ombudsman Says Yerevan City Council Sessions Cannot Be Closed . Sisak Gabrielian Armenia - At a Yerevan City Council session, Nov 29 2017 The sessions of Yerevan's City Council cannot be held behind closed doors, Armenia's Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan said on Wednesday, responding to concerns about controversial plans of the Armenian capital's municipality to limit media access to meetings of its legislature. "It is one thing to hold closed sessions of the government, but a different thing when it comes to the municipality where different principles are applied. The municipality is a representative body where people are elected by citizens just like the parliament. I consider it inadmissible to hold City Council sessions behind closed doors," Tatoyan told media after today's government session. According to the ombudsman, journalists should not be considered by state bodies as "persons standing on the opposite side of the barricades." Armenian Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan After an incident at the Yerevan City Council in February when media witnessed an embarrassing brawl between opposition and pro-government members of the body, the Mayor's Office's Information Department head Artur Gevorgian said that journalists would no longer be allowed to work in the Council's sessions hall. According to Gevorgian, the media will be provided with separate premises for covering the Council sessions. "It is not necessary to be inside the sessions hall. It cannot be viewed as a restriction in any way. Journalists will continue to move freely inside the [municipality] building on the days of council sessions," he said. Some media experts in Armenia have suggested that a recently adopted law controversially allowing the central government to hold closed sessions may have encouraged low-level authorities to follow suit. Justice Minister `Concerned' Over Public TV Show Mocking Female Inmates . Sisak Gabrielian Armenia - Justice Minister David Harutiunian speaks to journalists in Yerevan, 15Jun2017. Armenian Justice Minister David Harutiunian has expressed his concern over a show recently aired on state television that local human rights activists say mocked female prison inmates. To mark International Women's Day in Armenia on March 8, a young female journalist from Armenian Public Television (H1) went to the Abovian prison outside of the capital, Yerevan, to speak with some women convicts for the channel's Fine Evening (Lav Yereko) show. The interviews with seven prisoners were full of ridiculous questions that included asking them if there were any "cute" prison guards working at the institution. Audio of giggling and guffawing was added to the women's responses in a manner that many deemed degrading. Talking to RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) on Wednesday, Minister Harutiunian described the program as "unacceptable" and said that this was not the first time that the channel made a serious "omission". "I think it's unacceptable. I am concerned about this fact and will have a very serious discussion with the administration of H1, because, in my view, this is not the first, but a second serious omission on the part of H1, and we are going to have a serious discussion," said the official, without elaborating. The controversial show also raised eyebrows among media outlets because many Armenian journalists have great difficulty gaining access to prisons for their reports. Some have waited for months before their requests were rejected for various reasons. Press Review "Haykakan Zhamanak" suggests that state-controlled media did not much dwell on the statements made by Prime Minister Karen Karapetian during his recent visit to Lebanon, including the one on Armenia's economic growth figures, because "he is no longer the movie guy". "He [Karen Karapetian] did his job and now he needs to be made to climb down from the horse. Otherwise, he may become an impediment," the daily writes. According to "Zhoghovurd", the reply from the Prosecutor-General's Office that it will not subpoena ex-president Robert Kocharian for questioning over his 2008 order to use lethal force against opposition supporters protesting the outcome of the presidential election was a "foregone conclusion". "The law-enforcement system, including the Prosecutor's Office, are puppets in the hands of the government. And so they won't agree to reopen the `March 1' page. They will do it only in one case - if there is an order from [President] Serzh Sarkisian. And Sarkisian will never give such an order, because he is tied with Kocharian in this and lots of other matters." "Zhamanak" argues that legally the subject of the 2008 post-election events seems to be closed for all and expectations concerning a relevant legal process are just an "illusion". "But the political aspect of the matter is far from being closed and we are going to have a `political fair' on this subject soon in the form of an upcoming discussion of the opposition Yelk faction-initiated statement. There is no doubt that the statement will be rejected just like the petition for Kocharian to be questioned was," the paper claims. (Elen Chilingarian) Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org