MediaMax, Armenia
RSF plans no more statements about Armenia yet
Yerevan /Mediamax/. Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières – RSF) has told Mediamax that it does not plan to make a statement yet about the restrictions on freedom of information imposed in Armenia for the duration of the state of emergency. RSF has tweeted about the issue, but no new remarks followed.
In the tweet, posted on March 16, RSF criticized the Armenian government’s ban on use of other sources of information about the spread of coronavirus other than official data, adding that “controlling information doesn’t help to fight epidemic but spread rumors and fear”. The organization has not mentioned the issue on the official website.
Mediamax contacted RSF on March 19 to find out if it intended to add anything on the topic or take any relevant action and if RSF was aware that a number of Armenian media outlets issued statements regarding the ban.
RSF Editor-in-chief, Spokesperson Pauline Adès-Mével has replied:
“At this stage we are not planning to publish a press release, we continue to monitor the situation with coronavirus throughout the world and could mention Armenia’s decision regarding the posts. But nothing planned immediately.”