13:29,

YEREVAN, JUNE 25, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan believes that the leadership must protect democracy from some forces.

“Just a month ago, one of the most famous international organizations, which follows the situation of freedoms, reported that throughout the history of its reports Armenia recorded the highest two-year progress in democracy, human rights and freedom of speech. In general, this is the recording of all organizations around the world”, the PM said in the Parliament during the debate of the 2019 state budget performance annual report.

Commenting on the criticisms of opposition lawmakers according to which the leadership is limiting the freedom of speech, the PM proposed to see what is the level of freedom of speech in Armenia and how it is used. He reminded that the government lifted the restrictions related to the freedom of speech during the coronavirus-related state of emergency taking into account the criticism of the opposition, the calls of the Ombudsman and etc. “And look, what started after that? And one of the key reasons of this situation is this. We made this wrong, we have lifted that restrictions by listening to your calls and that of the democratic structures. We are not going to refuse from media freedom, freedom of social networks, but we are not refusing to voice that”, he said.

The PM said the parties, media outlets, NGOs in Armenia should be transparent by 100% so that the previous officials will not finance fake batallions and other media outlets with their robbed money for running a hybrid war against the Armenian people.

“Are you protecting democracy from us? No, we must protect democracy from some forces because democracy is not permissiveness”, the PM said addressing the opposition forces.

Reporting by Anna Grigoryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan