THERE ARE MISTAKES IN ARMENIA’s LAW ON MASS MEDIA, AND PRESS IS UNDER PRESSURE IN AZERBAIJAN AND TURKEY
YEREVAN, AUGUST 30. ARMINFO. Not all the Johannesburg principles
regarding both national security and mass media freedom are
being fulfilled in Armenia. Nevertheless, it is too much closer to
harmonious combination of security and information availability than
its nearest neighbors, stated chairman of the Yerevan press-club Boris
Navasardyan at today’s seminar at the Armenian Center for National
and International Studies.
He noted that the profession of a journalist in Armenia has not been
included in the list of specialties having a right on official secrecy
(doctors, lawyers, etc.). Besides, in a Law on fight against terrorism
adopted by Armenia’s parliament, in Navasardyan’s opinion, should be
registered not only constraints of mass media freedom when covering
acts of terrorism but also their rights. However, he noted with
satisfaction that the Armenian law on mass media allows journalists
to disclose information source at a close court examination only if
a grave crime is being investigated. Besides, there is no control in
Armenia over covering regional conflicts. “There was a possibility of
various approaches even during the Karabakh war in Armenia, and both
A. Bleyan’s visit to Baku and his publications in press prove it”,
Navasardyan stressed.
He considers exemplary the Estonian model proposing the necessity of
adopting a separate law for classifying any information.