AMENDMENTS TO THE LAW ON TELEVISION AND RADIO IS A DIRECT THREAT TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN ARMENIA, INDEPENDENT EXPERTS THINK
arminfo
2007-06-29 11:08:00
Amendments to the Law on Television and Radio that at present are
being discussed in the National Assembly of Armenia are the direct
threat to freedom of speech in Armenia, expert of Yerevan press-club
Mesrop Harutyunyan said in Journalists’ Union, Friday.
He also added that the draft law is directed first of all against
broadcast of Radio Liberty. speech especially at the threshold of
the presidential election, – Mesrop Harutyunyan said.
For his part, representative of the public organization "Internews",
David Sukiasyan, called this draft law and State Tax draft law as
"made hastily".
All the arguments that balance will be reached in economic field
by means of these draft laws seem not serious, if they wanted they
could also find fault with broadcasting of such TV companies as ORT,
RTR, CNN and others at the territory of Armenia, but they did not
touch them and the blow is directed only against Radio Liberty. It
is inadmissible that for settlement of its political problems the
state interferes in the market rules, manipulating with such a strong
instrument as the state tax.