10 violations in 3 months
Two assaults against journalists were recorded this quarter, unlike the previous quarter when there were no assaults at all.
This is what President of the Committee in Defense of Freedom of Speech Ashot Melikyan announced as he summed up the 10 assaults against journalists.
The first case was the assault against President of the Law Defense Coordinating Council for Cooperation between "Soldier" NGOs Margarita Khachatryan against "Hraparak" daily newspaper on April 21.
The second assault took place in April when chief coach of Yerevan's "Ararat" team Arkadi Andreasyan attacked photo journalist Ashot Arushanyan at "Hrazdan" stadium.
Ashot Melikyan also touched upon the European Court's 2008 ruling on "A1+" TV, which the Armenian authorities haven't fulfilled to this day. "We believe that the broadcasting tender didn't meet the expectations that existed."
The report states that there have been 6 cases of pressure against mass media outlets and their employees instead of 15 in the first quarter. There were only 2 cases of violations of the right to receive and disseminate information, whihc is two times less than the number recorded during the previous quarter.
Although the report refers to the second quarter, Ashot Melikyan also touched upon the latest events connected to "Gala" TV in Gyumri when the Court of Appeals denied the television station's appeal.
Nevertheless, "Gala" Television journalist Armenuhi Vardanyan mentions that they will fight until the end. "It is very difficult to work freely in Armenia. They try to do everything they can to silence journalists so that the press either stops working or works with certain censure."
