Golden keys and rusty locks awarded in Yerevan
On September 28, Yerevan hosted the 10th annual award giving ceremony timed to the Freedom of Information Day.
The Freedom of Information Center of Armenia (FOICA) today awarded ten golden keys and two rusty locks to organizations, media and citizen who have promoted or hindered freedom of information in the country.
President at the ceremony was Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan who hailed FOICA's activity and emphasized the importance of the right to information.
Golden Key nomination was set to award organizations, media and citizen who abode by their right to receive information. Rusty Lock award was extended to the state institutions whose work lacks transparency.
The Ministry of Education and Science, the website of the Justice Ministry, Kotayk's Marzpetaran (Regional Administration), the website hra.am, panarmenia.net News Agency, "Victims of State Needs" NGO were awarded with golden keys.
Arman Gharibyan, a journalist of ‘Lragir' online newspaper, also received a golden key.
"I advise everyone to act openly instead of dissipating beautiful words. Of course, there is progress in this area, but new generations always seek to have more and you should try to meet their demand," Gharibyan said in his addressing speech.
FOICA Director Shushan Doydoyan warned the award recipients that they would ‘keep a close eye on them.'
"We observed progress in information freedom which was confirmed by the attending officials. They all promise to act openly but there are still many unsettled issues in the field," she said.
Ten organizations were awarded special awards for contributing to freedom of information.
