RA Human Rights Defender Armen Harutyunyan is concerned over the new draft law by coalition that might affect negatively oppositional mass media, RA Ombudsman said at the Dec. 25 press conference.

The matter concerns a package of legislative changes, enabling to penalize the media or a journalist for contempt or libel for as much as millions drams.

“Frankly, I consider that it would be good to have such a law. It can actually fall short of European standards, but under these circumstances I fear that will work unilaterally,” Harutyunyan stated. “It will be against oppositional press and have no affect on authority media.”

“I feel anxious about this fact. Probably, from practical viewpoint it is good, but from legal application might be hazardous, as it looks as we have issues with oppositional media only,” the Ombudsman outlined. The freedom of speech is opportunity to voice pluralist views. I am not content with quality of our papers, but in any case it’s better to have it this way than to get back to Soviet times of collective thinking."

S.T.