Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACEP) welcomes the efforts of Armenia to address the issues with regard to the libel suit, encourages the Armenian authorities to continue the work in this direction.

PACE approved on Thursday a resolution on state of media freedom in Europe demanding greater protection for the continent’s journalists, less pressure on broadcasters, and more transparent media ownership.

The delegates also called in particular on Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine to take steps to remedy shortcomings identified in recent election observation.

Debating a report by Mats Johansson, the Assembly called for specific steps from Russia, Turkey, Hungary and Belarus, in particular.  The delegates condemned the prosecution, detention and imprisonment of Internet users for having expressed political criticism of the government, for example in Azerbaijan, the Russian Federation and Turkey, as well as in Belarus.