YEREVAN. – Marked pressure against the media and the journalists is not recorded during this election season in Armenia. Chairman Ashot Melikyan of the Committee for the Protection of Freedom of Speech stated this, during a press conference on Tuesday, presenting the 2012 report on the state of the freedom of speech and the rights of the journalists and the media in the country.   

As per Melikyan, this is because the current presidential race in Armenia is not as heated as the previous elections that were held in the country. At any rate, the aforesaid committee will follow the situation up until election day on February 18, and its hotline and task group will be in service. 

Also, the analyst recorded that the broadcast media are open before all presidential candidates. Ashot Melikyan stated that the trend of allowing airtime to all contenders, which was noticed during last year’s parliamentary voting, is continuing.     

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am