The fact that there is hatred propaganda in Armenia and the fact that it has reached unprecedented proportions does not raise any doubts, Arman Abovyan, secretary of the Prosperous Armenia party, a parliamentary faction, told Armenian News - NEWS.am.

According to him, sometimes it happens that some want and try to push through 'anti-national ideas and values,' which in no case should be allowed.

“All citizens should be equal, there should be no 'vulnerable groups'. For example, I call them 'elite groups.' This, of course, is not about children or women. I’m just saying that we must protect the rights of all our citizens and not try to divide them into any groups,” Abovyan noted.

He noted that the spread and propaganda of hatred cannot be encouraged, but it is also impossible to try to solve some personal goals and tasks under the pretext of this struggle.

Touching upon the question of whether the authorities’ initiatives contain any threats to the media’s activities in terms of restricting freedom of speech, the PA parliamentary faction secretary said that he couldn’t answer yet and offered to wait for discussions on this topic in the parliament.

It is proposed to criminalize calls in Armenia for violence on the grounds of gender, race, color, as well as any other types of discrimination. The corresponding draft amendments to the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure were approved at a cabinet meeting on December 12. According to critics, it is about initiating a campaign by the authorities to restrict freedom of speech for political reasons.