YEREVAN. - When someone wants to silence free speech or harm independent press, he should realize that one day when his rights are violated, he will definitely need protection of the journalist or the press, said Armenian Ombudsman Karen Andreasyan. 

If a journalist degrades a person, getting an order or impelled by his inner rage, he must understand that he himself is weakening journalists, he said.

Speaking about freedom of speech, Armenian ombudsman expressed concerns over state of pluralism on the radio and TV. He also said he would not like to see that journalists’ right of expression is restricted by juridical errors. 

Andreasyan who is backing decriminalization of insult and defamation, once again expressed his position on the matter.

“A journalist or other person cannot be brought to trial for false or insulting words, but there is not a single democratic country where people would not have the right to demand moral compensation for defamation or insult,” he said.