YEREVAN. – “Prohibiting Hraparak newspaper from publishing news on the criminal case launched against it has no legal grounds; this is a violation of the law and the Constitution,” said chairman Ashot Melikyan of the Armenian Committee for the Protection of Freedom of Speech, in an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am.  

To note, an officer from the Armenian Service for Compulsory Enforcement of Judicial Acts had visited Hraparak’s office and informed that, in line with a court decision, a 3-million-dram ($8,028 US)  injunction was put on the daily’s property.

But the paper’s editor Armine Ohanyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am that they had not received any court action and decision report. The editor believes the person who had petitioned to the court is Misak Martirosyan, head of the Armenian Judicial Department, as Hraparak had recently published the letter from this department’s staff, who was complaining about Martirosyan.

“This incident is yet another attempt at settling scores with the paper,” Ashot Melikyan stated. In his words, this incident is the continuation of the campaign against the media, which started in 2010. “This is concealed censorship,” said chairman of the Armenian Committee for the Protection of Freedom of Speech.