Media Advocate initiative has issued a statement and urged representatives of Armenian executive and legislative bodies to formulate their thoughts within 30 min.

The statement runs as follows:

The attack on the media outlets in the National Assembly did not end there. Arman Babajanyan, another member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, who has a long experience of working in the media field, did not set him apart either and now accuses his former colleagues of being financed from this or that source.

The Minister of High-Tech Industry Hakob Arshakyan also joined the accusations of the deputies.

Mr. Hayrapetyan, Arman Babajanyan and Hakob Arshakyan do not realize that it is inadmissible to talk to the media by using such a style. We have to remind high-ranking officials that they are deputies of the National Assembly and ministers of the Republic of Armenia and when talking to the media they should remain within the borders of ethics and prevent themselves from interfering in the affairs of the editorials.

Undoubtedly, Mkhitar Hayrapetyan or another state official may disagree with the title, but in the meantime, speaking that way is a direct threat to the restriction of freedom of speech.

“Media Advocate” initiative urges the representatives of executive and legislative bodies to formulate their thoughts within 30 minutes, and express them by using a vocabulary appropriate to high-ranking officials.