YEREVAN. – The Government of Armenia decided today to approve the draft decision on approving the package of bills on an addendum to the Criminal Code and an addendum to the Criminal Procedure Code.

The draft decision was presented by Justice Minister Rustam Badasyan. "The draft is about curtailing freedom of speech," he said, in particular. "Freedom of speech is not an absolute right and may, on certain grounds, be curtailed, if necessary, in a democratic society, it pursues a legitimate aim, is provided by law."

"This draft stems from the logic of the nonviolent, velvet revolution that took place in Armenia," Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said, in turn. “We have set the task that Armenia shall be a society free from violence. (...). No Armenian citizen shall be subjected to violence.”

Separately, Badasyan said that the Venice Commission's opinion on the Istanbul Convention was received; "The object of the regulation of the Convention is the prevention of domestic violence," he said. "The Council of Europe has specified that it has nothing to do with the legalization of same-sex marriages, or the adoption of a child by such couples."

Nikol Pashinyan said that violence in Armenia must be eliminated along with corruption.