Expert: Pressure on media increasing in Armenia

Fourteen cases of violence against journalists were recorded in the second quarter of the current year. A total of 23 journalists and cameramen suffered.

Ashot Melikyan, Chairman of the Committee for Protection of Freedom of Speech, at a press conference on July 25, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

"As for cases of violence, their number is unprecedented in post-revolutionary years," he noted.

Melikyan noted that no cases of violence against journalists and cameramen were recorded in the first quarter. And 11 out of 14 cases took place during protests of the revanchist movement.

This also applies to the facts of pressure on the media. According to Melikyan, at the beginning of the year there were 17 such cases, and in the second quarter - 26.

"As for the cases of violation of the right to receive information, here, and this is the only indicator, we can note a positive dynamics. In January-March there were 41 such violations, and in the second quarter - 19," the head of the Committee said.

The expert added that such a number of facts of pressure on the media were noted only in 2018. He believes that there is every reason to sound the alarm, as there are both abuses of power and a lack of professionalism.

"The government should be concerned about such indicators, because they can seriously affect the country's image," he said.