Yerevan municipality put forward for discussion in journalistic circles the proposals for regulating the activities of media representatives in the city administration building. It is obvious that this initiative of the municipal authorities is not driven by day-to-day necessity, but rather by the scandalous incident that occurred in the municipality on February 19, 2018. On that day the “А1+” TV company and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Armenian Service correspondents, which were filming in the city administration building accompanied by Zaruhi Postanjyan, Head of “Yerkir Tsirani” opposition faction at Yerevan Council of Elders, faced harsh obstruction to their professional activities. Artur Gevorgyan, Head of Information and Public Relations Department of Yerevan municipality, did not allow Zaruhi Postanjyan to continue speaking with the journalists in the municipality building, and afterwards with the help of the police blocked the entrance to her office, making the journalists leave the building.
Following the incident that caused public condemnation, the city authorities expressed their intention to regulate the work of journalists at the municipality, while in reality, as appears from the proposed document, they seek to introduce unfounded limitations on the coverage of city administration activities. The supporters of such approach explain the necessity of new relationship with media representatives by the fact that the municipality building is in the list of objects under special protection. Meanwhile, the proposals put forward absolutely do not contribute to the transparency of the activities of the Council of Elders.
The document presented to the journalistic community for discussion, in fact, is a new accreditation procedure, which, in effect, runs contrary to the criteria of Articles 42 and 51 of the RA Constitution, as well as the provisions of the RA Laws “On Local Self-Government”, “On Mass Communication” and “On Freedom of Information”.
We, the undersigned, express our readiness to develop proposals within two weeks regarding the work of journalists at the municipality and in the Council of Elders, and present them to the competent persons. Until then, we demand from Yerevan municipality:
– To suspend the adoption of the above-mentioned document;
– Not to change the terms of collaboration with media representatives excluding any discriminatory and unduly restrictive manifestations, respect freedom of speech and information, journalists’ right to work freely and supervise the activities of the authorities.
COMMITTEE TO PROTECT FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
YEREVAN PRESS CLUB
MEDIA INITIATIVES CENTER
“ASPAREZ” JOURNALISTS’ CLUB
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION CENTER
MEDIA DIVERSITY INSTITUTE-ARMENIA
PUBLIC JOURNALISM CLUB
“JOURNALISTS FOR THE FUTURE”
“JOURNALISTS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS”
GORIS PRESS CLUB
“UMBRELLA JOURNALISTS’ INTERNATIONAL NETWORK” NGO
“FREE JOURNALISTS’ ASSOCIATION” NGO
“REPORTERS ASSOCIATION” NGO
“HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK” Daily
“A1+” TV company
“ZHOGHOVURD” Daily
FACTOR.AM News Portal
ILUR.AM Online Newspaper
HELSINKI CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY VANADZOR OFFICE
HELSINKI COMMITTEE OF ARMENIA
“HELSINKI ASSOCIATION” NGO
“HUMAN RIGHTS POWER” NGO
“VELES” NGO
“PROTECTION OF RIGHTS WITHOUT BORDERS” NGO
FOUNDATION AGAINST THE VIOLATION OF LAW
HUMAN RIGHTS HOUSE-YEREVAN
TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL ANTICORRUPTION CENTER
“PROMEDIA-GENDER” NGO
“FOR EQUAL RIGHTS” NGO
“EUROPE IN LAW” NGO
SARA KHOJOYAN, Correspondent of Bloomberg News Agency in Armenia
ANNA PAPIKYAN, Journalist, “Hraparak” Daily
TATEV AYVAZYAN, Journalist, Armday.am
ANI GEVORGYAN, Photojournalist
NANEH MUKUCHYAN, Freelance Journalist
