December 19, 2023, Yerevan
On December 19, 2023, “Zhoghovurd” daily released a statement, disclosing that the National Assembly staff sent a written notification that they had issued a warning to Knar Manukyan, a parliament-accredited journalist, and since it was her second warning this year, her accreditation was revoked. This is an extraordinary phenomenon for the Armenian news landscape.
This ongoing conflict between the involved parties traces back to March 21 when the same journalist from the media filmed security officers awaiting instructions to diffuse a tense situation in the session hall. Subsequently, the footage was released on Armlur.am, the daily’s website, leading to the first warning issued to the editorial office.
This time, the discontent of the NA staff arose due to the journalist’s failure to carry out her professional duties in the special place reserved for media representatives in the NA premises, choosing instead an officially prohibited zone. Furthermore, according to the staff’s notice, Knar Manukyan “carried out professional duties without the consent of the MP, kept pursuing and posing defamatory and offensive inquiries.”
We, the undersigned journalistic organizations, wish to recall the stance of the Information Disputes Council regarding the above-mentioned first incident. The IDC highlighted that the regulation governing journalists’ activities in the parliament contains multiple uncertainties and unreasonable requirements that constrain the freedom of the media. The IDC concluded that the application of these provisions led to an unlawful and disproportionate restriction of the right of “Zhoghovurd” daily to disseminate information and ideas.
The second warning similarly attributes the journalist’s activity within the “prohibited zone” as one of the causes, according to the official interpretation. Overall, the restrictions on the movement of media representatives, which were applied during the 8th convocation of the parliament, stand as unprecedented in the history of the RA legislature. These limitations create disproportionate and severe obstacles for the media and contradict international democratic norms – a concern we have repeatedly emphasized. We have also pointed to the problematic nature of the 2021-2022 legislative changes regarding journalists’ accreditation and their potential negative effects.
Concerning the parties’ mutual accusations of defamation (MP Artur Hovhannisyan’s claim of “Zhoghovurd” daily publishing paid articles, and Knar Manukyan’s query about the MP’s potential substance influence), they could be examined in court, and we refrain from giving any immediate assessment. At the same time, we reiterate our repeated call that conflicts in the National Assembly, including issues arising in journalist-deputy relationships, should be discussed in the parliament’s Ethics Committee. We also stress the necessity of resolving issues related to the conduct and work style of media representatives in the National Assembly through the implementation of media self-regulation mechanisms, while seeking to prevent one-sided administration as much as possible.
Considering the above, we demand from the NA leadership:
- in accordance with the Law “On Mass Communication”, to immediately grant accreditation to another journalist proposed by “Zhoghovurd” daily, and to initiate negotiations with the editorial team to reinstate Knar Manukyan’s status (we express our readiness to mediate during this process);
- start discussions on the provisions outlined in the above-mentioned law regarding journalists’ accreditation, aiming to reform the National Assembly’s procedures and aligning them with international standards.
COMMITTEE TO PROTECT FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
YEREVAN PRESS CLUB
MEDIA INITIATIVES CENTER
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION CENTER
MEDIA DIVERSITY INSTITUTE-ARMENIA
PUBLIC JOURNALISM CLUB
“JOURNALISTS FOR THE FUTURE” NGO
“JOURNALISTS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS” NGO
GORIS PRESS CLUB
