Avoid Words ‘Bloodthirsty’ and “Stilyaga’? Editors Become Censors

If you pay attention to the direction and content of the lawsuits, you can clearly see that print media has come into a trap, said local daily Hraparak chief editor Armine Ohanyan, speaking at a press conference titled “The Press in Judicial Processes” in Yerevan today.

“That is the trap of the law, it’s the trap of civil code amendments made last year, about which as long as a year ago, we editors warned, that it will become a sword wholeheartedly held above print media’s head which no one will be able to avoid,” said Ohanyan.

Recall, second president of the Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharian recently initiated a lawsuit against Hraparak, demanding compensation in the tune of 6 million drams (about $16,216 US) for insulting his honor and dignity. An article titled “They Destroy Kocharian, Explain to Tsarukyan?” became the grounds for the legal proceedings.

“See what a spectrum of diverse papers have appeared today in judicial processes: Yerkir, Hraparak, Jamanak, Haykakan Jamanak — even websites can’t be sidetracked,” said the media professional.

In Ohanyan’s opinion, it doesn’t matter how much the media defends journalistic ethics and norms. “In one case, the judicial process is aimed at retracting the information; in other cases, it is aimed at the insulting, defamatory article. Moreover, by saying ‘insult,’ different people understand different things. In one case, the word ‘bloodthirsty’ is an insulting expression [see here], while in another, the word ‘stilyaga‘ is insulting [seen in Yerkir vs. MP Tigran Arzakantsyan].”

All this, according to the editor, speaks to the fact that the amendments to the Civil Code and decriminalization of the law worked to the detriment of print media. Armine Ohanyan also note that her paper has found itself in a ridiculous situation.

“In publishing articles we’re now forced not to think about preparing interesting, sharp material [comprised] of free thought and creative freedom, but we’re forced to think all day what consequence the article in question can have for the fate of our newspaper.”

When a demand worth 6 million drams is presented to an agency which, continued Ohanyan, barely makes ends meet, it means that the daily is under threat of shutting down.

In Ohanyan’s opinion, with the aforementioned law, they’re trying to turn editors into censors.