Epress.am News from Armenia
2011 was an unprecedented difficult year for journalists, said Yerevan-based Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression President Ashot Melikyan, speaking to journalists in the Armenian capital today.
Compared to previous years, the number of incidents of intimidation against journalists and news outlets was far greater in 2011. There were 49 such cases, though incidents of physical assault (5) and restrictions on the right to clarify and disseminate information (7) were few. Recall, in 2008, there were 16 recorded cases of intimidation against news outlets and their employees; in 2009, their were 14 such cases; and in 2010, there were 19.
According to Melikyan, intimidation was mainly applied through court cases. There were 38 lawsuits against news media, most of which were initiated by political figures and aimed only to intimidate and punish those news outlets that publish critical pieces.
“Out of those 38 lawsuits, only MP Tigran Arzakantsyan’s suit against Iravunq newspaper was rejected. Speaking about the cases, it’s worth mentionin [former president] Robert Kocharian’s family’s active pursuit of lawsuits, which is not appropriate for the second president,” he said.
Recall, the Kocharian family sued local dailies Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian Times”), Jamanak (“Times”) and Hraparak (“square”) for libel and defamation. The court obliged Haykakan Jamanak to pay the family 3.5 million drams (a little over $9,000 USD) and Jamanak to pay 3 million drams (approx. $7,750 USD). The case with Hraparak is still in court.