Epress.am News from Armenia
"Reporters Without Borders is very worried by a bill amending article 1087.1 of the civil code that Armenia’s parliament is to debate […] It would hold media responsible for comments posted on their websites and for content they reproduce from elsewhere on the Internet," reads a statement issued on Sunday by the international media watchdog on its website.
"The parliamentarians who drafted the amendments say their goal is to combat the spread of defamatory or insulting comments online, which is being encouraged by online anonymity.
“'Although the goal given by the parliamentarians is praiseworthy, this bill poses serious dangers to online freedom of information in Armenia,' said Johann Bihr, the head of the Reporters Without Borders Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk.
“'The bill’s vague and broad wording gives too much leeway to the judges who interpret it. But the problem is more than just the wording. The media cannot be held responsible for content they did not create and online anonymity is one of the founding principles of the Internet as a space for debate and freely reported information.'
"Bihr added: 'We urge the parliamentarians to withdraw this bill and to support self-regulation'," reads the statement, in part.
"Armenia is ranked 78th out of 180 countries in the 2014 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index. Adoption of this bill would probably have an impact on its ranking in next year’s index," concludes Reporters Without Borders.