Head of NA Standing Committee on Human Rights Bans Reporters from Taking Part in Meetings

At the Wednesday meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs and Protection of Human Rights, committee chairman Hrayr Tovmasyan announced that he has decided to ban reporters and camerapeople from attending the committee hearings, Aravot.am reports, stressing that after Tovmasyan’s words, the reporters left the room in protest.

The committee today was discussing several bills which are to be included on the agenda of the second session of Armenia’s new parliament, including amendments to the country’s criminal and administrative violations codes and the laws on police and psychiatric help. The majority of these bills have been introduced by the Armenian government.

Tovmasyan’s decision would have previously been illegal; however, according to the newly adopted rules of procedure of the National Assembly, committee heads now have the right to prohibit reporters from taking part in the meetings.

Article 14.7 of the rulebook states: “Reporters accredited in the National Assembly can only take part in the hearings of the committee with the permission of the committee head, and can carry out their professional activities only in a specially designated area.”

Note, only two lawmakers had voted against the amendment limiting reporters’ rights – opposition Armenian National Congress MPs Levon Zurabyan and Nikol Pashinyan.