03:13, 18 March 2014

In Armenia, journalistic organizations speak against draft law "On Fakes"

Meeting of the National Assembly of Armenia. Photo: http://www.parliament.am/

A number of journalistic organizations issued a statement against the initiative of members of the National Assembly of Armenia to amend the Civil Code. The amendments provide prosecution of media that publish and disseminate comments of unidentified Internet users (fakes).

"The amendments to the law will have a chilling effect on bona fide participants of the information process and will compel the Armenian Internet users to 'migrate' in the segments of the virtual space, inaccessible to national jurisdiction. Besides, the amendments will create all conditions for the selective application of the law and bringing citizens to responsibility for subjective reasons," said the statement of the journalistic organizations of March 14.

The statement's authors call on the initiators of the amendments to abandon the changes. Besides, they call on the legislative and executive authorities to formulate laws on modern communications in accordance with the European institutions.

Author: Armine Martirosyan

Source: CK correspondent