Armenia: female journalist figures in case of refusal to disclose source of information

Rights defenders call on Armenian authorities to close the case, initiated against Kristine Khanumyan, Director of the company "Start Media", who refused to disclose to investigators her anonymous source, who told about the abuse of power by the boss of the Shirak Region.

Kristine Khanumyan, the editor of the website "ILur.am", is charged under the article "Non-execution of a judicial act", said the participants of the press conference on July 17 in Yerevan. She faces a prison sentence of up to two years, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

On May 12, 2014, the website "ILur.am" and the newspaper "Graparak" published an article, according to which on May 7 Vardan Nadaryan, the police boss of the Shirak Region, attacked in Gyumri, with a threat of his firearm, the famous wrestler, three-time world champion Arthur Aleksanyan and his brother Rafael. After the publication, on May 22, the Special Investigating Service of Armenia refused to open a criminal case, but on May 30, 2014, it cancelled the previous decision of the investigator; and Aleksanyan was recognized as a victim.

Investigating authorities demanded from the "ILur.am" and the "Graparak" to disclose the source of information, but journalists refused, said the participants of the press conference. On June 26, 2014, the court obliged the editions to do it.

The demand to disclose the source of information violates the right to the freedom of press, said the lawyer Ara Kazaryan. According to his version, the enforcement to disclose the source is only possible, when it comes to the security of the country.

This situation creates a dangerous precedent, said Ashot Melikyan, the Chairman of the Committee for Protection of Freedom of Speech. In his opinion, journalism cannot exist without its secret sources of information.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.