23:55, 27 March 2021

Freedom House calls on Armenian authorities to stop increasing compensations for libel

The amendments to the legislation of Armenia, which provide for a threefold increase in the amount of compensations for libel and insult, are threatening the freedom of the media and speech in the country, the international human rights organization Freedom House has stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 24, the Armenian MPs approved a draft law on a threefold increase in the above compensations. Human rights defenders have criticized the decision.

Armenian authorities are obliged to protect the media freedom and the freedom of expression in the country, Mark Berendt, the Freedom House's programme director for Europe and Eurasia, has stated.

Mr Berendt has expressed regret that the Armenian government had supported the increased compensations, which, as he said, would restrict the freedom of speech in the country and threaten the media's financial viability.

According to the report of the Committee to Protect the Freedom of Expression, in 2020, 273 cases of pressure on media were recorded, including 61 lawsuits under the article "Insult and Slander".

Let us remind you that more than ten Armenian journalistic and human rights organizations have called on President, Armen Sargsyan, not to sign the above amendments. The Union of Journalists of Armenia made a similar appeal.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 27, 2021 at 01:37 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Tigran Petrosyan

Source: CK correspondent