Armenian journalists demand to return Lilian Galstyan's accreditation in parliament

The deprivation of Lilian Galstyan, a photojournalist of the "Panorama.am", of her accreditation at the Armenian Parliament indicates authorities' attempts to restrict the freedom of speech, Armenian journalist and public organizations have stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on the first working day of the parliament, media professionals were forbidden to work in the buildings where sittings of the standing parliamentary commissions are held, and where the working offices of the MPs of the ruling political force are located, as well as to make use of the lobbies, where MPs' interviews and briefings are held. The restrictions imposed on media people impede their professional activities and have been introduced with the aim to shield MPs from acute questions and criticism, journalistic organizations have stated.

The parliamentary staff has cancelled the accreditation of the above Lilian Galstyan; the document states that she had violated the ban on filming some guarded object.

Lilian herself claims that no one had warned her that filming the object was forbidden. She also did not know that a change had been adopted prohibiting to film State Guard officers.

The Armenian Union of Journalists has demanded to restore Lilian Galstyan's accreditation, treating the deprivation thereof as a manifestation of the authorities' anti-democratic behaviour, the authors of the demand have pointed out.

"A state body or an official must understand that the ensuring the unhampered journalists' work ... is their duty, and not a manifestation of goodwill," Arman Tatoyan, the Armenian Ombudsperson has written in his Facebook.