YEREVAN, JULY 26, ARMENPRESS. Violations of the right to receive and disseminate information have significantly decreased in Armenia in the second quarter of 2022 according to the report of the Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression (CPFE).

Presenting the report at a press conference in Armenpress, CPFE Chairman Ashot Melikyan said that 45 such cases were registered in the first quarter of 2022, but in the second quarter this figure lowered to 24.

“There is a period when media outlets more deal with political developments. As you know, the political developments in the period of April-June were mainly in the streets, there were external political processes, and the media outlets were focused on these developments. I think at that period the volume of inquiries sent to the state structures has not been so much, has declined”, he said.

Ashot Melikyan noted that getting information from state bodies is still difficult as many media outlets complain over this. Research shows that the explanations of not providing information are problematic, as quite often the state agencies avoid providing an adequate, proper response.

“In this sense the adoption by the Parliament of the amendments to the Law on Information Freedom was important, according to which those responsible, who reject without any ground and do not provide information subject to publication, will face tougher responsibility. In other words, the administrative fine has increased”, he said.

He said that after being denied the media outlets mostly do not apply to the court as they avoid these procedures. Only one media outlet out of these 24 cases has applied to the court.

In the second quarter of 2022, compared to the first quarter, the pressures on media outlets and their staffers almost remained at the same level. 12 such cases were registered in the first quarter, and 11 cases in the second quarter. However, the figures in terms of use of physical force against reporters are concerning because in the second quarter 11 such cases were registered, with 12 people injured.

“We record that when the public, political situation is becoming tense in the country, the number of attacks on journalists is increasing. We remember that the past months were quite tense, the opposition was holding disobedience acts. 10 out of the 11 cases, that we registered, happened during these campaigns. Both journalists and operators have suffered”, Ashot Melikyan said.

As for the statistics of judicial cases filed against media outlets and reporters, Ashot Melikyan said that 8 judicial cases on the basis of insult and defamation were registered in the second quarter of 2022, whereas in the first quarter this figure was 7.