Ashot Melikyan: This can continue as long as the journalistic community does not make a serious demand for making official information more accessible
The case of physical violence against journalists was not recorded in the first quarter of 2018; last year the committee fixed three cases of violence. There is also a negative trend along with the changes, violations of the right to receive and disseminate information is almost three times more now. The striking example was the adoption of the RA Law "On the Government's Structure and Activities", according to which the Government sessions will be held closed. According to Ashot Melikyan, Chairman of the Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression, any restrictions on journalists' activities indicated that the Government had made a political decision to work in closed regime. "This can continue as long as the journalistic community does not make a serious demand for making official information more accessible." According to Ashot Melikyan, the President Armen Sargsyan's inauguration ceremony, also was a part of the regime adopted by the Government. "It was not right to invite media heads as guests, not as journalists or operators." There have also been some positive changes in the journalistic community, the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Code on taking photos or videos at courts have been revised. And now journalists need only the agreement of the parties instead of the agreement of the court based on the motion of the participant of a trial.
