Criminal Code of Armenia represents more serious danger to journalists than bill "On Mass Information"

The Criminal Code of Armenia represents a more serious danger to the journalists than the bill "On Mass Information". President of the Yerevan Press Club Boris Navasardian stated it during a press conference at the Journalist Union on October 10.

According to him, the draft law doesn't include clauses that provide criminal responsibility for slander and insult. Boris Navasardian pointed out that the bill was expected to be discussed in the nearest future by the committee for science, education, culture and youth of the National Assembly of Armenia and expressed hope the parliament would take into account the proposals of the journalistic community. "If these hopes don't come true then we will protest against the adoption of the bill in its today's version", he added. The articles on the inadmissibility of abuse of freedom of speech and transparency of financial resources are among the main disputable provisions of the bill. According to Boris Navasardian, the proposals of the journalistic society concerning the bill mainly coincide with the remarks of the Council of Europe, except for the provision on the transparency of financial resources, which is a CE requirement. But the adoption of this provision might be used in today's Armenia as a weapon against undesirable mass media, said the president of the Yerevan Press Club.