Prosecuting habit
Read on the website Vestnik Kavkaza Since the end of 2010 a great number of lawsuits against the media have been registered in Armenia. The plaintiffs are major businessmen, headed by the second president of the state, Robert Kocharyan. According to the Freedom of Speech Committee, by the end of 2010 there were 3 lawsuits against newspapers, while in the first three months of 2011 there were 10 lawsuits.
A year ago the parliament of Armenia adopted a law on amendments to the Civil Code, according to which an individual or legal entity should be given an administrative penalty for contempt and slander. The opposition media consider this law to be a lever of pressure on the mass media. Undesirable periodicals will go bankrupt due to extortionate fines.
The media expert Manana Aslamazyan believes that “there is little evidence or facts in the Armenian media, instead of which there are buzzwords which hurt people. On the other hand, to sue a publication in order to put it out of business is underhand behaviour.”
Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to VK.
A year ago the parliament of Armenia adopted a law on amendments to the Civil Code, according to which an individual or legal entity should be given an administrative penalty for contempt and slander. The opposition media consider this law to be a lever of pressure on the mass media. Undesirable periodicals will go bankrupt due to extortionate fines.
The media expert Manana Aslamazyan believes that “there is little evidence or facts in the Armenian media, instead of which there are buzzwords which hurt people. On the other hand, to sue a publication in order to put it out of business is underhand behaviour.”
Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to VK.