Armenia`s legal framework does not sufficiently protect freedom of  press - Reporters without borders

ArmInfo. Despite a pluralistic environment, the media remain polarised. The country is facing an unprecedented level of disinformation and hate speech, especially over the Nagorno-Karabakh territorial dispute and the ongoing threat of war with Azerbaijan, according to the 2024 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders today.

The 2024 World Press Freedom Index ranks Armenia 43rd (as against  49th last year).

Media landscape

Social media, accessed daily by two-thirds of the population, is the  main source of information. Many new media outlets have sprung up  since the 2018 "Velvet Revolution" and independent news sites such as  Civilnet.am, hetq.am, Factor.am and Azatutyun.am are thriving and are  fulfilling an independent watchdog role that is essential in a  democracy. Nevertheless, most broadcast and print media, affiliated  with major political and commercial interests, continue to face  pressure concerning their editorial policy.

Political context

The polarisation of the media mirrors that of the political scene:  many media outlets are close to political leaders who emerged after  2018, while others remain loyal to former oligarchs. Only a handful  of media demonstrate independence. Two political topics are  especially sensitive: the ethnic cleansing of Armenians from  Nagorno-Karabakh and the strained relations between Armenia and  Russia. Some political groups carry out disinformation operations and  target journalists.

Legal framework

Despite the decriminalisation of defamation and the implementation of  legislation that guarantees the transparency of media ownership, the  legal framework that regulates the sector does not sufficiently  protect freedom of the press, nor does it follow European standards.  Recent reforms have not resolved problems posed by disinformation and  gag orders. Access to state-held information is limited by the  government (refusal to respond, delays, etc.)

Economic context

The majority of media are controlled by people close to political  movements or are supported by influential public figures. Few outlets  have adopted paid subscription models, and the advertising market  remains under-developed, which limits the financial independence of  privately owned media. Meanwhile, state- owned media refrain from any  criticism of the government.

Sociocultural context

As a profession, journalism is disparaged and subject to especially  troubling hate speech. Anti-media rhetoric from political elites, who  accuse journalists of "corruption" and of being in the service of  their adversaries, creates a climate of intolerance that hinders  reporters' work. They are constantly insulted, assaulted and subject  to abusive defamation proceedings, which reinforces self-censorship.

Safety

Clashes on the border with Azerbaijan complicate the work of  journalists. Furthermore, journalists are often subjected to  pressure, insults and violence by both ruling party officials and  opposition politicians, as well as their supporters - whether in  Parliament, in the street, or on social media. In general, violence  against journalists goes unpunished.

The TOP 5 countries included Norway, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands  and Finland. Among the most unfree are Syria, Afghanistan, North  Korea, Iran and Turkmenistan.

It is noteworthy that among neighboring countries Armenia occupies a  leading position: in particular, Georgia is in 103rd place, Turkey in  158th, Azerbaijan in 164th and Iran in 176th.

Days earlier, a number of journalistic organizations in Armenia  issued a statement in which they expressed outrage at the unjustified  aggression and cruelty of Armenian law enforcement officers against  media representatives covering protests against the border  delimitation process in the Armenian-Azerbaijani contact zone, as  well as unjustified violence.

The statement recalls that on April 27, on the Ijevan-Kirants highway  in Tavush region, masked police stopped a car carrying media  representatives, took their car out, threw the operator of the news  site NewDay.am Janibek Khachatryan to the ground, handcuffed him and  tried to detain him.

"Numerous warnings that the person in question was a member of the  media and, together with his colleagues, was covering the protests  taking place in those days, remained unanswered. The cameraman was  released a little later.

On the same day, when dispersing a protest rally of citizens in the  village of Dsegh in the Lori region of the Yerevan-Tbilisi road,  police interfered with the professional activities of employees of  the Oragir.News website covering these actions. Journalist Ani  Nerkararyan was knocked down - she was injured, and cameraman Zaven  Ohanyan was forced to stop filming," the statement states.

According to information from the Committee to Protect Freedom of  Expression, in the first quarter of 2024, 17 cases (as in the  previous year) of various pressures on journalists and 41 cases of  violation of the receipt and dissemination of information were  recorded in Armenia (compared to 48 a year earlier). At that time, no  cases of physical violence against media representatives were  registered, since the country had a relatively calm socio-political  situation. Protests in Tavush, where security forces obstructed the  work of the media and resorted to violence, began in April.

The above 17 registered cases of pressure were reflected, among other  things, in indecent treatment of journalists and cameramen, insults  and threats in the online space, and obstruction of legitimate  professional activities.

At the same time, the number of lawsuits against journalists and  media outlets has increased. Thus, during the reporting period, 12  such claims were filed, compared to 9 a year earlier. Of these, 5 are  from government officials, 6 from business circles, one ordinary  citizen.

Regarding cases of violation of the dissemination and receipt of  information, the Committee noted that when sending official requests  from the media to government agencies, journalists continue to face a  number of problems. In particular, the latter receive unreasonable  refusals, face unjustified delays in information, or receive formal  answers that do not correspond to the essence of the question or  bypass the question altogether.