Your trusted source

Everyone has the right to provide information anonymously or remain anonymous on the Internet, Armenia’s Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan told reporters at the National Assembly on Friday, commenting on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s recent initiative and instructions to the country’s National Security Service (NSS) to combat fakes.

At a Cabinet meeting on Thursday Pashinyan said some “criminal circles spend millions to manipulate the public opinion in media and on social networks” which, according to him, is an issue of national security. The PM instructed the security chief to address the matter. Pashinyan, however, noted the proposed actions should in no way endanger the guaranteed rights of the freedom of speech and information.

According to Tatoyan, there are even developed international standards and guidelines on the matter, but a different question is whether a piece of anonymous information features calls for violence and crime.

The ombudsman stressed he is familiar with all public discussions and understands all the concerns, with the issue kept under the spotlight of his office.

Commenting on the PM’s instruction to the security service, Tatoyan stressed the NSS is a closed structure and involving it in this matter is not appropriate. Sharing the claims that the freedom of speech should be strongly protected, he restated each person has an internationally recognized right to anonymity on the online platform.