Your trusted source

Media Advocate initiative calls on Armenian lawmakers to reject a government-drafted bill on freedom of information.

Below is a statement released by Media Advocate initiative on Thursday:

"A draft amendment to the Armenian Law on Freedom of Information has been submitted, which was developed by the Ministry of Environment. According to the version presented on e-draft, there should have been restrictions on information on special kinds of breeding sites, but as it turned out later, what was presented online and what was discussed later by the government are actually different bills, and the latter envisages stricter restrictions.

This measure has been criticized by Media Advocate initiative, a number of human rights and international organizations. Furthermore, this latest step, to present one thing, to adopt another, does not comply with the rules of freedom of information. In fact, the government is trying to covertly adopt a law restricting the freedom of information.

Shushan Doydoyan, head of the Freedom of Information Center, also touched upon this issue, criticizing the situation.

We urge the deputies of the National Assembly to vote against this bill, not to become the attachment of the government which develops covert laws and adopts secret laws."