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Armenian journalists accredited in the National Assembly held a protest on Tuesday over the recent decision to restrict their freedom of movement inside the parliament building. The protest was staged at the press box in the session hall at the time when Nikol Pashinyan arrived in parliament to present the government five-year programme. Journalists held up banners calling for removing the obstacles to their work and the coverage of the activities of the National Assembly. 

To remind, earlier the National Assembly Council adopted a decision regulating the journalist’s activity in parliament. According to it, journalists will carry out their professional activity in special places separated in the residence of the National Assembly, in the foyer in front of the session hall, in the box and in the National Assembly park. According to the new regulation, reporters can carry out their professional activities in the offices of the National Assembly deputies only by the deputies’ consent. The initiative had received strong criticism from media organizations and journalists' community named as a move aimed at restricting reporters' access to the parliament building and obstructing their professional activity. 

During the protest action, officers of the State Protection Service entered the the press box of the session hall attempting to obstruct the protest. Lawmaker from opposition "I have Honour" faction, former journalist Taguhi Tovmasyan approached the protesting reporters and voiced their complaints at the session hall. 

"I met them and took note of all their demands, They  demand a meeting with Nikol Pashinyan to discuss the removal of the restriction on the freedom of their movement inside the parliament building. I call on officers of the State Protection Service to refrain from obstructing the work of the journalists and not interfere with their protest," Tovmasyan wrote on her Facebook page.