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Rights group Freedom House calls on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to take the concerns of the media seriously and to hold open and transparent news conference.

“Freedom House also urges the Armenian Prime Minister to take the concerns of the media seriously and leverage direct communication channels including through open and transparent press-conferences to ensure a healthy functioning democracy,” the organization said in a tweet on Thursday.

"The Armenian authorities should support the independent media and civil society by maintaining an active dialogue with them and the people to counteract disinformation that poses threat to Armenian democracy around crucial topics for the country," it added.

Also, the human rights group welcomes the decriminalization of "grave insults" in Armenia.

Freedom House also urges the Armenian Prime Minister to take the concerns of the media seriously and leverage direct communication channels including through open and transparent press-conferences to ensure a healthy functioning democracy. https://t.co/GqIH7y2lcx (2/3)

— Freedom House (@freedomhouse) July 7, 2022

Nikol Pashinyan answered the questions of the media and NGOs at an online news conference on Jun 27. However, dozens of media outlets boycotted it, arguing that the questions submitted are “edited or distorted” by the Prime Minister’s Office.

“We deem such a format of communication with the media by the country’s ruler discriminatory, ineffective and in contradiction with the core principles of democracy, namely, transparency and accountability,” they said in a joint statement.