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Armenia saw an increase in violations of journalists' right to collect and disseminate information last year, Ashot Melikyan, Chairman of the Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression, revealed on Tuesday.

“In 2023, journalists and cameramen were physically attacked and faced other forms of pressure, including threats, hatred and disrespectful treatment,” he told a news conference in Yerevan, presenting a report on the situation with freedom of expression in Armenia.

"It’s bad enough that the authorities came up with legislative initiatives that seemingly authorized more frequent refusals to provide official information," Melikyan said.

According to official data, three cases of physical violence against reporters were registered in the third and fourth quarters of 2023, which was 2.5 times less than in 2022.

“60 cases of other forms of pressure exerted on journalists and 135 violations of the right to collect and disseminate information were recorded in 2023," Melikyan said, emphasizing that the figures increased compared to the previous year.

Also, he said lawsuits filed against journalists and media outlets increased in 2023.