On March 1 the National Assembly of Armenia passed in the second hearing the
draft law “On Fight against Terrorism”. A certain concern of the journalistic
community was caused by the provisions of the draft, restricting the rights
of the media representatives to access and dissemination of information, related
to terrorism.
In particular, according to the draft law, in the area of antiterrorist operations
the activities of media representatives is regulated by the head of the Republican
Antiterrorism Headquarters (a new body to be formed in accordance with the draft
law). Besides, it is prohibited to disseminate information that reveal the methods
and devices of antiterrorist activities, can impede the antiterrorist activities
and constitute danger for the life and health of citizens, and are directed
to the promotion or justification of terrorism.
Thus, terrorism can turn out to be a complete taboo for the media. The most
interesting fact here is that after the adoption of the law the journalists
will not have a right to disseminate information on the members of the Headquarters
above, on the bodies, involved in the antiterrorist activities, the staff of
the special services and their antiterrorist subdivisions, as well as, remarkably,
about people who provided assistance in the antiterrorist activities.
In other words, understand this as you wish! And the danger is more than great
to have these provisions given quite broad interpretations in a country, where
the freedom of expression is not very well off as it is. Having such a law,
the authorities can simply prohibit the journalists from covering the activities
of the power bodies, the tax and customs agencies… What is then to be done
about another loudly proclaimed campaign, the anticorruption one, if the structures
that are commonly viewed to be the major corruption sources, become closed for
the press?
