On May 3 “Press Stand” press dissemination agency did not deliver “Hraparak”
newspaper to newspaper stands. The editorial, published in the next issue and
titled “Armenia the Country of Censors” (“Hraparak of May 6, 2008), reported
the agency management “disliked” one of the pieces published, mentioning “Sovrano”
company that belongs to the owners of “Press Stand”. Having reminded that according
to the agreement, the functions of “Press Stand” include only the delivery of
“Hraparak” to newspaper stands and not “the role of a censor who decides – upon
reading the contents of the issue – that its dissemination should be prevented”,
the newspaper qualified the situation as “a classical example of obstructing
the freedom of press, the work of journalists”, i.e., a criminal offence. The
newspaper also announced it was ready to protect its rights and readers by all
legal means. The issue of May 6 re-published the article which, in the opinion
of the editorial office, was “disliked” by the press dissemination agency.
