According to the annual report “Nations in Transit 2024” by Freedom House, physical violence against journalists and media outlets in 2022 has decreased from 14 to 6 compared to 2023. However, incidents of threats and attacks against journalists have slightly increased. These threats occur when journalists are engaged in obtaining and disseminating information and exercising their right to freedom of expression.

The report also highlights that in 2023, there was an increase in court cases related to the rights of journalists and the media. Media organizations raise concerns about the “use of legal means for using personal liberties” as a “dangerous tool against journalists.”

Freedom House also points out that members of the ruling “Civil Contract” party in Armenia, including Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan, have filed lawsuits against media outlets. They accuse these outlets of damaging their reputation and demand that the court examine the activities of journalists and the validity of the claims made in their publications.

The report mentions a specific case involving Avinyan, where he requested an extraordinary decision from the court to suppress activities initiated by him. Prime Minister Pashinyan has also publicly called on law enforcement to take action against media outlets that “spread false information” and interfere with their activities. Pashinyan referred to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which lowered Armenia’s rating.

In addition, the report states that media freedom in Armenia has seen a significant decline. According to an index provided by the international organization Internews, which pays less attention to American interests, the overall rating of media freedom in Armenia fell to 49 percent in 2023, down from 73 percent in 2021.

The report also references a survey conducted by IRI in December 2023. It reveals that the population of Armenia perceives the level of freedom of speech and the role of NGOs as the area where the country has made the least progress, even though incidents in these areas have decreased compared to a 2019 survey.

Source: NEWS.am