Hakob Avetikyan: Journalists themselves restrict freedom of speech

Hakob Avetikyan: Journalists themselves restrict freedom of speech

arminfo
Tuesday, May 3, 19:54

95% of the claims against the mass media concern the printed press,
and the key goal of the claimants is the bankruptcy of newspapers,
which, in its turn, leads to closure of the newspapers,
Editor-in-Chief of Azg Daily Hakob Avetikyan told jourbalists.

“It would be noteworthy if the family of the second president of
Armenia Robert Kocharyan demanded 1 dram as a compensation when suing
the well-known newspaper. This would demonstrate their desire to
restore the justice or simply to punish the offender. And this 1 AMD
would become a symbolic amount”, said Avetikyan.

When speaking of the freedom of speech in Armenia, Avetikyan pointed
out that there is no freedom of speech as such in Armenia, and the
claim of the Kocharyans against “Hraparak” (“Square”) newspaper shows
that very often it is the media’s fault.

“We should feel responsibility for what we write, and in this case
we’ll be able to change this situation, but this does not mean that
one must shut eyes to the obvious things”, he said.

To recall, Robert Kocharyan sued “Hraparak” and demands that the
editorial staff of the newspaper should pay 6 mln AMD (16.2 thsd USD)
compensation for insulting his family’s honor and dignity. The reason
for the claim was the article “Kocharyan being destroyed, Tsarukyan
being explained?”.

From: A. Papazian