OSCE rep concerned about Armenian court decision forcing media to
disclose sources
HUMAN RIGHTS | 23.07.14 | 10:30
Photo:
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic on Tuesday
expressed concern about a court ruling in Armenia that forces media
outlets to disclose their sources of information.
On June 26, the Administrative Court of the Kentron and Nork-Marash
districts in Yerevan ruled that two media outlets, the Hraparak
newspaper and Ilur.am news portal, should disclose their sources as
part of the criminal investigation involving a high-level police
official of the Shirak region.
“I am concerned that this ruling might have a chilling effect on media
as it could thwart reporting on issues of public interest,” Mijatovic
said. “The need for journalists’ professional confidentiality with
public and private sources of information must be acknowledged.”
She noted that the right of journalists to protect the identity of
sources is a key principle of investigative journalism and has
repeatedly been declared as a basic requirement for freedom of
expression by the OSCE.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
