Expert: amendments in the Armenian President's decree on mass media activity are purely formal

An amendment in the Armenian President's decree "On Announcing a State of Emergency", relating to the mass media activity,  was made on March 13 and entered into force on the following day but, in effect, it is a formality introduced "as a smokescreen". This is what an expert on press has stated to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to the expert's opinion, the amendment of the provision on mass media activity is nothing else but an introduction of censorship. "The authorities themselves are going to define what is misleading and what is provocative and where exactly is a call for illegitimate actions", states the expert who wishes to remain unnamed.

The "Caucasian Knot" reported earlier that the Armenian authorities were making amendments in the format of the state of emergency introduced by Robert Kocharian on March 1. On March 13, amendments were made which are mainly related to limiting the activity of mass media.

Pursuant to the decree of March 13, item four of the March 1 decree on announcing the state of emergency is invalidated. In its last version, the item is as follows: "no presentation by mass media of information on state or internal policy issues, which is knowingly false or destabilizing the situation, or calls for participation in illegal events, or publication and dissemination of such information by other means, shall be allowed".

The initial version of the item in the decree relating to the mass media activity was as follows: "Starting from March 1, the mass media shall only be allowed publication of materials relating to state and internal policy issues with a reference to the sources of official information ".

According to the "Caucasian Knot" information, issues of opposition newspapers "Traparak" ("Square") and "Aikakan Zhamanak" ("Armenian Time"), as well as the newspaper "Aravot" ("Morning"), were confiscated at the printing office during the night of March 13-14.

According to Armine Oganian, chief editor of the newspaper "Traparak", when the newspaper was brought to the printing office at 2 a.m., the officer of the National Security Service who was there at the time stated without any explanations that the newspaper was not going to be printed.