Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression (CPFE) has published its 2016 annual report, scrutinizing the situation with freedom of expression and studying the environment where the media and journalists work. The report describes the year 2016 ‘extremely unfavorable’ for the operation of the Armenian media and reporters, referring to ‘numerous cases of physical assaults, repressions, and impediments,’ against the representatives of the mass media.
Chairman at CPFE Ashot Melikyan presented the report at a public debate held on Tuesday.
“Developments of July 17-30 occurred at Yerevan Khorenatsi Street and Sari Tagh district following the armed attack by the “Sasna Tsrer” group on the police station care one of the vivid example, where law enforcement bodies violence against reporters and cameramen, impeded their professional activity. while dispersing the protesters. These actions were unprecedented in terms of applied special means against the journalists and the cameramen,” reads a part of the report.
The document covers also cases of physical violence and obstruction of journalists’ professional activity registered during the elections for the self-governing bodies held in September-October.
During 2016 CPFE has registered 10 cases of physical violence against journalists in which 26 journalists and cameramen suffered.
Overall, 52 cases of repressions against media representatives were recorded during the year, while in 33 cases the journalists’ right for gathering and disseminating information had reportedly been violated.
The CPFE report in its entirety is available in Armenian on the Committee’s official website
