“The press has never been as suppressed as it is under Nikol Pashinyan.” Reporters accredited to the parliament protested with posters that had such statements written on them in the booth for journalists in the parliament building. The reporters were protesting against the draft decision of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia of December 27, 2017, On Making Amendments and Addenda to the Annex Approved by the Decision No. 044-L On Approving the Procedure for Accreditation of Journalists in the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia.” This decision limits the opportunities for journalists to move and work in the parliament.
The decision was made without discussions. Security officials hindered the journalists’ protests, saying that they could not do anything in the parliament other than their work. They urged the reporters to make their voices heard in another way: to write letters, to meet and discuss. In response, the reporters said that all those roads had been crossed and only this road remained, from which the security officer assumed, “you want to aggravate the situation, you are doing something like this on the day of the session.”
The journalists assured that they did not want to aggravate the situation, but they were just exercising their right to fight. The journalists also recalled that years ago, when Nikol Pashinyan was arrested, many editors and reporters protested in front of various departments in his defense, which paid off. Meanwhile, when journalists and security guards were arguing in the booth, Nikol Pashinyan was presenting the government’s program in the hall without taking his eyes off the paper. He probably did not “notice” what was happening in the opposite room. However, Alen Simonyan and Ruben Rubinyan were discussing the situation in the booth with each other, pointing to the booth. The journalists demanded a meeting with Nikol Pashinyan because they were told that the restrictions on the work of reporters in the National Assembly were made with Nikol Pashinyan’s knowledge.
“We demand a meeting with Nikol Pashinyan because we met with Alen Simonyan, but the meeting did not yield any results. Now, we are trying to attract Nikol Pashinyan’s attention so that he can come and answer our questions. Why are we being expelled from the parliament? We were allowed to be in the lodge, we did not write anything bad on our posters, we just want Mr. Pashinyan to answer our questions,” said Sona Grigoryan, a reporter with Zhoghovurd Daily.
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A journalist from Hraparak, Vahe Makaryan, also said, “The meeting with Alen Simonyan did not yield results because all the arrows are aimed at one person. We understand that the restrictions were imposed on us by Nikol Pashinyan’s order, assignment, or exhortation. Our movement in the parliament is limited, and if the respected security guards try to direct us to another place, there is no other place. All the members of the government are in the parliament hall at the moment, those who made this decision are in the parliament, and we are trying to attract Nikol Pashinyan’s attention.”
He added that this is not a political protest; it is to make the reporters’ voices heard. “This is not a gas contract where the journalists used to hold political protests in the parliament hall, and now they are sitting in this hall working as deputies.” Tert.am journalist Ani Gevorgyan added that the journalists waited for a long time, but the NA leadership did not make concessions. She notes that as a result of these restrictions, journalists will not be able to prepare materials. “Who said that covering the work of the parliament is only covering the Civil Contract deputies? Many things are happening here also outside of what’s being covered. We saw that when there was an incident in the parliament hall, Alen Simonyan immediately called security to prevent coverage. I think this step is also aimed at the public, because the public receives limited information.”
The journalists were also indignant that NA Speaker Alen Simonyan was having “secret” meetings and discussions on this topic. Taguhi Tovmasyan, Chair of the NA Committee on Human Rights and Public Affairs, also went up to the booth. She said that in the near future, she is going to organize a big discussion in the parliament on the topic of restrictions on the movement of journalists, which will be attended by editors, journalists, representatives of journalistic organizations, as well as the NA leadership, so that this issue is finally resolved. She suggested that the protesting journalists develop a package of proposals and present it during the planned discussion so that they can get concrete solutions.
Taguhi Tovmasyan said that the tightening of security rules should be taken into account, but they should not be at the expense of journalists’ rights. She reiterated that such an attitude towards the press does not bring honor to the government that has declared itself democratic, and she promised to voice the journalists’ demand to meet with Nikol Pashinyan during his speech. The security guards first stood in front of the journalists in the booth for journalists, then sat down next to the journalists to monitor the journalists’ further steps. Journalists hung their posters on the booth’s glass.
Nelly Grigoryan
