An international media watchdog yesterday expressed concern about an upsurge in libel suits against Armenian newspapers critical of the government, calling it a serious threat to press freedom in the country. Reporters without Borders is concerned about all the libel actions being brought against Armenian newspapers and the disproportionate damages being demanded, which threaten their survival and create a climate that encourages self-censorship. The representatives of the organizations mention that twelve such lawsuits have been filed this year alone. The surge in their number is widely attributed to controversial amendments to Armenian media legislation that were enacted in April 2010. They decriminalized libel but significantly toughened financial penalties for news reports and commentaries deemed defamatory by local courts. There were 12 defamation actions during the first quarter of 2011 alone. Independent newspapers are the leading targets. The daily Zhamanak is currently the subject of three different lawsuits. Haykakan Zhamanak and Hraparak are also being sued. Two of those cases were brought in recent months by former President Robert Kocharyan and members of his family. They are seeking a total of 12 million drams in damages from the pro-opposition “Zhamanak” and “Hraparak” dailies. The case against “Hraparak” stems from a February article that described Kocharyan as a “blood-thirsty” individual who is also notorious for his “particularly brilliant foolishness.” “Kocharyan himself also recently applied to the court to sue Hraparak newspaper for libel. Despite the assumption that there were grounds to apply to the court nonetheless it was not right to confiscate the property of the newspaper. Although these actions were later revised but the actions of the former president contain danger factors because we may assume that the main actions are aimed at bankrupting the newspaper,” reads the report of the organization and adds that they are going to follow the process very closely. Reporters Without Borders is following all of these cases closely. As well as those already mentioned, Reporters Without Borders will also attend the upcoming hearings in the parliamentarian Tigran Arzakantsyan’s lawsuit against the newspaper Yerkir and the lawsuit that the company Glendale Hills has brought against Zhamanak. “The media self-management should develop in Armenia and the courts should be objective when reviewing these cases,” reads the Journalists Without Borders report.
