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OSCE media representative criticizes Armenia for suppressing freedom of expression

29 June 2007 09:49 (UTC +04:00)

Miklos Haraszti, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, criticized legal amendments that would ban Armenian-language foreign media programmes on public-service broadcast channels, and introduce heavy fees for those programmes on private channels, APA reports.
"As Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is currently the only foreign media outlet using the Armenian Public Radio frequency, the adoption of the amendments would amount to a ban on their programmes in Armenia," wrote Haraszti in his letter to the Chairman of the National Assembly Tigran Torosyan.
The Representative pointed out that Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is an alternative source of information in Armenia, providing a diversity of opinion that is especially needed during election periods.
Haraszti called upon the National Assembly not to adopt the restrictive amendments.
"The proposed changes to the Laws "On Television and Radio" and "On State Duties" are incompatible with OSCE commitments to safeguard pluralism and the free flow of information in the media," Haraszti concluded. /APA/