IFJ says Armenia authorities must allow journalists to cover NA debatesAugust 6, 2021 - 17:58 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The International Federation of Journalists has weighed in on a recent incident which saw new security measures in the Armenian parliament curtail the work of journalists, who were prohibited from interviewing deputies as they exited the parliamentary chamber by officers from the State Protection Service guarding the hallway. "Journalists were denied access to the Parliament's first session," the IFJ said on Twitter. "Authorities must allow journalists to cover the debates and abolish the new rules that require special permission to enter the chamber or interview deputies." On August 3, parliament speaker Alen Simonyan announced that he signed a decision amending the National Assembly security rules. All deputies will undergo inspections before entering certain areas of the National Assembly that have been denoted “controlled working zones,” while journalists will no longer be allowed to enter the chamber without special permission or interview deputies in the hallway; instead, deputies will provide briefings to accredited journalists after parliamentary sittings in a designated chamber. Top stories The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Defense Minister Suren Papikyan has visited the southern Armenian province of Syunik, the Defense Ministry reported on March 18. Partner news | Pasadena to host Armenian Genocide commemoration event The Pasadena Armenian Coalition will host its community-wide Armenian Genocide Commemorative Event. Russia confirms start of withdrawal of peacekeepers from Karabakh The Kremlin has confirmed reports about the start of the withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping forces in Karabakh. France recalls its ambassador to Azerbaijan France on April 16 said it had recalled for consultations the French ambassador to Azerbaijan. Protesters rally as Georgia debates 'foreign agent' bill Georgian critics label the bill "the Russian law", comparing it to legislation used by the Kremlin to crack down on dissent. |