“Journalists already have a lever in their hands” (video)
The decision of the Constitutional Court will have positive influence on the media. This is the assessment of the experts to the decision, according to which the media outlets can be forced to disclose their source of information only for the defense of human life and to prevent serious crime. “If the law enforcement authorities read that decision carefully, they will not turn to the journalists or media outlets to disclose the source of information and will escape conflicts,” thinks Ashot Melikyan, Chairman of the Committee on the Defense of Freedom of Speech. “Hraparak” and “Ilur” media outlets applied to the CC, when the courts had forced them to disclose the source of information connected with the former Police Chief of Gyumri. There were also numerous cases in the past, but this one was different: “It has been the first acute case, which received wise public attention and on the other hand, the media outlets were subjected to stronger pressure,” says Gevorg Hayrapetyan, lawyer of Center of Freedom of Information. The decision of the Constitutional Court can cure the relations between the media outlets and law enforcement system. Gevorg Hayrapetyan thinks journalists already have a lever in their hands. “If tomorrow an investigator forces a journalist and it turns out that he [the investigator] hasn’t understood or isn’t acting according to the decision of the Constitutional Court, the journalist can refer to the decision of the CC.” Ashot Melikyan thinks that after the decision of the Constitutional Court the National Assembly needn’t make legislative amendments in the Article 5, part 2 of the law on the mass media and Article 279 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The Court simply clarified the definitions of the laws.
