Have they forgotten about right to denial?
"If setting a ban on "Hraparak" daily newspaper's property is foreseen by law, raising voices about this is not banned and has no serious grounds," President of the Committee in Defense of Freedom of Speech Ashot Melikyan told "A1+".
Yesterday an employee of the Service for Compulsory Enforcement of Judicial Acts visited "Haraparak" daily newspaper's editorial office and informed that the first instance court of general jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash districts had ruled to set a 3 million dram ban on the editorial office's property.
The editorial staff employees say the ruling is linked to the newspaper's releases on the judicial department. Recently the newspaper released a letter from employees of the judicial department complaining about chief of staff Misak Martirosyan.
Ashot Melikyan says the newspaper has fulfilled its "holy" duty by touching upon this issue. "There could have been a third side's opinion, but that is a different story. If they needed to deny or respond, they had to take advantage of that right. In this case, what the chief of staff did is getting revenge over the newspaper," Mr. Melikyan added.
According to him, not properly notifying the editorial staff before the compulsory enforcement officer's visit is a violation of the law.
The president of the Committee in Defense of Freedom of Speech assured that unfortunately, this is not the first penalty against a media outlet.
"All possible and civilized methods are being ignored. For instance, when one of the sides doesn't agree with an article, he or she forgets that there is a right to deny or respond," Ashot Melikyan responded.
