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February 3, 2009 The Rights of Free Speech and Expression in Armenia
A conference devoted to the issue of “The Rights of Free Speech and Expression in Armenia” was organized from January 30 to February 1 in Tsaghkadzor on the initiative of the “Eurasia Partnership Foundation” (EPF) with the support of the British Embassy in Yerevan and the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The conference included participants from different organizations and experts within the framework of the EPF project “The Freedom of Opinion” to discuss the problems and the challenges of ensuring the freedoms of speech and expression in Armenia. Representatives from each of the Armenian parliamentary factions and more than 100 representatives of civil society, the media and NGOs were invited (the invitation was accepted by Heritage Party members and they were the only deputies to participate in the conference). National Citizens’ Initiative (NCI) coordinator Hovsep Khurshudian also took part in the conference.
Six working groups were formed during the conference where the participants discussed different points of view concerning the problems facing the rights of free speech and expression. For the group presenters, the obstacles to exercising the rights of free speech and expression were serious and were reflected in the political, legislative, economic, social and moral spheres, as well as in the judicial process. Considering these challenges thoroughly and assessing the resources available to civil society allowed the participants to develop new ways to overcome these barriers.
The conference was also able to establish several new formats and mechanisms for collaboration among the three most important parts of the society—media, NGOs and political parties—in the framework of the realization of the rights of free speech and expression. The participants appreciated the work of the conference and expressed a wish to meet periodically to further the discussion of this important issue.
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