The Council of Europe is satisfied with the fact that slander and insult are decriminalized in Armenia, Lejla Dervisagic, advisor in the Council of Europe media department said.

“We refrain from commenting on trials and verdicts, since these issues refer to judicial system of Armenia. But I should say that considering cases of slander and insult, European Court on human rights pays attention to the size of penalties, which must be adequate and not high,” Dervisagic told a press conference in Yerevan when presenting CoE reaction to recent trials in Armenia involving some media outlets and the decision to increase the amount of penalties for slander and insult.

Dervisagic said that CoE is ready to support Armenia in bringing its legislation in line with European standards to ensure freedom of mass media.

In March, 2010, The Armenian parliament passed a bill on introduction of amendments and supplements to the civil, criminal and procedural criminal codes of Armenia regarding media activity. The law is intended to decriminalize slander and insult, as well as essentially increases the compensation for them from AMD500 thousand (about $1250) to AMD2 million (about $5000).