BILL ON MASS MEDIA ADOPTED BY ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT FIRST READINGSeptember 24, 2003 - 23:27 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - With 69 votes for and 10 against Armenian parliament approved the bill "On Mass media" after it was given its first reading. Due to the bill, the mass media activity can be restricted in case of revealing a State secret and fomenting aggression among the masses during the war or in the state of emergency. The bill also provides for criminal penalty for libeling for the mass media employees. "Justice" opposition faction voted against the present bill, as in their opinion, the authorities, under the pretence of law, aim at creating the opportunity of persecuting press. "Adoption of the bill will inevitably lead to forbidding a number of editions", - the "Justice" representative stated. To note, adoption of bill "On mass media" is one of Armenia's obligations to the Council of Europe. Top stories President of the Armenian parliament Alen Simonyan met with the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova. Achieving stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains a priority of the OSCE, said Ian Borg. The Cabinet of Ministers decided on Thursday, November 9 to allocated AMD 120 million to arrange the gathering. Michael Roth believes sanctions must be put on the table after Baku‘s ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. Partner news | International cybercrime ringleaders arrested in Armenia, Ukraine Europol, Europe's crime agency, has arrested four ringleaders of several cybercrime networks that used botnets. Armenia skips CSTO Defense Ministers meeting A meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization countries began in Almaty. Armenia, U.S. customs authorities to boost assistance with new deal The government has approved an agreement with the U.S. government on mutual assistance between the customs authorities. Armenia, Russia agree on repairing railway destroyed in floods Yerevan and Moscow have agreed to repair a flood-stricken railway in northern Armenia. |