Prime Minister's Spokesperson Mane Gevorgyan Grossly Violated All Professional Ethics Rules: Journalists' Union

Following the actions of the Prime Minister's spokesperson, police have restricted the free movement of both Ani Gevorgyan and employees of the "News.am" news website at the "Yerablur" military pantheon. This incident is not the first time Mane Gevorgyan has obstructed reporters' work; a previous instance of such behavior was noted in the Syunik region, where she hindered the work of a journalist from the "5th Channel" television station.

Furthermore, numerous media outlets have reported on Mane Gevorgyan's selective and disrespectful conduct towards journalists, behavior that is unbecoming of a public official. The Union of Journalists of Armenia has strongly condemned the intolerance shown by authorities towards freedom of speech and press, especially as the spokesperson, who is responsible for media relations, is paid from public funds.

By engaging in such conduct, Mane Gevorgyan has grossly violated all codes of professional ethics. The Union of Journalists of Armenia is calling for an official investigation into Gevorgyan's actions, including all resulting consequences.

At the same time, the Union observes that such assaults on the press, especially on the eve of elections, reflect the anti-democratic stance adopted by the authorities, which are particularly unacceptable and dangerous during electoral processes. The government has practically launched a campaign against the media, particularly evident in the recent public speeches of parliament members and officials, including Nikol Pashinyan, who have targeted the press and journalists as examples for their colleagues. The nearly identical rhetoric from various representatives of the government against the media leaves a reasonable impression that these actions are politically motivated propaganda against free speech and media.

By condemning the incident, the Union of Journalists of Armenia brings the attention of international partner organizations to the situation in order to ensure solidarity within the professional community to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future. Freedom of speech and the press in Armenia cannot be compromised, and no action by the authorities can overshadow the invaluable work that the media and journalists are performing, especially during this crisis phase.