Arsen Babayan condemns Armenian parliament’s decision to ban entry for Panorama.am photojournalist

Arsen Babayan, a member of the opposition Homeland Party Board and a former deputy chief of the parliament staff, took to Facebook on Friday to condemn the decision to ban Panorama.am photojournalist Lilian Galstyan from entering the Armenian parliament.

“The staff of Armenia’s National Assembly once again exceeded its powers, thereby committing an act prohibited by the Criminal Code, that is, a crime,” he wrote.

“In particular, the staff banned Lilian Galstyan, an accredited media representative, from entering the territory of the National Assembly. As a justification for the ban, the staff noted that Lilian Galstyan allegedly took photos of objects and subjects, which are banned to photograph.

“The procedure for accrediting journalists to the National Assembly and other legal acts do not authorize the parliament staff to deny entry to a media representative. Moreover, the same procedure prohibits the staff from hindering or interfering with the activities of a media representative,” Babayan said.

He underlined that according to the Constitution, government institutions, local self-government bodies and officials are authorized to perform only such actions which are prescribed by the Constitution and applicable laws. That is, if they commit an act for which they are not authorized, it amounts to an abuse of office.

“On the basis of the violations indicated by the staff, if the latter manages to substantiate them by providing evidence, the staff has the right to perform two consecutive mandatory actions:

1) notify in writing the person carrying out media activities on whose behalf the journalist (representative) was accredited,

2) only after that will it be eligible to terminate the accreditation of the journalist ahead of schedule,” Babayan said.

He called on the Prosecutor General's Office to launch a criminal case into the incident under Articles 164 and 309 of the Criminal Code.