MEP warns Armenian authorities over prosecutions for social media posts

Armenia must address domestic issues related to freedom of expression as it advances toward EU membership, MEP Nacho Sánchez Amor said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a meeting of Euronest's Committee on Political Affairs, Human Rights and Democracy in Yerevan, Sánchez Amor, the European Parliament’s standing rapporteur on Turkey, cautioned the Armenian authorities to safeguard civil liberties.

“It's not about the closure of the border with Turkey, but what is happening today in Armenian cities,” he said.

Amor warned of prosecuting individuals for expressing opinions online. “If someone is tried for bribery, that’s one thing. But if they are prosecuted for their views, for example, for social media posts, be careful. We know what happens when you start prosecuting people simply for their social media posts,” the MEP stated.