The spokesperson of the Ministry of Justice Lusine Martirosyan clarified, noting what the Minister of Justice Karen Andreasyan meant in the briefing with the journalists after the government session today, 6 August, mentioning Nairi Hunanyan’s name.

“Dear media partners,

As there are some discussions regarding the comment made by the Minister of Justice Karen Andreasyan on the regulations restricting the movement of journalists in the National Assembly after today’s sitting of the Government, let us clearly state the following:

Minister Andreasyan, referring to the measures taken for security reasons, noted that if the security bodies have found certain risks, we must respect it, regardless of our professions. And as an example he mentioned a tragedy registered as a result of improper observance of security rules in the National Assembly, and reminded the case of Nairi Hunanyan, not drawing any parallel between the journalists and him. Therefore, the example of Hunanyan, a journalist by profession, was brought exclusively from the need to attach great importance to the observance of safety rules.

I am sorry that some of our colleagues, as a result of a misunderstanding, attribute what was said to themselves, but I assure you that the minister did not mean that.

PS, The complete answer of Minister Andreasyan to the question on this topic was:

” I know that even the most professional journalist, should be held accountable if he violates any law or order, regardless of the high mission of the person, whether he is a journalist, a doctor, a lawyer. As for your today’s question about those restrictions․․․ In the case of security, in the case of national security, in the case of state security, there are restrictions in all the most civilized countries of the world. And also reminding who Nairi Hunanyan, for example, was, what he could have done as a journalist, we must understand that journalism or freedom of speech is not an absolute value, and if the security services have found certain risks, we must respect that. After all, it is a matter of defending our state. It is another matter that I, as an official and all our colleagues in the National Assembly, must be able to create the most favorable conditions for your work, about which I have already heard that the newly appointed NA President is now discussing. We, as executive specialists, are ready to support our colleagues in the National Assembly in order to get the most suitable working conditions for journalists,” the explanation reads.