There are certain dissatisfactions In Armenia with the fact that parents have not been able to register children at schools nearby to their residences. In this regard, Tsovinar Sargsyan, a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, raised this issue on Facebook. On the basis of this posting, Anush Dashtents, a journalist of “Hraparak” newspaper, published an article on May 31. On June 2, Minister Arayik Harutyunyan published the same article on his Facebook page, and demanded from a parent to deny the information. We will refer to this issue later.
Minister of Health, Arsen Torosyan commented on the above-mentioned Facebook post: “The journalist’s surname tells itself.” After 8 hours the comment was edited: “P.S. For those who have a rich imagination, I emphasize that I mean the professional activities.” Arsen Torosyan, being a high-ranking official, shows a behavior which is not suitable to the minister. First, he personally insulted the journalist and later mocked the journalist’s professional work. After all this, “Hraparak”’s journalist Anush Dashtents published a telephone conversation with parents, where Dashtents acted in accordance with professional journalistic ethics.
We urge Arsen Torosyan to exercise restraint in his public speech and not to cross interpersonal relations, but to keep official and professional correctness when having any contact with the press.
At the same time, we express our full support to “Hraparak”’s journalist Anush Dashtents, expressing willingness to protect the rights and interests of professional media representatives within the framework of the internal and international legal obligations undertaken by Armenia.
