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 perfor...
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