UJA calls for ensuring participation of all media outlets in Armenian  premier`s press conference

ArmInfo.The Union of Journalists of Armenia has issued the following statement: 

"On Sunday, the Government informed that the press conference of  Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will be held on January 10, and  journalists were required to submit the names of the participants in  order to take part.

"Today, however, as it turned out from various publications, about a  dozen media outlets were deprived of the opportunity to participate  in Nikol Pashinyan's press conference and ask him questions.

"No reasonable explanation was officially presented for the ban on  those media outlets, which has already raised reasonable suspicion  that certain media outlets were deprived of participating in Nikol  Pashinyan's press conference because of their non-governmental  positioning.

"On the other hand, however, several other non-government media were  also invited to participate in the press conference.

"The Union of Journalists of Armenia condemns the discrimination  shown by the Government or the Prime Minister's office in the  selection of participants of the public event with the participation  of a public official, which contradicts the fundamental principles of  democracy, freedom of the press and equality and further deepens the  atmosphere of mutual incomprehension and intolerance that is already  growing in the country.

"We call on the government staff to cancel that discriminatory  decision as soon as possible and to ensure the participation of all  media representatives at the press conference on January 10 without  any exception.

"Accountability, transparency and public control, for which  government officials are forced to hold press conferences, cannot be  fragmented, discriminatory or selective. Otherwise, all the goals for  which such public events are planned are distorted."