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The Law on Cinematography (hereinafter referred to as the Law) was adopted on 30 June 2021 and entered into force on 26 July 2021. The purpose of adopting the Law is to ensure the development of the cinematography industry in the Republic of Armenia, to create sufficient legal guarantees and to support the creation, distribution, screening and promotion of national films, as well as the preservation of and access to film heritage and film history. This law, consisting of 10 chapters in total, defines the principles of state policy in the field of cinematography, the goals and forms of state...

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has delivered a judgment finding breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) because of lack of protection against hate speech (see also IRIS 2020-3/21 Beizaras and Levickas v. Lithuania). The ECtHR found a breach of the prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation because the Armenian authorities had failed to protect an LGBT-activist from homophobic arson and online hate speech. The authorities had also failed to carry out an effective investigation in order to identify the people...

On 5 August 2020, the President of the Republic of Armenia signed into law the statute “On Audiovisual media”, adopted on 16 July 2020 by the National Assembly (the parliament). The new statute invalidates the Law on Television and Radio of 9 October 2000 (IRIS 2001-2:1/9). It takes as a model the AVMSD of the European Union. The new statute regulates the governance, financing and remit of the national public broadcaster; the formation and powers of the independent audiovisual media regulator (Commission on Television and Radio); the notification procedures for the “authorisation”...

The Armenian Government's Decree “On declaring a state of emergency in the Republic of Armenia” was adopted on 16 March 2020. It provided, in particular, new rules in relation to information on the COVID-19 infection. The public dissemination of information that leads to or is capable of causing panic would only be made possible by making reference to the official source, namely the Commandant’s Office, headed by the deputy prime minister. The Office was established the same day. Article 182-3, paragraph 8 (Violations of the rules of an emergency situation) of...

On 17 June 2008, the European Court of Human Rights delivered a judgment in the case of Meltex Ltd and Movsesyan v. Armenia (see IRIS 2008-8/1). The Court held that there had been a breach of Article 10 of the Convention as the refusal by the Armenian National Radio and Television Commission (NTRC) to allocate a broadcasting license to Meltex, amounted to an interference with Meltex’ freedom to impart information and ideas that did not meet the Convention requirement of lawfulness. The Court noted, in particular, that a procedure that did not require a licensing body to justify or motivate...