On December 9, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Artak Apitonian participated in the World Ministerial Conference on Freedom of the Press, chaired by the Netherlands.

In his remarks, Artak Apitonyan emphasized the role of the independent media in ensuring the viability of the system of checks and balances in democratic societies, as well as the restrictions of media activities due to the spread of COVID-19 and other challenges.

In his speech, the Deputy Foreign Minister, in particular, noted․ "The need for objective information sharply augments in times of military conflicts, which was manifested during the last large-scale Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh provided all necessary working conditions and access for more than 800 foreign media representatives. Unfortunately, the other side of the conflict continued its restrictive practice against free media and opted for spreading deceptive information in order to cover up its war crimes committed against the civilian population of Nagorno-Karabakh. Furthermore, during the first weeks of the war, journalists of French Le Monde, a crew of an Armenian TV company and a group of Russian journalists came under shelling and sometimes deliberate targeting by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in various locations of Artsakh suffering grave injuries. Some of them even received direct threats and demands to leave Nagorno-Karabakh in the Azeri social media.

It is noteworthy that the Azerbaijani aggression was accompanied by organized hate speech and animosity against ethnic Armenians directly encouraged at the highest state level in Azerbaijan for decades. Even after the cessation of hostilities, these calls for violence and brutalities against Armenians continue to be manifested in inhuman and degrading treatment of Armenian captives and bodies of fallen soldiers. Recognizing that hate speech is a precursor to atrocity crimes, it is our collective duty to find the right balance between the freedom of expression and hate speech.”

Concluding his remarks, Artak Apitonian reiterated Armenia’s firm commitment to the freedom of speech and unimpeded work of the media.