Armenia perfectly aware of consequences of lack of unbiased media  coverage - Kristinne Grigoryan

ArmInfo. Armenia knows from its own experience the consequences of the lack of unbiased media coverage of reality, Armenia's Human Rights Defender Kristinne  Grigoryan stated at the Aftershock 2022 conference. 

In her speech, Ms Grigoryan stressed that media coverage of conflicts  and wars does not start nor does it end with any dates. Conflicts  often enshroud the truth, and journalists are human rights activists  are supposed to reveal and tell the truth to the world. 

"The missions of human rights activities and independent journalists  are very similar. They work with bullets whistling past them and  cannon roaring to find the truth. Thereafter, they have to overcome  numerous difficulties to be able to tell the truth," she said. 

Recalling Azerbaijan's attack against three Armenian regions this  September, Ms Grigoryan said that task groups of the Human Rights  Defender's Office have worked in the attacked regions since September  13, including under heavy fire, which enabled them to record the  large-scale aggression, with targeted strikes on the civilian  infrastructure. 

"On the other hand, local and central authorities' response appears  defective," Ms Grigoryan said. the conflict zones are often "frozen"  for independent journalists and human rights activities, she added. 

In this context, Ms Grigoryan informed the participants of the  10-year blockade of Artsakh, which has been organized by the  Azerbaijani government. "The government-owned media outlets are  providing live coverage of the pseudo-environmentalists' actions,  whereas the access for Armenian and international media outlets is  restricted. Why no Armenian independent journalist is allowed to  visit the area?" she said.  

Conflicts are also an opportunity for independent journalists and  human rights activities to help one another. 

"I personally am very grateful to the journalists who, at the risk of  their life, shared with us the video records and pictures of the  September days. We, in turn, have done our best to ensure access for  those reporters that were doing most important human rights  protection work in those days. It is most important for us that  independent subjects have access to conflict zones to find the truth  and tell it to the world," Ms Grigoryan said.