Freedom of Information Center of Armenia.

On April 13, the Freedom of Information Center reported that it had applied to the RA Administrative Court with a suit versus the RA National Assembly (“FOI Center Filed A Lawsuit Versus the National Assembly”).

 

On November 22, 2012, the FOI Center sent an inquiry to the RA NA, asking to inform whether the NA Chairman’s orders are placed on the parliament’s website, www.parliament.am, and to provide the copies of the orders, made in the first half-year of 2012. Since the NGO did not receive a reply, it re-sent its inquiry on December 5, 2012. On the same day, the NA responded by email that it needs additional time for answering the request, thus the information will be provided in 30 days. Meanwhile, the NA accorded the information only on March 4, 2013, i.e., three months later. Moreover, the information was not full: according to the FOI Center, copies of the NA Chairman twelve orders were missing. On March 7, the NGO made another request to the parliament demanding the copies of the missing documents. The March 18 reply of the National Assembly stated that the documents cannot be provided since they contain personal data about the employees. At the same time, the parliament did not give sufficient justification and reasons for the refusal, FOI Center noted.

 

In its suit, filed on April 8 to the Administrative Court versus the RA NA, the FOI Center demands to hold the violation of its right to freedom of information and bind the parliament with providing the requested copies of the twelve orders of the NA Speaker.

 

Source: YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER, APRIL 12-18, 2013