YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, NOYAN TAPAN. At the October 29 sitting of the RA National Assembly, member of "Orinats Yerkir" faction Hovhannes Margarian presented in the first reading a bill envisaging amendments and additions to the RA Criminal Code. The bill was drafted by him and the faction's head Heghine Bisharian. The bill proposes introducing stricter penalties for hindrance to the legal professional activities of a journalist with the aim of increasing the level of protection of journalists or those carrying out journalistic activity. Under Article 164 of the RA Criminal Code, hidrance to the legal professional activities of a journalist or forcing a journalist to disseminate information or not to disseminate information is punished with a fine of 50-150 thousand drams. The bill proposes increasing the fine to 200-400 thousand drams. It is proposed imposing a fine of 300-700 thousand drams (the current fine is 100-250 thousand drams), or imprisonment of up to 3 years (the same penalty is envisaged by the current Code) for the same actions committed by an official abusing his (her) official position. Besides. the bill envisages adding a new part to the above mentioned article of the Criminal Code: "the same actions committed by using violence dangerous for life or health of a journalist or his (her) close relative or by making threats to use violence is punished with imprisonment of 3-7 years".

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