On April 2, election day, there will be hotlines you can call to report violations of the rights of journalists and of the general public.

If you are a journalist and your professional activities have been hindered or obstructed, you can contact the Yerevan-based Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression (CPFE) by calling (010) 533895 or (093) 107085 or through the CPFE’s Facebook page or website. 

“As always, our hotlines will be operating. Journalists who experience obstruction [of their work] can get in touch with us. If necessary, we will call a press conference, contact law enforcement bodies. The collected information also will be included in our publications and our annual report,” says CPFE President Ashot Meliqyan.

Of the media outlets, Hetq will have a hotline. If you notice any violations inside or outside polling stations on election day, you can notify Hetq by calling any of these numbers: (010) 563363, (010) 580219, (077) 580219.

Media.am staff will help newsrooms, by quickly responding and checking user-generated content on social media on violations and incidents on election day. If you doubt the authenticity of content shared on social media, use the hashtag #չստուգված [“unverified” in Armenian]. With the help of this hashtag we will try to determine the source and authenticity of the content, publish the results on Media.am, and share with the hashtag #ստուգված [verified].

The Citizen Observer platform will also have a hotline number: (094) 569689. You can call this number if you witness an election violation.

The initiative was created by CitizenObserver.am, which will also include a map of elections violations. Just as during the previous national election, SMS’s sent by observers will be reflected on this map.

Some state agencies will also be offering hotline numbers.

The Armenian Prosecutor General’s hotline number has been operating since March 5, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., while on election day it will be available round the clock. The number is (010) 511603.

According to the press service of the Prosecutor General’s Office, the hotline aims to collect information about seemingly elections-related crimes and to increase the efficiency of actions aimed at exposing them. 

The working group created upon the order of Armenia’s Human Rights Defender will be studying media reports of alleged violations of electoral rights, as well as ensuring that verbal and written complaints are given proper consideration.

According to Zohrap Yeganyan, the Office of the Human Rights Defender’s adviser on cooperation with mass media, on election day the public can call the hotline 116.

Armenia’s police forces also offer hotline numbers. With the aim of rapidly responding to elections-related violations and providing advice, the police’s Hotline service will be operating (from April 1 to 3, round the clock) at the following numbers: (010) 546912, (010) 546914. And for international observation missions, at the following numbers: (011) 573139, (010) 540003 (Russian language), and (011) 561237, 524228 (English language).

Anahit Danielyan