On the 15-16th of November Freedom of Information Center organized its re-training session named “Freedom of Information in the prosecution system of Armenia” for Prosecutor’s office staff in Aghveran.     Reporters from the National Assembly, FOICA expert Marine Hakobyan and spokeswoman of the RA General Prosecutor’s Office Sona Truzyan presented to the participants of the training session the concept of information freedom, local and international legal basis for information freedom, FOI practice and mechanisms in the prosecution system, the grounds for decline in information provisions, freedom of information and the right to presumption of innocence, as well as responsibility for the violation of information provisions and judicial practice related thereto.

The heads of territorial departments of the RA Prosecutor’s office from different Marzes (Provinces) participating in the training noted that this training session would help them dealing with citizens more competently (as regards knowledge of law). They also expressed their wish to organize such discussions and training sessions more frequently believing that such undertakings would afford an opportunity for intercommunication, exchange of experience and thus increasing operating efficiency.      

By the end of the training session one of the participants noted: “I have always been watchful and reserved during the entire service, avoided providing any information. However, I concluded from this training session that if I was given an information provision task, I would be free and responsible for the provision of information to any stakeholders and citizens, unless it contained a secret.”  

Upon completion of the training session all participants were awarded with certificates.  

This undertaking is being realized within the framework of “ACCESS TO INFORMATION FOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT” project funded by USAID.