The Union of Journalists of Armenia issued a statement on that occasion. "The path to the functioning of independent media and the institution of press freedom in Armenia has been difficult and contradictory, and there have been various kinds of harassment of the press along the way. Nevertheless, today, regardless of all the shortcomings and difficulties, there is press freedom in Armenia, but media independence is at risk now more than ever. In established democracies, the press, as the fourth power, performs the major function of controlling and counterbalancing the government. Armenian press also plays this role, but the incumbent authorities view this as a challenge against the government, not as a necessary and key component of democracy. This explains the intolerance of the authorities towards press freedom, as well as the inadmissible practice of distinguishing the presses between insider presses and other presses.