Shushan Doydoyan

Shushan Doydoyan

Shushan Doydoyan is the head of the Personal Data Protection Agency of the Ministry of Justice of Armenia since 2015. She founded the Freedom of Information Center of Armenia (FOI) in 2001, where she worked until her appointment. Shushan initiated and promoted the adoption of the Law on Freedom of Information in 2003. She is the recipient of the Freedom Defender Award at the 2015 Universal Rights Awards Ceremony in recognition of her outstanding efforts in pursuing freedom of information, transparency and accountability in public decision-making.

Shushan Doydoyan is an Associate Professor of Yerevan State University where she has been teaching Media Ethics, Media Law and Media Self-Regulation Systems for the past 18 years. She received her PhD degree in 2001 from Yerevan State University.

Shushan was also the country representative of Reporters Without Borders from 2003-2015; a Steering Committee Member of the FOI Advocates Network and one of the founding members of Access Info Europe. She is also the founding member of Information Disputes Council. As a journalist, she has worked at Armenian Public Radio, Association of Investigative Journalists and Internews.

She is the author of more than 80 academic articles and 20 books, monographs and textbooks on freedom of information, and freedom of expression and data protection issues.

Freedom of Information is Jeopardized

Freedom of Information is Jeopardized

One of the most effective ways for authorities to control freedom of speech is to adopt and implement laws and other legal mechanisms that try to curb the work of the media. Shushan Doydoyan takes a looks at recent amendments in the RA law that have served this purpose.