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Armenia - With News Media Paralysed And Websites Inaccessible, Gover

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  • Armenia - With News Media Paralysed And Websites Inaccessible, Gover

    ARMENIA - WITH NEWS MEDIA PARALYSED AND WEBSITES INACCESSIBLE, GOVERNMENT IS URGED TO LIFT STATE OF EMERGENCY

    CNW Telbec (Communiques de presse)
    March 6 2008
    Canada

    MONTREAL, March 5 /CNW Telbec/ - A 20-day state of emergency which
    President Robert Kocharyan proclaimed in the capital Yerevan on 1
    March is having a serious impact on the activity of the news media,
    Reporters Without Borders said today. The emergency was declared
    after clashes between security forces and opposition protesters who
    say last month's presidential election as rigged.

    "This authoritarian decision to liable to reinforce part of the
    population's resentment of the lack of real free expression in
    Armenia," the press freedom organisation said. "We urge the authorities
    to lift the state of emergency so that the media can resume working
    normally and report on the circumstances in which force was used in
    clashes leaving a toll of eight dead and more than 130 wounded."

    Under the state of emergency, all news media are required to use only
    official information in their domestic coverage. Reporters Without
    Borders has learned that access to several online news publications -
    including the news agency A1+ (www.a1plus.am), the opposition newspaper
    Haykakan Jamanak (www.azatutyun.am) and website of the daily Aravot
    (www.aravot.am) - has been blocked by their hosting service provider,
    Arminco Ltd, on the orders of the security services.

    The programmes of Radio Free Europe, the only foreign radio station to
    broadcast in Armenian, have been replaced by music, and the station's
    website is also inaccessible.

    Three pro-government dailies - Azg, Hayastani Hanrapetutyun and
    Hayots Ashxar - continue to be published but one of the most popular
    newspapers, Aravot, did not appear yesterday. The issue was banned
    by the security services after it was sent to the printer's. The
    newspaper's staff then decided to publish blank pages in protest but
    they were prevented from doing this as well. Other newspapers such
    as Haykakan Jamanak and 168 Zham were not published either.

    A complaint has been brought against Levon Barseghyan, the president
    of the "Asparez" journalists club in Gyumri, the second largest
    city (125 km north of Yerevan), accusing him of organising illegal
    gatherings. He has denied this, and his denial has been supported by
    several witnesses, but his trial is due to start within a few days.

    At least three journalists have had run-ins with the police in
    Gyumri. Radio Free Europe correspondent Satenik Vantsyan was hit by
    police officers. Nune Arevshatyan of Aravot was manhandled by policemen
    who took her camera. And Armine Vardanyan of local television station
    Gala TV was arrested while doing her a report and her equipment was
    confiscated, including the video she had filmed just before her arrest.

    Many journalists have criticised the vagueness of the directive
    banning the use of unofficial information as it complicates their
    work. When they interview members of the government, for example,
    they often do not know whether they can publish the information.

    The TV stations are under especially close surveillance. The national
    news reports and information they are providing are in fact being
    broadcast by police press officers. Not only is the video footage
    the same but also the analyses and comments.

    For further information: Katherine Borlongan, secretary general,
    Reporters Without Borders, (514) 521-4111, Cell: (514) 258-4208, Fax:
    (514) 521-7771, [email protected]
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