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Yerevan Press Club Weekly Newsletter - 10/02/2008

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  • Yerevan Press Club Weekly Newsletter - 10/02/2008

    YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

    SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 2, 2008

    HIGHLIGHTS:

    "PRESS CLUB" AND "PRESS CLUB+": ACCOMPLISHMENT OF ARMENIA OF PACE
    RESOLUTIONS AND LOCAL SELF-ADMINISTRATION INSTITUTE

    COMPLICATED STORY WITH A TRAGIC END

    COURT STARTED HEARINGS OF THE CASE OF IJEVAN MUNICIPALITY VERSUS
    "INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS"

    CANDIDATE TO THE PREFECT POSITION ANNOUNCED THAT TV COMPANIES REFUSED TO
    BROADCAST HIS CAMPAIGN MATERIALS

    OSCE REPRESENTATIVE ON FREEDOM OF THE MEDIA: DIGITALIZATION SHOULD NOT BE
    ALLOWED TO REDUCE DIVERSITY AND PLURALITY

    GOLD KEYS AND RUSTY LOCKS OF THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION CENTER

    "SHOGHAKAT" MOVED TO A NEW BUILDING


    "PRESS CLUB" AND "PRESS CLUB+": ACCOMPLISHMENT OF ARMENIA OF PACE
    RESOLUTIONS AND LOCAL SELF-ADMINISTRATION INSTITUTE

    On October 1 another show of "Press Club" cycle went on air of "Yerkir
    Media" TV company. It is produced by Yerevan Press Club with support of the
    Open Society Institute Human Rights and Governance Grants Program. The
    guests of the "Press Club" host, the President of Yerevan Press Club Boris
    Navasardian, were Observer of First Channel of Public Television of Armenia
    Armen Dulian, Responsible for Foreign Relations of Armenian National
    Congress Vladimir Karapetian, and the Director of International Center of
    Human Development Tevan Poghosian. "Press Club" participants continued last
    program's discussion of the obligations of Armenia before the Council of
    Europe and implementation of PACE Resolutions 1609 "The Functioning of
    Democratic Institutions in Armenia" and 1620 "The Implementation by Armenia
    of Assembly Resolution 1609 (2008)" (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, September
    19-25, 2008).

    The next program of "Press Club" cycle will be aired by "Yerkir Media" on
    Wednesday, October 8, at 23.00.

    On September 27 another show of "Press Club+" cycle went on air of "Yerkir
    Media" TV company. It is produced by Yerevan Press Club with support of the
    Embassy of Great Britain in Armenia. Talk show participants, Chairman of
    Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression Ashot Melikian, Head of Local
    Self-Administration Department of the RA Ministry of Territorial
    Administration Ashot Giloyan, and Vice-President of the Association of
    Community Financiers David Tumanian, discussed whether the local
    self-administration institution is fully established in Armenia. The
    audience composed of representatives of civil society of Gyumri also
    participated in the discussion.

    The next program of "Press Club+" cycle will be aired by "Yerkir Media" on
    Saturday, October 4, at 17.40.

    COMPLICATED STORY WITH A TRAGIC END

    During the last days press was writing about the disappearance of the Head
    of "Radiolur" news program of Public Radio of Armenia Artur Sahakian: he did
    not show up at the work, did not answer the phone calls. On September 29
    information appeared on the web site of RA Police about the incident with
    Arthur Sahakian, which took place on September 20 and continued the next
    day. Nevertheless, the official information about the incident and the
    version of the journalist himself that appeared in a number of newspapers on
    September 30 contradict each other. According to Artur Sahakian, he has to
    hide now because his life is endangered on behalf of the encirclement of the
    RA National Assembly deputy, businessman Levon Sargsian who work in
    agreement with some police officials. Besides, an eyewitnesses of the
    incident accused the journalist of a rape attempt.

    Andranik Babayan, a friend of Artur Sahakian, fell a victim of the incident
    and died in the hospital on September 29, without coming to consciousness
    after the beating that took place on September 21. On the same day,
    September 21, Director of "Urbat" Club, Chief Editor of "Urbat Report"
    weekly, Abel Mikaelian, who was in one of Yerevan cafes together with Artur
    Sahakian, was beaten. Although the act of violence was to all appearances
    done by a big group of people, according to the RA Police information above,
    only one person was arrested, coming to the police and confessing that he
    beat Andranik Babayan and Abel Mikaelian. On October 2, press informed that
    two more suspected were detained.

    On October 1, 2008 "Aravot" daily published a statement of Abel Mikaelian,
    who is hiding at present. Abel Mikaelian urged the media not connect his
    name, the name of late Andranik Babayan, as well as "Urbat" Club and "Urbat
    Report" with the incident of September 20-21.

    Yerevan Press Club will follow the events around this complicated story.

    COURT STARTED HEARINGS OF THE CASE OF IJEVAN MUNICIPALITY VERSUS
    "INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS"

    On September 29 hearings on the case of Ijevan municipality (Tavush region)
    versus "Investigative Journalists" NGO, the founder of "Hetq" on-line,
    started in the Civil Court of Yerevan. The plaintiff demands to refute the
    information discrediting to honor, dignity and business reputation of Ijevan
    Mayor Varuzhan Nersisian - as seen by the city administration to be present
    in the article of "Hetq" correspondent in Tavush region Voskan Sargsian
    "Whose Pocket Receives Money from Sand Mine?". The article was published in
    "Hetq" on May 5, 2008, and also printed on May 20, 2008, in a supplement to
    "Azg" daily, "Transparent Local Self-Government", produced by "Investigative
    Journalists" (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, July 4-10, 2008). The plaintiff
    also demanded that the respondent refund his expenses for lawyer's legal
    services in the amount of 930 thousand drams (approximately $ 3,100).

    On the hearing of September 29, Ijevan municipality brought to the court
    another suit as well demanding to refute also the information present in the
    article "Will the Three Commissions Notice the Illegal Use of Sand?"
    (published in "Hetq" on June 23, 2008, and in the supplement to "Azg"
    "Transparent Local Self-Government" on July 9, 2008). The judge provided the
    respondent time to prepare objections to the new suit and scheduled the next
    hearing for October 13.

    Meanwhile, the "Investigative Journalists", in their turn, applied to the RA
    Administrative Court with a suit against Ijevan municipality. In September
    the suit was taken over for proceedings. On July 2, 2008 "Investigative
    Journalists" required Ijevan municipal administration to give the copies of
    the session protocol of May 23, 2008 and the decision of the Council of
    Elderly to allot 930 thousand drams from the city budget to cover the
    expenses of lawyer's legal services for the above-mentioned suit versus
    "Investigative Journalists". In the written reply of Ijevan Mayor of July 8,
    2008, it was said that required information can be provided only by the end
    of the legal proceedings. "Investigative Journalists" demanded to oblige the
    administration of Ijevan to give them the information and refund their
    expenses for lawyer's legal services in the amount of 114 thousand drams
    (approximately $ 380).

    CANDIDATE TO THE PREFECT POSITION ANNOUNCED THAT TV COMPANIES REFUSED TO
    BROADCAST HIS CAMPAIGN MATERIALS

    Several days before the elections of the head of administration of Kentron
    community of Yerevan (that took place on September 28, 2008), one of the two
    running candidates, Board Chairman of the Armenian National Movement Ararat
    Zurabian announced that a number TV companies refused to broadcast his
    election campaign materials. According to Ararat Zurabian, only two TV
    companies agreed - "Yerkir Media" and "ALM". However, the advertisement was
    aired by "Yerkir Media" only once, and "ALM" broadcasted it during one day
    only.

    Member of the Armenian National Movement Board Aram Manukian told YPC that,
    as agreed upon with "ALM", Ararat Zurabian's political advertisement had to
    be aired during two days, yet it was not broadcasted on the second day due
    to "the pressure exert upon the TV company". Regarding "Yerkir Media", Aram
    Manukian said that the agreement was annulled unilaterally by the TV
    company.

    Director of the News and Current Affairs Programs of "Yerkir Media" Gegham
    Manukian explained YPC that Ararat Zurabian's advertisement was accepted by
    the relevant department by mistake. Gegham Manukian pointed out that during
    those elections "Yerkir Media" decided not to offer air for campaign
    materials of the candidates to the local self-administration bodies. "We did
    not offer air to the other candidate, acting head of Kentron community Gagik
    Beglarian, and were not going to do it for Ararat Zurabian. That is why
    after the first demonstration of the advertisement it was stopped, and
    Ararat Zurabian was informed about it", stressed Gegham Manukian.

    OSCE REPRESENTATIVE ON FREEDOM OF THE MEDIA: DIGITALIZATION SHOULD NOT BE
    ALLOWED TO REDUCE DIVERSITY AND PLURALITY

    On September 26, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos
    Haraszti asked the Government of Armenia to review the addition to the RA
    Law "On Television and Radio" adopted on September 10 by the National
    Assembly of Armenia. As it was reported, according to this addition,
    broadcast licensing competitions are suspended till July 20, 2010. The
    amendment came into force on September 27 (see YPC Weekly Newsletter,
    September 5-11, 2008, and September 12-18, 2008).

    In his letter to RA President Serge Sargsian, Miklos Haraszti in particular
    pointed out: "By cutting off any potential applicant broadcasters from
    entering the market until 2010, the limited pluralism in Armenia's
    broadcasting sector will be further diminished. A moratorium on new licenses
    for analogue transmission should not be the first step in the transition to
    digital broadcasting. Digitalization should not be allowed to reduce
    diversity and plurality or preserve a lack thereof. If the broadcasting
    landscape in a country is not sufficiently pluralistic and diverse, it would
    be appropriate to delay digitalization and undertake other reforms first."

    In the opinion of Miklos Haraszti, moratorium on licensing meant that
    Armenia will not be able to comply with the June 2008 decision of the
    European Court of Human Rights that upheld the case of "A1+" TV company (see
    YPC Weekly Newsletter, June 13-19, 2008). OSCE Representative also reminded
    that in April 2008 the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, in
    its turn, also urged Armenia to "ensure an open, fair and transparent
    licensing procedure" and allow "A1+" to apply for a new license.

    Miklos Haraszti offered his Office's legal analysis and recommendations to
    the amendments to the broadcasting law: "I hope that, for the sake of
    pluralism, the Government of Armenia will review the amendments with the
    active participation of all relevant civil society and media stakeholders."

    GOLD KEYS AND RUSTY LOCKS OF THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION CENTER

    On September 26 at "Regine" hotel in Yerevan the ceremony of awarding the
    winners of Freedom of Information Center's annual competition took place.
    The event was dedicated to the International Right to Know Day (established
    in 2002) and organized with the assistance of USAID.

    The most open institution in 2008 was recognized to be the Eghegnadzor
    municipality.

    The best official Internet-source from the point of view of freedom of
    information was recognized the web-site of the RA Ministry of Education and
    Science.

    The most active defenders of their civil right to information were named the
    citizens of Yerevan Artashes Hovhannisian and Armine Arakelian.

    The public organization that is most active and efficient in using its right
    to information was named to be "Hakastver".

    Among the media of the country, the one most consistent in covering the
    freedom of information issues and actively using the RA Law "On Freedom of
    Information" was announced "Yerkir Media" TV company, and among the
    journalists - Observer of "Yerkir Media" Mariam Barseghian.

    By tradition all persons and organizations, listed above, received prizes of
    a gold key - as a symbol of openness.

    The most closed local self-government body in 2008 was recognized to be
    Hrazdan municipality.

    Ijevan municipality was awarded the title of "state institution that gave
    incorrect or curious information" (the litigation between Ijevan
    municipality and "Investigative Journalists" NGO - see above).

    The municipalities of Hrazdan and Ijevan were awarded a rusty lock - a
    symbol of secrecy.

    "SHOGHAKAT" MOVED TO A NEW BUILDING

    On September 26 opening of a new building of "Shoghakat" TV company took
    place in Yerevan (Hovsepian str. 8). Before that "Shoghakat" occupied one of
    the buildings in Holy See Echmiadzin residence.


    When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
    Press Club is required.

    You are welcome to send any comment and feedback about the Newsletter to:
    [email protected]

    Subscription for the Newsletter is free. To subscribe or unsubscribe from
    this mailing list, please send a message to: [email protected]

    Editor of YPC Newsletter - Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
    _____________________________________ _______
    Yerevan Press Club
    9B, Ghazar Parpetsi str.
    0002, Yerevan, Armenia
    Tel.: (+ 374 10) 53 00 67; 53 35 41; 53 76 62
    Fax: (+374 10) 53 56 61
    E-mail: [email protected]
    Web Site: www.ypc.am
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