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YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
OCTOBER 3-9, 2008
HIGHLIGHTS:
"PRESS CLUB" AND "PRESS CLUB+": FIGHTING CORRUPTION AND THE ROLE OF OBSERVER
MISSIONS
CLARIFICATION OF POLICE DID NOT BRING CLARITY
"ARTICLE 19" CALLS ON ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES TO LIFT THE MORATORIUM ON
BROADCASTING LICENSING, AND RA GOVERNMENT OFFERS A NEW INITIATIVE
"MOSCOW" CINEMA MANAGEMENT REFUSED TO SHOW "EXPROPRIATION" DOCUMENTARY BY
TIGRAN PASKEVICHIAN
"PRESS CLUB" AND "PRESS CLUB+": FIGHTING CORRUPTION AND THE ROLE OF OBSERVER
MISSIONS
On October 8 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 the President of Anti-Corruption Center "Transparency
International" Amalia Kostanian, Expert of the International Center of Human
Development Vahan Asatrian, and Chief Editor of "Basis" magazine Ashot
Aramian. The topic of discussion was the fight against corruption and
working out of an anti-corruption strategy.
The next program of "Press Club" cycle will be aired by "Yerkir Media" on
Wednesday, October 15, at 23.00.
On October 4 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. The "Press Club+" host, YPC President
Boris Navasardian, and the participants, President of "This is Your Choice"
NGO Harutyun Hambartsumian and Expert of the Association of Women with
University Education Anahit Agoyan, discussed the role of observer missions
during the elections to the local self-administration bodies. The audience
composed of representatives of civil society of Armavir, Gyumri and Yerevan
also participated in the discussion.
The next program of "Press Club+" cycle will be aired by "Yerkir Media" on
Saturday, October 11, at 17.40.
CLARIFICATION OF POLICE DID NOT BRING CLARITY
On October 3 an information appeared on the web site of RA Police, entitled
"Necessary Clarification" and regarding the incident of September 20-21 with
the Head of "Radiolur" news program of Public Radio of Armenia Artur
Sahakian. As it has been reported, a friend of the journalist fell a victim
of the incident and died in the hospital after the beating that took place
on September 21. On the same day another journalist , who was in one of
Yerevan cafes together with Artur Sahakian, was beaten (see details in YPC
Weekly Newsletter, September 26 - October 2, 2008)
According to police information, criminal proceedings by Clause 1, Part 3,
Article 258 of the RA Criminal Code ("Public Disorder") were instituted
against one of the incident participants that went to the police to give
himself up. Two other persons, questioned on October 27 and detained on
October 30, were instituted criminal proceedings against - by Clause 1, Part
3, Article 258 as well as Clauses 6 and 14, Part 2, Article 112 of the RA
Criminal Code ("Intentional Harm to Health"). Police also stressed that some
of the persons involved in this case gave contradictory evidence.
Meanwhile, the "necessary clarification" of the police, in its turn,
contains
obvious contradictions and does not bring any clarity to this complicated
story.
"ARTICLE 19" CALLS ON ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES TO LIFT THE MORATORIUM ON
BROADCASTING LICENSING, AND RA GOVERNMENT OFFERS A NEW INITIATIVE
On October 6 the Global Campaign for Free Expression "Article 19" expressed
its concern about the addition to the RA Law "On Television and Radio"
adopted on September 10, 2008 by the RA National Assembly. It is suspending
broadcast licensing competitions till July 20, 2010 (see YPC Weekly
Newsletter, September 5-11, 2008). Statement of "Article 19" points out that
the adopted amendments are directed against "A1+" TV company, contrary to
the decision of European Court of Human Rights regarding the case of "A1+"
and pronounced on July 17, 2008. It also contradicts to Article 19 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and Article 10 of the
European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedom - both
conventions are ratified by Armenia and guarantee freedom of expression.
"Article 19" called on the authorities in Armenia "to lift the moratorium on
the licensing procedure and to ensure that "A1+" participates in an open,
transparent and fair tender prior to the planned digital switchover".
Meanwhile on October 8 RA Government approved another draft law on
amendments to the RA Law "On Television and Radio". It regards the same
abovementioned addition to Article 59 of the broadcast Law. The Government
offers to allow not only TV companies (as stipulated by now), but also radio
companies, whose licenses expire before January 21, 2011, to request
prolongation of the license from the National Commission on Television and
Radio.
Besides, the governmental draft law provides for abolishing limitation on
Public TV and Radio Company broadcasting in the languages of national
minorities. According to Article 28 of the acting Law "On Television and
Radio", duration of programs in the languages of national minorities is
limited to 1 hour a week for the public television, and 1 hour a day - for
the public radio.
"MOSCOW" CINEMA MANAGEMENT REFUSED TO SHOW "EXPROPRIATION" DOCUMENTARY BY
TIGRAN PASKEVICHIAN
The premiere of "Expropriation" documentary scheduled for October 10 will
not take place in "Moscow" cinema in Yerevan, by the decision of the cinema
management. According to the author of the film, journalist and publicist
Tigran Paskevichian, in the morning of October 7, the cinema management
asked for a copy of the film for watching and announced in the evening that
they will not show it, because the film is "political". Tigran Paskevichian
thinks that the film touches only social-legislative issue: the 38 minutes
long documentary introduces the problems of the dwellers of Kentron
community of Yerevan, whose houses were situated in the territories
expropriated with the definition "for the needs of the state". The film was
screened by the order of "Victims of State Interests" NGO under the project
supported by the Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation-Armenia. As
Tigran Paskevichian stressed, the ordering NGO was dealing with the
organization of the presentation in "Moscow" cinema, and as far as he knows,
it hasn't yet received a written refusal to demonstrate the film from the
cinema management.
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
OCTOBER 3-9, 2008
HIGHLIGHTS:
"PRESS CLUB" AND "PRESS CLUB+": FIGHTING CORRUPTION AND THE ROLE OF OBSERVER
MISSIONS
CLARIFICATION OF POLICE DID NOT BRING CLARITY
"ARTICLE 19" CALLS ON ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES TO LIFT THE MORATORIUM ON
BROADCASTING LICENSING, AND RA GOVERNMENT OFFERS A NEW INITIATIVE
"MOSCOW" CINEMA MANAGEMENT REFUSED TO SHOW "EXPROPRIATION" DOCUMENTARY BY
TIGRAN PASKEVICHIAN
"PRESS CLUB" AND "PRESS CLUB+": FIGHTING CORRUPTION AND THE ROLE OF OBSERVER
MISSIONS
On October 8 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 the President of Anti-Corruption Center "Transparency
International" Amalia Kostanian, Expert of the International Center of Human
Development Vahan Asatrian, and Chief Editor of "Basis" magazine Ashot
Aramian. The topic of discussion was the fight against corruption and
working out of an anti-corruption strategy.
The next program of "Press Club" cycle will be aired by "Yerkir Media" on
Wednesday, October 15, at 23.00.
On October 4 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. The "Press Club+" host, YPC President
Boris Navasardian, and the participants, President of "This is Your Choice"
NGO Harutyun Hambartsumian and Expert of the Association of Women with
University Education Anahit Agoyan, discussed the role of observer missions
during the elections to the local self-administration bodies. The audience
composed of representatives of civil society of Armavir, Gyumri and Yerevan
also participated in the discussion.
The next program of "Press Club+" cycle will be aired by "Yerkir Media" on
Saturday, October 11, at 17.40.
CLARIFICATION OF POLICE DID NOT BRING CLARITY
On October 3 an information appeared on the web site of RA Police, entitled
"Necessary Clarification" and regarding the incident of September 20-21 with
the Head of "Radiolur" news program of Public Radio of Armenia Artur
Sahakian. As it has been reported, a friend of the journalist fell a victim
of the incident and died in the hospital after the beating that took place
on September 21. On the same day another journalist , who was in one of
Yerevan cafes together with Artur Sahakian, was beaten (see details in YPC
Weekly Newsletter, September 26 - October 2, 2008)
According to police information, criminal proceedings by Clause 1, Part 3,
Article 258 of the RA Criminal Code ("Public Disorder") were instituted
against one of the incident participants that went to the police to give
himself up. Two other persons, questioned on October 27 and detained on
October 30, were instituted criminal proceedings against - by Clause 1, Part
3, Article 258 as well as Clauses 6 and 14, Part 2, Article 112 of the RA
Criminal Code ("Intentional Harm to Health"). Police also stressed that some
of the persons involved in this case gave contradictory evidence.
Meanwhile, the "necessary clarification" of the police, in its turn,
contains
obvious contradictions and does not bring any clarity to this complicated
story.
"ARTICLE 19" CALLS ON ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES TO LIFT THE MORATORIUM ON
BROADCASTING LICENSING, AND RA GOVERNMENT OFFERS A NEW INITIATIVE
On October 6 the Global Campaign for Free Expression "Article 19" expressed
its concern about the addition to the RA Law "On Television and Radio"
adopted on September 10, 2008 by the RA National Assembly. It is suspending
broadcast licensing competitions till July 20, 2010 (see YPC Weekly
Newsletter, September 5-11, 2008). Statement of "Article 19" points out that
the adopted amendments are directed against "A1+" TV company, contrary to
the decision of European Court of Human Rights regarding the case of "A1+"
and pronounced on July 17, 2008. It also contradicts to Article 19 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and Article 10 of the
European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedom - both
conventions are ratified by Armenia and guarantee freedom of expression.
"Article 19" called on the authorities in Armenia "to lift the moratorium on
the licensing procedure and to ensure that "A1+" participates in an open,
transparent and fair tender prior to the planned digital switchover".
Meanwhile on October 8 RA Government approved another draft law on
amendments to the RA Law "On Television and Radio". It regards the same
abovementioned addition to Article 59 of the broadcast Law. The Government
offers to allow not only TV companies (as stipulated by now), but also radio
companies, whose licenses expire before January 21, 2011, to request
prolongation of the license from the National Commission on Television and
Radio.
Besides, the governmental draft law provides for abolishing limitation on
Public TV and Radio Company broadcasting in the languages of national
minorities. According to Article 28 of the acting Law "On Television and
Radio", duration of programs in the languages of national minorities is
limited to 1 hour a week for the public television, and 1 hour a day - for
the public radio.
"MOSCOW" CINEMA MANAGEMENT REFUSED TO SHOW "EXPROPRIATION" DOCUMENTARY BY
TIGRAN PASKEVICHIAN
The premiere of "Expropriation" documentary scheduled for October 10 will
not take place in "Moscow" cinema in Yerevan, by the decision of the cinema
management. According to the author of the film, journalist and publicist
Tigran Paskevichian, in the morning of October 7, the cinema management
asked for a copy of the film for watching and announced in the evening that
they will not show it, because the film is "political". Tigran Paskevichian
thinks that the film touches only social-legislative issue: the 38 minutes
long documentary introduces the problems of the dwellers of Kentron
community of Yerevan, whose houses were situated in the territories
expropriated with the definition "for the needs of the state". The film was
screened by the order of "Victims of State Interests" NGO under the project
supported by the Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation-Armenia. As
Tigran Paskevichian stressed, the ordering NGO was dealing with the
organization of the presentation in "Moscow" cinema, and as far as he knows,
it hasn't yet received a written refusal to demonstrate the film from the
cinema management.
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