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YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
DECEMBER 19-25, 2008
HIGHLIGHTS:
JOURNALISTS CHARGED WITH DISRESPECT TO COURT
"HAILUR" SHOOTING CREW OBSTRUCTED FROM COVERING THE CONFERENCE OF ARMENIAN
NATIONAL CONGRESS
PARLIAMENTARY HEARING DID NOT ADDRESS THE KEY BROADCASTING ISSUES
SUIT OF FREEDOM OF INFORMATION CENTER AGAINST ARABKIR ADMINISTRATION
"GALA" TV COMPANY LAUNCHED ITS WEB-SITE
JOURNALISTS CHARGED WITH DISRESPECT TO COURT
On December 24 the Police Department of Kentron community of Yerevan charged
freelance journalist Gagik Shamshian and correspondent of "Chorrord
Ishkhanutiun" newspaper Gohar Vezirian with Part 1 of Article 343 of the RA
Criminal Code ("Disrespect to Court"). As it has been reported, incidents
with journalists occurred during the hearing of the same case in the court
of primary jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash communities of Yerevan.
On August 5, 2008 upon the order of judge Gagik Avetisian Gagik Shamshian
was put out of the courtroom. The journalist was first locked in the
basement of the court building and was further moved to the Kentron Police
Department. The next day, August 6, a similar sanction was applied to Gohar
Vezirian: upon the order of the same judge the journalist was put out of the
courtroom, she was kept for about an hour and half in a room, intended for
defendants, and was further moved to Kentron Police Department. Having spent
over two hours in the police department, Gagik Shamshian and Gohar Vezirian
were released on August 5 and 6 respectively. The criminal proceedings
against journalists were instituted in September, 2008 (see YPC Weekly
Newsletter, September 5-11, 2008).
As YPC was told by attorney Hovik Arsenian, journalists do not plead guilty,
saying it was the judge who exceeded his competence. Part 1 of Article 343
of the RA Criminal Code stipulates a fine ranging from 100 to 300 minimal
salaries or imprisonment of one to two months.
"HAILUR" SHOOTING CREW OBSTRUCTED FROM COVERING THE CONFERENCE OF ARMENIAN
NATIONAL CONGRESS
On December 21 the shooting crew of "Hailur" newscast of the First Channel
of the Public Television of Armenia was refused entry for covering the
conference of the Armenian National Congress (opposition political
organization led by the RA First President Levon Ter-Petrosian). As YPC was
told by "Hailur" correspondent Anna Vartanian, the External Relations
Officer of the Congress Vladimir Karapetian asked the journalists of the
Public Television to leave the hall where the conference was taking place.
According to the journalist, Karapetian substantiated this ban on coverage
by the attitude of the Armenian National Congress towards the incumbent
authorities. The Congress Coordinator Levon Zurabian described the
occurrence as a response to authorities' refusal to provide the Armenian
National Congress with a hall for the conference.
PARLIAMENTARY HEARING DID NOT ADDRESS THE KEY BROADCASTING ISSUES
On December 19 the RA National Assembly Standing Committee on Science,
Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Issues held parliamentary hearings on
"Content of the TV Air and Legislative Regulation of TV Advertising". The
journalistic associations that took part in the debate, including Yerevan
Press Club, had supposed that the discussion would center on the urgent
issues of the broadcasting. Unfortunately, the hearing was of a general
nature. Most of the remarks made referred to the problems of language use
and esthetics. Such key issues as the formation of the regulatory body, the
transparency of broadcast licensing competitions and distinct criteria upon
which the National Commission on Television and Radio bases its license
provision decisions, development of mechanisms for regulating the activities
of the Public TV and Radio Company, digitalization in the context of
Armenia's commitments to the Council of Europe were not touched on. The
representatives of journalistic associations drew the attention of the
organizers to this fact, and the Chairman of the specialized parliament
Committee Armen Ashotian assured that new hearings will be organized to
consider the whole range of problems faced by the broadcasting.
Meanwhile it was reasonable to expect due attention to the recent
resolutions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. In
particular, on December 18 the provisional version of PACE Resolution "The
Implementation by Armenia of Assembly Resolutions 1609 (2008) and 1620
(2008)" was released after the approval of the Committee on the Honoring of
Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe
(Monitoring Committee). Clause 8.2 of the provisional version refers to the
amendments to the RA Law "On Television and Radio", adopted on September 10,
2008, according to which the broadcast licensing competitions are suspended
till July 20, 2010 due to the need to make preparations for digitalization
(see YPC Weekly Newsletter, September 5-11, 2008). This Clause stresses that
"the technical requirements for the introduction of digital broadcasting
should not be used by the authorities to unduly delay the holding of an
open, fair and transparent tender for broadcasting licenses, as demanded by
the Assembly". The provisional version of the new Resolution, stipulating a
sanction of suspension of voting rights of the Armenian delegation, will be
presented for the consideration of the PACE winter session on January 26-30,
2009.
SUIT OF FREEDOM OF INFORMATION CENTER AGAINST ARABKIR ADMINISTRATION
On December 19 the RA Administrative Court considered the suit of the
Freedom of Information Center versus the administration of Arabkir community
of Yerevan. The NGO addressed the court with a demand to commit the communal
administration to provide the information requested. On July 30, 2008 the
Freedom of Information Center made an inquiry as to the number of apartments
held by Arabkir community with ownership right, asking to specify their
addresses, as well as provide the judicial statistics on the cases of
eviction of the residents from unprivatized apartments. In the letter of
August 6 the communal administration responded only to the last part of the
inquiry, without providing the information about the apartments it owned.
At the court session of December 19 the respondent stated that the
unprivatized apartments had not been taken stock of previously, and their
registration started only recently, upon the order of the head of the
community. In the opinion of the judge, the administration should have
responded in any case, even if it lacked the necessary information.
The court ruling is set to be publicized on December 30, 2008.
"GALA" TV COMPANY LAUNCHED ITS WEB-SITE
"GALA" TV company of Gyumri launched its web-site, www.galatv.am .The TV
company reports that apart from the Armenian-language resource, the news of
"GALA" will soon be placed on the web in English and Russian languages as
well.
N.B. Dear readers, please note that the YPC Weekly Newsletter will next be
issued in January 2009. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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
DECEMBER 19-25, 2008
HIGHLIGHTS:
JOURNALISTS CHARGED WITH DISRESPECT TO COURT
"HAILUR" SHOOTING CREW OBSTRUCTED FROM COVERING THE CONFERENCE OF ARMENIAN
NATIONAL CONGRESS
PARLIAMENTARY HEARING DID NOT ADDRESS THE KEY BROADCASTING ISSUES
SUIT OF FREEDOM OF INFORMATION CENTER AGAINST ARABKIR ADMINISTRATION
"GALA" TV COMPANY LAUNCHED ITS WEB-SITE
JOURNALISTS CHARGED WITH DISRESPECT TO COURT
On December 24 the Police Department of Kentron community of Yerevan charged
freelance journalist Gagik Shamshian and correspondent of "Chorrord
Ishkhanutiun" newspaper Gohar Vezirian with Part 1 of Article 343 of the RA
Criminal Code ("Disrespect to Court"). As it has been reported, incidents
with journalists occurred during the hearing of the same case in the court
of primary jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash communities of Yerevan.
On August 5, 2008 upon the order of judge Gagik Avetisian Gagik Shamshian
was put out of the courtroom. The journalist was first locked in the
basement of the court building and was further moved to the Kentron Police
Department. The next day, August 6, a similar sanction was applied to Gohar
Vezirian: upon the order of the same judge the journalist was put out of the
courtroom, she was kept for about an hour and half in a room, intended for
defendants, and was further moved to Kentron Police Department. Having spent
over two hours in the police department, Gagik Shamshian and Gohar Vezirian
were released on August 5 and 6 respectively. The criminal proceedings
against journalists were instituted in September, 2008 (see YPC Weekly
Newsletter, September 5-11, 2008).
As YPC was told by attorney Hovik Arsenian, journalists do not plead guilty,
saying it was the judge who exceeded his competence. Part 1 of Article 343
of the RA Criminal Code stipulates a fine ranging from 100 to 300 minimal
salaries or imprisonment of one to two months.
"HAILUR" SHOOTING CREW OBSTRUCTED FROM COVERING THE CONFERENCE OF ARMENIAN
NATIONAL CONGRESS
On December 21 the shooting crew of "Hailur" newscast of the First Channel
of the Public Television of Armenia was refused entry for covering the
conference of the Armenian National Congress (opposition political
organization led by the RA First President Levon Ter-Petrosian). As YPC was
told by "Hailur" correspondent Anna Vartanian, the External Relations
Officer of the Congress Vladimir Karapetian asked the journalists of the
Public Television to leave the hall where the conference was taking place.
According to the journalist, Karapetian substantiated this ban on coverage
by the attitude of the Armenian National Congress towards the incumbent
authorities. The Congress Coordinator Levon Zurabian described the
occurrence as a response to authorities' refusal to provide the Armenian
National Congress with a hall for the conference.
PARLIAMENTARY HEARING DID NOT ADDRESS THE KEY BROADCASTING ISSUES
On December 19 the RA National Assembly Standing Committee on Science,
Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Issues held parliamentary hearings on
"Content of the TV Air and Legislative Regulation of TV Advertising". The
journalistic associations that took part in the debate, including Yerevan
Press Club, had supposed that the discussion would center on the urgent
issues of the broadcasting. Unfortunately, the hearing was of a general
nature. Most of the remarks made referred to the problems of language use
and esthetics. Such key issues as the formation of the regulatory body, the
transparency of broadcast licensing competitions and distinct criteria upon
which the National Commission on Television and Radio bases its license
provision decisions, development of mechanisms for regulating the activities
of the Public TV and Radio Company, digitalization in the context of
Armenia's commitments to the Council of Europe were not touched on. The
representatives of journalistic associations drew the attention of the
organizers to this fact, and the Chairman of the specialized parliament
Committee Armen Ashotian assured that new hearings will be organized to
consider the whole range of problems faced by the broadcasting.
Meanwhile it was reasonable to expect due attention to the recent
resolutions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. In
particular, on December 18 the provisional version of PACE Resolution "The
Implementation by Armenia of Assembly Resolutions 1609 (2008) and 1620
(2008)" was released after the approval of the Committee on the Honoring of
Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe
(Monitoring Committee). Clause 8.2 of the provisional version refers to the
amendments to the RA Law "On Television and Radio", adopted on September 10,
2008, according to which the broadcast licensing competitions are suspended
till July 20, 2010 due to the need to make preparations for digitalization
(see YPC Weekly Newsletter, September 5-11, 2008). This Clause stresses that
"the technical requirements for the introduction of digital broadcasting
should not be used by the authorities to unduly delay the holding of an
open, fair and transparent tender for broadcasting licenses, as demanded by
the Assembly". The provisional version of the new Resolution, stipulating a
sanction of suspension of voting rights of the Armenian delegation, will be
presented for the consideration of the PACE winter session on January 26-30,
2009.
SUIT OF FREEDOM OF INFORMATION CENTER AGAINST ARABKIR ADMINISTRATION
On December 19 the RA Administrative Court considered the suit of the
Freedom of Information Center versus the administration of Arabkir community
of Yerevan. The NGO addressed the court with a demand to commit the communal
administration to provide the information requested. On July 30, 2008 the
Freedom of Information Center made an inquiry as to the number of apartments
held by Arabkir community with ownership right, asking to specify their
addresses, as well as provide the judicial statistics on the cases of
eviction of the residents from unprivatized apartments. In the letter of
August 6 the communal administration responded only to the last part of the
inquiry, without providing the information about the apartments it owned.
At the court session of December 19 the respondent stated that the
unprivatized apartments had not been taken stock of previously, and their
registration started only recently, upon the order of the head of the
community. In the opinion of the judge, the administration should have
responded in any case, even if it lacked the necessary information.
The court ruling is set to be publicized on December 30, 2008.
"GALA" TV COMPANY LAUNCHED ITS WEB-SITE
"GALA" TV company of Gyumri launched its web-site, www.galatv.am .The TV
company reports that apart from the Armenian-language resource, the news of
"GALA" will soon be placed on the web in English and Russian languages as
well.
N.B. Dear readers, please note that the YPC Weekly Newsletter will next be
issued in January 2009. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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