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PRO-WEST BROADCASTER YANKED IN ARMENIA
San Francisco Chronicle
March 4 2008
CA
The only foreign radio programming in Armenia's native language was
taken off the air and its Web site blocked as part of the country's
state of emergency, the broadcaster said Tuesday.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty said in a statement that its two
Armenian affiliates halted the broadcasts to comply with the emergency
decree that allows media to only report news that is sanctioned by
the government.
Some Armenian newspapers did not publish Tuesday in protest of the
restrictions, and the country's non-state broadcast media has been
limited to repeating official news and programs, said the media freedom
representative for the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe.
The OSCE's Miklos Haraszti urged Armenia's government not to take
away the public's right to news from diverse sources.
"Pluralistic reporting helps ensure transparency of governmental
action even in dire times," Haraszti said in a statement.
Armenian President Robert Kocharian declared the 20-day state of
emergency Saturday night following clashes between government forces
and demonstrators protesting alleged fraud in the Feb. 19 presidential
election. Eight people died and more than 100 were injured in the
fighting.
Demonstrators supporting opposition candidate and former president
Levon Ter-Petrosian protested the official results from last month's
election that put their candidate a distant second to Prime Minister
Serge Sarkisian.
The Prague-based Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which receives
funding from the U.S., said its driver was beaten by police officers
in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, on Saturday while the correspondent
he was working with managed to escape.
Another journalist for the broadcaster was threatened by government
forces in the town of Gumri, it said.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty said it was adding Web domains to get
around the blocking of its Armenian language Web site in the country.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty was established in 1949 to spread
pro-Western news and promote democratic values and institutions in
countries behind the Iron Curtain. It broadcasts in 28 languages to
some 20 countries.
San Francisco Chronicle
March 4 2008
CA
The only foreign radio programming in Armenia's native language was
taken off the air and its Web site blocked as part of the country's
state of emergency, the broadcaster said Tuesday.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty said in a statement that its two
Armenian affiliates halted the broadcasts to comply with the emergency
decree that allows media to only report news that is sanctioned by
the government.
Some Armenian newspapers did not publish Tuesday in protest of the
restrictions, and the country's non-state broadcast media has been
limited to repeating official news and programs, said the media freedom
representative for the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe.
The OSCE's Miklos Haraszti urged Armenia's government not to take
away the public's right to news from diverse sources.
"Pluralistic reporting helps ensure transparency of governmental
action even in dire times," Haraszti said in a statement.
Armenian President Robert Kocharian declared the 20-day state of
emergency Saturday night following clashes between government forces
and demonstrators protesting alleged fraud in the Feb. 19 presidential
election. Eight people died and more than 100 were injured in the
fighting.
Demonstrators supporting opposition candidate and former president
Levon Ter-Petrosian protested the official results from last month's
election that put their candidate a distant second to Prime Minister
Serge Sarkisian.
The Prague-based Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which receives
funding from the U.S., said its driver was beaten by police officers
in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, on Saturday while the correspondent
he was working with managed to escape.
Another journalist for the broadcaster was threatened by government
forces in the town of Gumri, it said.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty said it was adding Web domains to get
around the blocking of its Armenian language Web site in the country.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty was established in 1949 to spread
pro-Western news and promote democratic values and institutions in
countries behind the Iron Curtain. It broadcasts in 28 languages to
some 20 countries.