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FROM COURT TO COURT: GALA TV KEEPS THE FIGHT FOR ITS RIGHT TO AIR
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan
ArmeniaNow
02.05.11
Gyumri's GALA TV Company intends to appeal to the Court of Cassation
against the verdict by the Civil Court of Appeals according to which
it has been given one month to dismantle its broadcast equipment from
the TV tower.
One of the four TV channels broadcasting in Armenia's northern
Shirak province, GALA, founded in 2005, is a rare television company
in Armenia critical of the government and providing air time to
representatives of various opposition factions. It is the only TV
Company that largely covered the 2008 post-election opposition rallies.
Problems came fourth because of GALA's dispute with the municipality
of Gyumri which in November 2007 privatized the TV tower and demanded
that GALA's broadcast equipment be dismantled.
On the issue of the TV tower (only GALA is using it) a court verdict
was announced by the general jurisdiction court of Shirak province
yet in April 2008 (in favor of the municipality). GALA then turned
to the Court of Appeals which, however, agreed with the initial
verdict. The Court of Cassation (the highest in the three-instance
civil judicial system of Armenia) however annulled the verdict saying
that the principle of equality between the parties had been violated -
the court had deprived GALA's attorney of a chance to present evidence
in defense of the case.
In an interview with ArmeniaNow, GALA's Executive Director Karine
Harutyunyan said that the tower did not have an owner before the
municipality's privatization.
"We had repeatedly tried to privatize it, but were not granted
permission. We were told that the tower is of strategic importance,"
said Harutyunyan.
She said that the verdict of the Court of Appeals did not come as
a surprise to them, and after exhausting all the judicial means in
Armenia they intend to turn to the European Court of Human Rights.
In 2009 GALA filed a lawsuit with the European Court concerning the
penalty it had to pay after a tax audit at the company. GALA was able
to pay the $73,000 penalty only due to a fund-raising telethon.
From: A. Papazian
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan
ArmeniaNow
02.05.11
Gyumri's GALA TV Company intends to appeal to the Court of Cassation
against the verdict by the Civil Court of Appeals according to which
it has been given one month to dismantle its broadcast equipment from
the TV tower.
One of the four TV channels broadcasting in Armenia's northern
Shirak province, GALA, founded in 2005, is a rare television company
in Armenia critical of the government and providing air time to
representatives of various opposition factions. It is the only TV
Company that largely covered the 2008 post-election opposition rallies.
Problems came fourth because of GALA's dispute with the municipality
of Gyumri which in November 2007 privatized the TV tower and demanded
that GALA's broadcast equipment be dismantled.
On the issue of the TV tower (only GALA is using it) a court verdict
was announced by the general jurisdiction court of Shirak province
yet in April 2008 (in favor of the municipality). GALA then turned
to the Court of Appeals which, however, agreed with the initial
verdict. The Court of Cassation (the highest in the three-instance
civil judicial system of Armenia) however annulled the verdict saying
that the principle of equality between the parties had been violated -
the court had deprived GALA's attorney of a chance to present evidence
in defense of the case.
In an interview with ArmeniaNow, GALA's Executive Director Karine
Harutyunyan said that the tower did not have an owner before the
municipality's privatization.
"We had repeatedly tried to privatize it, but were not granted
permission. We were told that the tower is of strategic importance,"
said Harutyunyan.
She said that the verdict of the Court of Appeals did not come as
a surprise to them, and after exhausting all the judicial means in
Armenia they intend to turn to the European Court of Human Rights.
In 2009 GALA filed a lawsuit with the European Court concerning the
penalty it had to pay after a tax audit at the company. GALA was able
to pay the $73,000 penalty only due to a fund-raising telethon.
From: A. Papazian