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ARMENIAN PUBLIC TV RETRACTS FALSE STATEMENT ABOUT CHRISTIAN GROUP
By Kevin Jess
DigitalJournal.com
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/326245#ixzz1xE7ASJrx
June 7 2012
Sevan - Viewers of the "Haylur" news programs observed this week
something rarely presented to the Armenian public: a retraction of
false statements made about Jehovah's Witnesses.
In November 2010, 23-year-old Arman Torosyan, a resident of Sevan,
Armenia, allegedly murdered his parents, 64-year-old Khachik Torosyan
and 57-year-old Marietta Torosyan, in their apartment.
When Armenian Public Television reported on the double murder on
November 8, 2010, they linked the victim's son to Jehovah's Witnesses,
reported ArmeniaNow.
Many media outlets across the country began reporting the
misinformation which soon fueled a public debate and discontent aimed
at the religious group.
In an interview with ArmeniaNow, Tigran Harutyunyan, a press secretary
of Jehovah's Witnesses said, "Besides releasing misinformation, the
Public Television in its reports voiced humiliating and insulting
expressions against our organization's members. One of the TV programs
encouraged its audience to commit violence against Jehovah's Witnesses
when meeting them, as a result of which our members suffered attacks,
brawls and heard bad language in different towns and villages of
Armenia."
The defendant was never one of Jehovah's Witnesses nor were his
parents. Also, they were never associated with Jehovah's Witnesses.
The organization of Jehovah's Witnesses asked the network to cease
reporting the false information to no avail and on November 12 the
Armenian ombudsman asked the media to stop identifying the defendant
as a member of the organization. This request was also ignored.
Jehovah's Witnesses were left with no other choice but to take legal
action. On May 15, 2012 they signed a settlement agreement with
Armenian Public Television.
A press release from the World Headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses in
New York City says, "According to the terms of the signed settlement
agreement, the Armenian Public Television station, H1, broadcasted the
retraction once during the first 20 minutes of each of their primetime
news programs at 5:00 p.m. and at 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 5, 2012.
The retraction is also being posted on the media outlet's official
website ([url=http://www.1tv.am]www.1tv.am), listing it among the
top five news stories during the period of June 5, 2012, through June
14, 2012."
David Semonian, a spokesman at the world headquarters of Jehovah's
Witnesses in New York said, "No one wants false statements broadcast
about them, and we are no exception. It is important that the Armenian
public hear the truth about Jehovah's Witnesses, and we are pleased
that Armenian Public Television has taken steps to set the matter
straight for the viewing public in Armenia."
By Kevin Jess
DigitalJournal.com
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/326245#ixzz1xE7ASJrx
June 7 2012
Sevan - Viewers of the "Haylur" news programs observed this week
something rarely presented to the Armenian public: a retraction of
false statements made about Jehovah's Witnesses.
In November 2010, 23-year-old Arman Torosyan, a resident of Sevan,
Armenia, allegedly murdered his parents, 64-year-old Khachik Torosyan
and 57-year-old Marietta Torosyan, in their apartment.
When Armenian Public Television reported on the double murder on
November 8, 2010, they linked the victim's son to Jehovah's Witnesses,
reported ArmeniaNow.
Many media outlets across the country began reporting the
misinformation which soon fueled a public debate and discontent aimed
at the religious group.
In an interview with ArmeniaNow, Tigran Harutyunyan, a press secretary
of Jehovah's Witnesses said, "Besides releasing misinformation, the
Public Television in its reports voiced humiliating and insulting
expressions against our organization's members. One of the TV programs
encouraged its audience to commit violence against Jehovah's Witnesses
when meeting them, as a result of which our members suffered attacks,
brawls and heard bad language in different towns and villages of
Armenia."
The defendant was never one of Jehovah's Witnesses nor were his
parents. Also, they were never associated with Jehovah's Witnesses.
The organization of Jehovah's Witnesses asked the network to cease
reporting the false information to no avail and on November 12 the
Armenian ombudsman asked the media to stop identifying the defendant
as a member of the organization. This request was also ignored.
Jehovah's Witnesses were left with no other choice but to take legal
action. On May 15, 2012 they signed a settlement agreement with
Armenian Public Television.
A press release from the World Headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses in
New York City says, "According to the terms of the signed settlement
agreement, the Armenian Public Television station, H1, broadcasted the
retraction once during the first 20 minutes of each of their primetime
news programs at 5:00 p.m. and at 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 5, 2012.
The retraction is also being posted on the media outlet's official
website ([url=http://www.1tv.am]www.1tv.am), listing it among the
top five news stories during the period of June 5, 2012, through June
14, 2012."
David Semonian, a spokesman at the world headquarters of Jehovah's
Witnesses in New York said, "No one wants false statements broadcast
about them, and we are no exception. It is important that the Armenian
public hear the truth about Jehovah's Witnesses, and we are pleased
that Armenian Public Television has taken steps to set the matter
straight for the viewing public in Armenia."