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ASHOT MELIKYAN, "PUBLIC" AND "VERY DANGEROUS PRECEDENT, WE MUST GO TO THE END."
July 10 2014
The court of Kentron and Nork-Marash administrative districts for the
first time made a decision and compelled the mass media to disclose
the sources of their information. The matter is about "Hraparak"
daily and iLur.am website that published information about how the
Shirak police chief, Vardan Nadaryan, at night, has stopped the car
of popular wrestler Artur Aleksanyan and hit him for very bright
spotlights and has intimidated him and his brother with a gun. As
conveyed by "Hraparak," the court's decision is against the freedom
of the media, and if the source is identified, shortly, the mass
media can rely on only "dry" official information. Note that SIS had
filed a criminal case with a grave Article with regard to this famous
information, and the Attorney General, Gevorg Kostanyan, in his recent
press conference, had stated, "under the grave and particularly grave
crimes, the journalist may be compelled to inform the source of his
information by a court proceeding." In this regard, Aravot.am asked
the Chairman of the Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression, Ashot
Melikyan, whether the court's decision is not a strike to the freedom
of the media, and how the media should act in this case. Mr. Melikyan
replied, "Of course, making such a judgment is the court's task, but
we, as professionals, consider that it is not the grave crime that
the court should have requested to identify the source. I think that
there is a trend in this story, and the prosecutor's office after its
famous statement will try to implement these provisions. This is the
first precedent, which is very dangerous. I think that this decision
should be appealed. Moreover, you need to go to the end." Mr. Melikyan
suggested the journalistic community to focus its attention on this
issue, and express intolerance towards these actions. "This is a good
opportunity for the journalistic community to unite and understand
that any media or a journalist may face similar fact." To our question
of how the mass media should be compelled to disclose the source of
information, whether the editors should be put to torture to tell,
Ashot Melikyan replied, "The editor, of course, will not be subject
to torture. The law says that in case of disclosure of grave and
particularly grave crimes, the court may compel. At the court session,
the judge requires to identify the source. Of course, the journalist
may request a closed hearing for this case and may refuse identifying.
If the journalist does not identify, then he takes on the entire
responsibility and bears his punishment prescribed by the law." We
clarified whether the matter is about the fines and penalties, Ashot
Melikyan replied, "I think that this will not be the case, but it is
prescribed by the law."
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2014/07/10/165978/
July 10 2014
The court of Kentron and Nork-Marash administrative districts for the
first time made a decision and compelled the mass media to disclose
the sources of their information. The matter is about "Hraparak"
daily and iLur.am website that published information about how the
Shirak police chief, Vardan Nadaryan, at night, has stopped the car
of popular wrestler Artur Aleksanyan and hit him for very bright
spotlights and has intimidated him and his brother with a gun. As
conveyed by "Hraparak," the court's decision is against the freedom
of the media, and if the source is identified, shortly, the mass
media can rely on only "dry" official information. Note that SIS had
filed a criminal case with a grave Article with regard to this famous
information, and the Attorney General, Gevorg Kostanyan, in his recent
press conference, had stated, "under the grave and particularly grave
crimes, the journalist may be compelled to inform the source of his
information by a court proceeding." In this regard, Aravot.am asked
the Chairman of the Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression, Ashot
Melikyan, whether the court's decision is not a strike to the freedom
of the media, and how the media should act in this case. Mr. Melikyan
replied, "Of course, making such a judgment is the court's task, but
we, as professionals, consider that it is not the grave crime that
the court should have requested to identify the source. I think that
there is a trend in this story, and the prosecutor's office after its
famous statement will try to implement these provisions. This is the
first precedent, which is very dangerous. I think that this decision
should be appealed. Moreover, you need to go to the end." Mr. Melikyan
suggested the journalistic community to focus its attention on this
issue, and express intolerance towards these actions. "This is a good
opportunity for the journalistic community to unite and understand
that any media or a journalist may face similar fact." To our question
of how the mass media should be compelled to disclose the source of
information, whether the editors should be put to torture to tell,
Ashot Melikyan replied, "The editor, of course, will not be subject
to torture. The law says that in case of disclosure of grave and
particularly grave crimes, the court may compel. At the court session,
the judge requires to identify the source. Of course, the journalist
may request a closed hearing for this case and may refuse identifying.
If the journalist does not identify, then he takes on the entire
responsibility and bears his punishment prescribed by the law." We
clarified whether the matter is about the fines and penalties, Ashot
Melikyan replied, "I think that this will not be the case, but it is
prescribed by the law."
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2014/07/10/165978/