YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
JULY 2-8, 2004
HIGHLIGHTS:
“MEDIA GROUP” FACING THE DANGER OF LIQUIDATION
“INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS” ADDRESSED THE COURT OF APPEALS
“MEDIA GROUP” FACING THE DANGER OF LIQUIDATION
On July 7 the Chamber for Civil and Commercial Cases of the RA Court of
Cassation left the decision of the second jurisdiction on the suit of
Vanadzor (Lori region) public information organization “Media Group” versus
the State Social Security Fund unchanged.
As it has been reported, the litigation between the parties started in as
far back as 2003 when “Media Group” with the assistance of “World Learning”
international organization was implementing a project “Strengthening of
Relations between the Organizations and the Community of Vanadzor”. The
representatives of State Social Security Fund, after an audit, recognized
the “Media Group” volunteers to be paid employees and in this regard
demanded the organizations to make appropriate social security payments and
pay a fine. The last court ruling of June 3, 2004 obliged “Media Group” to
cover the debt to the State Social Security Fund, but with no fine payments
(see YPC Weekly Newsletter, June 4-10, 2004).
According to the representative of “Media Group” Edmon Marukian, now,
according to the Armenian legislation, the ruling execution is to start
against the NGO, its property will be arrested to be later sold from an
auction. As Marukian said, the organization does not have any funds to cover
the liabilities to the State Social Security Fund. This is an amount of
about 500,000 drams (about $ 1,000), including the execution costs. However,
“Media Group” will continue to protect its rights and intends to address the
European Court of Human Rights.
On July 7 the employees of Vanadzor organization held a protest action
before the building State Social Security Fund in Yerevan.
“INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS” ADDRESSED THE COURT OF APPEALS
On July 6 “Investigative Journalists” public organization and its chairman
Edik Baghdasarian challenged with the RA Court of Appeals the decision of
the court of primary jurisdiction of Center and Nork-Marash communities of
Yerevan on the suit versus the Yerevan municipality. As it has been
reported, on June 21, 2004 the court of primary jurisdiction declined the
suit of “Investigative Journalists”. The plaintiff demanded that the
municipality provide the resolutions of the city administration of 1997-2003
on the construction in public green zone around the National Theater of
Opera and Ballet, necessary for a journalistic investigation. The judge
motivates her ruling saying the organization did not attempt to receive the
necessary information from other state institutions before addressing the
municipality and the inquiry was not specific enough (see YPC Weekly
Newsletter, June 18-24, 2004).
“Investigative Journalists” demand that the ruling of the primary
jurisdiction court be abolished and the actions of the municipality be
qualified as a refusal in information. Along with this, the organization
addressed a new inquiry to the municipality of Yerevan, listing all the
enterprises operating on the territory around the Theater of Opera and
Ballet and of interest to “Investigative Journalists”.
N.B. Dear readers, please note that YPC Weekly Newsletter will next be
issued in early September, 2004.
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Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
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