Azeri-speaking radio in separatist Karabakh trying to rebuild confidence
Arminfo, Yerevan
26 Nov 04
Stepanakert , 26 November: The Golos Spravedlivosti [The Voice
of Justice] radio station, which broadcasts in Stepanakert in the
Azerbaijani language, is trying to rebuild the “bridge of confidence”
between the parties to the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.
“The purpose of our work is to rebuild the bridges of confidence
between the parties to the conflict, Azerbaijan and Nagornyy Karabakh,
and to facilitate the establishment of peace by promoting good. We are
trying to convince the Azerbaijanis that a new war will bring both
peoples new suffering. Unfortunately, the Azerbaijani authorities
are creating artificial obstacles to negotiations and we have to
accentuate this in our programmes. I am sure, however, that the final
word belongs to the people of both countries, which is why we are
doing our best to establish an atmosphere of trust between them. In
this connection, we have repeatedly put forward cooperation proposals
with our colleagues in Azerbaijan,” the director of the radio station,
Mikael Adzhyan, has told our special Arminfo correspondent.
He said the Voice of Justice is listened to in many countries of the
world. Letters of appreciation are coming from New Zealand, Japan,
Switzerland, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Finland, Turkey, etc. There has
been no response only from Azerbaijan, though Adzhyan is certain that
the radio has a permanent audience there as well despite the obstacles
created by the Azerbaijani authorities. The programmes include news,
reports and interviews.
Adzhyan added that in one of the recent programmes by Radio Liberty’s
Azerbaijani service, an Azerbaijani boy expressed his wish to listen
to the opinion of his Armenian peers about the war. The radio station
responded immediately by organizing a series of such programmes. The
Karabakh children of different ages who have experienced the horrors
of war and lost their family members, as well as refugee children,
have expressed their opinion to this effect.
“It is not by chance that the radio station is called the Voice
of Justice. Every party to a conflict has its own justice, which
often does not correspond to reality. So we are trying to find a
common and real justice,” Mikael Adzhyan said.
The Voice of Justice has already been on the air for about 700 times
(four times a week). The radio station mainly employs refugees from
Azerbaijan who speak good Azeri. The station is sponsored by Karabakh
businessmen. The administration hopes to start broadcasting on a
daily basis.