YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
JANUARY 21-27, 2005
HIGHLIGHTS:
“PRESS CLUB” ON AIR AGAIN
“STABILITY” PROTESTING AGAINST “ARAVOT”
THE HOMELESS OF YEREVAN AS SEEN BY PHOTO AND TV CAMERAS
MEDIA BOYCOTTS AND THE PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE ARRESTED THE CHIEF ARMENIAN ARYAN
COMPETITION FOR FILLING IN VACANCIES IN THE COUNCIL OF PUBLIC TV AND RADIO
COMPANY
“SHOGHAKAT’ RESUMED BROADCASTS
“PRESS CLUB” ON AIR AGAIN
On January 24 on the evening air of the Second Armenian TV Channel the
first “Press Club” show in 2005 was issued. The cycle is organized by
Yerevan Press Club under a homonymous project, supported by the OSI Network
Media Program.
The subject for the discussion of leading media and journalistic
associations of Armenia was the response of press to the statements made by
the Assistant US Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Elizabeth Jones
during a DVC on January 13 between Washington, Bratislava, Moscow and Rome.
In particular, the vast public response was caused by the answer of
Elizabeth Jones to the question of Russian “Moscow Times” daily on
unrecognized entities, including Mountainous Karabagh. By prognosis of the
“Press Club” participants, the central subject in Armenian media this week
will be the discussion of the report on Mountainous Karabagh, developed by
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe rapporteur David
Atkinson and to be presented at the PACE session on January 25.
“STABILITY” PROTESTING AGAINST “ARAVOT”
On January 21 a small group representing the youth wing of “Stability”
political union held a protest action by the House of Press in Yerevan,
where various media editorial offices are located. The reason for the action
was the comment of “Aravot” daily to the statement of Assistant US Secretary
of State for Europe and Eurasia Elizabeth Jones (see above). “Aravot” daily
itself described its response as a joke. The representatives of the youth
wing of “Stability” qualified it as “treason”. In the issue of January 22
the Chief Editor of “Aravot” Aram Abrahamian noted that “young people were
unable to explain” to the correspondent of the daily, “what exactly can be
interpreted as treason”, “some people did not even know what their action
was directed against”. In the opinion of the Chief Editor, there was no need
in this action as such: “The doors of “Aravot” are open for everyone, and
these guys can simply come to the office and talk to the Editor or any of
our staff members. Moreover, they have an opportunity to publish their point
of view in “Aravot”, unless it contains rude or insulting expressions,
directed at anybody.” But in this case, as Aram Abrahamian stressed,
“apparently the “stability supporters” had to have an action”.
THE HOMELESS OF YEREVAN AS SEEN BY PHOTO AND TV CAMERAS
On January 27 at “Narekatsi” Arts Institute an action “The Right to Life”
was held. The exhibition of works by photographer Onik Grigorian that opened
there and the first night of “Nameless Tombs” documentary spoke about the
homeless of Yerevan. The documentary was produced jointly by “Yerkir-Media”
TV company and “Investigative Journalists” NGO. After the demonstration of
the film the representatives of media and NGOs discussed the problems of
people that found themselves in the street. Within the action the book by
Onik Grigorian “Armenia: Poverty, Transition and Democracy” was presented,
too. The book is published by Gomidas Institute (based in Princeton and
London).
MEDIA BOYCOTTS AND THE PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE ARRESTED THE CHIEF ARMENIAN ARYAN
A number of Armenian media announced an information boycott to the Chairman
of “Union of Armenian Aryans” party Armen Avetisian. The reason for the
boycott were the insulting statements made by the leader of Armenian Aryans
during the press-conference of January 19, given by public union “Against
the Numeration of People”. According to “Arminfo” news agency, Armen
Avetisian “made an inadequate response” to the question of journalists about
the public promise made (but never fulfilled) about revealing the list
allegedly held of state officials who are homosexual. “I refuse to answer
the provoking questions of the sexually perverted journalists and will only
answer questions regarding to social cards and individual data”, the head of
Armenian Aryans said in particular, after which some media representatives
left the press-conference.
On the same day, January 19, “Arminfo” announced its information boycott to
the events of “Union of Armenian Aryans”. On January 21 “Aravot” daily
stated its joining the action. In the issue of January 22 “Aravot” reported
that the boycott of “statements and activities of a person, unable to behave
properly with journalists” was joined by “Ayb-Feh” weekly, web
site and “Taregir” Internet publication.
The statements and activities of Armen Avetisian were of interest to the law
enforcement bodies of Armenia, too. On January 25 the Public Relations and
Information Department of the RA General Prosecutor’s Office informed about
the arrest of the Chairman of “Union of Armenian Aryans”. The press release
of the General Prosecutor’s Office noted that Armen Avetisian “in his
articles published in press, TV and other public speeches, at
press-conferences has repeatedly made assessments that were humiliating,
discrediting and insulting for representatives of Jewish nationality,
disseminated disreputing opinions, thus inciting national hatred and
hostility towards them”. Proceeding from the facts gathered, on January 21
the Yerevan Prosecutor’s Office instituted criminal proceedings and on
January 24 it charged Armen Avetisian by item 1, part 2, Article 226 of the
Criminal Code (“Inciting national racial or religious hostility”). On the
same day, January 24, Avetisian was arrested.
It should also be noted that “Union of Armenian Aryans”, headed by
Avetisian, was mentioned in the Report on Global Anti-Semitism in 2004,
released by the US Department of State on January 5. The section on Armenia
of the report, among other cases of anti-Semitism, tells about the calls of
the party “for the country to be “purified” of Jews and Yezidis”. In the
same report the owner, the head of “ALM” media holding Tigran Karapetian was
also mentioned – as he “frequently made anti-Semitic remarks on the air”.
COMPETITION FOR FILLING IN VACANCIES IN THE COUNCIL OF PUBLIC TV AND RADIO
COMPANY
On January 20 the RA President Robert Kocharian signed a decree to hold a
competition for filling in the vacancies in the Council of Public Television
and Radio Company of Armenia. The competition commission included: the
Chairman – Alexan Harutiunian (Chairman of the Council of Public TV and
Radio Company); Secretary – Irina Ghulinian (Deputy Head of Public Relations
and Media Department of the RA President’s Administration); commission
members – Ruben Satian (Chief Editor of “Novoye Vremya” newspaper), Artem
Sargsian (Chief Editor of “Armenia” TV company) and Aram Safarian (Deputy
Director of the Second Armenian TV Channel). Armenian citizens, who are
reputable and competent experts in journalism, law, broadcast management,
science, culture and arts, having higher education and fluent in Armenian
language, can take part in the competition. The deadline for the
applications is on February 1, 2005.
Competition for filling in vacancies in the Council of Public TV and Radio
Company was announced due to expiration of a four-year term of service of
two Council members on January 19, 2005 – Henrik Hovhannisian and Stepan
Poghosian.
A similar competition will be held in Armenia for the first time and is
conditioned by the amendments to the RA Law “On Television and Radio”,
adopted on December 3, 2003 by the National Assembly. According to the
changes, the formation of the broadcast regulatory bodies (the PTRC Council
and the National Commission on Television and Radio) must be made by
competition. However, the members will still be appointed by the President
of the country – nowadays from among the competition winners.
“SHOGHAKAT’ RESUMED BROADCASTS
Since January 24 “Shoghakat” TV company resumed its broadcasts. The break in
the air lasted for a week (since January 17) and was due to technical
re-equipment of the channel.
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Press Club is required.
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Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
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