PRESS RELEASE
The National Citizens’ Initiative
75 Yerznkian Street
Yerevan 375033, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 27.16.00, 27.00.03
Fax: (+374 – 10) 52.48.46
Email: info@nci.am
Website:

March 31, 2006

NCI Focuses on Armenia’s Informational Predicament

Yerevan–The National Citizens’ Initiative (NCI) today convened a
roundtable on “Ways to Surmount Armenia’s Information Crisis.” The
meeting brought together social and political activists, human rights
advocates, analysts, experts, and media representatives.

NCI coordinator Hovsep Khurshudian welcomed the audience with
opening remarks: “Today, when some politicians of the opposition
and independent analysts are hopeful that a real opportunity
has emerged for the upcoming parliamentary elections to be held
freely and in compliance with the standards of democracy, even
without the restoration of the right of the A1+ and Noyan Tapan
independent television companies to broadcast, reminds me of the year
2002. Following the closing down of these stations, a number of people
were then confident that the rule of law would be established in the
country as the result of the upcoming presidential elections and that
the violated rights would be restored. We recall all too well what
occurred then, and it appears that every condition now exists for a
repetition of the whole scenario.”

In his intervention on “The Effects of Shutting Down A1+ and Noyan
Tapan on the Right of Armenia’s Citizens to Receive Information
and the Means for Overcoming These Effects,” president of the A1+
Television Company Mesrop Movsisian briefly presented the history
of this matter. In his words, the 19 media organizations which after
the notorious contest in 2002 signed a joint declaration deeming the
contest as legitimate in fact signed the verdict not only against
their own freedom of speech but on that of the entire country.

Movsisian finds that the shutting down of A1+ and Noyan Tapan is a
concern not for television stations alone but for the entire population
of Armenia.

He stated that his television company’s petition submitted to
the European Court of Human Rights was now in the process of
examination. According to Movsisian, liberal competition among
electronic media has come to an end in Armenia and as a result there is
a setback not only in terms of unimpeded dissemination of information
but also in the appraisal of journalistic professionalism. And all
of this in its turn has brought forth a severe limitation on Armenian
citizens’ right to receive information.

During his talk concerning “The Impact of the Informational Emergency
on Armenia’s Political Establishment,” Noyan Tapan News Agency’s
analyst Davit Petrosian began his intervention with the words of
the prominent human rights advocate, Academician Andrei Sakharov,
who said that the ruling power ‘s “making a fool” of the people
with the help of the media is no less perilous than terrorism and
dictatorship. He criticized the policy of Armenia’s rulers in making a
“fool” of their own people, adding that the opposition likewise was
not presenting any specific program toward taking the country out of
this informational blockade. Petrosian called attention to the need
to prepare mechanisms for safeguarding the financial independence
of the press. He at the same time accepted Hovsep Khurshudian’s
assertion that in a free market competition television companies
that are professional would make more profitable use of commercials,
whereas the latter should be prohibited in public television, which
receives nearly the same amount from the state budget as the country’s
entire scientific domain, and even under such privileged conditions
and in line with all surveys its rating does not surpass the No 6 spot.

The remainder of the session was devoted to exchanges of views
and policy recommendations among the public figures and policy
specialists in attendance. Also noteworthy were interventions by
Armenia’s first Ombudswoman Larisa Alaverdian; chairman of the “Hetk”
Union of Investigative Journalists Edik Baghdasarian; attorney Vahe
Grigorian; research director of the Armenian Center for National and
International Studies Stiopa Safarian; chairman of Armenian Helsinki
Association Mikael Danielian; Aravot daily’s correspondent Anna
Israelian; Zhamanak daily’s special correspondent Carmen Davtian; A1+
journalist Diana Markosian; Noyan Tapan analyst Susanna Petrosian;
Artak Zeinalian of the Republic Party; Ruzan Khachaturian from the
People’s Party of Armenia; Zoya Tadevosian and Gevorg Kalenchian of
the Heritage Party; Catholic Relief Services Program Director Aida
Arutiunova; chairman Karen Hakobian of the “Huis” NGO; members of
other social organizations; university lecturers; and many others.

The National Citizens’ Initiative is a public non-profit association
founded in December 2001 by Raffi K. Hovannisian, his colleagues,
and fellow citizens with the purpose of realizing the rule of law
and overall improvements in the state of the state, society, and
public institutions.

The National Citizens’ Initiative is guided by a Coordinating
Council, which includes individual citizens and representatives of
various public, scientific, and educational establishments. Five
commissions on Law and State Administration, Socioeconomic Issues,
Foreign Policy, Spiritual and Cultural Challenges, and the Youth
constitute the vehicles for the Initiative’s work and outreach.

For further information, please call (37410) 27-16-00 or 27-00-03;
fax (37410) 52-48-46; email info@nci.am; or visit