YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
DECEMBER 8-14, 2006
HIGHLIGHTS:
SECOND FINAL ISSUE OF "PRESS-CLUB+": PARTIES, EXPERTS AND AUDIENCE DISCUSS
DOMESTIC POLICY
TESEV HOSTED BY YPC
LITIGATION ON INSULT OF "ALM" HEAD STARTED
PACE DRAFT RESOLUTION STRESSES THE NEED TO ENSURE BROADCAST MEDIA PLURALITY
FOR ELECTIONS
PRESS DOING ITS BEST TO WIGGLE OUT
WINNERS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND ANTICORRUPTION COMPETITIONS ANNOUNCED
SECOND FINAL ISSUE OF "PRESS-CLUB+": PARTIES, EXPERTS AND AUDIENCE DISCUSS
DOMESTIC POLICY
On December 12 the last "Press Club+" talk show in 2006 went on the evening
air of "Yerkir-Media" TV company. The program was dealing with domestic
policy and was one of the two final issues of 2006 (the first one on
December 5 focused on foreign policy of Armenia). Its participants – experts
and audience – discussed the stances of the parties that were the guests of
"Press-Club+" in September-November on such hot topics as elections, social
conditions in the country, corruption, good governance and democracy.
Unfortunately, "Yerkir-Media" company without notifying YPC changed the time
of the program and did not ensure its quality broadcast. Due to this, on
December 13 in "Yerkirn Aysor" newscast the TV company made an apology to
the viewers and informed that this issue of "Press-Club+" will be repeated
on December 15 at 19.30.
On December 19 (next Tuesday) at 21.00, "Yerkir-Media" will air the final
"Press-Club" TV show.
TESEV HOSTED BY YPC
On December 9 Yerevan Press Club hosted a meeting with Turkish journalists
and researchers who visited Armenia under the project of the Turkish
Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) "Normalization of
Turkish-Armenian Relations". From Armenia representatives of Yerevan Press
Club, "Aravot", "Azg" dailies, Public Radio of Armenia, "Bnagir" online
magazine took part in the meeting, from Turkish – TESEV, "Referans",
"Turkish Daily News", "Zaman", "Yeni Safak" newspapers, Istanbul University
of Culture, Middle East Technical University and Galatasaray University. The
relations between Armenia and Turkey and the potential role of media in
their normalization were discussed.
LITIGATION ON INSULT OF "ALM" HEAD STARTED
On December 14 the court of primary jurisdiction of Center and Nork-Marash
of Yerevan started hearing the case of a professor of Yerevan State
Institute of Cinema and Theater, theater director Armen Mazmanian, charged
with libel and insult of the head of "ALM" TV company Tigran Karapetian. The
criminal proceedings were instituted on August 23, 2006 by the Prosecutor’s
Office of Yerevan basing on the appeal of Tigran Karapetian submitted to the
General Prosecutor’s Office on July 21. The reason for the address was the
statements of Armen Mazmanian to the address of Tigran Karapetian that the
latter qualified as libelous and insulting. The statements were made in the
program of "ARMENAKOB" TV company "The Word with No Tie On", aired on July
18, 2006. According to the charges made, Armen Mazmanian called the head of
"ALM" "a populist parrot, semi-literate, a pickpocket" and announced that
while residing in Volgograd Tigran Karapetian was convicted for "sexual
abuse of minors". The appeal of Tigran Karapetian had a videotape of the
program enclosed. The investigation on the case was completed on October 23.
Armen Mazmanian was charged with Part 1, Article 135 ("Libel") and Part 1,
of Article 136 ("Insult") of the RA Criminal Code, stipulating penal
sanctions.
At the session of December 14 Armen Mazmanian’s attorney Haik Halumian
addressed the court with a motion to give him time to study the case
materials. The motion was secured.
The next session is scheduled for January 12, 2007.
PACE DRAFT RESOLUTION STRESSES THE NEED TO ENSURE BROADCAST MEDIA PLURALITY
FOR ELECTIONS
On December 13 in Paris at the session of the Monitoring Committee of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe the Draft Resolution on
Armenia’s honoring of its obligations and commitments to the CE was adopted.
The Draft was approved on the basis of the report, developed by PACE’s
Armenia Co-rapporteurs George Colombier and Mikko Elo, to be debated at PACE
plenary session in January 2007. At the meeting it was stressed that "simply
passing legislation is not enough to implement democratic reforms in the
country. The laws must be applied". A proof of Armenia’s progress on the way
to democracy and European integration, in the opinion of Monitoring
Committee, will be the upcoming elections that "must comply with European
standards for free and fair elections, and media coverage of the election
campaign and the elections must be pluralist and unbiased".
The need to ensure the pluralism of broadcast media is also stressed in item
6.2 of the Draft Resolution of PACE. It notes, in particular, that
"equitable access to the electronic media by all political parties is an
absolute prerequisite for the holding of free and fair elections". The
adopted amendments to the RA Constitution made it possible to ensure the
greater independence of the bodies, regulating the broadcast media; however,
the Draft Resolution notes, subsequently the draft law package on
broadcasting was developed by the Government without first consulting the
representatives of media and CE and was strongly criticized, not least
concerning the formation of the National Commission on Television and Radio
and appointment of its members. The need to hold consultations with CE
experts and take their recommendations into account before the adoption of
the amendments to the broadcast law is stressed (item 6.2.1). Armenian
authorities are also urged to adopt an open, transparent process of
appointment of members of the Council of Public Television and Radio
Company, as recommended by the Venice Commission (item 6.2.2). "Apart from
reforming the legislation, the Armenian authorities must take steps to
ensure the freedom and pluralism of public television and radio on a
day-to-day basis", item 6.2.3 says. The next item, 6.2.4, expresses full
backing to the monitoring of TV and radio programs with a view to assessing
their independence and impartiality, as provided for in the action plan to
support the parliamentary elections in Armenia in 2007, approved by the CE
Committee of Ministers following a request by the Armenian authorities.
As to print media, "which are reputed to be free and pluralist but play only
a minor role in the provision of public information on account of their
small circulation", item 6.3 of the PACE Draft Resolution notes with
satisfaction that "no criminal libel proceedings have been instituted
against journalists for some years now". "Since the reform of the Criminal
Code in 2004, libel has been punishable by a prison sentence only in the
event of a repeat offence", the Draft says. At the same time, the Armenian
authorities are urged to decriminalise libel and abolish Article 318 of the
RA Criminal Code "Insult of the Representative of Power".
PRESS DOING ITS BEST TO WIGGLE OUT
The paper shortage that occurred in early December at "Tigran Mets"
publishing house, printing about three dozens of newspapers, endangered
their publication and induced the press to look for alternative ways of
overcoming the crisis. As it has been reported, the problem was due to the
stoppage of Ilyichevsk (Ukraine)-Poti (Georgia) ferry: hundreds of railway
carriages intended for Armenia, including those with print paper, gathered
in the Ukrainian port (see details in YPC Weekly Newsletter, December 1-7,
2006). As "Tigran Mets" Director Vrezh Markosian announced, the paper
arrival was expected by this week-end. At this point, not to cease
publishing, the press is doing its best to wiggle out. This, however, did
not tell on the prices, despite the increased publishing expenses of, say,
"Azg" and "Golos Armenii". From December 9 to 13 these newspapers were
printed in "Noyan Tapan" publishing house on a more expensive paper.
Besides, the technical facilities of "Noyan Tapan" did not allow "Golos
Armenii" to retain its standard volume (8/A2 pp.), and the newspaper was
published in 8/A3 pp. A number of other national dailies had to move to
other publishing houses, too. Thus, the official "Respublika Armenia" is
temporarily published in "Gandzapress" publishing house, "Novoye Vremya" and
"168 Zham" – in "Gind".
WINNERS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND ANTICORRUPTION COMPETITIONS ANNOUNCED
On December 12 in Yerevan the award ceremony of "Environment and
Urbanization" competition was held. The competition was organized by OSCE
Office in Yerevan, "Environmental Survival" NGO and the Aarhus-Center of
Yerevan.
In "TV journalism" nomination the first award was granted to Nelli Danielian
("Yerkir-Media" TV company) for the film on mining industry issues in Teghut
village of Lori region. The second prize was received by Vahe Ghazarian
("Kentron" TV company) for the film on Yerevan green zones. The third prize
was conferred on Lilit Davtian ("Shoghakat" TV company) for film on forests
of Tsaghkadzor, and on Seda Grigorian ("Lusalik" TV company, Charentsavan)
for film on green zones of Charentsavan.
In "Press" nomination the first prize went to free-lance journalist Ashot
Gareginian for articles raising the issues of illegitimate wood cuts, the
Yerevan green zones and the mining industry in Teghut village of Lori
region. The second prize was received by Galust Nanian ("Hayastani
Hanrapetutiun" daily) for articles on air pollution in Yerevan and the
environmental situation around the Yerevan Lake. The third award was
received by a journalist of Vanadzor Naira Bulghadarian for an article on
illegitimate wood cuts in Lori region, published by "Hetq Online".
Encouraging prizes in both nominations were granted to films of Haik Kbeyan
("VEM Media Arts" studio) and Armineh Sukiasian ("Shant" TV), publications
by Marianna Grigorian ("ArmeniaNow" online weekly), Ruzanna Bisharian
("Golos Armenii" newspaper) and Susanna Shakhnazarian ("Ban u Gorts"
newspaper, Goris).
Earlier, on December 8, the winners of the anticorruption competition of the
OSCE Office in Yerevan and the Writers Union of Armenia were announced. The
award for the best verse was granted to the Chief Editor of "Loru Marz"
newspaper (Vanadzor) Manvel Mikoyan. The member of Journalists Union of
Armenia Armenak Manukian (Arman Amrikian) was awarded for the best story,
the Chief Editor of "Grakan Tert" Samvel Kosian for the best drama. The
prizes for publicism were conferred on writers Margo Ghukasian, Board member
of Journalists Union of Armenia, and Hrachia Matevosian. The competition
jury acknowledged Nikita Zarobian’s publications on corruption.
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Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
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Yerevan Press Club
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From: Baghdasarian