ARMENIAN RADIO STATIONS DISPUTING GOVERNMENT’S DECISION ON PAYING ANNUAL FEES

Arminfo
15 Jun 07

Yerevan, 15 June: Armenian radio stations Vem, Impuls, City FM,
Ardzagank, Radio Hay, and FM 105.5 are disputing in the Court of
Cassations the government’s decision that radio and television
companies have to pay annually to the Ministry of Transport and
Communications for service, an attorney for the radio stations has
told a news conference.

Olga Safaryan, the legal council of the Internews, a non-government
organization, said that after studying the legal basis of the
ministry’s decision, she has concluded that it was passed with
violations of Articles 42 and 45 of the Armenian Constitution. She
also said that the radio stations had filed a claim with the Economic
Court of Armenia in February 2007 with a demand to void the ministry’s
decision of annual fees of 900,000 drams [about 2,600 dollars]. On
11 May 2007, the Economic Court dismissed the claim.

Safaryan said that the court’s ruling is a violation of the law. She
said they had appealed to the Court of Cassations on 25 May to overrule
the verdict of the Economic Court.

The radio stations have not yet received a reply regarding their
appeal.