YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
OCTOBER 12-18, 2007
HIGHLIGHTS:
"PRESS CLUB" CYCLE: ELECTIONS AND LEGISLATION
INTOLERANCE INTENSIFIES. ANOTHER ATTACK MADE – ON "ARAVOT" CORRESPONDENT
RSF INDEX: BLOGGERS THREATENED AS MUCH AS JOURNALISTS IN TRADITIONAL MEDIA
FOURTH SOUTH CAUCASUS CONFERENCE ON SELF-REGULATION
"AZDARAR"-2007 AWARDS CONFERRED
"PRESS CLUB" CYCLE: ELECTIONS AND LEGISLATION
On October 17 another "Press Club" show went on the evening air of
"Yerkir-Media" TV company. The guest of the program host Ashot Melikian, the
Chairman of the Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression, was the deputy
head of Transparency International-Armenia Varuzhan Hoktanian. The subject
for discussion was the upcoming presidential elections and the RA Electoral
Code.
The next program of "Press Club" cycle will be aired by "Yerkir Media" on
October 24 at 21.40.
The "Press Club" cycle is produced under a project of Media Diversity
Institute, supported by Open Society Institute Assistance
Foundation-Armenia.
INTOLERANCE INTENSIFIES. ANOTHER ATTACK MADE – ON "ARAVOT" CORRESPONDENT
In the afternoon of October 11 at the editorial office of "Aravot" daily an
incident occurred to its correspondent Ruzan Minasian. When the journalist
came to the editorial office, a group of people started insulting her and
throwing items they could lay hands on at her. Ruzan Minasian was slightly
injured.
The reason for the incident was the article by Ruzan Minasian "No Money
Charged from Deceased", published in "Aravot" on October 11, 2007. The story
quoted the letter of the imprisoned A.M., convicted for murder committed in
2002 and pleading not guilty. The article caused the indignation of the
victim’s family and friends who came to "Aravot" editorial office and
started a brawl.
The statement of Yerevan Press Club, Journalists Union of Armenia and the
Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression, released on October 12,
stressed: "(…) The lack of punishment for intimidation, insults and
attacks, made by representatives of political and oligarchic groups, their
bodyguards, results in a situation when intolerance to journalists and media
seizes other segments of the society, too, that have the idea instilled of
violence being appropriate response to facts, arguments and opinions."
Journalistic organizations reminded that "journalist follows his/her public
duty, also reports the different opinions that exist in the society on a
certain issue": "In this case Ruzan Minasian did nothing more than present
the stance of a person, convicted for life, his justifications of his own
innocence. The people of contrary viewpoint, using their right to respond,
could have published their arguments." The signatories condemned another act
of violence against journalist and demanded that "those responsible for it,
this time known, be held to account in accordance with the law".
In the opinion of the RA Human Rights Defender Armen Harutiunian, expressed
in a statement of October 12, this intolerant attitude of citizens to the
professional activities of a journalist poses a threat to the establishment
of independent fourth estate in the country and adversely affects the
reputation of the state.
On October 12 the RA Police announced that criminal proceedings were
instituted by the Police of Yerevan Center community on Article 164 of the
RA Criminal Code ("Impeding the legitimate professional activities of
journalist"). The press release also listed the names of six women that
started the scuffle at "Aravot" editorial office.
Meanwhile, as YPC was told by Ruzan Minasian, she had been attacked not only
by women, but also by at least three men, one of them being most active. She
also noted she had interviewed one of these three men. Ruzan Minasian said
she would keep insisting that all the participants of the attack be charged
with the case.
RSF INDEX: BLOGGERS THREATENED AS MUCH AS JOURNALISTS IN TRADITIONAL MEDIA
On October 16 "Reporters Without Borders"(RSF) international organization
released its sixth annual Worldwide Press Freedom Index. The study was
conducted in 169 countries and based on events between September 1, 2006 and
September 1, 2007. RSF index was compiled by surveying 15 partner
organizations and 130 correspondents of RSF, as well as journalists,
researchers, lawyers and human rights activists. The respondents were
assessing the press freedom in each country with a questionnaire compiled by
RSF and including 50 criteria: ranging from various forms of pressure on
journalists and media to legislative restrictions, the behavior of
authorities towards the state-owned media and foreign press. Obstacles to
the free flow of information on the Internet were also taken into account.
The distinctive feature of the past year was the drastic increase in the
persecution of bloggers, online censorship: "More and more governments have
realized that the Internet can play a key role in the fight for democracy
and they are establishing new methods of censoring it." According to RSF, at
least 64 persons are currently imprisoned worldwide because of what they
posted on the Internet.
The bottom ranks of the RSF index, similarly to the last year (see YPC
Weekly Newsletter, October 20-26, 2006), were taken by Turkmenistan (167),
North Korea (168) and Eritrea, with the latter going down to the last, 169th
rank for the first time. RSF noted the disturbing situation in a number of
other countries, too, including China that stagnates near the bottom of the
index (163): "With less than a year to go to the Beijing Olympics the
reforms and the releases of imprisoned journalists so often promised by the
authorities seem to be a vain hope."
The first rank of the RSF index was shared by Iceland and Norway. The
research notes that the G8 member countries, except Russia, show slight
improvement over the past year. All of the European Union member countries
made it into the top 50 except Bulgaria (51) and Poland (56-57). Turkey
(101) was the only country in the European region, where a journalist was
murdered: "The victim was Hrant Dink, the editor of Armenian minority
newspaper ‘Agos’ who was gunned down in January by radical nationalists."
Of the former USSR countries the most benign is the situation in Estonia
(3-4), Latvia (11-12) and Lithuania (23). At a significant distance these
are followed by Georgia (66), Armenia (77), Moldova (81), Ukraine (92-93),
Kyrgyzstan (110), Tajikistan (115), Kazakhstan (125), that have move up a
little in RSF rating. While Russia has went from 147 rank in 2006 to 144 in
2007, in the opinion of index compilers, the country is not progressing:
"Anna Politkovskaya’s murder in October 2006, the failure to punish those
responsible for murdering journalists, and the still glaring lack of
diversity in the media, especially the broadcast media, weighed heavily in
the evaluation of press freedom in Russia." And if Belarus, similarly to
2006, took 151 line in RSF index, two other post-Soviet countries have gone
a bit down: Azerbaijan moved to 139th place, Uzbekistan – to 160th.
"Reporters Without Borders" do not comment on the freedom of press situation
in Armenia in any way. In other words, the journalistic community of Armenia
continues to remain unaware what prompts such drastic ups and downs in its
rank, particularly this time, when Armenia gained the highest line ever,
going up by 25 ranks as compared to 2005 and 2006 RSF index.
FOURTH SOUTH CAUCASUS CONFERENCE ON SELF-REGULATION
On October 11-12 in Tbilisi the fourth South Caucasus Media Conference was
held by the Office of OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and OSCE
Mission in Georgia. The event was dealing with media self-regulation issues
in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The heads of media and journalistic
associations of three countries of South Caucasus, international experts,
OSCE representatives took part in the conference.
"AZDARAR"-2007 AWARDS CONFERRED
On October 17 at the Journalists Union of Armenia "Azdarar" award ceremony
for 2007 was held. The award was established in 2004 by the Journalists
Union of Armenia and JUA "Gold Pen" Awardee Club on the Day of Armenian
Press, celebrated on October 16.
"Azdarar"-2007 was conferred on: the Chief Editor of the bilingual
Turkish-Armenian newspaper "Agos" Hrant Dink (posthumously); the
correspondent of "Azg" daily Melania Badalian – for pieces on culture
affairs; "Shoghakat" TV company – for promoting spiritual and cultural
values; the host of the Music Department of Public Radio of Armenia Alice
Kalantarian – for good language command; the Chief Editor of "Sevan"
newspaper Pap Hayrapetian; photo correspondent of "Hay Zinvor" newspaper
Hovhannes Armenakian – for the photo chronology of Karabagh conflict.
During "Azdarar" award ceremony the JUA Chairwoman Astghik Gevorgian
received a medal "Vazgen I, Catholicos of All Armenians", established by
"Mesrop Mashtots" Education and Culture Center of Vanadzor.
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Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
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