WILL THE MAYOR OF GYUMRI KEEP HIS WORD?
Lragir
Dec 14 2007
Armenia
On December 13 the economic court of Gyumri continued the hearing of
the suit of the City Hall of Gyumri against Gala TV. Karen Tumanyan,
the attorney of CHAP LLC, owner of Gala TV, proposed adjourning
the hearing because he had appealed to the Economic Court of
Armenia against the decision of Justice Nahapetyan to decline the
counterclaim against involuntary servitude until the ruling of the
Economic Court of Armenia. Justice Nahapetyan adjourned the hearing
for 30 minutes. The court room was full of supporters of Gala TV,
freedom of speech activists, guests from Yerevan, other places. They
carried posters, megaphones. Reporters of about ten Yerevan-based media
led by the head of the Committee for Freedom of Speech Ashot Melikyan
were there. During the adjournment they picketed the court building,
under the window of the judge, and urged the judge to decline to
judge the case. The picket continued inside the courtroom until the
judge announced to accept the claim of the answerer. The hearing
was adjourned.
After the hearing about fifty people walked to the City Hall to notify
officially about the rally to be held on December 19. It turned out
that several jeeps and 3 or 4 water cannons were waiting in front of
the City Hall, and the male staff of the City Hall with about ten young
men crowded the entrance. When Levon Barseghyan and Vahan Tumasyan,
coordinators of the Headquarters for Freedom of Speech and Gala TV,
tried to get in and notify the General Department about the rally,
the door was locked. The security informed that the mayor is ready to
meet 10 to 15 people. The representatives of the headquarters said they
did not want to meet the mayor, but the security guard insisted on the
offer of the City Hall, and finally Levon Barseghyan, Vahan Tumasyan,
A. Aslanyan from the Headquarters for Freedom of Speech and Gala TV,
the head of the Committee for Freedom of Speech Ashot Melikyan and
eight reporters went in. A spontaneous news conference was held, and
in answer to the question why the reporters of Gala TV were turned
out from the City Hall, the mayor of Gyumri Vardan Ghukasyan said he
feels disgust for Gala TV.
Then he said Gala TV is pro-All-Armenian Movement, has a lot of money,
he had helped this TV channel, provided them with premises, nobody
knows what grants it gets, this is a political activity, and so on,
and then answered the questions of reporters. The Headquarters for
Freedom of Speech and Gala TV disagrees with Ghukasyan’s statements
and considers it unnecessary to comment on or deny them.
Noticing that the mayor repeated that the stipulation for the solution
of the problem is to pay the rent for the transmission tower for the
past years, one of the coordinators of the Headquarters for Freedom of
Speech and Gala TV Levon Barseghyan offered a proposal on a three-party
agreement signed by him, the City Hall and Gala TV.
Firstly, Levon Barseghyan pays a reasonable (equal to fees for other
similar services) sum for rental of the old transmission tower for
the past 2.5 years. Secondly, the City Hall stops the process.
Thirdly, the City Hall lets the transmission tower to Gala TV for a
reasonable fee or allows installing the equipment of the TV company
on the tower for a reasonable sum.
The mayor accepted the proposal. Two hours later the founder and
owner of Gala TV Vahan Khachatryan also accepted the proposal. On
Monday the City Hall will inform Levon Barseghyan about the size of
the fee for the past period and rental in future.
The Headquarters for Freedom of Speech and Gala TV reports that
progress in struggle for Gala TV and adjournment of the trial was made,
a new option of solution of the problem with the transmission tower
was found, the City Hall was closed to visitors between 1.30 pm and
2.30 pm, the streets were full of snow while the machines for cleaning
snow were standing in front of the City Hall, covering the jeeps and
staff in front of the City Hall, the mayor displayed unacceptable
discrimination toward the reporters of Gala TV, explaining it with
the feeling of disgust.
On December 17 at 11 am the Economic Court of Gyumri will hear the suit
of the Tax Service of Gyumri against the owner of Gala TV, claiming
26 million drams, which the society and we believe is a false sum,
with insufficient legal and economic grounds. A counterclaim will be
made during the hearing.
Headquarters for Freedom of Speech and Gala TV
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
