ARMENIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST FOR COE SECRETARY GENERAL

Lragir, Armenia
Dec 24 2007

The leader of the Supreme Soviet Parliamentary Club NGO Ruben Torosyan
released a statement on December 24 headlined "On the protection of
the honor and dignity of the CoE Secretary General".

Ruben Torosyan informs that they have appealed to the court and the
Office of Prosecutor General for defining the action of the Public
Television and Radio breaching the law and compel them to eliminate
the consequences, as well as "bring charges against the members of
the Public TV and Radio Board Stepan Poghosyan and Henrik Hovanisyan
on Article 308 of the Crime Code (misuse of powers), the violation
of which has endangered the honor and dignity of the CoE Secretary
General."

Afterwards Ruben Torosyan describes the problem. "On December 19,
2007 some newspapers reported the CoE Secretary General Terry Davis
voice concern on the state of the Armenian media which does not
comply with the European benchmarks. Perhaps this is the reason
why the daily antipropaganda against the first president of Armenia
launched in the end of September stopped on that day. However, this
demonstrative obedience lasted for two days, and breaches reoccurred
on December 22, 2007. On December 22 and yesterday Haylur and 360
degrees broadcast a number of propagandist programs about the prime
minister running in the Armenian presidential election, namely the
prime minister’s toast in the housewarming ceremony, the endorsement
of the prime minister by the Democratic National Union of Armenia, the
endorsement of the prime minister in the conference of the Bargavach
Hayastan Party, the tennis competition of the Republican Party, the
prime minister awards medals to officers of the National Security
Service, the participation of the prime minister in the consecration
of the church, the meeting and photographing of the prime minister
with the Little Singers of Armenia, the prime minister in the meeting
of government, the prime minister in the meeting of the MCA Armenia,
the prime minister in the meeting of government."

"On the other hand, on these days a large-scale campaign against the
first president of Armenia was launched. Moreover, neither the Public
Television nor the other TV companies released any information about
the congress of political forces and civil society supporting the
first president," runs the release of Ruben Torosyan. He notes that
the recommendation of the CoE Secretary General to the prime minister
of Armenia had aroused considerable interest among the society.

"However, pretending to listen to him and resuming breaches shortly
after caused frustration with the post of the CoE Secretary General,
which seriously endangers the honor and dignity of the Council
of Europe. Every citizen of a member of the CoE must protect the
reputation of this democratic structure, in case the government of
the given country tries to damage it and gets no reaction from the
corresponding representation of the CoE Secretary General," runs the
message of Ruben Torosyan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress