VERDICT ON ANM’S LAWSUIT AGAINST SHANT TV COMPANY TO BE PRONOUNCED IN 2008

Noyan Tapan
Dec 24 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 24, NOYAN TAPAN. The judicial enquiry on the case
of lawsuit of the Armenian National Movement (ANM) Party against the
Shant TV company, presided over by judge Saro Aramian, finished on
December 24 at the first instance court of Arabkir and Kanaker-Zeytun
communities of Yerevan.

ANM representative Karen Karapetian affirmed the lawsuit, with which
the latter asks to oblige the TV company to refute the information
discrediting party’s good reputation. According to the shorthand report
introduced to the court, during the October 30 information program
of Shant, announcer Nver Mnatsakanian said that an anonymous call was
received by the TV company, the author of which threatened that if they
give some negative information on first President Levon Ter-Petrosian,
he will explode the journalists and their relatives. After that
N. Mnatsakanian mentioned "by the way" that the TV company has invited
one of ANM Board members to its information program, but the latter
did not agree to come. Then the announcer condemned the phenomenon
with the words "no matter what political force has done it."

"What grounds do you have that this is a political force and not
a maniac?"

the ANM representative asked. It was also emphasized that the phone
number, from which they called the TV company, is known. And on
November 1 the Pakagits newspaper distorted the statements made
on air for even more, by publishing that material under the title
"ANM Threatens."

A representative of the respondent party, lawyer Aram Karakhanian said
that the information voiced by Shant does not contain any element
discrediting party’s good reputation, honor and dignity. He noted
that the law demands refuting the information and not the analysis
or opinion made on the basis of it.

Eduard Chinarian, a representative of the Pakagits newspaper, stated
that the title "is not information," that the statement made by Shant
was not distorted in the newspaper’s material.

The verdict on the case will be pronounced on January 9.