IFEX – News from the international freedom of expression community
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UPDATE – ARMENIA

23 June 2008

European Court rules in favour of embattled television station

SOURCE: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), New York

(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 19 June 2008 CPJ press release:

ARMENIA: European Court rules in favor of embattled television station

New York, June 19, 2008 – The European Court of Human Rights ruled Tuesday
that Armenia’s repeated denials of a broadcasting license to the
independent A1+ television station violated Article 10 of the European
Convention on Human Rights. According to the verdict, the Armenian
government must pay the station 20,000 euros (US$31,000) in damages.

Famous for its criticism of Armenian authorities, A1+ was forced off the
air in 2002 when the National Committee on Television and Radio – a
regulatory body whose members are directly appointed by the president –
awarded the station’s frequency to another company (see:
a.html ). Since then, the
agency has repeatedly rejected A1+ applications for a broadcasting license
– moves widely viewed as retaliation for the station’s journalism (see:
europe06.html ). When local
courts dismissed A1+ appeals as unfounded, station owner Mesrop Movsesyan
filed an appeal with the Strasbourg-based court in 2004.

"We urge Armenian authorities to view this ruling as a signal to grant a
license to the station," said Nina Ognianova, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia
program coordinator. "By granting a license to A1+, newly elected President
Serzh Sarkisian will demonstrate his commitment to press freedom in the
country."

In its verdict, the court found that government regulators refused to
provide reasons for the denials despite numerous requests from A1+
management (see:
tem=1&portal=hbkm&action=html&highligh t=32283/04&sessionid=9432711&skin=hudoc-en
). According to the verdict, the court considered "that a licensing
procedure whereby the licensing authority gives no reasons for its
decisions does not provide adequate protection against arbitrary
interferences by a public authority with the fundamental right to freedom
of expression."

The court found that the repeated and unexplained denials violated the
right to impart information and ideas as outlined in the European
Convention on Human Rights.

Updates the A1+ television station licence denial case:
78

For further information, contact Nina Ognianova (x106) or Muzaffar
Suleymanov (x101) at CPJ, 330 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10001, U.S.A.,
tel: +1 212 465 1004, fax: +1 212 465 9568, e-mail: europe@cpj.org,
nognianova@cpj.org , msuleymanov@cpj.org, Internet:

The information contained in this update is the sole responsibility of CPJ.
In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit CPJ.
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