YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
NOVEMBER 20-27, 2008
HIGHLIGHTS:
"PRESS-CLUB" AND "PRESS-CLUB+": POLITICAL DIVERSITY AND THE CONDITION OF
FORESTS IN ARMENIA
ONE OF THE ASSAULTERS OF JOURNALIST EDIK BAGHDASARIAN CONFESSED TO THE
POLICE
DECISION TO REVOKE THE SUIT VERSUS "ARAVOT" DAILY ANNOUNCED
THE COURT REFUSED DEMANDS OF THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION CENTRE
FIRST SESSION OF THE WORK GROUP ON BROADCASTING LEGISLATION IMPROVEMENT
"PRESS-CLUB" AND "PRESS-CLUB+": POLITICAL DIVERSITY AND THE CONDITION OF
FORESTS IN ARMENIA
On November 26 another "Press Club" TV show went on the air of "Yerkir
Media" TV company. The cycle is produced by Yerevan Press Club with the
support of the Human Rights and Governance Grants Program of the Open
Society Institute. The guests of the Chairman of the Committee to Protect
Freedom of Expression Ashot Melikian were the secretary of the parliamentary
faction of "Dashnaktsutyun" party Artashes Shakhbazian, member of the board
of Armenian National Movement (ANM) Aram Manukian and member of the European
Committee of Social Rights, doctor of philosophy Lyudmila Harutiunian. The
discussion subject were the issues of political diversity and pluralism in
Armenia.
The next "Press Club" cycle program will be aired by "Yerkir Media" on
Wednesday, December 3, at 23.00.
On November 22 "Yerkir Media" aired another program of "Press Club+" cycle,
produced by Yerevan Press Club with the support of the UK Embassy in
Armenia. The Chairman of the Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression
Ashot Melikian and the participants of the talk show, the chief forestry
officer of "Armforest" state non-commercial organization Ruben Petrosian and
the head of the Association "For Sustainable Human Development" Karine
Danielian discussed the condition of the forests and their influence on the
ecological situation in Armenia. The talk show also gave floor to the
audience, composed of NGO representatives.
The next "Press Club+" show will go on the air of "Yerkir Media" on
Saturday, November 29, at 17.40.
ONE OF THE ASSAULTERS OF JOURNALIST EDIK BAGHDASARIAN CONFESSED TO THE
POLICE
On November 26 Karen Harutyunian came to the police with an acknowledgement
of guilt and confessed that he is one of the assaulters of Edik
Baghdasarian. As it has been reported, on November 17 three strangers
attacked the Chairman of "Investigative Journalists" NGO, Edik Baghdasarian
and beat him (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, November 14-19, 2008).
On November 24 the RA General Prosecutor’s Office spread information that as
a result of activities of the preliminary investigation an identikit of one
of the attackers was composed and he was identified. It was also stressed
that the law machinery makes efforts to arrest that person as well as other
accomplices of the assault.
As press-secretary of the RA General Prosecutor’s Office Sona Truzian told
YPC, Karen Harutyunian who gave him up to the police is the person whose
identikit was composed and for whom measures of inquiry were applied.
DECISION TO REVOKE THE SUIT VERSUS "ARAVOT" DAILY ANNOUNCED
On November 26 session of the Civil Court of Yerevan took place, where
decision was announced to revoke the suit of Arthur Ghevondian, RA police
officer, versus "Aravot" daily and termination of the court proceedings.
As it has been reported, the litigation reason was "If Your Neighbor Is a
Policeman" article, published in "Aravot" on June 25, 2008. The plaintiff
decided that this communication is discrediting his honor and dignity. At
the session of November 14, correspondent of the daily Ruzan Minasian
presented the expert assessment of Media Ethics Observatory on this article
to the court, and the plaintiff announced that if "Aravot" published it, he
would revoke the suit. In November 15 issue, the daily published the text of
the expert assessment. On November 18 the court secured the petition of
Arthur Ghevondian about revoking the suit and termination of court
proceedings (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, November 14-19, 2008).
THE COURT REFUSED DEMANDS OF THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION CENTRE
On November 25, during the session on the suit of the Freedom of Information
Centre (FOI) versus Hrazdan municipality (Kotayk region), RA Administrative
Court refused two claims of the NGO to commit the city administration to
paying a fine and to making the legal acts available to the public. As
expert of the Center Anahit Kocharian told YPC, regarding the first demand
the Court grounded its decision by the fact that NGOs do not have the right
to file claims, demanding to pay an administrative fine; and regarding the
second demand, the Court stated that initially the address of the NGO to the
municipality did not contain such a demand.
As it has been reported, in the session of October 14 Hrazdan municipality
provided the Freedom of Information Center with required documents, and thus
one of the demands of the plaintiff was satisfied. Nevertheless, the NGO
decided to insist on two other demands containing in the statement of claim
(see YPC Weekly Newsletter, October 10-16, 2008).
FOI stated that the organization intends to lodge a complaint against the
decision of the Administrative Court to higher instances.
FIRST SESSION OF THE WORK GROUP ON BROADCASTING LEGISLATION IMPROVEMENT
On November 20 the first session of the work group on broadcasting
legislation improvement took place in the RA National Assembly. The group
was formed under the standing parliamentary committee on science, education,
culture, youth and sports. Representatives of a number of journalistic
associations were also included in the working group. A package of
amendments and additions regulating the broadcasting sphere was introduced
to the legislation at the session. Agreement was achieved that the working
group members will introduce their comments and offers to the committee in
written form, for further discussion.
When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
Press Club is required.
You are welcome to send any comment and feedback about the Newsletter to:
[email protected]
Subscription for the Newsletter is free. To subscribe or unsubscribe from
this mailing list, please send a message to: [email protected]
Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
_____________________________________ _______
Yerevan Press Club
9B, Ghazar Parpetsi str.
0002, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+ 374 10) 53 00 67; 53 35 41; 53 76 62
Fax: (+374 10) 53 56 61
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site:
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
