YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2-8, 2010
HIGHLIGHTS:
ROUND TABLE IN IZMIR
8 YEARS WITHOUT AIR
ROUND TABLE IN IZMIR
On April 2-5 in Izmir, Turkey, a round table on "Journalists Support
Stability and Cooperation in Caucasus" was held. The event was attended by
media representatives from South Caucasus, Russia and Turkey. The round
table was organized within the project of Yerevan Press Club and "Yeni
Nesil" Journalists Union of Azerbaijan, supported by the Open Society
Institute Network Media Program. The partners of YPC and "Yeni Nesil" were
Georgian Institute of Public Affairs, Federation of Journalists of Turkey
and Journalists’ Union of Russia. The round table was held with the
assistance of Izmir University of Economics. The participants discussed the
media situation in the region, the main regional political and economic
issues and their coverage by media, as well as the perspectives and the ways
of cooperation between journalists.
8 YEARS WITHOUT AIR
On April 2, eight years have passed since "A1+" TV company was deprived of
the right to air as a result of a refusal of broadcast license. Since 2002
"A1+" has participated in 12 competitions, held by the National Commission
on Television and Radio, and every time the bids of the TV company were
scored lower than the ones of its rivals.
On April 2, 2010 International Federation of Human Rights, Committee to
Protect Freedom of Expression, Yerevan Press Club, Internews Media Support
NGO, Media Diversity Institute-Armenia, Armenian Helsinki Committee,
Foundation against Violation of Law, Civil Society Institute released a
statement, noting that after April 2, 2002 the broadcasters started to work
more cautiously and that a hidden censorship is applied in Armenia, by using
economic and tax leverage, as well as political pressure. The signatories
mentioned that the European Court of Human Rights in its decision of June
17, 2008 on the suit of the "A1+" founder, "Meltex" LLC, versus Republic of
Armenia ruled that Article 10 of European Convention on Human Rights and
Fundamental Freedoms had been violated, i.e. the right of "A1+" to freely
impart information and ideas. Nevertheless, on September 10, 2008 RA
National Assembly suspended the broadcast licensing competitions for two
years, by enacting the amendments to the RA Law "On Television and Radio".
This became an obstacle for implementing the ruling of ECHR.
On March 4, 2010 the Committee of Ministers of Council of Europe, by
addressing the issue of the enforcement of the ECHR decision on the case of
"A1+", stressed that "detailed information on the developments regarding the
remedies pursued by the applicant before the competent national judicial
authorities is awaited", emphasized the statement. Besides, in its
Recommendation 1897(2010), "Respect for Media Freedom", endorsed on January
27, 2010, the Parliamentary Assembly of CoE called upon the Armenian
Government to revise the amendments to the Law "On Television and Radio",
passed on September 10, 2008.
The human rights and journalistic organizations urged the Armenian
authorities to create conditions that will guarantee the freedom of
expression in Armenia. Particularly, to provide impartiality and
transparency of future broadcast licensing competitions and hereby to
ensure well-founded and justified decisions by National Commission on
Television and Radio, which will restore public trust.
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Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
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