Yerevan Press Club Weekly Newsletter – 05/26/2005

YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

MAY 20-26, 2005

HIGHLIGHTS:

TWENTY-SIXTH “PRESS CLUB” SHOW

UNDP AND YPC COMPETITION

“INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS” WON THE CASE ON COMPENSATION OF DAMAGES

REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF PUBLIC TV AND RADIO COMPANY TAKEN INTO
CONSIDERATION

FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT FOR “DIALOGUE OF CIVILIZATIONS” CUP

TWENTY-SIXTH “PRESS CLUB” SHOW

On May 23 on the evening air of the Second Armenian TV Channel twenty-sixth
“Press Club” show was issued. The cycle is organized by Yerevan Press Club
under a homonymous project, supported by the OSI Network Media Program.

The representatives of the leading media and journalistic associations of
Armenia discussed constitutional reforms in Armenia, in general, and the
parliamentary adoption of the draft amendments to the Main Law of the
country in the first hearing, in particular. The program participants expect
the main subjects on the pages of newspapers and the air this week to be:
celebration of the First Republic Day on May 28; visit of the Venice
Commission members to Armenia; the last four-day sitting of the spring
session of the Parliament; currency exchange fluctuations. Of international
affairs, in the opinion of “Press Club” participants, the Armenian media
will primarily focus on the situation in Azerbaijan, after the dispersion of
the opposition rally in Baku on May 21. Armenian media will also continue to
analyze negotiations on Karabagh resolution held between the Presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan on May 15 in Warsaw and the response to the meeting
of the media in the two countries.

UNDP AND YPC COMPETITION

United Nations Development Program and Yerevan Press Club announce
competition for best publications (articles, analysis, investigations) on
corruption in health and education. The purpose of the competition is to
encourage the journalists, writing about corruption.

To participate in the competition one must submit at least 3 pieces on the
subject, published in print or online editions from November 1, 2003 to July
1, 2005.

The deadline for the submission is July 5, 2005.

The stories should be submitted to Yerevan Press Club, at 9B, Ghazar
Parpetsi str., Yerevan, tel.: (374 10) 53 00 67, 53 35 41.

Award ceremony will be held on July 18, 2005.

“INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS” WON THE CASE ON COMPENSATION OF DAMAGES

On May 24 the court of primary jurisdiction of Center and Nork-Marash
communities of Yerevan ruled to secure the suit of “Investigative
Journalists” NGO versus Republic of Armenia. As it has been reported, the
plaintiff demanded to be compensated the court losses and other expenditures
of 308,000 AMD (over $ 700), incurred during the lengthy litigation against
the Yerevan municipality (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, April 15-28, 2005).

The litigation against the Yerevan administration started over a year ago
(April 14, 2004) and was related to the refusal to provide the resolutions,
necessary for the journalistic investigation. The documents requested were
adopted by the municipality in 1997-2003 and referred to the construction in
the public green zone around the National Opera and Ballet Theater. Courts
of primary and secondary jurisdiction rejected this claim, the court of
supreme jurisdiction directed the case for repeated consideration of the
Court of Appeals (in new composition), which secured the claim. Then the
municipality challenged the ruling made, however, on February 10, 2005, the
Court of Cassation left it unchanged. Despite the ruling, the city
authorities did not provide the documents, and on March 17 “Investigative
Journalists” addressed the RA Compulsory Execution Service. Since the
two-month period, allocated by the law to compulsory execution, has expired,
one can hope, that soon the case on the obstinate refusal of the Yerevan
municipality to provide necessary information to the journalistic
organization will be resolved.

REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF PUBLIC TV AND RADIO COMPANY TAKEN INTO
CONSIDERATION

On May 24 at the session of the RA National Assembly the report of the
Chairman of the Council of Public Television and Radio Company Alexan
Harutiunian on the activities of the Public TV and Public Radio of Armenia
in 2004 was heard and taken into consideration.

FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT FOR “DIALOGUE OF CIVILIZATIONS” CUP

On May 10-19 in Yerevan 5th International Mini-Football Tournament for
“Dialogue of Civilizations” Cup, organized by the Association of Foreign
Correspondents, was held. Eight teams took part in the competition:
Embassies of Germany and Italy in Armenia, Russian border troops, UN,
Association of Foreign Correspondents, “Kilikia” Beer Factory, Yerevan
Center community and “Avers/Vest” company. The winner of the “Dialogue of
Civilizations” Cup was “Avers/Vest” team. The team of German Embassy was
the second, that of Center community – the third.

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Press Club is required.

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Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
____________________________________________
Yerevan Press Club
9B, Ghazar Parpetsi str.
375007, 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:

www.ypc.am