COUNCIL OF EUROPE CONCERNED ABOUT RFE/RL FUTURE IN ARMENIA
By Anna Saghabalian and Harry Tamrazian in Prague
Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
July 2 2007
Visiting senior representatives of the Council of Europe warned the
Armenian authorities on Monday against effectively pulling RFE/RL off
the air, saying that its Armenian-language broadcasts are essential
for political pluralism in the country.
The members of a Council of Europe body monitoring Armenia’s compliance
with its membership obligations to the Strasbourg-based organization
arrived in Yerevan on a regular fact-finding mission that comes in
the aftermath of the May 12 parliamentary elections.
Armenian leaders say that their handling of the vote, described
as largely democratic by European observers, marked significant
progress towards the fulfillment of those commitments and hoped to
earn corresponding praise from the so-called Ago Group. However,
the visit was clearly overshadowed by their controversial drive to
amend the Armenian laws on broadcasting and state duties in a way
that could end RFE/RL’s widely accessible broadcasts.
Ambassador Per Sjogren, head of the group representing the Council
of Europe’s decision-making Committee of Ministers, made a special
statement on the issue at a joint news conference with Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian. He said the planned ban on retransmission of foreign
broadcasts by Armenian state radio could result in a "serious and
adverse impact" on press freedom.
Sjogren also criticized the government proposal to impose heavy fees
on private radio stations engaging in such re-broadcasts. He said the
"disproportionately high broadcasting fees" would strongly discourage
those stations from doing business with foreign broadcasters like
RFE/RL.
"This approach would be contrary to the public interest and the
important contribution that independent and free media should make to
fostering public debate, political pluralism, and diverse opinions,"
the Swedish diplomat said.
Expressing his personal position on the matter, Oskanian again voiced
support for continued unfettered activities of RFE/RL’s Armenian
service. "I hope that a solution will be found as a result of which
Radio Liberty will continue its broadcasts in Armenia," he said.
Oskanian also promised to convey the Council of Europe concerns to
his government.
Sjogren and other members of the Ago Group are due to meet President
Robert Kocharian and parliament speaker Tigran Torosian on Tuesday.
RFE/RL’s future in Armenia was high on the agenda of their meetings
earlier on Monday with Armenian opposition parties and non-governmental
organizations.
In Vienna, meanwhile, the top official at the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe monitoring freedom of the media,
Miklos Haraszti, reiterated his concerns about the draft amendments
in question. In a phone interview with RFE/RL, he said they could
"significantly weaken Armenians’ access to information."
Haraszti also said that he will convey his concerns to the OSCE’s
Vienna-based governing Permanent Council in a special report.