YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
APRIL 21-27, 2006
HIGHLIGHTS:
YPC GENERAL MEETING HELD
“PRESS-CLUB+”: “REPUBLIC” DISCUSSING NEW PARTIES AND RELATIONS BETWEEN
ARMENIA AND IRAN
FIRST RA OMBUDSMAN PRESENTED HER REPORT
PPA DEMANDS A REFUTATION
TWO ISSUES OF “PAKAGITS” DID NOT REACH THE READER
YPC GENERAL MEETING HELD
On April 21 the General Meeting of Yerevan Press Club was held. At the
Meeting the reports of the YPC Board (presented by YPC President Boris
Navasardian) and Auditing Commission (presented by the Chairman of the
Commission Mher Davoyan) were heard. The President, Vice-President, members
of the Board, Council, Auditing Commission and Commission on Professional
Ethics were elected; the Executive Director and the Editor of YPC Weekly
Newsletter were approved. The renewed composition of these structures can be
seen at YPC web-site in “Structure” section.
Among other issues, the Statutes of the YPC Annual Award was presented at
the Meeting. The Statutes had been approved by the YPC Board on April 4,
2006 (see “Award” section at ).
“PRESS-CLUB+”: “REPUBLIC” DISCUSSING NEW PARTIES AND RELATIONS BETWEEN
ARMENIA AND IRAN
On April 25 the seventh sixth talk show of “Press Club+” series went on the
evening air of “Yerkir-Media” TV company.
The invitees of the program host, the Chief Editor of “Aravot” daily Aram
Abrahamian were the leaders of “Republic” party as guests and NGO
representatives as experts. The TV discussion focused on formation of new
parties, their role in the Armenian political system; relations of Armenia
with Iran and other countries, the regimes of which are opposed by the West.
It is expected that at 21.00 next Tuesday (May 2) the third “Press Club”
show will be aired, where representatives of media and journalistic
associations of Armenia will present their opinions on the coverage of the
issues of the day.
FIRST RA OMBUDSMAN PRESENTED HER REPORT
On April 26 at “Yerevan” Hotel the first Human Rights Defender of Armenia
Larisa Alaverdian presented her annual report on the activities of the
Ombudsman and the violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in
2005 to public. According to the amendments to the RA Constitution, adopted
at the referendum of November 27, 2005, the term of service of the first
Human Rights Defender ended on January 5, 2006. The activities of the
Ombudsman’s Office were stopped until the election of the new Defender by
the Parliament. Nevertheless, Larisa Alaverdian addressed the National
Assembly with request to present her report for 2005 at the spring session.
The report was included into the session agenda, but Larisa Alaverdian was
only given an opportunity to speak during the debate. The report itself was
read out to the deputies on April 13 by the newly elected Ombudsman Armen
Harutiunian. At the presentation of April 26 Larisa Alaverdian noted that
she would like to make a personal account to the public for her activities
as the Ombudsman, which is the reason for the event.
One of the sections of the report of the first RA Human Rights Defender
dealt with the freedom of expression and information. It listed the laws and
provisions, regulating the media system of the country. Generally, in the
opinion of the first Ombudsman, “if the existing laws are strictly followed,
the obstacles to the freedom of information can be overcome”. The report
lists specific cases of obstructing access to information, restrictions on
the free expression, violence against journalists and media in 2005. It is
emphasized, that the constitutional reform did not take into account most of
the proposals by journalistic associations and the Human Rights Defender. As
a result, the amended Constitution refers to only one body, regulating the
broadcasting sphere (instead of two); its mission, status and function are
not duly specified. Among other legislative shortcomings the report also
mentions the RA Law “On Fight against Terrorism” that “endangers the rights
of journalists, accessibility and dissemination of information on
terrorism”.
“While the number of violations of journalists’ rights, attacks on media
representatives in 2005 reduced, in the opinion of independent experts,
Armenia displays a trend towards deterioration in terms of freedom of
expression and access to information. This is witnessed by the assessments
of domestic and international journalistic associations”, the report of the
first RA Ombudsman notes. The results of the TV channel monitorings, made by
NGOs, show that “the broadcast sphere of Armenia is excessively influenced
and controlled by oligarchic groups, closely related to power structures”,
resulting “in the dependence of TV companies on the authorities and
penetration of censorship into Armenian TV air”. “Public Television of
Armenia does not comply with its direct function – to reflect the interests
of the public at large, provide impartial information to the population –
and is influenced by the higher authorities and related oligarchic groups”,
Larisa Alaverdian believes. As an objective parameter, proving the
dependence of the TV channels, the first RA Human Rights Defender refers to
the findings of media monitorings on constitutional referendum coverage,
made by NGOs, including Yerevan Press Club.
In the opinion of Larisa Alaverdian, the freedom of expression situation in
broadcast media (less so in print media) remains vulnerable. The main
reasons for that include the economic dependence of the media and the
mechanism for the formation of regulatory bodies – the Council of Public TV
and Radio Company, and the National Commission on Television and Radio. The
constitutional reform had much room for the improvement of the NCTR
formation procedures; however, the amendments adopted give little chance to
hope that the broadcast licensing process will become more objective and
professional, the section on freedom of expression and information of the
report of RA Human Rights Defender concludes.
PPA DEMANDS A REFUTATION
On April 26 at the court of primary jurisdiction of Center and Nork-Marash
communities of Yerevan hearing on the suit of Progressive Party of Armenia
versus “Pakagits” daily started. The plaintiff demands refutation of
information, published by “Pakagits” that damages the honor and reputation
of the party and its leaders, as well as a public apology.
The reason for the suit were three pieces of “Pakagits” of March 7, 8 and
11, 2006, in which the Progressive Party of Armenia (PPA) and its leader
Tigran Urikhanian were criticized and the financial capacities of the party
were questioned. The suit application informs that PPA had addressed the
editorial staff of “Pakagits” in writing, demanding to refute the
discrediting information, however, the daily refused to do so in the
subsequent article.
On April 25 the newspaper stated to the court that the suit lists “Pakagits”
daily as a respondent, while it is not a legal person. In this regard on the
session of April 26 the plaintiff filed a motion to replace the wrong party
and involve the daily founder “Agap-Hrat” LLC as the respondent. The motion
was secured.
The next session is to be held May 18.
TWO ISSUES OF “PAKAGITS” DID NOT REACH THE READER
On April 21 “Pakagits” daily reported that its two previous issues did not
reach the readers. As the newspaper writes, on April 19 the editorial office
started receiving phone calls that the “Haymamul” newspaper stalls did not
have the fresh “Pakagits” issue. It turned out later than the print run was
bought out from the stalls. The reason, in the opinion of “Pakagits”, was
the article published in the issue, “Andranik Maragarian’s Corruption
Risks”. The piece was dealing with the business, allegedly owned by the RA
Prime Minister and his family, and was accompanied by photographs.
“Pakagits” believes that the action of print run purchase was implemented by
people, close to the government and the Prime Minister. As YPC was told by
the Chief Editor of “Pakagits” Agapi Haykazuni, this very article was
repeatedly printed in the next newspaper issue, of April 20. However, the
print run “was stolen by unknown individuals from the editorial car”,
delivering the issues to the disseminating agencies. According to the Chief
Editor, this happened when the driver came into the editorial office to
leave 50 copies of the issue there.
The article above appeared again in “Pakagits” issue of April 21.
The news of “Pakagits” print run disappearance was published by “Azg” daily
on April 21. The next day, April 22, “Azg” published the response of the
Department of Information and Public Relations of the RA Prime Minister,
titled “Much Ado About Nothing”. The response of the Department noted in
particular that over the past few months “Pakagits” published a series of
articles about the Prime Minister “of humiliating and personally insulting
quality”, and this is why these stories “were never significant enough to
receive the attention” of the head of the government. In the opinion of the
Department, the loss of the print run is organized by “Pakagits” itself and
is “nothing but a trick to raise the interest to the newspaper at least a
little”. “Until this newspaper ensures due journalistic professionalism, it
will be neglected: no response will follow to any article about the Prime
Minister”, the response of the Department of Information and Public
Relations of the RA Prime Minister said.
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Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
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