YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 1-4, 2008
HIGHLIGHTS:
AUGUST BECAME A RECORD MONTH BY INCIDENTS WITH JOURNALISTS
GOVERNMENT SUSPECTED OF A CONSPIRACY
ARMAN BABAJANIAN TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER PENITENTIARY
CHAIRMAN OF PRECINCT ELECTION COMMISSION 13/16 TO PAY A FINE
PTRC AND TURKISH TRT INTEND TO COOPERATE
AUGUST BECAME A RECORD MONTH BY INCIDENTS WITH JOURNALISTS
On August 21 Yerevan Press Club, the Committee to Protect Freedom of
Expression, Media Diversity Institute-Armenia, "Asparez" Journalists Club of
Gyumri, Vanadzor Office of Helsinki Citizens Assembly, Vanadzor Press Club
and Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center released a statement
on the incidents that occurred with media representatives in Armenia.
"August 2008 was unrivaled in terms of violence against journalists. Herein
these incidents are listed chronologically:
1. On August 1 in the city of Ashtarak the administrative officer of
"Haikakan Zhamanak" daily Gagik Hovakimian was brought to a police
department, where he was held for about an hour and a half. Gagik Hovakimian
had driven the newspaper correspondent Anna Zakharian in an editorial car –
for the journalist to report on the situation in the city, in particular,
the interrupted transportation service on the day when an opposition rally
was to be held in Yerevan. Despite the demands of the editorial staff, the
police officers, who had exercised illegal violence against a media
representative, have not been held accountable to this day.
2. On August 5, upon the order of the judge of the court of primary
jurisdiction Kentron and Nork-Marash communities Gagik Avetisian photo
journalist Gagik Shamshian was incarcerated for several hours. Shamshian,
who was going to shoot the court hearings of the case of the member of the
Political Council of "Republic" party Smbat Ayvazian, was held locked in the
basement of the court building, after which he was taken to the police
department of Kentron community.
3. On August 6 the correspondent of "Chorrord Ishkhanutiun" newspaper Gohar
Vezirian, who was covering the trial of the same case, upon an order from
the judge was taken by the compulsory executors out of the courtroom. The
latter ones, having used force and with blows, took Vezirian to a room,
designed for holding defendants. The journalist was kept there for an hour
and a half, in the company of people, charged with various crimes, after
which she was taken to the police department of Kentron community.
4. On August 11 the correspondent of "Haikakan Zhamanak" daily Lusineh
Barseghian was beaten upon leaving home. The journalist was moved to "Surb
Grigor Lusavorich" medical center where the doctors who had examined her
diagnosed a head injury and a bruise. Criminal proceedings were instituted,
with the perpetrators not found to this day.
5. Finally, in the evening of August 18 in the center of Yerevan the acting
head of Yerevan office of the Armenian Service of Radio Free Europe/Radio
Liberty Hrach Melkumian was attacked and beaten.
In other words, the society that was hoping to have a climate of tolerance
established after the tragic events of March 1 witnesses a new wave of
violence against press representatives. This happens now when the Republic
of Armenia is supposed to make take steps for speedy implementation of PACE
Resolutions 1609 ("The functioning of democratic institutions in Armenia")
and 1620 ("The implementation by Armenia of Assembly Resolution 1609
(2008)"), also requiring reforms in freedom of expression.
We, representative of NGOs, express our deepest concern not only at the
continuing traditional inaction of the Armenian authorities, but also the
fact that the legal professional activities of journalists are all the more
often obstructed by officials of court and law enforcement bodies.
We are concerned: the violence against media has come up to a dangerous
line, and the authorities must not only abstractly state their anxiety and
make appeals, but also take effective steps to identify all people who
committed violence and offences, to punish them as strictly as the law
stipulates, regardless of their positions", the statement of the seven NGOs
says.
It should also be noted that Gagik Shamshian and Gohar Vezirian were
released on August 5 and 6, respectively, having spent over two hours at the
Kentron police department. As to the incident of August 11, involving the
correspondent of "Haikakan Zhamanak", the criminal proceedings have been
instituted by the Nor Nork police department by Article 118 of the RA
Criminal Code ("Beatings"). On August 12 the Head of OSCE Office in Yerevan
Sergey Kapinos sent letters to the RA Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepian
and the Head of the RA Police Alik Sargsian with regard to the attack on
Lusineh Barseghian, expressing his alarm at the occurrence and urged the law
enforcement bodies to take prompt measures "to find and punish perpetrators
of this violent act". The investigation into the attack on the acting head
of Yerevan office of the Armenian Service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Hrach Melkumian, committed on August 18, is made by Kentron Police
Department.
GOVERNMENT SUSPECTED OF A CONSPIRACY
On August 28 the RA Government approved the draft law on introducing an
amendment to the RA Law "On Television and Radio" that will be submitted to
the National Assembly in accordance with the existing procedures. "The
decision is made in order to ensure the transfer from analogue TV and radio
broadcasting to digital system on the territory of Armenia. It was noted
that the solution proposed in the draft will allow making a transfer from
one system to another in a smooth manner, avoiding the temporary licensing
procedures in the transitional period", the official report of the session
says (quoted by the web-site of the RA Government, ).
Following the sad tradition of long standing, the draft laws on media are
developed and initiated by the Government within strictest secrecy. This
time again the document came as a surprise for the journalistic community.
Its approval in the Government was not preceded by an expert discussion,
moreover, even after the session the document text remains unavailable. It
has not been placed on the web-site, and all attempts of journalists to get
it remain futile.
Taking into account the fact that a number of previous drafts were strongly
criticized immediately after the publicizing, it is not surprising that the
current legislative initiative of Government is seen by many to be another
conspiracy against freedom of media.
ARMAN BABAJANIAN TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER PENITENTIARY
On August 11 the Chief Editor of "Zhamanak-Yerevan" daily Arman Babajanian
(sentenced to 3.5 years of imprisonment for document fraud to evade
mandatory military service) released a statement announcing a hunger strike
that he started to protest his possible transfer from "Hospital for
Convicts" penitentiary institution to "Nubarashen" institution. According to
information that Arman Babajanian had received, in "Nubarashen" his life and
health would be endangered. In his statement Arman Babajanian also reported
that as a result of a search in his hospital chamber on August 2 he received
a reprimand for storing items of primary necessity, which are not prohibited
according the "Zhamanak-Yerevan" Editor. According to the supposition made
by "Hayk" daily (of August 7, 2008), the true purpose of the search and the
sanction that ensued was the prevention of further requests of Arman
Babajanian for an early release, on grounds of his good conduct. As it has
been reported, on July 18 the Commission on Early Release and Release on
Parole refused the plight for the early release of "Zhamanak-Yerevan" Chief
Editor for the third time (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, July 11-18, 2008). The
Armenian authorities were urged to release Arman Babajanian early by a
number of international human rights and journalistic associations,
professional associations, media and NGOs of the country. The addresses
noted that the head of "Zhamanak-Yerevan" had already spent two years in
incarceration, and the sentence was disproportionate to his offence.
In an interview to "Aravot" daily of August 23, 2008 Arman Babajanian said
he was transferred not to "Nubarashen" but to "Erebuni" penitentiary
institution instead. Arman Babajanian also noted he had stopped the hunger
strike since he had received oral guarantees that his life and health are
out of danger.
CHAIRMAN OF PRECINCT ELECTION COMMISSION 13/16 TO PAY A FINE
On July 28 the court of general jurisdiction of Erebuni and Nubarashen
communities of Yerevan found the Chairman of the Precinct Election
Commission 13/16 Vasil Afian guilty of violating Part 1 of Article 149 of
the RA Criminal Code ("Obstructing the realization of electoral right, the
work of electoral commission or the implementation of the authorities of
election participants") and imposed a fine on him, amounting to 300,000 AMD
(about $ 1,000). As it has been reported, on the day of presidential
elections in Armenia, February 19, 2008, Vasil Afian obstructed the work of
correspondent of "Haikakan Zhamanak" Lusineh Barseghian and an observer,
deputy of the RA National Assembly of "Heritage" party Armen Martirosian,
who arrived at the precinct to check up a signal of violations (see details
in YPC Weekly Newsletter, June 27-July 3, 2008).
PTRC AND TURKISH TRT INTEND TO COOPERATE
On August 26 in Ankara a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the
Public TV and Radio Company of Armenia and TRT TV and radio company of
Turkey. The document calls for the organization of TV and radio programs
about Armenia and Turkey, experience exchange between the companies,
membering in the European Broadcasters Union.
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Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
_____________________________________ _______
Yerevan Press Club
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