Armenia

Hrant Dink, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2005
In a strange twist to news that France has passed a bill making denial of the Armenian Genocide a crime, ethnic Armenian journalist Hrant Dink says that he is prepared to deny the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians to defend freedom of speech. […]

Following on from Friday’s news that opposition newspaper editor Arman Babajanian has been jailed for four years for avoiding military service in Armenia, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists has issued an alert. First, the news as reported by RFE/RL’s ArmeniaLiberty.
The court backed prosecutors’ claim that Arman Babajanian of “Zhamanak Yerevan” used fake documents […]

A1 Plus Anniversary Protest Rally, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Hetq Online 2004
As next year’s parliamentary elections approach, pressure on the local media has started to intensify as it always does. In 2002, A1 Plus was taken off the airwaves ahead of the 2003 presidential and parliamentary elections, and was recently evicted […]

Police block a side road leading to Parliament, A1 Plus Protest Rally, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2002

In the continuing saga that perhaps best represents the way the authorities have destroyed freedom of speech in the broadcast media, A1 Plus has once again been denied a broadcasting frequency. The TV station, considered to be the most independent and popular for its news, was taken off the air in a controversial tender for new frequencies in April 2002.

RFE/RL reports on yet another blow to press freedom in a country that Freedom House considers “Not Free” when it comes to the media.

The National Commission on Television and Radio, a regulatory body appointed by President Robert Kocharian, rejected the A1+ station’s application for one of two radio frequencies put on a tender. The commission voted unanimously to give both frequencies to two little-known companies.

Its chairman, Grigor Amalian, insisted that A1+ was again denied a frequency because its competitors submitted stronger bids. “This was an absolutely just decision,” he said.

A1+ representatives dismissed the explanation, saying that Amalian and seven other members of the body simply upheld a political decision made by the authorities. “Today’s decision was not unexpected,” said journalist Karine Asatrian. “I would be surprised if they gave us a frequency.”

One of the frequency winners, Ulis Media, is based at the Yerevan premises of the Armenian Public Radio. Its chief executive, Norayr Mukhoyan, said the company simply rents office space there and has no ties with the government-controlled broadcaster. “I am happy that we won. The tender was definitely fair,” he told RFE/RL.

Reports in the Armenian press have linked the other winner, Radio Pro, with Prime Minister Andranik Markarian’s Republican Party.

A1+, the only national channel that was not loyal to the Kocharian administration, was forced off the air in April 2002 just hours after losing a first-ever frequency tender administered by Amalian’s commission. It has since participated in 11 other biddings and lost all of them.

The commission’s decisions have been denounced as politically motivated by Armenian and international media watchdogs. They as well as the Council of Europe consider A1+’s de facto closure as a serious blow to press freedom in Armenia.

A1 Plus has more on its web site, and quotes its Director Mesrob Movsesyan in saying that Grigor Amalian, the rather shifty looking head of the National Commission for Television and Radio, who at least seems to be able to afford better suits of late, is merely a puppet with the Armenian President pulling the strings.

By putting “A1+” “bad” and its rivals “good” marks Grigor Amalyan once more announced they have made an “impartial” decision this time giving licenses to “Ulyss - Media” and “Radio-Pro” LTDs which are quite unfamiliar to the public. By rating polls “A1+” gained only 22 points whereas its rivals got 29 points. When one of the journalists asked why he put a “bad” mark to “A1+” Grigor Amalyan was surprised that such question might occur to their minds. By the way, the representatives of “Radio-Pro” weren’t even present in the NCTR to know the results of the competition; probably they were sure of their victory.

“I am glad that we won the contest and I think that it was just and fair,” Norayr Mkhoyan, chief producer of “Ulyss - Media” LTD announced after the contest. The representative of the company located on 5 Alek Manoukyan once more refuted their connection with Aleksan Haroutyunyan, the Council of Public Television and Radio Company and “Ulyss” LTD of the “Nairi-Cinema” as “they rented premises in the Radio House on contract bases,” though he couldn’t give reasons for the question whether one can rent premises in the Radio House without “corresponding acquaintances and ties.”

[…]

“The matter is not connected with Amalyan; what can he do? He is merely a tool and must do whatever he is ordered,” said Mesrop Movsesyan on this score. The question must be put in other way; will “A1+” be given a license while the president of the country is Kocharyan? Of course, not. Kocharyan’s attitude to “A1+” is the same, it is invariable though he tries to convince the West that he has missed “A1+” and needs it.

Kocharyan’s hypocrisy is no longer in effect either there or here. At present the time works against them. Amalyan is a puppet, a marionette in all this matter, which will open his mouth each time they pull the thread and will keep silent each time the thread is left but in this case he will bite his tongue.”

The station also reports that the Director of Human Rights Watch is less than satisfied with the response of the Armenian Foreign Ministry to its new reports on human rights practices in the country, and which specifically mention the lack of an independent broadcast media in Armenia. It’s interesting to note that A1 Plus case is currently being examined by the European Court of Human Rights, as was recently reported by the BBC.

The European Court of Human Rights is studying an appeal by an Armenian TV station against a government decision to close it down.

The court’s judgement could have far-reaching implications for freedom of expression and human rights in Armenia and across the southern Caucasus.

In April 2002, the Armenian government took A1+ off the air.

The TV station, which was the most popular independent news channel at the time, has since reapplied ten times for a licence to broadcast. Each time it has been refused.

[…]

When the A1+ signal died, almost four years ago, thousands gathered on the streets of Yerevan to protest.

Those protests lasted for more than a week. It was a show of public support that convinced the A1+ president, Mesrop Movsesyan, that he must find other ways to continue delivering news to the people of Armenia.

“The sheer scale of the public protest, when ordinary people realised that freedom of expression was being attacked through the silencing of A1+, persuaded us that we had a duty to continue to operate as a news organisation, even though our transmitters had been turned off,” he said.

[…]

As well as being unable to broadcast, A1+ journalists are forbidden from attending government news conferences and are refused interviews with ministers.

If they are seen on the streets of Yerevan interviewing members of the public, police move them on.

Boris Navasardian, president of the Yerevan Press Club, says the continued existence of A1+ angers many in power, including politicians, business leaders and members of the judiciary.

He says many want to see the media organisation destroyed and that anger extends to the current government, which, Mr Navasardian says, feels that any alternative point of view should be silenced.

Of course, even if the European Court ruled in favor of A1 Plus, nobody expects that the station would return to the air in time for the 2007 parliamentary elections, or even presidential elections scheduled for 2008. Instead, Public TV as well as Gerard Cafesjian and Bagrat Sarkisyan’s Armenia TV will continue to fulfil the role expected of them in covering up any electoral falsification, and the same will be true for every other TV or radio station allowed to broadcast.

The decision to deprive A1 Plus of the right to broadcast was and still is political as its Director said in an interview I conducted with him the day after the station was taken off the air in April 2002.

The decision to close A1 Plus was taken in November during a private meeting between the Armenian President, Robert Kocharian, the Defense Minister, Serzh Sarkisyan, and the National Security Council. Although we have no evidence, only oral testimony, we believe that the idea to close the station came from that meeting.

[…]

Officially, they argued that our package was bad, and insufficient funding may have been another reason, but it is only a cover for the real reason which is political.

The full interview is available online here.

Liberty Square, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2002

Police block a side road leading to Parliament, A1 Plus Protest Rally, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2002

State Medical University, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Hetq Online 2006

Nayaar? has posted an update on yesterday’s meeting held at Yerevan’s State Medical University (YSMU). The meeting was agreed upon by six representatives of Indian students in Armenia and YSMU’s Rector.

The attendance in the meeting turned out to be approximately 350 students. The students spoke among themselves first clarifying all what had been discussed with the rector earlier that day and on April 23rd.The dean arrived later, along with the pro-rector only to blame us of playing with her honesty. She spoke of what she did at that moment, telling us that she was stunned and could do nothing because the boy’s state was already out of reach. All I still want to ask her is why at that moement, didnot even stoop down for a second to check his pulse and ensure us standing around that he was alive.

It was meant to be attended by representatives of the mass media in Armenia, but only myself and two journalists from Haykakan Zhamanak and Aravot newspapers were there. However, I had to fight to be allowed in after YSMU showed no interest in recognizing my Hetq press pass. I rang Edik Baghdasarian and spoke loudly so I could be overheard about lodging a complaint with the Yerevan Press Club for refusing to allow me into what was agreed to be a press conference. This worked and I was finally allowed in.

Even when I was in, however, the same people on security detail again tried to find a problem with my press pass and reason to remove me from the premises, so this time I told them to ring the Ministry of Justice. That seemed to work, and all seemed to be going smoothly although it quickly became evident why YSMU didn’t want journalists in attendance in reality. The ambulance had been late contrary to other reports that have been circulating in the pro-government press, and I have it all recorded.

There are many more details about the meeting with journalists and the media that should be told, but that can be for a later article by Hetq Online’s Hasmik Hovhannisyan who will now be investigating the circumstances of Prashant Anchalia’s death and the events that followed it. For now, however, it has to be noted that YSMU’s Dean, Anna Sarkisyan, either looked shell-shocked and embattled because of the past week or the fact that she now has to account for herself in front of a bunch of students.

To be honest, it was hard to tell whether she was upset, angry or simply acting. She certainly behaved irrationally had to have the microphone taken away from her by the Pro Rector, a man synomous with provocation and confrontation, to avoid angering the students.

Nevertheless, all appeared to be going so smoothly until suddenly, the Pro Rector Yervandt Sahakyan turned and behaved in a way that was both totally unpredictable and unwarranted. After saying that the Rector was too busy to come now — despite agreeing upon the time and place for the meeting with students on Saturday as past of a last minute deal to get them off the streets — Sahakyan then asked journalists to leave from a meeting that the Rector had promised to allow the media to attend. Nanyaar? has more.

The students, when asked for the rector to come. They first replied by saying that she was in a very important meeting, next the pro-rector telling us that she would be there any moment. It was like they were making excuses for her delay. Finally the pro-rector tells us that the meeting will not take place if the Media person’s remain inside. For which the students reply that they want them to be there. What was their fear if nothing was there to hide? The media persons, including Onnik were asked to move out.

Students requested that we stay, and not least because that had what had been agreed upon. However, Sahakyan became confrontational and declared the meeting was over. Myself and the two other journalists left only to be surrounded by a group of men outside the meeting hall. Intimidating was the only word that could used to describe them, although Sahakyan now started to play the concerned and amiable official with the two female journalists. We can talk with him later, we’ll be allowed in later and why not sit in a room and drink coffee while we wait.

The journalists from the two other papers sttod their ground but were later moved into a private room. At one stage a large bulky many was physically pushing them into it, but not before I asked Sahakyan’s translator and right-hand man (pictured in the bottom photograph speaking) if YSMU was now breaking its agreement to allow representatives of the press to attend. He told me he was too busy and I said I’d take that as refusal to answer a very simple question. He responded that he reserved his right to take the fifth amendment of the constitution.

It’s a pity he doesn’t know which country he’s in and the fact that taking the fifth is usually reserved for court cases in the United States. Anyway, it quickly became obvious that the Rector of YSMU, Gohar Khalyan, had lied to both the students and the media. Incidently, Khalyan is the wife of the main owner of the H2 TV station — ironically absent from proceedings — and President Kocharian’s Head of Staff, Armen Gevorgyan (AKA Armenchik), is also one of H2 majority shareholders and it because of these links that Khalyan is believed to have been recently elected.

The Armenian Deck of 52 has more on Armenchik and it is the husband of the Rector’s business relationship with him that means that his wife can get away with pretty much anything she pleases.

According to “Iravunk,” the newly appointed chief of President Robert Kocharian’s staff, Armen Gevorgian, is one of those “gray cardinals.” The paper says Gevorgian already had “enormous shadowy influence” on Kocharian before the appointment. “Not only is he the main gate-keeper for information reaching the president, but also the individual who decides when one or another politician or official will get to talk to Robert Kocharian. He is also notorious for his extremely strict censorship of TV air. In addition, Armen Gevorgian controls numerous businesses and economic levers. Construction of luxury housing in central Yerevan, which has been accompanied by forced evictions of the local population, is mainly associated with his name.”

Anyway, once the charade was over and the Indian students walked out, YSMU rudely told us to get lost even though they had requested that we sit down in a private room, relax and drink coffee. One of the main people in what was effectively a thuggish security detail wore the pin of Prime Minister Andranik Markarian’s Republican Party. No surprise there as Yerevan’s State Universities are controlled by the main party member of the current coalition government. Incidently, Nessuna was present in the last dying stages of the meeting when journalists were evicted.

What happened after they made the media leave is the following. After about 15 minutes, the guy was who translating, come back saying the rector won’t come down because the media is standing behind the door, which does not count as leaving. Bullshit, the media was not standing behind the door, the media was pushed in a separate room and was hold there. And by the way, the rector did promise a press conference with media present. She broke her promise, yesterday, TWICE.

Anyway, YSMU effectively lied to the students and those media representatives that could be bothered to attend, but it has to be said that it was at least a fascinating insight into the workings of the main State Univerisites in Armenia. Simply put, they are draconian, undemocratic and intimidating structures, and I’d even go so far as to say this is reason enough for all international and Diasporan organizations to cut off any financial support immediately. This University reeks of Soviet era repression.

State Medical University, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Hetq Online 2006

A1 Plus Anniversary Protest Rally, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Hetq Online 2004

Today marks the fourth anniversary of the closure of the independent TV station A1 Plus. On 2 April the station was deprived of its frequency in a deeply flawed tender, the loss of A1 Plus marked the start of the presidential election campaign the following year. Armenia has been suffering ever since. Last December, the BBC reported on the case before the European Court of Human Rights.

The European Court of Human Rights is studying an appeal by an Armenian TV station against a government decision to close it down.

The court’s judgement could have far-reaching implications for freedom of expression and human rights in Armenia and across the southern Caucasus.

In April 2002, the Armenian government took A1+ off the air.

The TV station, which was the most popular independent news channel at the time, has since reapplied ten times for a licence to broadcast. Each time it has been refused.

Usually, some kind of demonstration by journalists in support of A1 Plus takes place in Yerevan, but I’m told that this year there is none. Nontheless, others haven’t forgotten the station, and not least because while A1 Plus does produce a web site and newspaper now, what is believed to be a concerted campaign by the authorities to disrupt their work continues. The Institute of War & Peace Reporting (IWPR) has more.

Four years ago, Armenia’s A1+ independent TV station was forced off the air in what its journalists maintain was a government-inspired vendetta.

Now, A1+ says the authorities are behind moves to force the TV station out of its offices.

For 15 years, A1+ has rented space on Grigor Lusavorich Street in downtown Yerevan.

But the Armenian National Academy of Sciences, which owns the building, is suddenly demanding that A1+ leave.

“The academy is just a tool. I am deeply convinced that had it not received ‘instructions’, [the academy] would not have resorted to such a step,” human rights activist Avetik Ishkhanian told IWPR.

“All this is aimed at creating new obstacles for A1+, in order to complete the process started four years ago of closing the TV station down.”

[…]

“Providing suitable new premises for A1+ would be a positive step which would demonstrate a commitment to enhance media freedom and pluralism in Armenia,” said Bojana Urumova, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to Armenia.

“Any move from one place to another creates additional problems for any organisation. Although A1+ is not broadcasting now, it continues to be an active player in the information field that produces serious products,” said Navasardian.

The station continues to produce TV shows, and publishes a weekly edition and daily news through the internet.

Last week the issue of A1 Plus was also raised at a round table on “Armenia’s Information Crisis” organized by Raffi Hovannisian’s National Citizens’ Initiative (NCI). No wonder it’s believed that the authorities are out to break Hovannisian in time for the 2007 parliamentary and 2008 presidential elections. More information is available on the NCI web site.

NCI coordinator Hovsep Khurshudian welcomed the audience with opening remarks: “Today, when some politicians of the opposition and independent analysts are hopeful that a real opportunity has emerged for the upcoming parliamentary elections to be held freely and in compliance with the standards of democracy, even without the restoration of the right of the A1+ and Noyan Tapan independent television companies to broadcast, reminds me of the year 2002. Following the closing down of these stations, a number of people were then confident that the rule of law would be established in the country as the result of the upcoming presidential elections and that the violated rights would be restored. We recall all to well what occurred then, and it appears that every condition now exists for a repetition of the whole scenario.”

In his intervention on “The Effects of Shutting Down A1+ and Noyan Tapan on the Right of Armenia’s Citizens to Receive Information and the Means for Overcoming These Effects,” president of the A1+ Television Company Mesrop Movsisian briefly presented the history of this matter. In his words, the 19 media organizations which after the notorious contest in 2002 signed a joint declaration deeming the contest as legitimate, in fact signed the verdict not only against their own freedom of speech but on that of the entire country. Movsisian finds that the shutting down of A1+ and Noyan Tapan is a concern not for television stations alone but for the entire population of Armenia. He stated that his television company’s petition submitted to the European Court of Human Rights was now in the process of examination. According to Movsisian, liberal competition among electronic media has come to an end in Armenia and as a result there is a setback not only in terms of unimpeded dissemination of information but also in the appraisal of journalistic professionalism. And all of this in its turn has brought forth a severe limitation on Armenian citizens’ right to receive information.

A1 Plus also covered the conference as well as attending it in the form of its Director Mesrop Movsesian, who I interviewed a day after the station was closed in April 2002. Thankfully, almost everyone now understands what a loss A1 Plus was and that without it, the chances for democratization in Armenia are fairly slim. No surprise that most of us are awaiting the ruling of the European Court with baited breath. A1 Plus has more on that too.