Media Legislation and the Rights
of Journalists in South Caucasus

[16.09.2004]

On September 15 at the House of Journalist the presentation of “Harmonization
of Media Legislation of South Caucasus Countries with European Standards” book
was held. The book was published in the Russian and English languages under
a homonymous regional project, implemented by the Committee to Protect Freedom
of Expression (Armenia), Baku Press Club (Azerbaijan) and the Association of
Young Lawyers of Georgia with the support of South Caucasus Cooperation Program
of Eurasia Foundation.

http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1820

Public Information and Democracy


[16.09.2004]

On September 9-12 9 in Tsaghkadzor a training seminar "Public Information
in a Democratic Society” was held by Yerevan Press Club and the European Journalism
Centre (Maastricht) with the support of the Council of Europe. The seminar was
led by public information, journalism and media consultant David van der Houwen.
This is already the second training (the first was conducted in September last
year) for the public information staff of state structures and private enterprises
of Armenia. This time the theoretical presentations and practical exercises
were focused on the main components of public relations, in particular, the
work of press services with representatives of the “fourth estate” and the effective
conductance of PR campaigns. The seminar participants also discussed the status
and role of media in Armenia, the Western and local experience in the sphere
of public information.

http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1819

Police Say Renew Probe Of Oppositionist’s
Beating

[16.09.2004]

The Armenian police claimed on Thursday to have resumed their investigation
into last April’s brutal beating of Ashot Manucharian, a prominent opposition
figure, after he reportedly recognized one of his assailants.

The daily “Aravot” published on Wednesday the picture of a man who Manucharian’s
friends and associates say took part in the attack. He was described as a native
of Nagorno-Karabakh called Vrezh.

http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1816

Armenia Prefers To Be the “Golden
Mean”

[16.09.2004]

Armenia is the 2nd among South Caucasus states in the rating list for violence
committed towards speech freedom and journalists. Speech freedom is in the worst
state in Azerbaijan. Freedom of speech in Georgia is considered partly restricted.


The presentation of the book jointly authored by Armenia’s Committee for Speech
Freedom Protection, Azerbaijan’s Press Club and Georgia’s Association of Young
Lawyers took place. The book contains reports of legislation on Mass Media of
the 3 states and comparative analysis on those legislations at the aspect of
correspondence with the European standards.

The reports on violation of rights of Mass Media and journalists in the 3 regional
states and the comparative analysis for the status of speech freedom cause much
interest.

”Armenia has regressed since 2002”, Mesrop Harutyunyan, expert of Armenia’s
Committee for Speech Freedom Protection, said during the presentation of the
book. The study showed that the recent law on Mass Media approved in Armenia
is much more liberal in the aspect of the obligatory registration of Mass Media
and the theoretical independence of them.

It was also stated the other day Georgian Parliament has approved Law on “Speech
Freedom and Self-Expression” but President Saakashvili hasn’t yet ratified it.


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1815

About Corrosive Power of Money
and Society Blighted By Corruption

[16.09.2004]

Armenian Center for National and International Studies held a discussion Thursday
over the results of Corruption in Armenia survey conducted by the Center.

37% of 1956 respondents were offered bribe at the 2003 presidential and parliamentary
elections. 32,5% of them have taken it.

The survey shows corruption in Armenia is considered as political phenomenon.
42,8% think current authorities formed thank to bribe and fraud has to protect
those who helped them to come to power and retain it.

http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1814

Judicial System of Armenia and
the European Reforms

[17.09.2004]

"Courts of Armenia must closely cooperate with the European Court in order
that protection of human rights in our country should be under control",
Armenian Justice Minister David Harutyunyan says.

The Armenian Constitutional Court heard the issue of correspondence of the Armenian
Constitution with N 14 protocol /signed on May 13, 2004, in Strasburg/ changing
and amending the control system for the Convention on Human Rights and Protection
of Basic Freedoms.

One of the key purposes of the above protocol is to improve the juridical system.
After the protocol comes into force judges will be elected once for 9-year-long
term and control mechanisms for execution of verdicts will be set up.

No CE member state has ratified the protocol.

http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1817



Two Criminal Cases Dismissed

[20.09.2004]

On September 20, Armenia’s Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan, answering
the question Iravunk newspaper correspondent put to him, said the case against
Artarutyun opposition bloc is closed. The case against former defense minister
general-lieutenant Vagharshak Harutyunyan, who was charged with making seditious
calls, attempting a coup and insulting the authorities, is dismissed as well,
he said.

Harutyunyan’s lawyer Robert Grigoryan knew nothing about that and wondered why
neither he nor his client was keep in touch with the fact. It is still unclear
on what grounds both cases were dismissed.

http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1818