OPEN LETTER OF INTERNATIONAL HELSINKI FEDERATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS TO ROBERT KOCHARYAN
Support A1+!OPEN LETTER
HE Robert Kocharyan
President of Armenia
Dear President Kocharyan,
The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) would like to add its voice to those of other organisations that have protested the closure of the two independent TV stations – A1+ and Noyan Tapan - in Yerevan, Armenia.
As you know, on April 2 the National Commission on Television and Radio deprived both A1+ and Noyan Tapan of their broadcasting licenses. The IHF is concerned, just as NGO’s, journalists and civil society organisations in Armenia are, that the commission is not independent, as all its nine members were appointed by your office.
A1+ and Noyan Tapan had the reputation of being journalistically independent, giving air time to the political opposition, and to other voices critical of the authorities. A1+ had lately begun broadcasting twenty-four hour programmes. The move to strip both these TV stations of their licenses has nationally and internationally been seen as the Armenian government’s attempt to silence free media ahead of presidential elections scheduled for next year, as it leaves Armenia with no major independent broadcast outlets.
The frequency formerly used by A1+ was awarded to Sharm, an entertainment firm with no history of journalistic work. Noyan Tapans frequency was given to Shogakat, a film production firm that is run and financed by the Armenian Apostolic Church. According to articles 15 and 17 of the Radio and Television Legislation of Armenia religious organizations have no right to finance a television station. The participation of Shogakat in the tender clearly violates this law. Both decisions raise our concern.
Needless to say, independent media guarantee freedom of speech in a democracy and are a cornerstone for a functioning civil society. By becoming a member of the Council of Europe Armenia has accepted a number of obligations that are aimed at democratising Armenian society and providing its citizens with fundamental rights and freedoms, such as the freedom of expression. As Armenia should in the very near future ratify the European Convention on Human Rights, as it undertook to do when joining the Council of Europe, thereby guaranteeing its citizens democratic reforms, the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights would like to remind the Government of Armenia of its obligations and asks it to review the licensing process.
We appreciate your attention to our concerns.
Yours sincerely,
Aaron Rhodes
Executive Director
