In the course of the February 16 round table Azerbaijani journalists and human rights defenders protested the closing of BBC Azerbaijani service.

The event participants signed a statement in a protest against the radio’s closing and submitted it to the UK embassy in Azerbaijan, Azeri Press Agency (APA) reports.

Yadigar Mammadli, Chairman of Democratic Journalists League (DJL) said the decision of stopping the radio’s broadcasting is “a blow not only on journalism, but the whole society”.

In January 2011 BBC World Service management made a decision on closing five services worldwide, including BBC Azerbaijani, and cutting 560 jobs. Currently Azerbaijani service broadcasts its programs via internet.

The human rights defenders say the Azerbaijani citizens living in the regions have poor internet access and radio broadcasting is of high importance to them. 

Source: http://www.media.ge/en/node/40303

Read More »Baku Demands Resumption of BBC Broadcasts

Two German journalists who were detained in Iran in October for interviewing the son of a woman sentenced to death by stoning have returned home after being released from an Iranian prison, a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry said Sunday. 

According to the spokesman, the two journalists arrived in Germany from Iran on Sunday morning along with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who had traveled to Tehran on Saturday to bring them home.

Though Marcus Hellwig and Jens Koch, both from Germany’s Bild newspaper, were initially sentenced to 20 months in prison on charges of committing acts against Iran’s national security, an Iranian court later commuted their jail term to a fine of $50,000 each. They were released after the fines were paid.

The two German journalists were arrested in mid-October for interviewing the son of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, an Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning on charges of adultery and abetting the murder of her husband.

Source: http://www.rttnews.com

Read More »German Journalists Released By Iran Return Home

A Turkish court on Friday jailed three journalists on charges of links to what the Islamic-rooted government calls a network plotting its overthrow, in a case that critics say is part of an assault on press freedom in the country.

The homes of Soner Yalcin, the owner of dissident website Oda TV, and two colleagues were raided by police earlier this week after posting a video criticizing a police investigation into the alleged coup plot.

The EU and the Committee of Protect Journalists have accused Turkey of suppressing critical news and commentary on the alleged anti-government conspiracy. About 400 people, including journalists, politicians, academics and retired military officers are on trial accused of being part of the so-called Ergenekon network in a conspiracy to overthrow Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government.

Source: The Washington Post

Read More »Turkey jails 3 journalists on coup allegation

On February 21, founder of ‘A1+’ TV Company ‘Meltex’ LLC will apply to the administrative court to require invalidation of the decision reached on December 16, 2010 by the National Television and Radio Commission (NTRC), according to which ‘A1+’ was deprived of the opportunity to return TV air for the 13th time.

“We will ask the court to recognize the violated right of ‘Meltex’ LLC and to rescind NTRC’s Decision 96-A that was reached by the interference of the commission members under biased and non-objective conditions,” says ‘Meltex’ LLC lawyer Tigran Ter-Yesayan.

According to NTRC’s Decision 96-A, during the competition of digital TV broadcasting the broadcasting license was given to ‘Armnews’ CJSC, which was the only competitor of ‘Meltex’ LLC applied for the same channel.

Tender of ‘A1+’ has been assessed by only 2 points, because 7 of the 8 members of the Commission have simply graded zero points.

After the publication of the results, during a press conference, the NTRC President Grigor Amalyan has announced that ‘Meltex’ LLC package was assessed low, “because there were false documents found there.” It referred to the certificate on the investment of 280,000 Euros, where the Commission had revealed a discrepancy.

Read More »Again To The Court: ‘A1+’ Not Tolerating the Bias

On February 18, the Criminal Court of Appeal did not satisfy Pashinyan’s appeal and left the decision of the first instance court of the Aragatsotn region unchanged.

The journalist’s lawyers claim that Pashinyan’s punishment has been intentionally calculated incorrect as a result of which their client will remain in prison until May 2013, i.e. about five months more.

“The authorities in every way prevent Nikol Pashinyan’s political and journalistic activities and are prepared to release him only when the next presidential elections are completed,” commented lawyer Yervand Varosyan.

The verdict still not accepted, Pashinyan stated that it will be against him, because there are no independent courts in Armenia: judges are “henchmen”, the law does not work, and that the authorities are “so frightened” that instead of talking face to face to him they talk “through criminal and oligarch riffraff and through the courts.”

The editor-in-chief of “Haykakan Zhamanak” daily announced also that he would bring the administration of the penitentiary to trial for spreading ‘obscene’ lies about him. The penitentiary had disseminated information on that Pashinyan has cheated that “Artik” penitentiary institution has not accepted his letters. Pashinyan’s lawyer said that they would appeal to the European Court.

Read More »News from Artik: Size of Pashinyan’s Punishment Remained Unchanged

Broadcasting on GALA TV can be stopped merely because the antenna belonging to the TV Company should be dismantled off the television tower within a month by the court decision.

On February 17, such decision was reached by the First Instance Court of the Shirak region, thus putting a full stop to a two-year protracted trial of joint cases of Gyumri Municipality against ‘Chap’ LLC – owner of GALA TV – and ‘Chap’ LLC against the Municipality.

The topic of dispute was the TV tower of Gyumri located in 6/1 Vazgen Sargsyan Str. For a long time it was abandoned, but in 2007 was privatized by the Gyumri Municipality, which required to remove all the GALA-owned equipment from the tower.

After hearing the case for two years, with long-term breaks, Judge Shirak Hakobyan read the verdict satisfying only the claim of the Gyumri Municipality. “To force the TV Company to dismantle the ‘Chap’ LLC owned transmitter antenna and cable placed on the top of the tower located in 6/1 Vazgen Sargsyan Str. within a month,” says the judge verdict.

TV and Radio broadcasts of Leninakan city were broadcasted from the 54 meters high tower until 1977. Then it almost stopped functioning, because a 185-meter high tower was installed. After minor repairs GALA TV has been using the tower since August 2005.

Read More »Gyumri Deadlock: GALA TV Was Deprived Also Of the Right to Use the Tower

Turkey on Thursday criticized the newly appointed U.S. ambassador to Turkey over his comment about media freedom in Turkey following the detention of several journalists, local media reported.

“We believe that it is not right for an ambassador to pass judgment over an ongoing criminal investigation,” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was quoted by the semi-official Anatolia news agency as telling reporters during a visit to Nepal.

U.S. ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone questioned Turkey’s media freedom when speaking of a recent police raid on a news website in Turkey at a reception on Tuesday.

“On the one hand there is a stated policy of support for a free press. On the other hand, journalists are put under detention. We are trying to make sense of this,” Ricciardone was quoted of telling reporters.

The ruling Justice and Development Party’s spokesperson Huseyin Celik on Wednesday criticized Ricciardone for interfering in internal affairs of Turkey.

The ambassador said in a statement on Thursday he had not commented on the merits of a particular case, saying as a foreigner there were certain things “he was trying to understand.”

Read More »Turkey Warns U.S. Ambassador over Comment on Media Freedom

The appeal of the chief editor of “Haykakan Zhamanak” daily Nikol Pashinyan, related to calculation of the measure of punishment of the Court of Appeals, was once again failed.

On February 14, hearing during the court session held at “Artik” penitentiary institution was not processed because of the obstacles created by the penitentiary administration.

Instead, withdrawal of Pashinyan’s documents from the isolator became a subject of discussion.

The matter was that during the session Pashinyan presented a petition of bringing from his cell the documents which he had prepared for that very hearing and which the penitentiary administration has been stubbornly prohibiting to take out.

The court granted Pashinyan’s petition. The penitentiary administration led him to the cell but again didn’t allow taking the documents out of the cell.

Instead of half an hour prescribed by the judge the trial participants waited two and a half hour for Pashinyan’s return from the cell who came back empty-handed and stated, “Dear court, I just want to inform you what has happened during this period. We went to my cell, and I tried to take the documents, but the penitentiary representative told that I would be allowed to take only the papers which he was convinced were related to the court case.”

Read More »Measure of Pashinyan’s Punishment was Not Discussed During the Court Session

The U.S. Embassy in Georgia together with IREX is pleased to announce the winners of the 2011 Georgian Media Partnership Program (GMPP): Channel 25, Batumi and Gurjaani TV, Gurjaani.

These TV stations will be partnered with U.S. broadcasters to formstrong, collegial and lasting professional relationships via exchanges, individual consultations and the sharing of best practices.Representatives from Channel 25 and GurjaaniTV will visit their U.S. partner TV stations for intensive hands-on consultations. Professionals from the U.S. TV partner outlets will travel to Georgia to conduct trainings and on-site consultations with Channel 25 and Gurjaani TV. In addition, virtual consultations willfurther assist the needs of the Georgian broadcasters to strengthen them as businesses and as sustainable news organizations.

Source: Media.ge

Read More »Georgian Media Partnership Program 2011 Announces Winners