Civil movement Multinational Georgia, defending the interests of ethnic minorities residing in Georgia, made a request to the President of Georgia and Prime Minister on dismissing Lado Vardzelashvili, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs.

On the April 2, 2011 broadcast of the Club of the Funny and Inventive on Imedi TV, the Cosa Nostra team of the State Medical University answering the question about the greatest merit of Hitler, said “free gas for every Jewish family.” The jury, including Lado Vardzelashvili granted the highest ranking to the team for the answer. Later on the Minister made a public apology.

Multinational Georgia considers the incident of the kind is impossible to be eradicated trough apologies only even though it was timely.

We still cast doubts on the propriety of Lado Vardzelashvili’s maintenance to the position. But taking into consideration his apology at this stage we would refrain from enkindling campaign demanding his dismissal,” reads the statement by Multinational Georgia.

The movement suggests Minister “to prove his sincerity” regarding absolute intolerance to xenophobic and anti-Semitic expressions.

Read More »Multinational Georgia Requests the President to Dismiss Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs

When you are just a little kid you have so many hopes, dreams, and nice thoughts that occupy your mind… Thoughts that one day you will be a grown up person with the right to choose what’s right and what’s wrong for you…

When I was 8, I was full of emotions. If you could just enter my mind, you would go crazy with the beautiful colors that I created for my own… I was just an ordinary girl who loved music.

Music was all of me, in every tone I used to find me, my voice, my spirit, my breath. Inspired by music leaders like Chopin, Beethoven, List, I asked my mom to help me get into a music school. It was the time when I hoped to play on stages of all countries giving my emotions to people, hoping that music could give them a harmony of soul.

Read More »My Dream Went Away…

Sam Mahmoodi Sarayi, the book review editor at Shargh newspaper, is reportedly in grave physical and mental condition in Evin Prison.

The journalist, who suffers from chronic migraine and gastric complications, is being subjected to severe pressure in prison, sources tell Zamaneh.

Mahmoodi was arrested on March 1, and his condition is deteriorating because he needs to follow a restrictive diet and medication regime. He has been denied any family visits, speaking to them only by phone.

Mahmoodi is held in the quarantine section of Evin Prison and fears a harsh sentence.

The charges against him are propaganda against the regime and insulting the leader, as well as writing the song “I Confess…” and possessing a copy of Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses. 

Source: Iranian.com

Read More »Iran: Concern Over Health of Jailed Iranian Journalist

The latest statement of the European Union regarding the political situation in Azerbaijan is not based on facts, Deputy Executive Secretary of the New Azerbaijan Party (NAP), MP Mubariz Gurbanli told NAP’s website. The EU position is far from objective, he added.

Some opposition parties refused to hold a rally in the place allocated for them by the Baku City Executive Power and committed unlawful actions on April 2, he said. The law enforcement agencies took legal measures in this regard.

Such actions are stopped by state authorities in European countries, he added. Therefore, voicing of such allegations are absolutely untrue, Gurbanli said.

“The statement reads that media representatives were under pressure during the protest and that they were arrested. But this contradicts the facts. Freedom of speech and press is fully guaranteed in Azerbaijan. Perhaps a journalist was involved in this action as a member of a political party; if so this journalist does not differ from other participants. All conditions were provided for journalists during these events and media representatives were in special form. They were free to cover events,” Gurbanli said.

Gurbanli said the socio-political stability is important for the Azerbaijani citizens today.

Read More »Azerbaijan’s ruling party condemns EU report on opposition’s rally

 Journalist Anna Israelyan of the “Aravot” daily regularly publishes a series of articles on violations involved in the packages of TV companies which were recognized as winners of the competition of broadcasting licenses for TV channels at the end of last year.

According to the journalist these violations have been ignored by the National Committee of Television and Radio (NCTR) providing the licenses.

Meanwhile, the journalist considers, NCTR had a biased approach towards “A1+”. On December 16, 2010, when NCTR opened the competition packages and it turned out that “A1+” was deprived of the right to dispose a channel for the 13th time, Anna Israelyan decided to by all means investigate all of the tenders.

“Competition process of previous years proved that packages of other TV companies, too, would certainly involve such false documents as were revealed by NCTR within “A1+” package,” says Israelyan.

And the journalist’s investigations succeeded to prove it.

Israelyan began to regularly publish series of articles entitled “Such are the winners’ tenders”, as well as photos of documents certifying violations in the “Aravot” daily, as well as to post them on her recently opened personal blog.

Read More »Checking the Checker: Journalist Registered Numerous Cases of Violations In Competition Packages of TV Companies Recognized As Winners

Every morning street book seller Vaghinak Hakobyan from Gyumri puts several dozens of books in his bag, and walks thoughtfully along the lively street stretching to the central square of Gyumri. He sets the books on one of the benches and starts working. 43-year-old Vaghinak is not alone here, there are a few more book sellers next to him.

Two years ago when for the first time Vaghinak went to sell books, he was embarrassed. “I was morally broken and considered me to be a betrayer: I was going to sell my dear friends,” says the book seller.

“For many years I have played football. I always dreamt that this kind of sport would some day develop in Armenia, and I would become a demanded footballist… Over the years I realized that I was craving hopes in vain, moreover, one cannot earn a living in our country through sports. I did various jobs, I didn’t remain idle even a day and I bought a book as soon as earned two pennies more,” tells Vaghinak sorting the books.

“I was registered in all the bookstores of the city. As soon as there was a new book I had to have it, even found a friend to help me acquire deficient books.”

Vaghinak has already parted from most of these books; however, his bench is still full of books of various genres – from Armenian and abroad classics to contemporary ones.

Read More »Books For Salvation: Volumes of Tumanyan And Hugo Yielding Entertainment Magazines

Manana Archvadze-Gamsakhurdia, Widow of the First President of Georgia has indicted the administration of the popular Georgian web portal www.myvideo.ge of censorship. Allegedly the administration deleted the video uploaded on the website on March 30. The video is dedicated to the events ongoing in Georgia 20 years ago.

In her video statement posted on Youtube Manana Archvadze-Gamsakhurdia clarified that the video blocked by the website administration was produced specially for the 20th anniversary of the independence of Georgia and the birthday of the first President of Georgia.

Reporting on the content of the video Manana Archvadze said she had discussed the processes prior to the act of independence, the consequences of the March 31, 1991 referendum, and Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s biography.

Gamsakhurdia’s widow doubts the website administration is being controlled by the authorities.

“The video was blocked within 24 hours off of its upload even though it contained neither obscenity nor personal abuse,” said Manana Archvadze having called for a written response from the website administration and the video material to be restored.

Myvideo.ge owner ITDC said Manana Archvadze’s complaint is incomprehensible to them.

Read More »Widow of First President of Georgia Indicts Myvideo.ge Administration for Censorship

Facebook has created a new tool which will help journalists to use social network to more efficiently transmit information and establish communication with their audience.

Justin Osofsky, Facebook’s Director of Media Partnerships, wrote in his blog: “The ‘Journalist on Facebook’ page will afford journalists the latest facebook news and an opportunity to establish communication with their facebook audience comprising 500 million people.”

2,300 people have already liked ‘Journalist on Facebook’.

Also meetings will be organized with journalists to represent how to use social network as a media tool. The first meeting will take place on April 27 in Palo Alto.

Source: http://yerkir.am/am/news/5239.htm

Read More »Facebook Created a New Tool for Journalists

Opposition “Azadliq” newspaper reporter Ramin Deko said he was abducted and beaten because of his attendance at an antigovernment protest on April 2.

Deko said he was abducted on April 3 by men in plainclothes, taken to an unknown place, and advised to end his activity in the opposition protests. He said that on April 4 he was attacked again in the evening as he left work.

Deko told RFE/RL that after being accosted, he was advised “to be clever and not to take part in the opposition protests.” He said he escaped from the attackers.

Previously, “Azadliq” columnist Seymur Haziyev said he was attacked and beaten by unidentified men on March 26.

Interior Minister Ramil Usubov later met with “Azadliq” editors and said he would take personal control of the investigation into the attacks on the journalists.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/

Read More »Another “Azadlyg” Journalist Beaten In Azerbaijan