Turkish media organizations have decried a prosecutor’s demand that newspapers hand over all images in their possession from the May 31 Hopa incidents or face trial, arguing that journalists are not “state agents.”

A journalist’s job is not to share information with the state, the Turkish Journalist Association, or TGC, and the Progressive Journalists Association, or ÇGD. No journalist can be forced to provide such information, the ÇGD added.

On May 31, left-wing locals of the Black Sea district of Hopa gathered to protest a campaign rally by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; during a tear gas barrage by the police, 54-year-old protester Metin Lokumcu suffered a heart attack and died. The death increased the vigor of the protests as locals stoned Erdoğan’s convoy in anger at the fatality.

On Thursday, the Hopa Prosecutor’s Office sent a notice to the press, giving all journalists 10 days to provide any images in their possession depicting incidents from before, during, or after – especially during Lokumcu’s funeral on June 1 – Erdoğan’s speech, reports said Friday. The notice also that any journalist failing to surrender images – either published or unpublished – could be subjected to criminal prosecution under article 257 of the Turkish Penal Code, or TCK, on the grounds of “misconduct of duty.”

Read More »Turkey: Prosecutor’s Demand for Journalists’ Photos Enrages Associations

On June 30, the trial Robert Kocharyan – the second president of Armenia – against “Hraparak” daily, which took place in the Court of First Instance of Kentron and Nork-Marash administrative districts, can possibly turn into another political scandal.

The problem is that the judge satisfied the claimants application to call as a witness Lusine Petrosyan – the author of the controversial article “Kocharyan is being destroyed, Tsarukyan is being explained to.”

The claimant explains the presence of the latter as an opportunity to hear explanations of “offensive and defamatory” expressions right from the author, and the author tries to bring arguments for the journalistic point of view.

The essence of the “Kocharyan against ‘Hraparak'” trial is the contradiction of the sides’ attitudes.

Kocharyan’s lawyer believes that the article published February 12 in “Hraparak” daily contains information that “insults and defames” the second president.

Read More »The Trial “Kocharyan against the Hraparak” May Turn Into a Scandal

On June 27 the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia satisfied the administrative complaint lodged by journalist Nino Mikiashvili of the media union Obiektivi and assigned the FOI officer of the state agency to issue the requested data to the applicant, reports the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) that had been providing legal aid to the journalist.

On May 27, 2011 Nino Mikiashvili lodged an application to MIA and requested the identification of the riot police units that were taking part in the dispersal of the May 26 opposition protest rally. The FOI officer at MIA provided no response to the request. The journalist lodged an appeal to the Ministry. Speaking at the June 27 oral hearing at MIA, GYLA reports, the FOI officer said the journalist would be provided the requested data in the forthcoming days.

Source: Media.ge

Read More »MIA Satisfies Journalist’s Complaint

Opposition Web site Kaleme.com said friends of documentary filmmaker Mahnaz Mohammadi, 34, confirm she was arrested in her house Sunday by intelligence agents while Maryam Majd, 25, a photojournalist and women’s rights campaigner, was arrested Friday, The Washington Post reported Monday.

The arrests came at the end a hunger strike by prisoners protesting the death of Haleh Sahabi, 54, allegedly beaten by security forces breaking up a June 1 funeral procession for her father, a renowned dissident.

Source: www.upi.com

Read More »Filmmaker and Photojournalist Arrested in Iran

Two men who beat an American journalist Amanda Erickson and a British human rights activist Celia Davis have been detained in Baku by Yasamal district police, Azerbaijani Interior Ministry’s press service told Trend Saturday.

On the night from 15 to 16 June, about 00:20 on Vidadi street in Azerbaijani capital’s Yasamal district four unknown persons beat two women – citizen of Great Britain Celia Davies and U.S. national Amanda Erickson

The detained are a resident of Ramana settlement Adil Tagizade (born 1993) and a resident of Baku’s Nasimi district Roman Hasanov (born 1989).

The investigators also know the names of two other assailants; operational activities are held in order to detain them.

Source: Trend.az

Read More »Two detained over foreign journalists’ beating in Azerbaijan

Gori TV-Radio Company ‘Trialeti’, broadcasting in Shida Kartli region appeals in court for abuse of dignity and business reputation against the creators of the motion picture ‘5 Days of War’ – director Renny Harlin, producers Papuna Davidaia and Koba Nakopia.  This was announced by the TV Company June 23, claiming that there is untruthful information in the movie.

In one of the episodes of the movie broadly advertised in Georgia foreign journalists attempt to bring video-footage to a TV Company, but they see locked gates.  Logo of the TV Company can also be identified in the episode.  This was the episode ‘Trialeti’ is protesting against.

‘Trialeti’ founder Badri Nanetashvili claims that during the military activities the TV Company has not been closed for a second.  There was an international media-centre in the TV Company building and local journalists, who were expecting bombing, left the building the last.  Nanetashvili believes the appearance of such episode in the movie to be an execution of a political order by the director and deliberate discrimination of the TV Company.  Nanetashvili believes the government continues putting pressure on “Trialeti.”

Read More »Georgian TV Sues American Movie

As investigative journalists Ahmet Sik and Nedim Sener completed their 100th day in prison, hundreds of people marched down Istanbul’s Istiklal Avenue on 18 June to demand their release and the release of all the other journalists detained in Turkey. It was the third big march since their arrest on 6 March.

There is no sign of any weakening in support for Sik and Sener, whose fourth request for provisional release has just been rejected by the Istanbul prosecutor’s office. They have yet to be formally indicted.

“Now that the 12 June elections are over, the government must move quickly to end the persecution of journalists by the police and judicial authorities and to guarantee the right to news and information,” Reporters Without Borders said. “The immediate release of Sik and Sener would be an important symbolic step in this direction.”

Source: Reporters Without Borders

Read More »Two Journalists Complete 100th Day In Prison

According to International Telecommunication Union’s treaty of 2006, starting from January 2015 Armenia must transfer from analog broadcasting of radio and TV programs to digital broadcasting.

Unlimited broadcasting and HD sound and picture are not the only advantages of digital TV. It gives the chance to broadcast several programs on the same frequency and creates new technical opportunities for broadcasters and viewers. Today, three cable and IP TV operators in Yerevan allow their subscribers to enjoy the advantages of the digital TV.

According to official sources, full digitalization in Armenia will cost around $30 million. Simon Aghajanyan, head of the working group on technical issues of the committee supervising digitalization, says that the money will be given partially, and adds that funding sources are unnkown yet.

It is expected that the project will be financed by donor organizations through interest-free credits. To repay the loans, the government can possibly privatize a part of the digital broadcasting network.

“The project of the input of digital broadcasting in Armenia has been presented to the government,” says Aghajanyan.

Read More »To Buy or Not to Buy a New TV set? Armenian TV Viewers will Not Stay Away from Digitalization Process

The chief editor of the Kolyma Plus TV channel, Anatoly Bitkov, was found dead in his apartment in the Russian Far Eastern town of Magadan early on Wednesday, a spokesman for the local administration reported.

A spokesman for the Russian Investigative Committee said a criminal case was opened into the journalist’s murder.

Bitkov, 38, was a member of Russia’s Union of Journalists. He authored and anchored news and analytical programs.

Kolyma Plus is a Magadan-based broadcaster.

Source: RIA Novosti

Read More »Russian journalist killed in Far East

During a seminar-discussion that took place recently in Yerevan was argumented that public figures should be more tolerant towards criticizm than “simple mortals” as they have chosen their public way of activity volunteerly which focuses attention of other people including journalists.

And what’s the picture in Armenia? People who consider themselves as public figures one after another “insulted and defamed” knock on courts’ doors without realizing that they can leave the court halls even more discredited.

It’s hard to say what makes them act like this. But it is a fact that many of them have problems accepting critisizm in the course of their public activity. Moreover, very often they hurry to sue media without even understanding the meaning of the insulting word putting themselves in an unprofitable situations risking their honor and reputation.

For instance, the republican MP Tigran Arzaqantsyan’s case, who sued the “Yerkir” daily in March for isulting, defaming, violating his dingity and honor. The MP, who is also the owner of the “Great Valley” company producing vine and brandy, demanded 3 million AMD as compensation.

Only Mr. Arzaqantsyan knows what he gained in the course of the processing (not counting 288.000 AMD which is minimal for him). Did he enjoy the judge’s detailed explanations of word-building and calls on accepting his origins.

Read More »Beauty and Misery of Public Activity or Arzaqantsyan against “Yerkir”