Suren Deheryan, president of the “Journalists for the Future” NGO, has spread an open letter addressed to the RA Ombudsman Karen Andreasyan. Today Deheryan personally handed the letter to Andreasyan during the forum “Human Rights: Defender’s Platform” at the Kecharis Hotel in Tsaghkadzor, in the presence of about 120 participants. The letter is represented below:

Dear Mr. Andreasyan,

I apply to you as a person who, together with his colleagues, has been closely cooperating with the deaf and hearing impaired young people teaching them skills of photography, journalism and the internet over the recent 8 months. The course participants have represented the issues and unequal conditions for the deaf in Armenia during the classes, as well as out of them and in friends’ environment. I am sure that all those issues are solvable in case of manifestation of will by the state, the society and individuals.

In this letter I would like to refer to one of the issues indicated by all the deaf.

This is not related to their socio-economic status, but is just a moral-psychological problem and is directly linked to their constitutional rights to be informed as people and citizens of the Republic of Armenia, who want their rights be respected.

Read More »Open Letter to RA Ombudsman Karen Andreasyan

“Amnesty champions women, children and oppressed minorities, fights torture, campaigns against the death penalty, defends prisoners of conscience and the rights of refugees, and calls oppressive regimes to account. Its inspiring vision is of a world in which every person enjoys the freedoms of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” British Guardian writes presenting the activities of well-known human rights protecting organization.

“On May 28 Fatullayev was given a special Amnesty award for his quiet heroism. Fatullayev has been beaten up, intimidated with death threats, and finally thrown in jail. He was dramatically freed last week, a release he attributed to Amnesty.

Amnesty’s history reminds us that the battle for free speech must be fought and won anew in every successive generation. After 60 years of service its power and its relevance are undimmed,” Guardian writes.

Source: http://times.am

Read More »Amnesty International awarded Eynulla Fatullayev

Reporters Without Borders is deeply shocked by the violence used by the Georgian security forces in the early hours of May 26 against journalists covering an anti-government demonstration in Tbilisi.

“According to our sources, at least a dozen journalists were attacked or detained by the police, who seem to have lost their self-control,” Reporters Without Borders said. “This use of force against reporters who were just covering events is intolerable. We urge both the authorities and the opposition to respect journalists, who must not be the collateral victims of the current political tension.”

Thousands of people have been demonstrating every day in Georgia since 21 May to demand President Saakashvili’s departure. On May 26, shortly after midnight, interior ministry police used force to disperse the opposition demonstration taking place on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi after warning the protesters they would have to vacate the street for celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of Georgia’s independence.

The police fired tear-gas and rubber bullets and used batons to disperse the protesters. Journalists were verbally and physically attacked in the ensuing melee. Cameras and video cameras were seized or destroyed. And some reporters were arrested without justification.

Read More »Reporters Without Border: At Least A Dozen Journalists Attacked By Police In Tbilisi

The 2-day Barcamp Yerevan 2011 will commence on June 4 at the American University of Armenia. It will join together the IT specialists and all the geeks. This name is given to those who no longer imagine the life without social media.

Young people have been waiting for this informal event for a year, since the last day of the last year event, when the participants came to an agreement to communicate through the internet with an expectation of another meeting after a year.

Barcamp is a new-format event consisted of open discussions and presentations originated in the United States more than 5 years ago. In Armenia, Barcamp is being organized since 2009. Here participants represent their achievements in the field of information technology and the internet, as well as exchange ideas and get acquainted with each other.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:101:height=179,width=241]]Here, contrary to traditional conferences, there are no speakers: each of the participants may provide a presentation, as well as launch a discussion, the Barcamp agenda is formed by the participants and on the basis of the topics proposed by them.

Read More »Again Together: Barcamp Yerevan 2011 Uniting the Geeks

Eynulla Fatullayev, a journalist and newspaper editor who had turned into one of the symbols of Azerbaijan’s crackdown on freedom of expression, walked free today after having spent some four years in jail.

Fatullayev was released along with dozens of other inmates after being pardoned by Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.

His release was welcomed by many in Azerbaijan and also by international media groups that had for years campaigned on his behalf.

Speaking to RFE/RL less than two hours after being freed, Fatullayev said he believes those efforts played a key role in the government’s decision to set him free.

Fatullayev added that his unexpected freedom felt like “a miracle” that was difficult to  understand.

“I’m still trying to [understand] the situation,” he said. “It’s a miracle for me. I couldn’t imagine it. It’s a real surprise for me.”

Fatullayev, editor of the now closed newspaper “Realny Azerbaijan,” was arrested  in 2007 and sentenced to 8.5 years in jail on charges including tax evasion and instigation of terror. 

Read More »Eynulla Fatullayev Released After Four Years In Prison

The amnesty will be granted also to the imprisoned editor-in-chief of the “Haykakan Zhamanak” daily Nikol Pashinyan. The news was told about by the RA Minister of Justice Hrayr Tovmasyan on the TV channel “Shant” during the “Herankar” (Prospect) program. On Wednesday, May 25, commenting on the decision draft of amnesty at the National Assembly Tovmasyan referred also to Pashinyan.

On may 20 with a propasal to announce amnesty president Serzh Sargsyan applied to the National Assembly. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence amnesty will be applied to those who have committed a crime until May 1, 2011 inclusive.

“400 convicts will be freed while about 400 others will have their prison sentences shortened,” says the Minister of Justice.

The editor-in-chief of the “Haykakan Zhamanak” daily is imprisoned for about two years, since July 2009. The decision on amnesty adopted by the National Assembly earlier, on June 19, was not granted to Nikol Pashinyan.

Pashinyan was wanted after the post-electoral events of 2008, and more than a year later, on July 1, 2009, he voluntarily surrendered to the law enforcement bodies. He was immediately arrested.

Read More »Amnesty Will be Granted Also to Nikol Pashinyan

Public Broadcaster reacts to the protest rallies underway in front of its building and states that despite the attempts of the opposition forces to accuse the public broadcaster in biased reporting, the TV-channel does not intend to become an object of manipulation for any political group, furthermore that there are no precise, or evident arguments confirming such accusations.

Public Broadcaster gives opportunity to the opposition representatives to participate and express their opinion at 5 political talk shows being aired at the First Channel.  News programs of the channel also daily report on the requests expressed at the protest rallies and the Second Channel of the public broadcaster broadcasts the protest rallies live without comment.

Public broadcaster intends to create and make available for public the high quality TV and radio programs, which will be free from current, or any other political influence.  Our main principles – independence, unbiased reporting and honesty will not be questioned despite the attempts by any interested political forces.

Source: Media.ge

Read More »Public Broadcaster Statement on the Protest Rallies