"CENSORSHIP" AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER

UNCLAS YEREVAN 001420

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, DRL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV AM
SUBJECT: "CENSORSHIP" AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER

REF: YEREVAN 1083

(U) Sensitive but Unclassified. Please protect accordingly.

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EDITORIAL ALLEGES GOVERNMENT ACTION TO UNDERCUT OMBUDSMAN
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1. (SBU) In a short editorial comment on August 3 titled
"Either Together, or Not on the Air," opposition newspaper
Aravot alleged that the Kocharian Administration "ordered"
Armenian television companies to provide air time to
Ombudsman Larisa Alaverdyan only if she appeared in programs
with "August 23 National Alliance" chairman Pushkin Serobyan.
The editorial in Aravot asserted that two unnamed television
stations inexplicably canceled requests for Alaverdyan to
appear "within hours of one another," after receiving the
order from the President's office. Aravot Editor-in-Chief
Aram Abrahamyan, who returned August 4 from an editors
conference in Vienna, told us he could not disclose the
"reliable source" cited in the editorial. (Note: Pushkin
Serobyan is a self-proclaimed "human rights defender" who
served a number of years in prison for abuse of power as a
high-ranking police official. End Note.)

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OMBUDSMAN CLAIMS ARAVOT ALLEGATIONS TRUE
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2. (SBU) Armenian Ombudsman Larisa Alaverdyan told us that
pro-government ALM and Shant television stations had canceled
invitations for her to appear, while producers at Burg and
Kentron stations told her she would have to appear with
Serobyan. Alaverdyan said she refused to associate with
Serobyan, who "has a criminal past," and canceled her Burg
and Kentron appearances herself. Alaverdyan repeated
allegations that government authorities are working to
undercut her criticism of the GOAM's human rights record
(reftel),alleging "now they are trying to keep me away from
television."

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TV STATIONS DENY ALLEGATIONS
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3. (SBU) A senior news program host at Burg television told
us he invited Alaverdyan after Burg aired an interview with
Pushkin Serobyan. In the interview, he said, Serobyan
blasted Alaverdyan as the head of an "ineffective" Office of
the Ombudsman. The program host said his directors wanted
Alaverdyan's response, that Alaverdyan has an open invitation
to appear alone, and that he has no contact with the
president's office. A senior news program host at Kentron
television told us he wanted Alaverdyan and Serobyan to
appear on the same program, but Alaverdyan refused. An ALM
television news director told us ALM had not invited
Alaverdyan, but planned to do so now. We could not reach the
Shant television program host, who is currently on vacation.

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COMMENT: TRUE, FALSE, OR SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN?
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4. (SBU) Aravot editor-in-chief Aram Abrahamyan, who is
usually quick to point his finger, told us he could not
disclose the source cited in the editorial. He did, however,
hint to us that Serobyan might be gunning for Alaverdyan's
position as Armenia's human rights defender. Producers at
ALM, Burg and Kentron have dismissed the Aravot allegations
as untrue and, in the process, have directly contradicted
Alaverdyan's claims. The only sure thing in the ongoing
Human Rights Defender soap opera is that allegations will
likely continue.
GODFREY