Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08YEREVAN378
2008-05-06 07:00:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Yerevan
Cable title:
GALA TV ADVOCATE RECOGNIZED WITH MEDIA FREEDOM AWARD WHILE
how-toVZCZCXRO6046 RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBW RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHYE #0378 1270700 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 060700Z MAY 08 FM AMEMBASSY YEREVAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7496 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS YEREVAN 000378
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM AM
SUBJECT: GALA TV ADVOCATE RECOGNIZED WITH MEDIA FREEDOM AWARD WHILE
COURT CASE CONTINUES
REF: A) Yerevan 344, B)Yerevan 261, C) Yerevan 86
(U) Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.
UNCLAS YEREVAN 000378
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM AM
SUBJECT: GALA TV ADVOCATE RECOGNIZED WITH MEDIA FREEDOM AWARD WHILE
COURT CASE CONTINUES
REF: A) Yerevan 344, B)Yerevan 261, C) Yerevan 86
(U) Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.
1. (U) On May 3, four prominent Armenian media organizations
celebrated international Press Freedom Day by holding their third
annual award ceremony recognizing the efforts of Armenian
journalists to defend media freedoms. This year, the Yerevan Press
Club, the Union of Journalists, Internews and the Committee on
Protection of Freedom of Expression selected Levon Barseghian of the
Gyumri-based Asparez Press Club as recipient of the "Time for Media
Freedom" award.
2. (U) Barseghian was presented the award for his active and
consistent activities aimed at protecting media freedom. His
successful involvement in the cause of embattled GALA TV (reftels)
over the past few months was noted in particular. The previous two
recipients of the award were Aram Abrahamian, the editor-in-chief of
the opposition daily Aravot (Morning) and the opposition publicist
Tigran Paskevichian.
3. (SBU) Barseghian told Emboff May 5 that the award came as a
surprise, modestly stating that his actions were second nature and
that he could not have responded otherwise (in reference to the GALA
TV affair). Barseghian was less enthusiastic about the award than
one would expect, however, given the legal travails he faces related
to his pro-opposition political activities. He told Emboff that
later in the day on May 5 he was scheduled to appear in court to
pursue his counter-claim against police. Ref A detailed how Gyumri
police had accused him of resisting the orders of officers on March
2 when present at a small public gathering. The police asked the
court to penalize Barseghian with an administrative fine of 50,000
Armenian drams (approx 160 dollars). Barseghyan denounced as untrue
the police accusation, and accused them of violence against himself,
as well as illegally detaining him for six hours that day.
PENNINGTON
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM AM
SUBJECT: GALA TV ADVOCATE RECOGNIZED WITH MEDIA FREEDOM AWARD WHILE
COURT CASE CONTINUES
REF: A) Yerevan 344, B)Yerevan 261, C) Yerevan 86
(U) Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.
1. (U) On May 3, four prominent Armenian media organizations
celebrated international Press Freedom Day by holding their third
annual award ceremony recognizing the efforts of Armenian
journalists to defend media freedoms. This year, the Yerevan Press
Club, the Union of Journalists, Internews and the Committee on
Protection of Freedom of Expression selected Levon Barseghian of the
Gyumri-based Asparez Press Club as recipient of the "Time for Media
Freedom" award.
2. (U) Barseghian was presented the award for his active and
consistent activities aimed at protecting media freedom. His
successful involvement in the cause of embattled GALA TV (reftels)
over the past few months was noted in particular. The previous two
recipients of the award were Aram Abrahamian, the editor-in-chief of
the opposition daily Aravot (Morning) and the opposition publicist
Tigran Paskevichian.
3. (SBU) Barseghian told Emboff May 5 that the award came as a
surprise, modestly stating that his actions were second nature and
that he could not have responded otherwise (in reference to the GALA
TV affair). Barseghian was less enthusiastic about the award than
one would expect, however, given the legal travails he faces related
to his pro-opposition political activities. He told Emboff that
later in the day on May 5 he was scheduled to appear in court to
pursue his counter-claim against police. Ref A detailed how Gyumri
police had accused him of resisting the orders of officers on March
2 when present at a small public gathering. The police asked the
court to penalize Barseghian with an administrative fine of 50,000
Armenian drams (approx 160 dollars). Barseghyan denounced as untrue
the police accusation, and accused them of violence against himself,
as well as illegally detaining him for six hours that day.
PENNINGTON