Government hasn’t fulfilled EC verdict
"During yesterday's session in Strasbourg, the members of the Council of Europe Ministerial Committee unanimously ruled that Armenia had fulfilled the European Court's verdict on "A1+" and that the committee considered the case closed," the Armenian government's authorized representative to the European Court Gevorg Kostanyan told presses.
"A1+" wasn't able to find out other information about the Ministerial Committee's ruling from any other source.
"A1+"'s lawyers were surprised because the television company is currently in a proceeding in the European Court.
"No, the government has not fulfilled the European Court's verdict," said "A1+" TV President Mesrop Movsesyan as he touched upon Kostanyan's statement. "In addition, we are still sending materials to the European Court affirming that our right has been violated," said Movsesyan.
Mesrop Movsesyan notes that "Armenian government officials measure everything in terms of money and consider that money has solved all the issues, but that is absurd."
The European Court's 2008 ruling obliged the government to organize a transparent frequency tender and restore "A1+"'s violated right. According to that ruling, the government also had to pay 30,000 Euros. Mesrop Movsesyan recalls that the European Court had obliged the government to organize a frequency tender, which didn't take place and now "A1+" is in proceedings.
The ruling also establishes that "A1+"'s rights must be restored. "The government is afraid of restoring our violated rights,that is, getting back on air. They are "covering up" that demand and, as restoration of rights, they are only speaking of payment. That is absurd," said Mesrop Movsesyan.
Tomorrow the Administrative Court will hear "A1+"'s appeal against the National Commission on Television and Radio. "A1+" demands that the court recognize as invalid the results of the December 16 tender, which deprived "A1+" of the right to be back on air. "A1+" has been shut down since April 2, 2002.
