In Armenia, independent "GALA" TV Company stands for broadcasting right

The independent TV Company "GALA", which broadcasts from the city of Gyumri, the second largest city in Armenia, will not fulfil the decision of the Court of Cassation to dismantle the equipment from the TV tower, until the company gets a possibility to operate from another TV tower, said Vaan Khachatryan, the owner of the TV Company.

He told journalists that the leadership of the "GALA" TV Company was actively working towards receiving a permit to install its broadcasting equipment on another TV tower. In particular, the "GALA" addressed the Ministry of Transport and Communications for receiving a place at the central TV tower.

"All the actions associated with a ban on us to broadcast have to do with the upcoming nationwide elections. That is, all is done in advance that we could not be on air and provide alternative opinions," said Vaan Khachatryan.

Meanwhile, Lilith Agekyan, the press secretary of the Gyumri Mayor, told journalists that the TV Company "GALA" had been repeatedly offered, including by means of official instructions of the Mayoralty, to pay its debts for using the TV tower, which is the property of the Mayoralty. As to whether the TV Company would be given a chance to pay for using the TV tower, she said: "This is an additional reason for negotiations."

On July 19 four journalist organizations of Armenia – the "Committee to Protect the Freedom of Speech", the Yerevan Press Club, the "Internews" and the "Institute for Comprehensive Information-Armenia" – made a statement for support of TV Company "GALA".

"We consider the decision of the Court of Cassation as a logical continuation of pressure on the TV Company "GALA", which was initiated in 2007 by different authorities' institutions and which, in essence, is a campaign against the freedom of speech. We urge the authorities to refrain from the attacks on the freedom of speech and pluralism of opinions, especially now, on the eve of nationwide elections, when it is extremely important to create a favourable atmosphere in the information sphere," stressed the statement.