On March 16 by the end of the working day, the editorial office of “A1+” TV company was visited by the representatives of RA Compulsory Execution Service. In compliance with the court ruling, they demanded to vacate the premises used by “A1+” at one of the buildings of the capital until 12.00 next day (March 17). As it has been reported, “A1+” has rented these rooms from RA National Academy of Sciences since 1992. However, in 2004 the latter raised the issue of evicting “A1+” and in 2005 filed a suit to RA Economic Court. On April 11, 2005 the suit was secured, and founder of “A1+”, “Meltex” LLC, challenged this ruling at RA Court of Cassation, which left it unchanged on May 26, 2005. According to Director of “A1+” Mesrop Movsesian, the refusal to vacate the premises was conditioned by National Academy’s violation of existing financial agreements. On July 20, 2005 National Academy again demanded to vacate the premises within a week. On the same day, Director of the TV company sent a letter to RA Prime Minister Andranik Margarian to contribute to the prolongation of the rental agreement with the Academy. The request said in particular that left without the office, “A1+” will have to suspend the work of “Ayb-Feh” weekly, “A1+” website, higher courses of TV journalism and “Hamaspyur” network, uniting 11 regional TV companies. In response to the letter, the Prime Minister addressed the Department of the State Property Management of the RA Government to consider the possibility of giving the TV company new premises (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, August 25 – September 1, 2005).
The imminent threat of “A1+” appearing in the street since March 17 raised the protest of several media, journalistic and human rights organizations. The latter expressed willingness to support the TV company. As Mesrop Movsesian told YPC, the intervention of the Prime Minister prevented eviction of “A1+”. In subsequent days, RA Department of the State Property Management offered a new location to the TV company, which is in need of capital repairing, as Mesrop Movsesian stated. Therefore, the issue of moving the TV company to the new building is still open.
Meanwhile, “Azg” daily (March 23, 2006) informs that answering the questions of the journalists on March 22 at RA National Assembly, the Prime Minister noted that the government kept its promise and offered premises to “A1+”. It is now up to “A1+” to decide, Andranik Margarian stressed.
