On June 21 the court of primary jurisdiction of Center and Nork-Marash communities of Yerevan refused the suit of “Investigative Journalists” public organization and its chairman Edik Baghdasarian versus Yerevan Municipality. As it has been reported, Edik Baghdasarian demanded to be given access to the resolutions of the city administration, passed in 1997-2003, on the constructions made in the green zone around the building of the National Opera and Ballet Theater. At the previous session of June 9 the respondent admitted that the municipality “was late” with the answer and asked the plaintiff to specify what information exactly was needed. Having received a written inquiry from the latter, the respondent petitioned the court to provide time to prepare the information requested (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, June 4-10, 2004).
However, at the session of June 21 the representative of the municipality submitted to the court a letter, signed on June 16 by a head of an appropriate division of the city administration. The letter informed that “Investigative Journalists” must be even more specific as to which “subjects” are of interest to them. On her behalf, the judge noted that the organization should have gathered information from other institution, such as the State Real Estate Cadastre Committee and only afterwards, having exhausted all the possibilities, address the municipality. Eventually the suit was refused.
“Investigative Journalists” intend to challenge this decision with the RA Court of Appeals.
