On January 4, 2002, the Economic Court of primary jurisdiction of Center and Nork-Marash communities of Yerevan made a decision of satisfying the suit of independent press dissemination agency “Ogostos” versus the RA Ministry of State Revenues. The Agency, which is at the same time the founder and the publisher of the extreme opposition newspaper “Chorrord Ishkhanutyun”, challenged the legitimacy of the requirement of the Ministry for the payment of 8 million drams (over $14,000) to be made by the company. The sanction specified was inflicted on “Ogostos” for the violations revealed during the financial and administrative revisions in May-June last year (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, May 19-25, 2001). According to the plaintiff, the financial revision of the Agency’s operation was made with law infringements, and the requirement of the tax authorities of the 8 million drams to be paid is unjustified.
During the court proceedings, started on December 5, the arguments of both parties were heard, various documents were presented, including the complaint about the illegitimacy of the actions of the tax authorities, submitted by “Ogostos” Agency on June 27 to the Ministry of State Revenues, which, however, remained unanswered. Also, the appraising document by the General Prosecutor’s Office of Armenia was read out, according to which the materials developed by the Ministry on the activities of “Ogostos” are compiled with the provisions of RA Criminal Code being violated.
