November 15, 2002

JOINT STATEMENT OF ARMENIAN MEDIA AND JOURNALISTIC ASSOCIATIONS

Regarding the publication by “Or” newspaper concerning the private life of the Chief Editor of “Aravot” daily Aram Abrahamian

On November 14 “Or” newspaper published photographs and an article that violates all moral norms (YPC Note: the author of the piece is the head of “Or” newspaper, Gayaneh Mukoyan).

We, the representatives of media and journalistic associations, announce that by this publication the newspaper has placed it outside the journalistic community and does not exist as a mass medium for us any longer. We call on our colleagues to refuse from any contacts or cooperation with this newspaper, display professional dignity and ignore the mere fact of its existence.

We announce that this will be the treatment of all the media and journalists who will try to discredit our profession by similar pieces.

We call upon all organizations not to invite the representatives of this newspaper to press-conferences, briefings and other events, thus demonstrating their attitudes to the edition.

We demand the law-and-order bodies to ensure the intactness of privacy, because this publication shows that not a single resident of the country can be sure that no one eavesdrops him or makes secret shootings of his private life, thus brutally violating the RA Constitution and the commonly accepted international norms.

“Azg” newspaper
“Novoye Vremya” newspaper
“Orran” newspaper
“Haikakan Zhamanak” newspaper
“Kanch” newspaper
“ArmMedia” newspaper
“Hayatsk Yerevanits” magazine
“Noyan Tapan” news agency
“De Facto” news agency
“Photolure” photo agency
Yerevan Press Club
Journalists Union of Armenia
Association of Investigative Journalists of Armenia
“TEAM” Research Center

The statement is open for signatures