They were exempted of paying 500 AMD for one Page

The RA Administrative Court of Appeal, presided by Judge A. Arakelyan, has partially satisfied the claim of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor NGO.

By its decision, the court has abolished the March 24, 2011 Resolution of the RA Administrative Court of Appeal and had closed the proceedings of the administrative case.

The RA Administrative Court has declined the claim of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor against the resolution taken by Stepanavan Community Avagani. To get written information from Stepanavan Municipality, the residents of the community have paid 500 AMD for each page of the copy of the resolutions since May, 2009.

HCA Vanadzor turned to the RA Administrative Court with the claim to nullify the #19 unlawful administrative act adopted by Stepanavan Community Avagani on 06.05.2009, considering it unlawful and contradicting with the RA legislation. However, the RA Administrative Court rejected the lawsuit of the human rights organization. With a claim to abolish, modify, and annul the resolution of the RA Administrative Court, the human rights organization turned to the RA Administrative Court of Appeals. No reply was received over the appeal of the organization, though on June 22, 2011 the letter of Sargis Gharakeshishyan, the Mayor of Stepanavan community, was entered in the Court of Appeals, by which the court was informed that the disputed Resolution of Stepanavan Avagani was rescinded by the #15 Resolution of  the Avagani approved on May 5, 2011.

The Court of Appeals closed the administrative case based on the fact that the disputed resolution had been closed within he frames of the same case and its invalidity could no more be tried. By its new resolution, the Avagani annulled the #19 Resolution adopted on May 6, 2009. As a result, the community residents will get the copes of the information, not exceeding 10 pages, for free, instead of paying 500 AMD for each page, as prescribed by law, whereas the charge of the requested information, exceeding 10 pages, would not surpass the coping costs.

In the second trimester of this year Stepanavan Mayor S. Gharakeshishyan appeared in the “black list” of “Center for Freedom of Information” for the violation of RA law on “Freedom of Information” because of the aforementioned #19 Resolution. Three days after the “black list” had been released, Stepanavan Municipality recognized the #19 Resolution of the Avagani as void.

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