Freedom of Information Center of Armenia.

Under the pressure of the “Freedom of Information Center of Armenia” and “Asparez” journalists’ club of Gyumri NGOs, and Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office, the City Municipality of Stepanavan announced void its 9 May, 2009 decision, according to which, for one page information AMD500 was charged.

Considering that making the “AMD 500” decision void is a success, FOICA president Shushan Doydoyan informed us that they have sent an inquiry to the City Municipality of Stepanavan, asking for the decision to consider the “AMD 500” decision void and to inform how much money entered the community budget as a result of the two year’s existence of the “AMD 500” decision and how that money was spent.

Another success is that the mayor, who for two years did not answer NGOs and argued in courts, has answered to the FOICA’s inquiry. So, after passing the “AMD 500” decision no citizen or organization has been charged for it. This means that AMD500 was really an unbelievably high price and has frightened off everyone. The mayor of Stepanavan also informed that the “AMD 500” decision was made void on 4 May, 2011. It is interesting that the aldermen of Stepanavan who had voted for the “AMD 500” decision have also voted against it.