Freedom of Information Awards Winners of 2005 Were Announced

On December 9, 2005 the Freedom of Information Center announced the Freedom of Information Awards winners of 2005 (the event was devoted to the International Anti-corruption Day and was supported by USAID Armenia and British Embassy in Yerevan).

The following nominations were awarded:

1. Positive award for the most open institution with the best system of providing information - State Committee to Protect Economic Competition.
2. Award for NGO, which has contributed to the exercising of the rights of access to information - MGO "Achilles for the Defense of Drivers' Rights".
3. Award for the journalist most actively covering FOI issues and using the FOI Law - Ms. Ruzan Minasyan from Aravot daily
4. Most active citizen in exercising her/his right of access - Armenuhi Gevorgyan - (She was fired from her job at school, and then after 14 months struggle for justice and with our support, she succeeded
   
   All these winners were awarded with golden keys (simbol for openness).
   There were also 2 negative awards (Locks as simbols of secrecy).
5. Negative award for an institution, which does not fulfill its obligations in under the FOI law - Yerevan Municipality (for keeping mayor's decisions in secret from Investigative Journalists and society).
6. Negative award for an institution which gave the most ridiculous official answer to the information request. - Gyumri Municipality (in September we asked the Mayor of Gyumri to provide us with copies of decisions made by the Mayor and the Council of Elders, as well as copies of the community Budget. We recieved an official answer saying that "You might have access to the requested documents in our web site which is under construction".

The nominees were selected by a JURY which is represented by 7 members of local NGOs functioning in the field.

Shushan Doydoyan
President of the Freedom of Information Center.