U.S. Congress-funded Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) Offends Its Listeners on the Eve of Armenian Genocide Memorial Day
Prague, April 29, 2010 -- On April 22, 10 p.m., Moscow time, Russian Service of the Prague-based RFE/RL aired an extensive report by its Istanbul correspondent, “Why so many historians in Turkey study the issue of Armenian Genocide”. The broadcast presented onlyTurkish views that deny the notion, scope and character of genocide to Armenian national tragedy.
The report from Istanbul was not challenged, balanced or moderated either by accompanying presentation of Armenian position or the attitude of numerous national parliaments that officially recognize the extermination of 1.5 million Armenian residents of Ottoman Empire in 1915-1923 as the Armenian Genocide. The text of the broadcast was placed in Russian on RFE/RL Internet site. The broadcast itself, despite the incoming protests from listeners and readers, was repeated twice also the next day, April 23 – at 1 a.m. and 3 p.m., Moscow time.
On April 24, millions of Armenians mourned their dead commemorating the 95th anniversary of the Genocide. Around the world, in countries of Armenian Diaspora, they were joined by leading politicians, members of human rights organizations, deputies of national parliaments, prominent state and public officials, simply neighbors and friends.
Only April 26, under theavalanche of indignant messages from the audience, the transcript of Istanbul feed, together with listeners’ letters, was removed from RFE/RL Internet site.
“Listeners React to RFE/RL’s Broadcast on Armenian Genocide:“How Disgusting!”
Scandalous lack of professionally sensitive editorial control -- “editors could not care less“-- the newspaper blames on the management (President Jeffrey Gedmin, since March, 2007), which maintains at American RFE/RL “the atmosphere of hypocrisy and cynicism”. AZG daily quotes the last issue of TheJournal of International Security Affairs, Washington, “Today, RFE/RL is just a shadow of its former self”, and gives the gist of the article in Washingtonian magazine: “Empty words diverge with deeds, and the deeds are drifting from bad to worse”.
RFE/RL is financed by taxpayers’ dollars via BBG, Federal Broadcasting Board of Governors, overseeing all U.S. non-military broadcasters (2010 fiscal year budget $733 mln, request for 2011 -- $770 mln). Hillary Clinton, as the Secretary of State, is simultaneously the member of both BBG and RFE/RL Board of Directors.
Depicting the sinister atmosphere that cripples work moral at RFE/RL, Armenian newspaper writes:
“Practically all the staff of RFE/RL language desks and services know that they are just the rightless mercenaries hired to talk about human rights – on the air for the pay…
Everyone at RFE/RL knows that the court case of Armenian Anna Karapetian v. RFE/RL is pending in the Czech Supreme court; and the lawsuit of Croatian citizen Snjezana Pelivan is submitted to the European Court of Human Rights – everyone knows that, but is afraid to discuss it out of fear to be fired without any explanation, just the way Anna Karapetian and Snjezana Pelivan were fired. Everyone knows that international media cover these court cases regularly – but not the RFE/RL own webpages. Everyone knows that Czech parliament already twice, in connection with Karapetian’s and Pelivan’s lawsuits discussed the issue of national discrimination of RFE/RL foreign employees”.
Recently, Czech senator Jaromir Stetina, the deputy Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Defense and Security, and a member of the Senate Commission on International Support for Democracy, has sent a letter to his American colleagues, “Actions of Radio Free Europe Damage Czech Republic and the United States”. Calling RFE/RL personnel policies “indecent, unfair, cynical and hypocritical”, senator wrote: “Harmful lawsuits should be stopped. Abandon RFE/RL discriminative employment policies.“ His letter was never answered.
The list of publications --in English, Czech, Armenian, Russian, Serbo-Croatian -- condemning RFE/RL employment policies developed under the supervision of BBG (Executive Director Jeffrey N. Trimble) is virtually endless. Without any exception, they appeared during the ongoing Trimble’s leadership at BBG and Gedmin’s – at RFE/RL.To mention but a few:
"Radio Liberty Betrays its Ideals", "Radio Free Europe – Guantanamo in Prague", "Equality With Precondition. Practice of Free Europe Contradicts Its Ideals", "U.S. Attorney General is Asked to Investigate Fraud at RFE/RL", "Doomsday of Radio Liberty. From Double Standards to Double Morals?” "A Sense of Betrayal", “ Czech Politician Accuses U.S. of Discrimination Against Foreign Journalists”, “On Air in Legal Vacuum”, “Czech MP Writes to U.S. Counterparts Over Work Conditions in RFE/RL”,"New Administration Must Undo RFE/RL Anti-Diplomacy Abroad", "BBG, RFE/RL: Bring Public Diplomats Instead of Public Bureaucrats", "Don’t Feed Kremlin’s Public Diplomacy With U.S. Public Hypocrisy", "Public Disaster Instead of Public Diplomacy", “Cases of Karapetian and Pelivan as Morality Check for Obama Administration. Radio Free Europe to Face European Court of Human Rights”, “Czech MP Questions Pelivan Case”, "Czech Sovereignty Ends at RFE/RL", "Free Europe With Its Own Laws in Colonial Czech Republic?", "From Human Rights Show to Human Rights Court", "Prague Spring of 2009 Leads to Strasbourg", ”News Flashes From Radio Free/Radio Liberty. The Face of America Abroad”, “Czech senator angry about Croat’s lawsuit”, etc.”
Highly detrimental to American public image abroad, such publications are simply devastating to the trustworthiness and moral standing of RFE/RL, a costly to U.S. taxpayer tool of American public diplomacy.
AZG daily concludes its article, “Listeners React to RFE/RL’s Broadcast on Armenian Genocide:“How Disgusting!”, published April 29 in Yerevan:
“In the words of Mario Corty, former RFE/RL Russian Service director,‘Those among the old KGB and the new FSB officials, who see the U.S. as an enemy, could only be enormously happy with such leaders in charge of U.S. international broadcasting as the current U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors executive team. They have no reason to worry or need to do anything themselves to undermine U.S.-funded broadcasts; it is being done for them by these American government officials who are now trying hard to hide their mistakes from the White House, the U.S. Congress and the American public.’”
For how long they’ll be successful?
Actions of Radio Free Europe Damage Czech Republic and the United States
Honorable John F. Kerry
Chairman
Honorable Richard G. Lugar
Ranking Member
U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-6225
Cc:
Honorable Harry Reid
Senate Majority Leader
Honorable Mitch McConnel
Senate Minority Leader
February 10, 2010
Dear American colleague:
As the Senator of Czech Republic, deputy chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Defense and Security, and a member of the Senate Commission on International Support for Democracy, I kindly ask for your personal attention and intervention in the matter of mutual importance to my country and the United States.
On February 4th, the second time already in recent several months, Czech parliament discussed the issue of national discrimination by American Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) of its foreign employees. Because of discriminative labor policies practiced on Czech territory by RFE/RL management, Czech Republic as a party to European Convention of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, is charged with human rights violations in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. The next day, February 5th, Czech print and electronic media reported on parliamentary hearings. Just as it had reported the previous time – negatively to American RFE/RL and to the Czech Republic as RFE/RL host country.
As you undoubtedly know, in 1995, RFE/RL, an institution subordinate to the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) in Washington, had moved to Prague from Munich, Germany. Presently, RFE/RL broadcasts from Prague in 28 languages to over 20 countries. It is a powerful tool of American public diplomacy financed by U.S. Congress. The President of the United States with consent of the Senate assigns all eight members of RFE/RL Board of Directors, being simultaneously members of BBG. The ninth member is the Secretary of State ex officio. American flag is hoisted on RFE/RL façade in Prague. RFE/RL is the showcase of the United States in the Czech Republic. Or, at least, it should be.
Except American and Czech citizens, RFE/RL employs in Prague hundreds of foreign nationals from the countries of the former Soviet Union, former Yugoslavia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc. It is by their voices, in their words, and with their professional talents that American RFE/RL carries to their less than democratic countries its publicly declared Mission: “To promote democratic values and institutions, strengthen civil societies by projecting democratic values, provide a model for local media”.
Regrettably, RFE/RL deeds in its host country are less noble than its Mission Statement. Respectable Czech newspaper Lidove noviny summed up that peculiar situation in its editorial Equality with Precondition. Practice of Free Europe Contradicts Its Ideals:
Prague headquarters of RFE/RL, which pretends to be a messenger of freedom, democracy and the rule of law, behaves as an employer in such a way as if the principles it heralds, are relevant “just” for the whole planet but not for what is going on inside that estimable organization itself. Employees are divided in three castes. The first includes American citizens who enjoy the protections provided by the Federal Equal Employment Opportunities Commission. Czech citizens are protected by Czech Labor Code. Unfortunately, the employees from third countries “enjoy” zero protection. Despite their employment agreements are composed with the reference to American laws, they have no place to complain. That situation, as it seems, is brutally abused by the management of the radio station. With foreign employees from the third caste, the propagators of democracy deal as colonial power with rightless aborigines… However, as far as we know, neither Czech nor American laws mention second rate employees.
Indeed, RFE/RL hires its foreign employees on labor contracts, which explicitly deny them protections and guarantees automatically granted to any employee in this country by Czech labor laws. At the same time, as you are definitely aware, American laws, including Civil Rights Act of 1964, 1991 and District of Columbia Human Rights Act of 1977, are not applicable to foreigners working for American employers outside the United States – even if RFE/RL preprinted uniform contracts “are composed with the reference to American laws”. It is deceptive reference.
In fact, foreigners employed by RFE/RL are covered only by RFE/RL internal policies evidently formulated by BBG, which, as one could read on BBG website, “makes all major policy determinations governing the operations of RFE/RL”. The Office of Human Resources within BBG “provides worldwide personnel management policies, programs, and services”. By RFE/RL employment policies, its foreign personnel in Prague may be fired at any time, for any reason or without any stated reason whatsoever, without prior warning, without any preliminary disciplinary measures if deserved; and even without contractual severance pay for the years of service unless one signs the letter of consent with such employment termination and, also in writing, gives up the inalienable (at least, in Czech Republic) human and civil right to seek protection in the courts of law.
By such a mode, RFE/RL had disposed of quite a number of its foreign employees in Prague. In the same fashion, RFE/RL management terminated employment of Croatian citizen Snjezana Pelivan and Armenian citizen Anna Karapetian, mother of three minors. However, they refused to accept the “shut up” money and took RFE/RL to courts. Thus, for the first time, were publicly exposed nationally discriminative labor policies and actions practiced by American RFE/RL in the Czech Republic – in a democratic member country of the European Union and Council of Europe; and, shall I add here, an American ally in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Accusing Czech Republic as the RFE/RL host country, of violating the European Convention of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, Snjezana Pelivan requests the European Court in Strasbourg to invite to the proceedings the country of her citizenship – friendly to Czech Republic (and the United States) Croatia. Incidentally, in Croatia, hundreds of thousands of my fellow countrymen traditionally spend their summer vacations.
Lawsuits brought against RFE/RL by Anna Karapetian and against Czech Republic by Snjezana Pelivan enjoy broad coverage in international mass media – in English, Czech, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Armenian, Slovak, and other languages. That ongoing publicity is detrimental to international reputation of the Czech Republic. It compromises RFE/RL public mission. And, due to the spread of Internet, it undermines the trustworthiness of American public diplomacy in all RFE/RL target areas, including such priority countries as Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
RFE/RL (mis)deeds accompanied by resounding international media echo caused already two critical hearings in Czech parliament. At the same time, Czech Republic was and remains a very hospitable country to American RFE/RL. After moving to Prague in 1995, RFE/RL paid 1 crown a month as a symbolic rent for using the building of former Federal Assembly of the defunct communist Czechoslovakia. In 2006, Czech government granted to BBG 27 million crowns ($1.18 mln) cofinancing RFE/RL relocation to its own new building (commenced in 2009). All American citizens employed by RFE/RL are relieved of Czech income taxes as performing duties of governmental nature. This generous hospitality is well deserved by the unique role RFE/RL broadcasts from Munich played in unmasking communist lies that strangled Soviet-dominated Czechoslovakia. Just to note: In Munich, all RFE/RL personnel was equally protected by the strict German labor laws; still, it did not hinder RFE/RL from being truly instrumental to American victory in the Cold War against “evil empire”.
However, the Czech Republic definitely does not deserve the price it is now paying for its hospitality to RFE/RL. And, I am sure, the American taxpayers, for the billions of public dollars already spent on BBG and RFE/RL, also don’t deserve such a self-defeating brand of “public diplomacy” as the one practiced on Czech territory by RFE/RL and BBG bureaucracies. Practiced for the sake of their bureaucratic convenience only. Any other beneficiaries are not in sight.
Legal gimmicks and court tricks aside, it is patiently indecent, unfair, cynical and hypocritical to exploit for bureaucratic ends the sad fact that many highly qualified foreign professionals working for RFE/RL are stateless persons, dissidents, political refugees who, being cut off from their native countries, are existentially dependent on their employment with RFE/RL. Placed by RFE/RL in legal vacuum in the Czech Republic, they simply don’t risk protesting their rightless status. At RFE/RL, noted Slovak magazine DS, everybody knows that any protest will end in termination.
Practical consequences of RFE/RL self-destructive “public diplomacy” are evident. Published in several languages, influential Armenian newspaper AZG (People) in extensive article, Cases of Karapetian and Pelivan as Morality Check for Obama Administration. Radio Free Europe to Face European Court of Human Rights, wrote:
The most devious anti-American mind would not be able to design an international media campaign so devastating to RFE/RL and, by natural extension, to American image and trustworthiness abroad, as the American RFE/RL managed to cause on its own.
In November 2009, President Obama nominated new candidates to the bipartisan BBG. Discussion of presidential nominees in the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and their subsequent consideration by the Senate shall follow. I am deeply convinced that the issue of public diplomacy, which is crucial to forming international image of your country, is important to you to the same extent as to me is important international image and reputation of my country. BBG is an instrument of American public diplomacy. As is RFE/RL hosted by Czech Republic.
Then, may I please suggest that you, in the course of forthcoming nomination hearings, advise future BBG members on how counterproductive to the goals of American public diplomacy is present situation of moral hypocrisy created by the BBG-designed employment policies and their practical application in the Czech Republic by RFE/RL administration. This situation, aggravated by the ongoing and virtually endless court battles followed attentively by international media, shall and may be changed ASAP – in the best interests of RFE/RL, United States, and Czech Republic.
Perhaps, political, human, and moral damage already inflicted cannot be undone completely. But damage limitation shall be undertaken by new BBG without any delay. There are two simple steps dictated by common sense and by presumption of moral and political sensitivity:
Step 1. Harmful lawsuits should be stopped. RFE/RL should be instructed to make a peaceful offer to the plaintiffs, Snjezana Pelivan and Anna Karapetian, commensurate with human and professional injustice suffered by them already;
Dear American colleague! At the date of this letter, BBG nomination hearings were not scheduled yet. I cannot see, however, what may prevent you to act within your sphere of political and public influence even now, with the present BBG at hand, provided, you share my concerns.
Thank you very much for understanding the good-will motives and friendly intentions of my writing to you.
Sincerely yours,
Jaromir Stetina,
Senator,
The Senate of Parliament of the Czech Republic
Իրավապաշտպան "Ազատություն/Ազատ Եվրոպա" ռադիոկայանն ու այն հյուրընկալած պետությունը Մարդու իրավունքների դատարանի առաջ
"Ազատություն/Ազատ Եվրոպա" ռադիոկայանի ու դրան հյուրընկալած Չեխիայի հանրապետության դեմ Խորվաթիայի քաղաքացի Սնեժանա Պելիվանից հայց է ստացել Ստրասբուրգում մարդու իրավունքների եվրոպական դատարանը: Նա մեղադրում է Չեխիայի հանրապետությանըՙ իր երկրի տարածքում ազգային խտրականությունը չսանձելու եւ այդ առնչությամբ արդար դատաքննություն չանցկացնելու մեջ: Ազգային հավասարությունն ու արդար դատավարությունը երաշխավորվում են Մարդու հիմնարար իրավունքների եվրոպական կոնվենցիայով: "Ազատություն/Ազատ Եվրոպա" ռադիոկայանի դեմ իր ներկայացրած հայցը մերժելու մասին Չեխնիայի սահմանադրական դատարանի որոշումը Սնեժանա Պելիվանը որակել է իբրեւ "իրավաբանական անհեթեթություն, որն ընդունելի չի կարող լինել Եվրոպական կոնվենցիան ստորագրած պետությունում":
Հիշեցնենք, որ "Ազատություն/Ազատ Եվրոպա" ռադիոկայանի Պրահայի կենտրոնակայանում աշխատող ոչ ամերիկացի ու ոչ չեխ աշխատակիցներին տրվում են աշխատանքային համաձայնագրեր, որոնք ղեկավարվում են ամերիկյան օրենքներով, սակայն սրանով ռադիոյի ղեկավարությունը միտումնաբար խտրական վիճակ է ստեղծում ու պաշտպանությունից դուրս թողնում նրանց: Խնդիրն այն է, որ ամերիկյան օրենքները ԱՄՆ սահմաններից դուրս գործող ամերիկյան ընկերություններում աշխատող ոչ ամերիկացիների վրա չեն տարածվում: Իրավական այս վակուումը Չեխիայի դատարաններն անօրինական չեն համարել, այդ իսկ պատճառով ստիպված են լինելու պատասխաններ տալ ստրասբուրգյան դատարանում:
Իր հայցում Ս.Պելիվանը գրում է. "Ազատություն/Ազատ Եվրոպա" ռադիոկայանի հարյուրավոր աշխատակիցների համար Չեխիայի սահմանադրական դատարանի որոշումը նշանակում է լիակատար իրավական վակուում: Զրկված լինելով ամերիկյան օրենքներով ամերիկյան դատարաններում իրենց իրավունքները պաշտպանելու հնարավորությունից, ռադիոկայանի աշխատակիցները զրկվում են այդ պաշտպանությունից նաեւ Չեխիայում, քանի որ պայմանագրերը ղեկավարվում են ամերիկյան օրենքներով: Տարրական տրամաբանությունից զուրկ դատական որոշումը լիակատար ազատություն է տալիս ռադիոկայանի ղեկավարությանը: Մյունխենից հեռարձակվելու տարիներինՙ մինչեւ 1995 թվականին Պրահայում հիմնավորվելը, ռադիոկայանը լիովին ենթարկվել է Գերմանիայի օրենսդրությանը:
Ասենք, որ Սնեժանա Պելիվանը եվրադատարանին խնդրել է իր հայցի մասին տեղեկացնել Խորվաթիայի հանրապետությանը, քանի որ Խորվաթիան կարող է դատարանում հանդես գալ ի պաշտպանություն իր քաղաքացու: Ավելացնենք որ Աննա Կարապետյանի հարուցած դատական գործը "Ազատություն/Ազատ Եվրոպա" ռադիոկայանի դեմ դեռեւս Չեխիայի Գերագույն դատարանում է:
Խնդրին ավելի մանրամասն կարելի է ծանոթանալ այսօրվա մեր ինտերնետային անգլերեն ու ռուսերեն էջերից:
Американское "Радио Свобода" и его страна пребывания Чехия обвиняются в Европейском суде по правам человека в национальной дискриминации
ПРАГА, 9 сентября 2009 – По сообщению Информационного центра КАВКАЗ – ВОСТОЧНАЯ ЕВРОПА (ICCEE), Снежана Пеливан, хорватская гражданка, живущая с
1995 г. в Праге, в своей жалобе, поданной в Европейский суд по правам человека в Страсбурге, обвиняет Чешскую Республику в нарушении ее прав на национальное равенство и справедливое судебное разбирательство, гарантируемых Европейской Ковенцией о защите прав человека и основных свобод. Решение, вынесенное Конституционным судом Чехии по её делу против Радио Свободная Европа/Радио Свобода (РСЕ/РС), она характеризует в своей жалобе как ,юридическую нелепость, неприемлемую в государстве, являющемся участником Европейской Конвенцииե.
Г-жа Пеливан занимала на Радио Свободная Европа/Радио Свобода (РСЕ/РС) должность менеджера по маркетингу радиопродукции. После нескольких лет безупречной работы с неизменно позитивными аттестациями она была уволена в июне 2005 г. без устного или письменного указания причины, без предупреждения и каких-либо предварительных мер дисциплинарного воздействия, без выплаты компенсации за выслугу лет, поскольку отказалась подписать согласие с увольнением и отказ от права на обжалование.
РСЕ/РС полностью финансируется Конгрессом США через Федеральное агентство Совет Управляющих Радиовещанием (СУР). Хиллари Клинтон по должности, как Государственный секретарь Соединённых Штатов, входит также в СУР и Совет директоров РСЕ/РС. На РСЕ/РС, ведущем на 28 языках передачи для 21 страны, работают в Праге сотни иностранных граждан – преимущественно из государств бывшего Советского Союза, бывшей Югославии, Румынии, Ирака, Ирана и Афганистана. Все они подписывают в Чехии составленные американской администрацией РСЕ/РС стандартные трудовые договора, которые, якобы,
"подчиняются соответствующим законам Соединенных Штатов, законам Округа Колумбия либо политике Компании".
Однако американские законы, о которых они при оформлении на работу, как правило, представления не имеют, на иностранцев, работающих на РСЕ/РС в Чехии, т.е. у американского нанимателя за пределами Соединенных Штатов, не распространяются; соответственно, американские суды их права не защищают. Американские законы и судебная юрисдикция распространяются только на американских сотрудников РСЕ/РС. По настоянию чешских профсоюзов, работающие на РСЕ/РС чешские граждане находятся под защитой чешского трудового законодательства, исключающего немотивированные увольнения. На иностранных сотрудников РСЕ/РС распространяется только произвольно меняемая по усмотрению администрации РСЕ/РС ,политика Компанииե, которую никому из них при приеме на работу не предъявляют и не разъясняют.
Политика Компании, содержащаяся в ,Политическом руководстве РСЕ/РСե гласит:
"Отношения РСЕ/РС с сотрудниками подчиняются философии ,свободы найма и увольненияե. Это означает, что любая из сторон может расторгнуть договор в любое время по любой причине".
На практике это означает также без какой-либо причины – как были уволены Снежана Пеливан и многие другие специалисты-иностранцы, нанятые в Праге американским руководством РСЕ/РС по намеренно вводящим в заблуждение трудовым договорам.
Конституционный суд Чехии счел эти дискриминационные для инострацев трудовые договора не противоречащими государственному, общественному и правовому порядку Чешской распублики. Явно недобросовестные действия администрации РСЕ/РС при приёме иностранцев на работу суд не нашёл противоречащими принципу ,добрых нравовե, предписанному чешским трудовым и гражданским законодательством. Напротив, суд пришел к поразительному заключению, что истица, Снежана Пеливан, хотя она постоянно утверждает иное, тем не менее, добровольно, сознательно и, будучи о том информированной, подписала с РСЕ/РС трудовой договор, который, -- это суд признаёт -- предоставляет ей меньшую защиту, чем чешское трудовое законодательство.
В своей жалобе о национальной дискриминации, направленной Европейскому суду по правам человека, Снежана Пеливан пишет:
"Для сотен иностранных сотрудников РСЕ/РС последствием решения Чешского Конституционного суда является полный правовой вакуум. Будучи лишены по американским законам защиты в американских судах, хотя на бумаге их трудовые договора починяются американским законам, они лишаются также сколько-нибудь эффективных средств правовой защиты также и в Чехии – именно потому, что их трудовые договора, якобы, подчиняются американским законам… Лишенное всякой логики судебное решение предоставляет американскому руководству РСЕ/РС неограниченную свободу беспрепятственно практиковать в Чехии немотиворованные и произвольные увольнения иностранных сотрудников – без необходимости оправдывать свои действия в каких бы то ни было судебных органах. Это решение превращает право иностранных сотрудников РСЕ/РС на судебную защиту в юридическую фикцию".
В Мюнхене, где РСЕ/РС размещалось до своего переезда в Прагу в 1995 г., на всех сотрудников независимо от их гражданства распространялось германское трудовое законодательство, строго охраняющее права наемных работников. В настоящее время РСЕ/РС имеет 19 заграничных бюро, где работают местные граждане. Но только в Чехии РСЕ/РС прибегает к упрятанной в его ,Политическом руководствеե философии ,свободы найма и увольненияե, противоречащей чешскому трудовому праву, т.е. законодательному суверенитету страны пребывания. Диктуется ли это некой скрытой политической необходимостью, находящей отражение в особых привилегиях, предоставленных РСЕ/РС в Чешской Республике? Все американские сотрудники РСЕ/РС, официально зарегистрированного как частная организация, освобождены от чешских налогов как исполняющие государственные функции; более четырнадцати лет РСЕ/РС занимало здание бывшего национального парламента в центре Праги, платя 1 крону в месяц; 16 мая 2006 г. министр иностранных дел Чехии вручил в Вашингтоне американскому правительству чек на 27 миллионов крон для финансирования переезда РСЕ/РС в новое здание в Праге.
Эти существенные вопросы г-жа Пеливан поставила 10 марта нынешнего года в своем Ходатайстве о вызове свидетеля, поданном в чешский Конституционный суд в дополнение к её основному Конституционному иску от 4 марта. Предлагаемым свидетелем была Хиллари Клинтон, чей приезд в Прагу ожидался (и состоялся) в начале апреля. Она могла бы в суде разъяснить
"диктуется ли дискриминационная по отношению к иностранцам трудовая политика РСЕ/РС ,широкими целями внешней политики Соединенных Штатов",
как то предусматривает американский ,Акт о международном вещании 1994 г.ե. На следующий день, 11 марта, чешское агентство новостей ЧТК и крунейшие чешские газеты сообщили о ходатайстве г-жи Пеливан. Уже 16 марта Конституционный суд Чехии, ставший своей медлительностью притчей во языцех, отклонил Конституционный иск Снежаны Пеливан, при этом ни словом не обмолвившись о её ходатайстве вызвать Хиллари Клинтон свидетелем. Как неоднократно указывал Европейский суд по правам человека, пишет Снежана Пеливан в своей жалобе против Чешской Республики, подобные немотивированные судебные решения являются нарушением права на справедливое судебное разбирательство.
Недавно Снежана Пеливан и Анна Карапетян, бывшая сотрудница армянской редакции РСЕ/РС, чей иск о безосновательном немотивированном увольнении еще ожидает рассмотрения в Верховном суде Чехии, обратились к Генеральному прокурору Соединенных Штатов Эрику Х. Холдеру с петицией об уголовном расследовании мошеннической трудовой политики и практики РСЕ/РС на территории Чешской Республики. Они, в частности, отмечают, что реальные действия РСЕ/РС, выступающего орудием американской публичной дипломатии, превращают в насмешку его собственное ,Заявление о Миссииե:
"Миссией РСЕ/РС является распространение демократических ценностей и учреждений... РСЕ/РС укрепляет гражданские общества, донося до них демократические ценности… РСЕ/РС являет собой образец для местных средств массовой информации…"
Снежана Пеливан просит Европейский суд по правам человека информировать Хорватию, чьей гражданкой она является, о её жалобе против Чешской Республики. Как участница Европейской Конвенции о защите прав человека и основных свобод, Хорватия полномочна представлять суду в Страсбурге письменные комментарии и участвовать в слушаниях, касающихся прав хорватских граждан.
U.S. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Its Host Country Czech Republic are Charged With National Discrimination in European Court of Human Rights
(Prague, September 9, 2009) As reported by Information Centre CAUCASUS – EASTERN EUROPE (ICCEE), Czech Republic, claims in her Application submitted to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg Snjezana Pelivan, Croatian citizen permanently residing in Prague since 1995, failed to safeguard her rights to national equality and fair trial guaranteed by European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Ruling by Czech Constitutional Court in her case against RFE/RL she characterizes as
“legal nonsense unacceptable in member state to the European Convention”.
Mrs. Pelivan was employed as marketing manager by American Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). After several years of impeccable work with highly positive performance reviews, her employment was terminated in June, 2005, without any reason stated orally or in writing, any prior warning or previous disciplinary measures, and without severance payment because she refused to agree in writing with her dismissal and, also in writing, give up her right of appeal.
U.S. Congress via Federal Agency Board of Broadcasting Governors (BBG) fully finances RFE/RL. Hillary Clinton as the Secretary of State is also a member of BBG and RFE/RL’s Board of Directors. RFE/RL, which broadcasts in 28 languages to 21 countries, employs in Prague several hundred foreign nationals -- predominantly citizens of the former Soviet Union, former Yugoslavia, Romania, Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan. All of them have in Czech Republic standard employment agreements prepared by RFE/RL, which are, quasi,
“governed by the applicable laws of the United States, the laws of the District of Columbia or the policies of the Company”.
However, totally unknown to them American laws explicitly are not applicable to foreigners working for RFE/RL, an American employer outside the United States; accordingly, U.S. courts are off limits to them. U.S. laws are applicable only to RFE/RL American employees who are also entitled to legal protection by American courts. Strict Czech labor laws, at the insistence of national trade unions, protect Czech employees of RFE/RL. Its foreign employees are subject only to the arbitrary changeable “policies of the Company”, which RFE/RL does not present or explain to foreigners during hiring procedure.
Policies of the Company contained in RFE/RL Policy Manual stipulate that
“RFE/RL’s relationship with its employees is governed by an ‘employment-at-will’ philosophy. This means that either party may terminate an agreement at any time for any reason”.
It means also without any reason, as was dismissed Snjezana Pelivan and the score of other foreign specialists hired by RFE/RL in Prague on identically deceptive employment agreements.
Czech Constitutional Court did not find discriminative work contracts given to foreigners by RFE/RL, to be in violation of the Czech legal, social or state order. It also did not find RFE/RL deceptive hiring methods to violate the imperative of “good morals” prescribed by Czech civil and labor legislation. Moreover, it surprisingly decided that Mrs. Pelivan, despite her permanent statements to the contrary, has signed knowingly, willingly and by her own consent,
an employment agreement, which, as admitted by the same court, gives her lesser protection in Czech Republic than protection provided by Czech labor legislation.
In her charge of discrimination submitted to the European Court of Human Rights, Mrs. Pelivan writes:
“The consequence of the Ruling by the Czech Constitutional Court for hundreds of foreign employees of RFE/RL is creation of legal vacuum. While they were excluded by statutory American legislation from protection in U.S. courts, despite that their work contracts are governed on paper by U.S. laws, now they are also deprived of effective legal remedy in the Czech Republic -- precisely because their contracts are governed on paper only by U.S. laws (…) Void of logic court Ruling empowers American management of RFE/RL to practice uninhibitedly in Czech Republic unmotivated arbitrary terminations of its foreign employees, without need to justify such actions in any courts of law. With this Ruling, for RFE/RL foreign personnel the right to effective court protection became a legal fiction.”
In Munich where RFE/RL had its headquarters prior to relocation to Prague in 1995, all its personnel, regardless of citizenship, were covered by protective to employees German labor laws. Presently, RFE/RL has 19 foreign bureaus employing there local citizens. Only in Czech Republic, RFE/RL uses hidden in its Policy Manual “employment-at-will philosophy” contradicting Czech labor laws, i.e. Czech legislative sovereignty. Is it dictated by some mysterious political arrangement reflected in a special treatment RFE/RL has in Czech Republic: American employees of RFE/RL, officially registered as private corporation, are relieved of Czech taxes as performing governmental duties; over 14 years RFE/RL used the building of former national Parliament in Prague paying 1 Czech crown per month; on May 16, 2006, Czech foreign minister handed in Washington to American government a check of 27 million crowns to finance relocation of RFE/RL into the new building in Prague?
Mrs. Pelivan raised that relevant question on March 10th, 2009, in her, additional to the main Constitutional Claim of March 4th, Motion to Call the Witness. The witness suggested was Hillary Clinton. She was expected to visit Prague the beginning of April (she did) and could clarify to the Czech Constitutional Court whether
“discriminative to foreigners employment policies of RFE/RL in the Czech Republic are dictated by the ‘broad foreign policies objectives of the United States’ “,
as prescribed by the “U.S. International Broadcasting Act of 1994”. On March 11, 2009, Czech news agency CTK and major Czech newspapers reported Mrs. Pelivan’s request to call Hillary Clinton as a witness. As soon as March 16th, the Constitutional Court, notorious for its usual sluggishness, rejected Pelivan’s main Constitutional Claim of March 4th, without even mentioning her Motion to invite Hillary Clinton. Such unmotivated court decisions, claims Snjezana Pelivan, violate the principle of fair trial as was time and again stressed by the European Court of Human Rights.
Recently, Snjezana Pelivan and Anna Karapetian, an Armenian journalist also suing RFE/RL for wrongful unmotivated termination (her case is still pending in Czech Supreme Court), have petitioned U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder to open criminal investigation into RFE/RL fraudulent employment practices in Czech Republic. In particular, they noted that real actions of RFE/RL financed by U.S. taxpayers money as a tool of American public diplomacy, make a mockery of its Mission Statement:
“RFE/RL mission is to promote democratic values and institutions… RFE/RL strengthens civil societies by projecting democratic values… RFE/RL provides a model for local media…”
Snjezana Pelivan has asked European Court of Human Rights to inform the government of Croatia, the country of her citizenship, of her Application against Czech Republic. Croatia, as a party to European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, is entitled to present to the Court in Strasbourg written comments and participate in hearings concerning rights of its citizens.
Actions of Radio Free Europe Damage Czech Republic and the United States
