The European Court of Human Rights delivered a judgment in Chap Ltd v. Armenia case.

The Court, held unanimously, that there had been a violation of the right to a fair trial and right to obtain attendance and examination of witnesses of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Chap Ltd was founded in 1999 in the Armenian city of Gyumri. In 2005 the company created Gala TV television.

The case concerned tax evasion proceedings brought against a regional television broadcasting company. The company notably alleged that they had not been able to examine witnesses whose evidence had been used against it in the proceedings. The witnesses were the head of the National Television and Radio Commission and a number of businessmen. The Court concluded that the restriction on the applicant company’s right to examine these witnesses had been unreasonable. In particular, the courts had refused to grant the applicant company’s request to summon these witnesses, finding their evidence irrelevant, despite the fact that the very same evidence had been considered decisive for imposing tax surcharges and fines on the applicant company in the proceedings against it

The Court held that Armenia was to pay the applicant company 2,400 euros (EUR) in respect of nonpecuniary damage and EUR 1,500 for costs and expenses.