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The Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor received the ruling of the RA Administrative Court dated June 12, 2015 on admitting the Organization’s claim. Note that back on February 26, 2015, the HCA Vanadzor had sent an inquiry to the RA Ministry of Finance which refused to provide a copy of the customs agencies database as requested in the last point of the inquiry, arguing that: “/…/ the summarized list of the fees available at the customs agency database of vehicles moved over the RA customs border is published in the relevant special place, at the RA Ministry of Finance specialized customs for vehicle clearance /…/”.

The administrative claim of the Organization filed on April 10, 2015 was examined on May 5, 2015 and dismissed on the grounds that the information to be provided by the Ministry of Finance was published information by its nature, and in its response letter the Ministry mentioned the means and place of such publication. However, according to Article 3 of the RA Law on Freedom of Information, publication shall mean “/…/ provision and availability of information to the public in the press and by other mass media or the world wide web (the Internet) as well as through any other means as laid down by the law.” In this case, the wall of the customs office can be considered neither the press, nor mass media, nor the Internet, and the RA MoF failed to point through the media above to the information requested. Hence, on May 29, 2015, the HCA Vanadzor filed another application against the RA Ministry of Finance before the RA Administrative Court.