ASSOCIATION OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS OF ARMENIA / HETQ ONLINE
Statement by the Editorial Board of Hetq
On April 5, 2004, during a rally organized by the National Unity political party, journalists covering the event were attacked by a group of heavy-set young men. The video cameras of four television stations - Kentron (reporter Astghik Bedevyan, cameraman Tigran Babayan), Hay TV, Shant (reporter Edward Petrosyan, cameraman Husik Aristakesyan), and Public Television (reporter Vahe Shahverdyan, cameraman Romik Khachatryan) - were damaged, as were the cameras of the daily newspapers Aravot (reporter Anna Israelyan) and Haykakan Jhamanak (reporter Haik Gevorgyan), and Hetq (photojournalist Onnik Krikorian).
The reporters and cameramen received various bodily injuries. Law enforcement officers present at the rally did nothing to stop the perpetrators of this violence. Moreover, according to the journalists, the attackers, dressed in civilian clothes, were themselves officers of the law. This leads us to conclude that no one may be held responsible for this attack.
We condemn acts of violence aimed at preventing journalists from conducting their professional activity, and demand that the Prosecutor's Office act quickly to find the perpetrators. In the meantime, we demand that the journalists be compensated for their material losses. We call upon the government of Armenia not to infringe the rights of journalists in the course of executing what it calls "actions aimed at defending lawfulness".
Statement by the Editorial Board of Hetq
On April 5, 2004, during a rally organized by the National Unity political party, journalists covering the event were attacked by a group of heavy-set young men. The video cameras of four television stations - Kentron (reporter Astghik Bedevyan, cameraman Tigran Babayan), Hay TV, Shant (reporter Edward Petrosyan, cameraman Husik Aristakesyan), and Public Television (reporter Vahe Shahverdyan, cameraman Romik Khachatryan) - were damaged, as were the cameras of the daily newspapers Aravot (reporter Anna Israelyan) and Haykakan Jhamanak (reporter Haik Gevorgyan), and Hetq (photojournalist Onnik Krikorian).
The reporters and cameramen received various bodily injuries. Law enforcement officers present at the rally did nothing to stop the perpetrators of this violence. Moreover, according to the journalists, the attackers, dressed in civilian clothes, were themselves officers of the law. This leads us to conclude that no one may be held responsible for this attack.
We condemn acts of violence aimed at preventing journalists from conducting their professional activity, and demand that the Prosecutor's Office act quickly to find the perpetrators. In the meantime, we demand that the journalists be compensated for their material losses. We call upon the government of Armenia not to infringe the rights of journalists in the course of executing what it calls "actions aimed at defending lawfulness".
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