A1 Plus | 15:03:48 | 07-04-2004 | Official |
STATEMENT OF NGOs and JOURNALISTS PARTICIPATING IN CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE
CONTEXT OF DEMOCRATIC REFORMS IN ARMENIA WORKSHOP
Adopted on the initiative of Yerevan Press Club
On April 5, 2004 prior to the Yerevan meeting of “National Unity” party
leaders with the voters, the police impeded journalists’ activity on the
highways connecting the regions with the capital. During the rally,
authorities obviously connived at the violence applied: the journalists were
exposed to beating, photo and video cameras were broken, films and tapes
were confiscated and destroyed. Both hampering journalists’ work and
violence towards them fall under criminal offence.
Overt bias of certain media, even those who fell victim to the incident, in
covering the events is also to be blamed.
We, participants of the workshop, organized by “Partnership for Open
Society” initiative, strongly condemn one more instance of regular violation
of the rights for receiving and disseminating information, as well as
freedom of expression. We call upon law and order bodies to punish the
instigators and perpetrators.
We declare that if in this case as well the culprits, several of them being
known, are not punished and the damage to the media is not compensated, we
will have to state that Armenian authorities are not interested in
consolidating the basic democratic values in the country: the rights for
freedom of expression, press, travel, conducting meetings and rallies,
exchanging opinions and the right of the society for getting objective
information.
We call on all the media, irrespective of their political preferences, to
demonstrate professional unity and to rise against the cases of violation of
freedom of expression through joint efforts.
—