HANDS AWAY FROM THE JOURNALISTS
Wed, 02/20/2013 – 19:32
Announcement
The February 18 presidential elections were accompanied by violence
against journalists and the incidents of hindrance of carrying out
professional duties. So, in the 17/05 election poll of Artashat a
group of young people implemented violence against the journalist of
“Journalists for human rights” NGO Artak Hambardzumyan; several people
held his hands and not allowing to film, took him aside, while the
others did the stuffing. Later around 19:00 the people standing next
to the election headquarter of Serzh Sargsyan first prevented the
journalists of “1in.am” Marine Kharatyan and “Hraparak” daily Gayane
Saribekyan from entering the election headquarter and later forcibly
took their audio and video equipment and cursing made them leave.
Other cases of threat and hindrance were registered.
Those facts once more confirm that, as a rule, in the tense political
situation the cases of violence and harassment intensify in Armenia.
The authorities, particularly the law enforcement bodies, usually don’t
give much importance to such incidents and instead of identifying
the punishing the perpetrators bring strange “justifications” for
the dismissing of the case. The impunity creates new crimes.
We, the undersigned, express our indignation to violence against
journalists covering elections and urge the authorities to take
immediate measures to investigate these incidents thoroughly and
objectively, and prosecute the perpetrators.
COMMITTEE OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH PROTECTION YEREVAN PRESS CLUB FREEDOM
OF PRESS “INTERNEWS” NGO “ASPAREZ” CLUB OF JOURNALISTS DIVERSE MEDIA
INSTITUTE ARMENIA “JOURNALISTS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS” NGO GORIS PRESS
CLUB “JOURNALISTS FOR FUTURE” NGO “ECOLUR” NGO ARMENIAN HELSINKI
COMMITTEE “RULE OF LAW” NGO VANADZOR OFFICE OF HELSINKI CIVIL ASSEMBLY
“GUARANTEE” CIVIL SOCIETY CENTER “PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION
NEEDS” NGO “AGAT” NGO
Author: Factinfo