Reporters Sans Fronties, France
April 7 2004
Journalists beaten up covering opposition demonstration
Reporters Without Borders has protested after at least four
journalists were attacked covering an opposition demonstration. One
of them was also briefly arrested for photographing police setting up
roadblocks ahead of the rally.
Police failed to intervene as a group of unidentified men in civilian
clothes targeted the journalists during a demonstration organised by
the Azgayin Miabanutiun party (National Unity) in Yerevan on 5 April,
the international press freedom organisation complained.
The thugs attacked and injured Anna Israelian, of the daily Aravot,
Onik Grigorian, photographer for Armenia’s investigative journalists’
website, Hetq online, and Tigran Babaian, cameraman for privately
owned Kentron TV.
The attackers damaged their equipment, as well as the camera of Haik
Gevorgian, working for the opposition daily Kaykakan Jamanak. A film
crew from Shant TV had their videotapes snatched.
Before the rally began, Gevorgian was arrested and held for one hour
at Ashtarak, 50 kms from the capital, where he had gone to picture
police setting up roadblocks, placed the authorities said, to
maintain public order.
Expressing concern about the arrest, Reporters Without Borders
pointed out that the cameraman was only doing his job.