Reporters attacked in Armenian region

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
25 Aug 04

[Presenter] A photo correspondent of Fotolur [Photo news] news agency,
Mkhitar Khachatryan, and a correspondent of Aravot [Tomorrow] daily
newspaper, Anna Israelyan, were attacked in Tsakhadzor Region
yesterday.

They were on a mission there to gather information about the
Tsakhadzor forests and took pictures of villas built in a deforested
area. Residents of the villas tried to prevent the correspondents from
taking pictures and later attempted to seize their camera. They chased
the correspondents and assailed Khachatryan.

This is the third case this year when reporters were prevented from
fulfilling their duties. Media organizations and watchdogs have
already appealed to the law-enforcement bodies to find and punish the
attackers.

[Anna Israelyan, in her office] I was preparing a photo report about
the Tsakhadzor forests. We wanted to take pictures of villas built by
the nouveaux riches in the deforested areas, we were spotted by
unidentified men who attacked us and tried to seize our camera.

[Correspondent] Correspondents Mkhitar Khachatryan and Anna Israelyan
could not even ask the attackers about the reasons for their
behaviour. Without identifying himself, a young man demanded that they
give him their camera, threatened the correspondents and hit Mkhitar
Khachatryan.

[Khachatryan, in his office] One of them tried to bar our way, the
second one was a skinhead who seized the camera without saying
anything. The second attacker abused me and asked me if I knew on
whose territory I was. I said that I did not know who was the owner of
the villa and he hit me.

[Correspondent] The Prosecutor-General’s Office is about to institute
criminal proceedings into the incident following broad media coverage.

[Israelyan] As far as I know, the Prosecutor-General’s Office is going
to open a criminal case into the incident. Mkhitar Khachatryan has
testified, and I am also going to give evidence.

[Passage omitted: minor details]