ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER CONDEMNS VIOLENCE AGAINST JOURNALISTS

Armenpress

YEREVAN, JULY 24, ARMENPRESS: Armenian prime minister Andranik
Margarian condemned last Saturday violence against journalists
describing it as ‘one of the shadow sides of Armenia’s democratic
advance."

Speaking to reporters after the extraordinary conference of his
Republican Party Margarian said a recent arson attack on the editorial
office of the weekly Chorrord Iskhanutyun must be condemned and
repetitions of such incidents must be ruled out.

Margarian also called on journalists not to politicize the case of
Arman Babajanian, the chief editor of the Yerevan Zhamanak daily
who is facing trial on charges of forging papers to dodge obligatory
military service.

Asked whether his party is going to cooperate with the Prosperous
Armenia party of Gagik Tsarukian the prime minister said it was early
to speak about it as the Prosperous Armenia was not yet an established
party. He said his party will work to maintain and increase the
number of seats it has in the parliament and also its leverages in
the government.