STATEMENT OF YEREVAN PRESS CLUB, JOURNALISTS UNION OF ARMENIA, INTERNEWS ARMENIA, COMMITTEE TO PROTECT FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, HELSINKI COMMITTEE OF ARMENIA, CENTER OF LAW AND FREEDOM

Panorama.am
16:40 07/09/06

In the morning of September 6 our colleague, the Editor of "Iravunk"
newspaper Hovhannes Galajian, was attacked and beaten.

During the past months the cases of threats and violence against
journalists and media have become more frequent, yet those guilty have
either not been found or have not been punished. Yerevan Press Club,
Journalists Union of Armenia, Internews Armenia, Committee to Protect
Freedom of Expression, Helsinki Committee of Armenia, Center of Law
and Freedom have repeatedly announced that the unpunished violations
of freedom of speech and press generate new crimes: people, incapable
of civilized dialogue, choose the way of intimidating journalists
and media.

In our country it seems to become a sad tradition of striking the
media at the times of political tension.

Such attitude towards media, intensifying in the view of upcoming
parliamentary elections, endangers the possibility to ensure
transparent elective process.

We condemn this yet another act of violence against the journalist,
and we demand that the law enforcement bodies find and punish the
implementers and orderers of this perpetration.

Yerevan Press Club Journalists Union of Armenia Committee to Protect
Freedom of Expression Internews Armenia Helsinki Committee of Armenia
Center of Law and Freedom September 7, 2006.