OPPOSITION REPORTER BRUTALLY BEATEN IN ARMENIA

Agence France Presse — English
September 15, 2007 Saturday 8:50 PM GMT

The chief editor of Armenia’s opposition newspaper Nastoyashee Pravo
was rushed to a Yerevan emergency hospital Saturday after unknown
assailants beat him with iron bars, a colleague and friend told AFP.

"Ovannes Galajyan was attacked tonight at the very doorstep of the
newsroom. Two young men, armed with iron bars, cruelly beat him,"
Aik Babukhanyan said, adding that Galajyan was hospitalised with
head injuries.

Nastoyashee Pravo (True Right) was formed after a number of reporters
broke away from the Pravo (Right) newspaper following a split in the
Soyuz Constitutsionnoe Pravo (Constitutional Right Union) opposition
party.

Galajyan had already been targeted last year when two unknown
assailants clubbed him, Babukhanyan said, adding that investigation
of the incident had not been completed since.

Next week a court is due to examine Galajyan’s lawsuit demanding
his restoration as chief editor of Pravo newspaper and compensation
payment.