ARMENIAN PHOTO JOURNALIST HARASSED AT OPPOSITION TRIAL – PAPER
Aravot
Aug 6 2008
Armenia
A photo correspondent of Aravot and Chorrord Ishkhanutyun newspapers,
Gagik Shamshyan, was harassed yesterday [on 5 August] in the Kentron
and Nork-Marash court of the first instance of Yerevan where the
trial of the [opposition] Republic Party’s political board member,
Smbat Ayvazyan, is under way.
Yesterday like any other time, the small courtroom was filled by
half with plain clothes policemen of the Kentron department and
Shamshyan was taking pictures there. Then judge Gagik Avetisyan
ordered officers of justice to take the photo correspondent out of
the courtroom. Disorder started at the court.
After isolating Shamshyan, officers of justice and policemen kept him
about one hour at the ground floor of the court building – under a
staircase. They transported him afterwards to the Kentron department
of the police without any grounds, where they released him after
keeping for another one hour and accusing him under article 206 of
the Administrative Code (disrespect for court).
In the meantime, policemen and officers of justice restricted the
right to free movement of other journalists and lawyers present in the
court building. Smbat Ayvazyan’s trial was postponed until 6 August.