PRIME MINISTER OF ARMENIA VISITS BEATEN-UP JOURNALIST EDIK BAGHDASARYAN

ArmInfo
2008-11-18 16:10:00

ArmInfo. Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan has visited Edik
Baghdasaryan, Head of ‘Hetq’ (‘Step’) portal and Association of
Investigator-Journalists of Armenia, St. Grigor Lusavorich Medical
Center Tuesday. E. Baghdasaryan was attacked on 17 November, the
governmental press-service told ArmInfo.

The premier condemned the incident and talked to the journalists who
visited E. Baghdasaryan. Tigran Sargsyan expressed confidence that
guilty will be exposed shortly. The premier came out for creating
atmosphere of tolerance and mutual respect in public. In this
connection, a government-media-public dialogue should advise right
decisions, he said. The same day, Helsinki Civil Assembly Office in
Vanadzor condemned the attack on Edik Baghdasaryan.

The Assembly in particular declared that the attack on E. Baghdasaryan
was another evidence of the fact that journalists and human rights
defenders of principle have become a target in Armenia. All the
similar attacks have remained unexposed which testifies to conscious
idleness of the authorities that aim to liquidate the last "islands"
of protection of human rights and freedoms through impunity
and atmosphere of fear, the Assembly declared. The journalist
was attacked when approaching his car parked near his office in
Buzand Street. Baghdasaryan tried to shelter in the entrance of the
neighboring building, however three attackers caught him up, cruelly
beat and escaped. The journalist got head injuries and was taken to
the Reanimation Department of ‘Grigor Lusavorich’ Medical Center.

ArmInfo correspondent was informed in the Medical Center that
Baghdasaryan was moved to the Department of Neurosurgery. ‘Hetq’
portal office told ArmInfo that E. Baghdasaryan’s health state is
satisfactory at present.

However, physicians say the journalist needs at least 5-days of care
at hospital for he had second-degree brain concussion and traumas.