ATTACK ON JOURNALISTS: WHY THEIR AUTHORS REMAIN UNPUNISHED?

Panorama.am
16:52 17/12/2008

Mesrop Harutyunyan, the expert of Yerevan press club says that he hates
any violence against homo sapiens, all the more, as it is done against
the journalists. According to him once, when independent Armenia has
been declared, Armenians were not used to it and journalists were not
attacked. In the middle of 90th, when the media became numerous, the
situation was changed. The expert said that he has noticed two types
of violence against journalists – hidden and manifest. "There is no
difference who committed the violence the only responsible body for
that is the authorities, moreover when the crime remains undiscovered
they are also responsible for that," said Mesrop Harutyunyan.

Journalist Armen Hakobyan also condemns both physical and psychological
violence committed against the journalists. "I think that the problem
would not become so critical if from the very beginning when our
independent state has been declared all those crimes were revealed and
the guilties punished. In fact not a single case of violence since
then is revealed. I am afraid; I can’t remember any single case,
except Tigran Naghdalyan’s murder, when the criminals stand beyond
the court. It is for hundred percent obvious that unrevealed crime
leaves as aftermaths another crime," said Armen Hakobyan.

Both Mesrop Harutyunyan and Armen Hakobyan say they are not sure
the recent attack against the editor of "Hetq" online publication
Edik Baghdasaryan will be revealed, though some guy named Karen has
announced that he did the crime. "Attack against the journalist is
an attack against the society," concludes Armen Hakobyan.

Hayk Gevorgyan the editor and publisher of "Armenian Times" daily is a
journalist who has been attacked by a governmental representative. In
April 12, 2004 the Deputy Chief of Police Hovhannes Varyan beat the
journalist and broke his photo camera. "Journalists are attacked in
this country because the authorities are not able to stop them in
the frames of the law. When a journalist reveals their dark pages
publishing an article, they try to "solve the problem" as they are
used to. In civilized countries the authorities are not vulnerable,"
says Hayk Gevorgyan.

"Different governmental links commit violence. And violence is
committed because the journalists reveal their illegal activities. And
this is the main reason why the authors of those crimes are not
discovered," says Aram Abrahamyan, the editor of "Aravot" daily. He
says that, of course, there were cases when the authorities have
nothing to do with certain crimes. Abrahamyan remembers when he was
attacked just near his apartment in October 19, 1994. "That time the
authorities were not standing behind that case," assures Abrahamyan
and adds: "According to ARF the organizers of the attack were the
members of "DRO".

In 1994 the former reporter of "Yerkir" oppositional newspaper Gagik
Lazarian, who is currently the editor of "Hayots Ashkharh" found
recording equipment in his home telephone. Lazarian says that being
an oppositional journalist, he published "unveiled mafia" series
of articles. In 1995 when working at "Golos Armenii" Lazarian was
attacked, next year, in 1996 in the period of presidential elections
he was kept in the cellar of National Security for 15 days.

According to him nothing is changed since then, journalists were
attacked before and they are attacked now. "Currently the cases happen
more often. Then I have always felt the psychological pressure on me,"
says the editor of "Hayots Ashkharh".

Find below some popular cases of violence committed against journalists
in different years.

In December 28, 1994 the officers of National Security entered the
editorial office of "Yerkir" newspaper of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation and smashed everything there and put under arrest the
equipments. The attack was made by the order of the First President of
Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan and it was targeted to stop the activities
of ARF.

In March 7, 1997 some people broke into "Yerevanyan Orer" newspaper’s
editorial office and ordered the editor in chief Michael Hayrapetyan
to stop the publication of the following paper. Hayrapetyan rejected
the demand and was seriously beaten. The case is still unrevealed.

At the night of April 3, 2002 A1+ TV station was dismissed from its
right of broadcast. Since then the TV station does not manage to
recover its license of broadcast.

In October 22, 2002 an attempt was made against the life of the
deputy director of Caucasus Institute of Mass Media publicist Marc
Grigoryan. After that the journalist could not find any certain reason
to explain the case but said that he was going to publish an article
on the court procedure of October 27, 1999 in a London bulletin of
Covering War and Peace. Since then the authors of the crime are free.

2002 was crucial for Armenia. In 2002 36-year-old Tigran Naghdalyan
the journalist of Public TV was murdered. A criminal case was started
by the investigative department of the General Prosecutor’s Office,
250 thousands USD was promised for the assistance to reveal the
case. Later it was discovered that the brother of former Defence
Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, Armen Sargsyan ordered the murder. Armen
Sargsyan was imprisoned for 5 years and then set free by the decree
of the President of the RA in 2008.

In April 29, 2003 Mher Ghalechyan, the reporter of "Fourth Power"
newspaper was beaten. It is known that Gegham Petrosyan and Sevak
Sevoyan committed the attack, but they were set free as the criminal
case started against them was soon shortened.

"Freedom House" international organization published a report on
freedom of speech in 2002. Armenia was announced a country were the
freedom of speech was not free. Before, in 2001 and 2000 the same
organization announced Armenia as partially free. Note that in 2007
Armenia was again listed as a country where the freedom of speech
was not free.

At the night of April 13, 2004 during the oppositional rally in front
of the building of National Assembly journalists of "Armenian Times"
Hayk Gevorgyan and Avetis Babadjanyan, the operator of Russian Public
TV Levon Grigoryan and the journalist of "Fourth Power" newspaper
Mher Ghalechyan were beaten. Hayk Gevorgyan announced that he was
beaten by the Deputy of Chief of Police Hovhannes Varyan.

In August 24, 2004 in Tsaghkadzor the photographer of "Photolur"
agency Mkhitar Khachatryan and the reporter of "Aravot" daily Anna
Israelyan were attacked by four people, while they were trying
to follow the cutting down of trees near an elite cottage. Later
a criminal case was applied and it was found out that a citizen of
Yerevan Gagik Stepanyan who was arrested before was the author of the
attack. Stepanyan was imprisoned for 6 months but soon he was set free.

In March 1, 2008 in the Freedom Square the photographer of "Fourth
Power" and "Aravot" daily Gagik Shamshyan was seriously beaten.

In August 11, 2008 reporter of "Armenian Times" daily Lusine
Barseghyan, in August 18, 2008 coordinator of "Liberty" radio station
Hrach Melqumyan, in November 17, 2008 the editor in chief of "Hetq"
online publication Edik Baghdasaryan were attacked and beaten.

In our reality there have been cases when the "terrorists" tried
to frighten the heads of this or that mass media and damaged their
properties.

In November 22, 2005 "VAZ-2121 Niva" car which belonged to "Armenian
Times" was fired.

In March 31, 2006 in Goris the car of "Syunyats Yerkir" editor in
chief Samvel Alexanyan was fired.

In February 7, 2006 the car of editor of "Photo Plus" weekly Suren
Baghdasaryan was fired.

In February 8, 2007 at 20:15 "Nissan Extra" car which belonged to
the owner of "My Right" and "Panorama.am" Ara Saghatelyan was fired.

It is remarkable that the officials have promised for several times
to do everything to reveal these and all those cases which were not
listed here. But, in fact, they have been just words to be said under
the pressure of certain situations. Those who commit violence are
not punished.