10:01,

YEREVAN, MARCH 19, ARMENPRESS. Minister of High-Tech Industry Hakob Arshakyan says he is ready to “bear responsibility” after a CCTV footage emerged online allegedly showing him physically assaulting a reporter in a Yerevan restaurant.

“First of all I’d like to say that I am against any kind of violence and I am guided by the principle of solving issues with civilized methods,” Arshakyan said in a statement. “Every citizen has the right to inviolability of his private and family life. Any member of our society, be it an official or a journalist, is first of all a human being, who has emotions and is mindful especially in any matter concerning his family. I’d like to apologize to all citizens who witnessed the incident, and to all who have been disturbed by my actions. Lastly, I’d like to say that I am ready to bear responsibility over this incident,” the minister said.

The journalist involved in the incident is Paylak Fahradyan. He says he saw Arshakyan in the restaurant and asked him why he was there instead of being in the office. After exchanging a few words, Fahradyan is seen in the CCTV video returning to his table. Arshakyan is seen approaching the journalist and assaulting him afterwards. 

The prosecution said it forwarded the recording of the incident to the Special Investigations Service for proceedings.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan