ARMEN HAROUTIUNIAN: JOURNALISTS SHOULD BE SPECIALLY PROTECTED
Noyan Tapan
Feb 27, 2008
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Ombudsperson has received
over 25 concrete complaints on the RA presidential elections of
February 19. A criminal case has been instituted on part of them,
on another part is was found out that they do not correspond to
reality. RA Ombudsperson Armen Haroutiunian said at the February 27
meeting with journalists at the Urbat club mentioning that the number
of the complaints on concrete electoral violations was approximately
equal to the number of the complaints received during the parliamentary
elections.
The Ombudsperson has received a whole package on electoral violations
from RA presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian, in connection with
which he demanded explanations from the proper state bodies. 4 or 5
out of 24 complaints addressed to the Ombudsperson regarded complaints
on brawls on two parts. Accumulation of microbuses was recorded near
this or that polling station by the Ombudsperson’s Office: according
to the law, they were not to be nearer than 50 meters by radius from
the district electoral commission.
Their registration numbers were recorded and introduced to the
Prosecutor’s Office.
The Ombudsperson also said that no complaint has been received
on "making someone go to rallies" and there have been many oral
complaints on electoral bribes. He said that this is a serious
phenomenon, and serious measures should be undertaken in connection
with electoral bribes. There are also many facts on pressures exerted
upon journalists, but he as an Ombudsperson does not know what to do
for the law enforcement bodies to respond to it seriously. According to
the law On Mass Media, a journalist performs a public duty, therefore,
according to A. Haroutiunian, he should be specially protected.
In difference to the period preceding the election campaign, according
to the Ombudsperson, positive tendencies were recorded in the issue
of coverage of the electoral and post-electoral process. At the same
time A.
Haroutiunian emphasized that not only the Armenian political forces,
but also the media are polarized.
A. Haroutiunian also said that on February 27 he received a complaint
from Gurgen Yeghiazarian on illegally detaining him for nearly 10
hours, the Ombudsperson’s Office will demand an explanation to this
from the proper bodies.
In connection with the arrests of the recent days the Ombudsperson
said: "If even there are political causes in the basis of these
people’s being there, as an Ombudsperson I try to keep away
from political processes, as first of all I see my mission in not
politicizing that institution. The legal bases on which they are there
are invulnerable, that is, I cannot say that they are not grounded
or people must not be taken there because of them."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
