IFEX – News from the international freedom of expression community
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ALERT – ARMENIA
20 November 2008
Investigative journalist severely beaten, remains in hospital
SOURCE: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), New York
(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 19 November 2008 CPJ press release:
ARMENIA: Investigative journalist severely beaten
New York, November 19, 2008 – The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns
the brazen attack on Edik Baghdasarian, the editor of the Yerevan-based
online newsmagazine Hetq. Three unidentified men ambushed Baghdasarian on
Monday outside his office and badly beat him. He was immediately taken to a
hospital with a concussion, the journalist’s son, Tigran, told CPJ. He is
still recovering today.
"We condemn this vicious attack on Edik Baghdasarian and call on the
Armenian authorities to conduct their investigation thoroughly and bring
his assailants to justice," CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator
Nina Ognianova said. "Authorities must not let impunity in attacks on
journalists silence investigative reporting in the country."
According to the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
(RFE/RL), two men beat Baghdasarian as he was walking to his car at around
8 p.m. on Monday. Baghdasarian tried to defend himself but did not see a
third attacker who came up from behind, he told RFE/RL. The man hit him on
the head with a heavy object, possibly a rock, and he lost consciousness,
he said. According to international news reports, the assailants fled the
scene when a policeman noticed the scuffle and fired a shot into the air.
The attackers took only a computer disc with notes for the journalist’s
stories on it, RFE/RL reported.
Baghdasarian is a prominent investigative reporter who also heads the
Armenian Association of Investigative Journalists. He regularly covers
corruption in the Armenian government. According to local CPJ sources, his
most recent reports concerned corruption in the mining industry. He said he
believes the attack is related to his work, but could not say who could be
behind the incident, RFE/RL reported. Currently hospitalized, the
journalist was not available to talk to CPJ.
Armenia’s authorities denounced the attack on Baghdasarian and pledged to
investigate it. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan visited him in
the hospital and assured him that prosecutors will investigate the attack,
the independent Caucasus news site Kavkazsky Uzel reported. Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan’s spokesman said the president urged the
investigators to find those responsible. Today, Yerevan Police Chief Ashot
Miridzhanian told independent news agency ArmInfo that he is personally
overseeing the investigation and said police are talking to the officer who
witnessed the attack.
CPJ is a New York-based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to
safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information visit
For further information, contact Nina Ognianova (x106) or Muzaffar
Suleymanov (x101) at CPJ, 330 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10001, U.S.A.,
tel: +1 212 465 1004, fax: +1 212 465 9568, e-mail: [email protected],
[email protected] , [email protected], Internet:
The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of CPJ.
In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit CPJ.
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
