THEY WILL EXERT PRESSURE BUT NOT ON EVERYBODY
A1+
[03:11 pm] 07 September, 2006
The pressure exerted on Hovhannes Galajyan, editor-in-chief of the
newspaper "Iravounq" was not restricted with beatings. Hovhannes
Galajyan claims that those "villains" rang him at about 4:00a.m.,
swore and threatened him once more. Asked what threats they said
Hovhannes Galajyan answered "ordinary" ones.
Anyway, Galajyan doesn’t consider himself a "sufferer" and assures
that nothing will change either in his behaviour or in the activity
of the newspaper.
Today a number of media representatives have gathered to discuss the
mechanisms which might ensure the free and independent activity of
journalisms in Armenia.
Everybody realizes that the pressure exercised on journalists
will still strengthen. Pressure will be mainly directed to the
representatives of press as even the European specialists mentioned
that "diversity of opinions is provided mainly by press."
Tigran Haroutyunyan, director of "Noyan Tapan" Agency claims that the
beating of journalists is "the logical continuation of the actions
which began a few years ago. Narine Dilbaryan, member of the Press
National Club, noted that the illegality existing in the country has
gone out of control. "Even the authorities cannot control the criminal
elements, whose crimes were revealed. The illegality is already ruled
from a few centres.""
At the end of long debate they came to the conclusion that journalists
must combat against pressure with joint efforts. But it won’t work
either as the sphere of journalism is disrupted. Hayk Gevorgyan, a
correspondent of "Haykakan Jamanak" daily, reminded the time when the
disruption began. After the embattlement of "A1+" and "Noyan Tapan"
TV Channels, a number of "free and responsible" media separated from
the whole sphere and made an announcement according to which there
is no freedom of speech in Armenia. The fact that the auditorium was
overcrowded at the beginning of today’s discussion and it became
deserted only 30 minutes later testifies to the fact that today
journalists cannot unite and they still remain in various parts of
"barricades."