Malta: IGM Calls For Home Affairs’ Intervention

IGM CALLS FOR HOME AFFAIRS’ INTERVENTION

Malta Star, Malta
April 13 2007

The Institute of Maltese Journalists (IGM) yesterday called on the
Justice and Home Affairs Ministry to intervene in the case of Gina
Khachatryan, the 30-year-old Armenian journalist who landed in Malta
on Friday afternoon on her way to be deported to her homeland.

"We call on the Justice and Home Affairs Ministry to investigate the
circumstances surrounding this case and, if warranted, offer political
asylum to Ms Khachatryan," said Malcolm J Naudi, chairman, IGM.

"Ms Khachatryan was in the UK for the past four years after being
detained in Armenia for 40 days for revealing electoral fraud,
therefore it would be suicidal to send her back to her homeland,
where she would risk being detained once more for doing her job as
a journalist," added Mr Naudi.

The IGM also called on the British authorities to reverse their
decision not to extend Ms Khachatryan’s stay in the United Kingdom.

"As a promoter of democracy and human rights on a global scale, the
United Kingdom should not shirk its responsibility in this case and
hand over Ms Khachatryan and her family to the Armenian government,"
he insisted.

According to the international journalists’ organisation Reporters
Sans Frontieres, Armenia was the 101st worst country (out of 168)
for restrictions to press freedom in 2006.

Edik Baghdasaryan, head of the association of investigative journalists
in Armenia, has reported a recent wave of violent attacks against
journalists in the country as an electoral campaign looms.

There is a history of press freedom violations in Armenia. If officials
or large-scale businessmen – do not like what is written, reporters
are threatened and, in some cases, beaten up. One reporter was forced
to leave his flat last summer.

A copy of this statement has been sent to the International Federation
of Journalists (IFJ), the Justice and Home Affairs Ministry and the
British embassy in Malta.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS