Ombudsman of Armenia condemns violence against journalists during elections in Yerevan

Ombudsman Armen Arutyunyan has stated that he has facts that press professionals were prevented from normal work in Armenia and that force was used against journalists on the voting day to the Board of Elders of Yerevan.

Mr Arutyunyan has condemned violence against journalists and assured that he is ready to consider, within the bounds of his powers, every complaint to this end. "A wave of violence in the course of elections has become an Armenian regularity," said the Ombudsman.

At a meeting with journalists, Ahsot Melikyan, chairman of the Committee in Defence of the Freedom of Speech, and Mesrop Arutyunyan, an expert of the Committee, also criticized violence against media workers. According to the data at the Committee's disposal, the voting day for the Board of Elders of the Yerevan City Mayoralty was notable for multiple attacks on journalists.

At the polling station No. 9/01 of the Central Community in the capital, three ladies-journalists from the oppositional papers "Aik", "Zhamanak Yerevan" and "Fourth Power" were attacked by bodyguards of the deputy from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia Levon Sargsyan, namely: Tatev Mesropyan, Marine Kharatyan and Goar Veziryan. The latter was kicked in her stomach. All bodyguards' actions were accompanied by abusive language.

At the polling station No. 8/05, Arthur Ovakimyan, an employee of the newspaper "Armenian Time", was subjected to violence: his camera and journalist's ID were taken away from him. At the same station, six persons tied up hands of Armine Avetyan, a journalist of the newspaper "168 Hours", pushed her out of the room and took away her dictaphone and camera. Violence was also applied to Lilit Tadevosyan, a correspondent of the Internet edition "Тert.am". Opposite polling station No. 13/09 a group of young men interfered into the work of correspondents of Radio Liberty and Internet edition "А1+". Besides, the chair of the precinct electoral commission expressed threats to journalists.

At the polling station located in Daniel Varuzhan School, a young man known by nickname of Noragyukhi Boko attacked Nelli Grigoryan, a journalist of the "Aravot" newspaper and began shaking her, and then took away her photo camera. Some time later, the camera was returned, but with no memory card inside.