CPJ: violence against journalists goes on in Armenia

The annual report of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) "Attacks on Press in 2009: Armenia" asserts that Armenian authorities continue to control most of the media, while private TV Companies belong to those politicians and businessmen who have close ties with the authorities; manifestations of violence against journalists continue.

According to the report, prepared by CPJ experts, the Armenian society "is polarized" as a result of the presidential election of February 19, 2008, which caused great disputes among people.

"The authorities constrain any open discussions of the issues related to the election, economic crisis and other important issues. Journalists suffer from intolerance, enmity and violence," human rights activists remark.

The report presents cases of violence against Gagik Shamshyan and Nelli Grigoryan, journalists of the newspaper "Aravot"; Goar Veziryan, a journalist of the oppositional newspaper "Fourth Autocracy"; Argishti Kiviryan, coordinator of the Internet edition "Armenia Today", and others.

Mesrop Arutyunyan, an expert of the Yerevan Press Club, believes, in his turn, that application of physical violence to journalists during stormy political events is already a normal phenomenon for Armenia.

Meanwhile, Ovanes Markaryan and Egine Bisharyan, Deputies of the National Assembly of Armenia, have presented in the second reading the bill "On Amendments and Additions to the Criminal Code", which envisions tougher punishments for applying violence to journalists or members of their families.