Armenian mass media demand to speed up inquiry into disperse of protesters

Armenian media organizations have called the Special Investigating Service not to delay the investigation into the use of excessive force against demonstrators on June 23 in Yerevan. According to their version, out of 24 suffered journalists six have not been questioned yet.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in Armenia mass protests against the authorities' decision to increase the electricity tariff have been held since June 19. The largest action took place in Bagramyan Avenue in Yerevan, where at night on June 23, the police dispersed demonstrators with the use of water cannons.

On September 10, the media organizations, including the Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression, Yerevan Press Club, Centre of Media Initiatives, Journalists' Club "Asparez", "Journalists for the Future", Club of Public Journalism, "Journalists for Human Rights" and Goris Press Club, have treated the slow action of the investigating bodies as impermissible. They note that upon the expiry of the two-month period, the preliminary investigation, which is conducted by only one investigator, has been extended.

Let us remind you that that, according to Ashot Melikyan, the head of the Committee for Protection of Freedom of Expression, this year is unprecedented, over the past few years, in the number of cases of use of force against media professionals in Armenia. He said that 19 such cases were fixed only in the first half of the year.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.