In Armenia, journalist of "А1+" asserts that he was not beaten by policemen but occasionally fell down

David Dzhalalyan, a correspondent of the Internet edition named "А1+", who suffered in clashes with policemen in the Northern Avenue of Yerevan, has refused from his earlier statement that he was beaten by policemen. According to Mr Dzhalalyan's application kept at the Kentron police station, he was not beaten by policemen, but occasionally fell down on his back and received bruises.

Earlier, Mesrop Movsisyan, Director of the Internet-based website "А1+", said that the attackers of Dzhalalyan will be made responsible and should be punished with the utmost rigour of the law. According to his story, the edition's office will be persistent in the issue of punishing those guilty of beating the journalist.

We remind you that on April 8 a clash burst out between policemen from patrol-sentry units, special agents and participants of traditional "political walks" in the Northern Avenue, held by oppositionists, their supporters and journalists.

As a result, 10 persons were taken to the police. Journalist David Dzhalalyan was beaten, when he tried to film the policemen's attack on people.

According to "А1+", the journalist was beaten personally by Colonel Robert Melkonyan, head of the patrol-sentry department, who struck Dzhalalyan's belly and face. Then, the beating of the journalist was continued by other policemen.

David Dzhalalyan was hospitalized. The "А1+" website placed the video filmed by him and showing the policemen attacking people, the film ends with the words of one of the policemen addresses to David: "Hey you, stop that!"

According to the well-known Internet edition named "Hetq online", engaged in journalistic investigations, David Dzhalalyan refuses to answer any questions about this incident, because he does not want to have further problems with policemen. "They didn't even visit him in hospital. Instead, according to our data, they came to journalist's family and threatened them. Probably, the explanation with the 'occasional fall' was caused by that visit," the source concludes.