In a 6 April 2000 letter to Karen Mirzorian, representative of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, CPJ stated that it is greatly disturbed by the arrest and continued detention of Vahram Aghajanian, a journalist with the newspaper “Tasnerord Nahang” in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, and a contributor to the Yerevan, Armenia-based paper “Iravunk”. On 28 March 2000, […]
In a 6 April 2000 letter to Karen Mirzorian, representative of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, CPJ stated that it is greatly disturbed by the arrest and continued detention of Vahram Aghajanian, a journalist with the newspaper
“Tasnerord Nahang” in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, and a contributor to the Yerevan, Armenia-based paper “Iravunk”.
On 28 March 2000, Nagorno-Karabakh Interior Ministry officials burst into Aghajanian’s apartment in the Nagorno-Karabakh capital, Stepanakert. They failed to produce a search warrant before they ransacked the premises and searched through the journalist’s personal and professional documents, including newspapers and video and audio cassettes. Aghajanian was later summoned to the Interior Ministry, where he remained in custody as of 6 April.
Although more than nine days have now passed since Aghajanian’s arrest, no explanation has been offered for his detention. Nor has he been charged with any crime. On the day of his arrest, a spokesman for the prosecutor’s office announced that Aghajanian had been arrested for
“obstructing the implementation of martial law.” On 4 April, the Interior Ministry told reporters that Aghajanian had been detained for ten days “for instigating a violent situation,” but declined to provide additional information.
CPJ is concerned that Aghajanian’s arrest may have resulted from his published criticisms of Nagorno-Karabakh leader Anushavan Danielian and from “Tasnerord Nahang”‘s links with opponents of Danielian’s government. The paper is said to be controlled by Samvel Babayan, former commander-in-chief of the disputed territory’s army. On 4 April, the Nagorno-Karabakh government accused Babayan of orchestrating the 22 March assassination attempt against Arkady Gukassian, self-proclaimed president of the republic.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the representative of the republic:
– noting that you deplore the attack against Gukassian
– urging him to not victimise Aghajanian because of the political slant of his newspaper or
the critical nature of his reporting
– urging Nagorno-Karabakh authorities to provide an immediate explanation for Aghajanian’s arrest, and to ensure that he is treated according to international due process norms
Appeals To
APPEALS TO:
Karen Mirzorian
Representative of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
Yerevan, Armenia
Fax: +3742 151 778
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
