(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has protested the 5 April 2004 attack on at least four journalists who were covering an opposition demonstration in the capital, Yerevan. One of the journalists was also arrested and detained briefly for photographing police who were setting up roadblocks before the rally. Police failed to intervene as a group of unidentified […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has protested the 5 April 2004 attack on at least four journalists who were covering an opposition demonstration in the capital, Yerevan. One of the journalists was also arrested and detained briefly for photographing police who were setting up roadblocks before the rally.
Police failed to intervene as a group of unidentified men in civilian clothes targeted the journalists during a demonstration organised by the Azgayin Miabanutiun (National Unity) party in Yerevan.
The assailants attacked and injured Anna Israelian, of the daily “Aravot”, Onik Grigorian, a photographer for Hetq Online, Armenia’s investigative journalists’ website, and Tigran Babaian, a cameraman for the private television station Kentron.
The attackers damaged the journalists’ equipment, as well as Haik Gevorgian’s camera. Gevorgian works for the opposition daily “Kaykakan Jamanak”. Reporters from the private television station Shant were also forced to surrender their videotape of the rally.
Before the rally began, Gevorgian was arrested and detained for one hour in Ashtarak, 50 kilometres from Yerevan, where he had gone to photograph police setting up roadblocks. The authorities said barricades were put in place as a security measure. RSF pointed out that the cameraman was simply doing his job.
