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ARMENIAN PROSECUTORS TAKE OVER ARRESTED JOURNALIST'S CASE
Asbarez
Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010
YEREVAN (RFE/RL)-A law-enforcement agency subordinated to state
prosecutors on Wednesday took over the criminal case against a
young journalist arrested on what she and Armenia's leading media
associations consider political grounds.
The Special Investigative Service (SIS) refused to say whether it will
press charges against Ani Gevorgian, a 22-year-old correspondent for
the "Haykakan Zhamanak" accused by the Armenian police of assaulting
a police officer during an attempted opposition protest on Sunday.
Gevorgian was arrested on Monday during a fresh confrontation between
riot police and opposition activists trying to enter Yerevan's Liberty
Square. Under Armenian law, law-enforcement authorities must formally
charge or release her by Thursday afternoon.
According to her lawyer, Lusine Sahakian, Gevorgian is refusing to
give any testimony because she "does not trust investigators in any
way" and believes the case is "fabricated."
Sahakian told RFE/RL's Armenian service on Tuesday that her client is
accused of hitting a police officer, identified as Hambardzum Boksian,
in the face.
"She is now suspected of inflicting injuries of medium gravity on
another policeman," the lawyer said on Wednesday. "We still don't know
which policeman. We can only regret the fact that in the Armenian
police there is more than one officer willing to claim that he was
injured by a 22-year-old girl."
A police spokesman declined a comment, referring all inquiries to
the SIS. An official there told RFE/RL's Armenian service that the
SIS will comment only after looking into the controversial case and
taking "certain investigative actions."
Armenia's leading media associations have condemned the journalist's
arrest and demanded her immediate release.
"Just how a 23-year-old woman could have used force against police
officers remains unclear," six Armenian media groups said in a joint
statement on June 1. They demanded the Armenian police immediately
release Gevorgian and punish "the policemen who exceeded their legal
powers."
The statement further condemned the brief detention of two other
journalists during the May 31 incident when police used force against
several dozen opposition protesters.
"Her arrest and prosecution was unfounded," Boris Navasardian,
chairman of the Yerevan Press Club, echoed in remarks to RFE/RL.
Navasardian said it is aimed at restricting and discouraging media
coverage of further instances of the police using force against
opposition activists.
"It's very difficult to imagine a 22-year-old girl beating up a
policeman," said Ashot Melikian of the Committee to Protect Freedom
of Expression. "That's simply impossible."
Another member of the committee, Mesrop Harutiunian, rejected the
police claims as "ridiculous." "The police are continuing to spread
lies," he charged. "We demand that Ani Gevorgian be set free and that
those policemen who obstructed her work be punished."
From: A. Papazian
Asbarez
Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010
YEREVAN (RFE/RL)-A law-enforcement agency subordinated to state
prosecutors on Wednesday took over the criminal case against a
young journalist arrested on what she and Armenia's leading media
associations consider political grounds.
The Special Investigative Service (SIS) refused to say whether it will
press charges against Ani Gevorgian, a 22-year-old correspondent for
the "Haykakan Zhamanak" accused by the Armenian police of assaulting
a police officer during an attempted opposition protest on Sunday.
Gevorgian was arrested on Monday during a fresh confrontation between
riot police and opposition activists trying to enter Yerevan's Liberty
Square. Under Armenian law, law-enforcement authorities must formally
charge or release her by Thursday afternoon.
According to her lawyer, Lusine Sahakian, Gevorgian is refusing to
give any testimony because she "does not trust investigators in any
way" and believes the case is "fabricated."
Sahakian told RFE/RL's Armenian service on Tuesday that her client is
accused of hitting a police officer, identified as Hambardzum Boksian,
in the face.
"She is now suspected of inflicting injuries of medium gravity on
another policeman," the lawyer said on Wednesday. "We still don't know
which policeman. We can only regret the fact that in the Armenian
police there is more than one officer willing to claim that he was
injured by a 22-year-old girl."
A police spokesman declined a comment, referring all inquiries to
the SIS. An official there told RFE/RL's Armenian service that the
SIS will comment only after looking into the controversial case and
taking "certain investigative actions."
Armenia's leading media associations have condemned the journalist's
arrest and demanded her immediate release.
"Just how a 23-year-old woman could have used force against police
officers remains unclear," six Armenian media groups said in a joint
statement on June 1. They demanded the Armenian police immediately
release Gevorgian and punish "the policemen who exceeded their legal
powers."
The statement further condemned the brief detention of two other
journalists during the May 31 incident when police used force against
several dozen opposition protesters.
"Her arrest and prosecution was unfounded," Boris Navasardian,
chairman of the Yerevan Press Club, echoed in remarks to RFE/RL.
Navasardian said it is aimed at restricting and discouraging media
coverage of further instances of the police using force against
opposition activists.
"It's very difficult to imagine a 22-year-old girl beating up a
policeman," said Ashot Melikian of the Committee to Protect Freedom
of Expression. "That's simply impossible."
Another member of the committee, Mesrop Harutiunian, rejected the
police claims as "ridiculous." "The police are continuing to spread
lies," he charged. "We demand that Ani Gevorgian be set free and that
those policemen who obstructed her work be punished."
From: A. Papazian