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Armenia's President Declines Comment On Arrest Of Opposition Journal

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  • Armenia's President Declines Comment On Arrest Of Opposition Journal

    ARMENIA'S PRESIDENT DECLINES COMMENT ON ARREST OF OPPOSITION JOURNALIST

    /ARKA/
    FEBRUARY 6, 2012
    YEREVAN

    YEREVAN, February 6. /ARKA/. President Serzh Sargsyan declined comments
    on the arrest of an opposition journalist, deputy editor of "Haykakan
    Zhamanak" daily Hayk Gevorgyan saying he would refrain form doing so
    until a court's ruling.

    Hayk Gevorgyan, 45, a veteran correspondent and deputy editor of the
    daily, was taken into custody for running over a man and speeding
    away in the car last month. He was formally charged with serious
    injuries caused in traffic accidents. Gevorgyan was taken to the police
    headquarters in the city's central administrative district and several
    hours later was transferred to the Nubarashen prison in Yerevan.

    The alleged car incident occurred on January 13. Nikol Pashinian, the
    Haykakan Zhamanak's editor-in-chief, speaking at a news conference
    last Friday said the charge was fabricated and demanded Gevorgyan's
    immediate release.

    PashinIan said the accident was provoked and no "physical contact"
    between the car and the man, recognized as the victims, occurred. The
    deadline for appealing the arrest is February 6.

    "Concerning the arrest of Hayk Gevorgyan, I will refrain from
    expressing an opinion until the decision of the court, which I hope
    will happen as soon as possible", Sargsyan said on Saturday during
    a meeting with representatives of the Council of Women of the ruling
    Republican Party of Armenia.

    According to him, the law-enforcement authorities fight against crimes
    and identify persons allegedly committing crimes on a daily basis
    and this activity implies restrictions on the rights of an individual.

    He said there are courts that are vested with authority to decide
    whether the police activity is not in violation of the law. He said
    such problems in any country with rule of law must be resolved in
    this way.

    The largest extra-parliamentary opposition alliance, the Armenian
    National Congress, led by ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosian, issued
    a statement demanding the immediate release of Hayk Gevorgyan. The
    statement says the criminal case against Gevorgyan is fabricated,
    and he was imprisoned solely for his professional activities.

    On Saturday, in an interview with Armenia Novosti news agency UN
    Resident Coordinator in Armenia Dafina Gercheva said that the Armenian
    media community should monitor the progress of this case to provide
    an unbiased coverage.

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