ATTACK ON JOURNALISTS: WHY THEIR AUTHORS REMAIN UNPUNISHED?

Mesrop Harutyunyan, the expert of Yerevan press club says that he hates any violence against homo sapiens, all the more, as it is done against the journalists. According to him once, when independent Armenia has been declared, Armenians were not used to it and journalists were not attacked. In the middle of 90th, when the media became numerous, the situation was changed. The expert said that he has noticed two types of violence against journalists – hidden and manifest. “There is no difference who committed the violence the only responsible body for that is the authorities, moreover when the crime remains undiscovered they are also responsible for that,” said Mesrop Harutyunyan.
Journalist Armen Hakobyan also condemns both physical and psychological violence committed against the journalists. “I think that the problem would not become so critical if from the very beginning when our independent state has been declared all those crimes were revealed and the guilties punished. In fact not a single case of violence since then is revealed. I am afraid; I can’t remember any single case, except Tigran Naghdalyan’s murder, when the criminals stand beyond the court. It is for hundred percent obvious that unrevealed crime leaves as aftermaths another crime,” said Armen Hakobyan.
Both Mesrop Harutyunyan and Armen Hakobyan say they are not sure the recent attack against the editor of “Hetq” online publication Edik Baghdasaryan will be revealed, though some guy named Karen has announced that he did the crime. “Attack against the journalist is an attack against the society,” concludes Armen Hakobyan.

Hayk Gevorgyan the editor and publisher of “Armenian Times” daily is a journalist who has been attacked by a governmental representative. In April 12, 2004 the Deputy Chief of Police Hovhannes Varyan beat the journalist and broke his photo camera. “Journalists are attacked in this country because the authorities are not able to stop them in the frames of the law. When a journalist reveals their dark pages publishing an article, they try to “solve the problem” as they are used to. In civilized countries the authorities are not vulnerable,” says Hayk Gevorgyan.

“Different governmental links commit violence. And violence is committed because the journalists reveal their illegal activities. And this is the main reason why the authors of those crimes are not discovered,” says Aram Abrahamyan, the editor of “Aravot” daily. He says that, of course, there were cases when the authorities have nothing to do with certain crimes. Abrahamyan remembers when he was attacked just near his apartment in October 19, 1994. “That time the authorities were not standing behind that case,” assures Abrahamyan and adds: “According to ARF the organizers of the attack were the members of “DRO”.
In 1994 the former reporter of “Yerkir” oppositional newspaper Gagik Mkrtchyan, who is currently the editor of “Hayots Ashkharh” found recording equipment in his home telephone. Mkrtchyan says that being an oppositional journalist, he published “unveiled mafia” series of articles. In 1995 when working at “Golos Armenii” Mkrtchyan was attacked, next year, in 1996 in the period of presidential elections he was kept in the cellar of National Security for 15 days.
According to him nothing is changed since then, journalists were attacked before and they are attacked now. “Currently the cases happen more often. Then I have always felt the psychological pressure on me,” says the editor of “Hayots Ashkharh”.
Find below some popular cases of violence committed against journalists in different years.

In December 28, 1994 the officers of National Security entered the editorial office of “Yerkir” newspaper of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and smashed everything there and put under arrest the equipments. The attack was made by the order of the First President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan and it was targeted to stop the activities of ARF.

In March 7, 1997 some people broke into “Yerevanyan Orer” newspaper’s editorial office and ordered the editor in chief Michael Hayrapetyan to stop the publication of the following paper. Hayrapetyan rejected the demand and was seriously beaten. The case is still unrevealed.

At the night of April 3, 2002 A1+ TV station was dismissed from its right of broadcast. Since then the TV station does not manage to recover its license of broadcast.

In October 22, 2002 an attempt was made against the life of the deputy director of Caucasus Institute of Mass Media publicist Marc Grigoryan. After that the journalist could not find any certain reason to explain the case but said that he was going to publish an article on the court procedure of October 27, 1999 in a London bulletin of Covering War and Peace. Since then the authors of the crime are free.

2002 was crucial for Armenia. In 2002 36-year-old Tigran Naghdalyan the journalist of Public TV was murdered. A criminal case was started by the investigative department of the General Prosecutor’s Office, 250 thousands USD was promised for the assistance to reveal the case. Later it was discovered that the brother of former Defence Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, Armen Sargsyan ordered the murder. Armen Sargsyan was imprisoned for 5 years and then set free by the decree of the President of the RA in 2008.
In April 29, 2003 Mher Ghalechyan, the reporter of “Fourth Power” newspaper was beaten. It is known that Gegham Petrosyan and Sevak Sevoyan committed the attack, but they were set free as the criminal case started against them was soon shortened.
“Freedom House” international organization published a report on freedom of speech in 2002. Armenia was announced a country were the freedom of speech was not free. Before, in 2001 and 2000 the same organization announced Armenia as partially free. Note that in 2007 Armenia was again listed as a country where the freedom of speech was not free.
At the night of April 13, 2004 during the oppositional rally in front of the building of National Assembly journalists of “Armenian Times” Hayk Gevorgyan and Avetis Babadjanyan, the operator of Russian Public TV Levon Grigoryan and the journalist of “Fourth Power” newspaper Mher Ghalechyan were beaten. Hayk Gevorgyan announced that he was beaten by the Deputy of Chief of Police Hovhannes Varyan.
In August 24, 2004 in Tsaghkadzor the photographer of “Photolur” agency Mkhitar Khachatryan and the reporter of “Aravot” daily Anna Israelyan were attacked by four people, while they were trying to follow the cutting down of trees near an elite cottage. Later a criminal case was applied and it was found out that a citizen of Yerevan Gagik Stepanyan who was arrested before was the author of the attack. Stepanyan was imprisoned for 6 months but soon he was set free.
In March 1, 2008 in the Freedom Square the photographer of “Fourth Power” and “Aravot” daily Gagik Shamshyan was seriously beaten.
In August 11, 2008 reporter of “Armenian Times” daily Lusine Barseghyan, in August 18, 2008 coordinator of “Liberty” radio station Hrach Melqumyan, in November 17, 2008 the editor in chief of “Hetq” online publication Edik Baghdasaryan were attacked and beaten.
In our reality there have been cases when the “terrorists” tried to frighten the heads of this or that mass media and damaged their properties.
In November 22, 2005 “VAZ-2121 Niva” car which belonged to “Armenian Times” was fired.
In March 31, 2006 in Goris the car of “Syunyats Yerkir” editor in chief Samvel Alexanyan was fired.
In February 7, 2006 the car of editor of “Photo Plus” weekly Suren Baghdasaryan was fired.
In February 8, 2007 at 20:15 “Nissan Extra” car which belonged to the owner of “My Right” and “Panorama.am” Ara Saghatelyan was fired.
It is remarkable that the officials have promised for several times to do everything to reveal these and all those cases which were not listed here. But, in fact, they have been just words to be said under the pressure of certain situations. Those who commit violence are not punished.