Union of Journalists: Do not spread culture of impunity and promote regression of freedom of speech
The Criminal Court of Appeal in Armenia refused on November 26 an appeal filed by Marine Khachatryan, a journalist working with A1+ TV Company, and her legal representative. The Court upheld the decision of a lower court. Marine Khachatryan, lodged an appeal with the Criminal Court of Appeal in October, asking the latter to discard the decision of the Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan’s Arabkir and Kanaker-Zeytun administrative districts and oblige the investigative body to continue the inquiry into a last September incident near the National Assembly in Yerevan. On September 9, 2014, after members of the Hakaharvats (Counter Attack) street art group hung a banner reading “Hello Rob” (Rob referring to Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan) on the National Assembly’s main gate, the chief of the NA security Karen Hayrapetyan came out and tore down the banner. Then he hit A1+’s journalist Marine Khachatryan, who was covering the incident, on the arm, causing her to drop her recording device – iPad – to the ground. Karen Hayrapetyan then tried to hit the journalist for a second time but he missed her. The SIS investigator decided to dismiss the case in the absence of crime in the act. Journalists Union of Armenia condemns any condemns any attempt to obstruct the professional activities of journalists and calls on the judiciary not to contribute to the spread of the culture of impunity, that will promote regression of freedom of speech in Armenia. The Union also calls on the relevant bodies to punish everyone who attempts to obstruct journalists’ activities regardless of their position.
