RFE/RL correspondent attacked in Yerevan (video)
The ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) is again accused of vote-buying. Sisak Gabrielyan, a correspondent for RFE/RL's Armenian service, was attacked in HHK’s campaign office in Yerevan’s Nar Dos street while covering the municipal elections. The journalist saw groups of citizens enter the office accompanied by HHK loyalists. A few minutes later, they left the building, and began to distribute cash money just near the building. “Did you vote for Taron?” asked the man who was accompanying the group. “Yes, we did. God is our witness,” said an elderly woman. Seeing more people entering the HHK office, Sisak Gabrielyan went in after them and tried to talk to them. He saw many papers placed on the office desk. When asked about the papers, the office representatives said they were giving ‘pastry recipes to citizens.’ Shortly afterwards some of the men in the office began to insult the journalist, forcing him to leave the office. Some of them tried to wrest his mobile phone, which was filming the conversation, and hit him in the process, eventually stopping the shooting.
