Journalist Hayk Gevorgyan, in charge of the issue of Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper, arrested this morning, who was transferred to Nubarashen Correctional Facility in the afternoon, was not given an opportunity to make a phone call. Besides, also no official body informed his relatives about Hayk’s whereabouts.
Nikol Pashinyan, the editor of Haykakan Zhamanak, made quite interesting revelations about Hayk’s arrest during a press conference today. In particular, that in the meantime, Hayk Gevorgyan has had a few conversations over the phone with the detective of the traffic police, who declared him wanted and said that he was ready to come to the police station, if he was sent an appropriate writ, according to the legislation of the Republic of Armenia.
Let us remind that according to the police statement, Hayk Gevorgyan has been wanted since January 23, concerning the traffic accident related to the car he drives. However, Hayk’s whereabouts have been known during all that time. He lives in Yerevan and works at the office of Haykakan Zhamanak.
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Nikol Pashinyan stated that Hayk was involved in an incident on January 13. When he tried to drive his car out of the parking space, someone was trying to be in rather close proximity to the car and did not wish to leave. Signals did not help either. After Hayk’s oral warning, that person started to shout, yell as if the car hit him. “Hayk assures that his car did not touch that person. I believe Hayk’s assurances,” said he. Afterwards Nikol told another interesting detail. The victim stated that the car had touched his leg, on which “he has a tendon, even touching which can cause him to become sick.” According to the statement of that person, as a result of that touch, he sat on the edging and hit his head against the wall. After the “staged traffic accident,” which was the reason for arresting Hayk, according to the editor of the newspaper, their correspondent tried to call the police and find out who was the person as if run over by Gevorgyan on that day. He was informed that this person was lying in Grigor Lusavorich Medical Center in a serious condition. Visiting the hospital, the representatives of Haykakan Zhamanak found out that it had nothing to do with Hayk Gevorgyan’s case and the person by that name was run over in Martuni.
The staff of Haykakan Zhamanak expects that the journalistic community will raise its voice against this obvious frame-up, since framing Hayk up is actually pressure on the freedom of speech and press.
Nelly GRIGORYAN
