On June 25, the journalists assailed from the police actions when covering the protests of June 22 in the morning of June 23 were invited to the Special Investigation Service. GALA TV reporter Paylak Fahradyan was also invited to the SIS Torture and Crimes against Humanity Investigation Department to give explanations about the clashed in Baghramyan Street. Deputy Head of the Department, Avetisyan, has told him that materials are prepared regarding the case and investigations are conducted, after which, within ten days, it will be clear whether a criminal case will be filed or not. “It is surprising that there are no criminal cases filed because there were a number of videos which they were obliged to investigate in the meantime, in addition, they could accept our statements about the crime as a report, but it turns out that either they do not trust or do not believe in statements of the journalists, according to which an act of violence has been carried out against them … Time will show whether these cases will be revealed or concealed,” said GALA journalist.
Referring to the police allegations that they had urged the journalists to leave the territory, but the journalists failed to execute the legal claim of the police, Paylak Fahradyan continued, “The fact the there was a statement that the journalists should leave the territory, it really was the case. But let’s make it clear. What is meant by saying to leave the territory, i.e. leaving the place of the scene generally? We were told to vacate the place, from where the water canon was to start working. Did they mean that we should generally discontinue the reporting activity? In this case, their own statement is violation of the law, because the journalist is obliged to provide information to the public, and if they say that we should vacate the place, in this case, the right to provide information to the citizens is violated too.”
He also told that he personally has left the central part of the street from where the water cannons were put into action and was standing on the sidewalk, but, “As long as the police were all over the territory, wherever I had gone, I would face the police, the policemen dressed in civilian were standing behind me … I do not understand what it means by leaving the territory, if they meant leaving the scene at all, then there are sadly mistaken, for I was implementing my professional mission in this territory.”
Arpine SIMONYAN
