On July 19, the Police Internal Security Department reported Ani Gevorgyan, a reporter for the Armenian newspaper Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun, that the information about using violence against her on 12 February 2014, obstructing her journalistic work, as well as illegal actions of the police officers at the Kentron Police department is not substantiated and are also rejected by the preliminary investigation of the case at the SIS. The circumstances of allowing disciplinary violations by the police officers according to the service investigation committed at the Internal Security Department were not also substantiated, hence, the results of the service investigation were left without consequences.
In an interview with Aravot.am ,Ani Gevorgyan noted that the service investigation lasted 1.5 years. “The responsiveness of the police is impressive. It is good that it is over in 1.5 years, otherwise it could even last for decades. The Police like to address the crimes 25 years later.” As said by the journalist, the use of violence and obstruction of journalistic activities could not be approved as the police cannot identify crime in its actions. Ani Gevorgyan added that she is planning to submit a lawsuit to the European Court of Human Rights with the same case – dismissal of the criminal case.
Note that on February 12, 2014, when the ANC activists were conducted an awareness campaign in Mashtots Avenue, which was obstructed by the young RPA party members. After the incident, the police detained the ANC activists, including Ani Gevorgyan. As said by Ani Gevorgyan, at the police department, the Head of Kentron Police Department, Artak Poghosyan, has hit on her face and the Legal Adviser Sonya Melikyan has removed the memory card from her camera.
Ami CHICHAKYAN
