An act of violence was used against Gevorg Tosunyan, reporter of Iravaban.net, during the performance of his professional activity. Aravot.am asked him to introduce the details of the incident, “At around 3:00 – 3:30 pm, I was in Khorenatsi Street. Activists arrived from Tigran Mets Avenue, we were told that down to Christopher Street police forces are accumulated, go to down the street. I ran down, in the meantime, I noticed a police convoy under the bridge on Tigran Mets Avenue. There were 6 activists a few meters far from them, whom I have noticed during the protests. I also saw more people in civilian clothes a few meters up to Tigran Mets Street who unlike the activists looked older while the activists were young. These activists and the people in civilian clothes were throwing stones at each other and I shoot this footage, I approached these people in civilian clothes from the side and photographed them too. One of them called out, “Come, come, it is dangerous”, and indeed, it was dangerous because both sides were throwing bottles. I approached them and wanted to go and join them. In the beginning, these people were saying to turn off my camera, I felt that they were aggressive and I said, well, I am turning it off and I really turned it off. I was walking along the avenue wishing to come out, people were saying, delete it, delete it, and I was saying, I will not delete.”
Gevorg Tosunyan told that thus they reached near ArmEconomBank, “They were saying, delete, and I said, if needed I will delete and they threw me to the ground. I told them, if needed I will give the memory card to you as they wanted me to give the memory card. They were 6-7 of them and began beating me, mainly on my back. In the meantime, I managed to get up, I managed to reach the bank, there was a man standing at the entrance to the bank, I said that these people want to hurt me, let me in because I was truly thinking that they wanted to hurt me. I had told them that I will give the memory card to them but they threw me to the ground and began beating. This man said, “Give the memory card and you can go away.” When beating me, my camera was on the ground, I looked back to them and saw one of them holding my camera, I told him to give it back, he gave, I took out the memory card and gave it to them and I walked away. Some of them were trying to come after me, they were saying whether there is anything else, I said, no, there is nothing else, and they said behind me, never again attend the protest and intimidated me that they will beat me again.”
Gevorg Tosunyan told that he has reported to the police about the incident. He informed us that he assumes people dressed in civilian clothes were policemen, “There are several reasons for it. Firstly, I had not seen them earlier at the protests, secondly, they were throwing bottles at the protesters whom I have noticed, and also they responded very aggressively when I photographed their faces. Later, as I understood from their attacks, they were prepared. They were hitting my hands, they were exposing me to psychological pressure, they were mainly hit my back. And most importantly, they told me not to come to cover the protest or else they will beat me again. The protester would not say such a thing. In my opinion, only a policeman would say such a thing. This is an assumption, I have also said this to the police. And it is an important factor that it has happened near the ArmEconomBank and I also asked the police to confiscate the recording of the cameras there, which will be significant to furthermore show the factual circumstances.”
Gevorg Tosunyan also informed us that soon he will go to a forensic examination, “Given the recent events, I do not think that it will be revealed that the police have done it. However, I think that the investigation and preliminary investigation will have a significant importance for the solution of the lawsuit. Anyway, the video will make it clear who beat me.”
Read also
Ami CHICHAKYAN
