Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan carried out an extraordinary report on July incidents. Referring to the violations towards the journalists, the ombudsman told that the journalists had been a targeted group amongst people: “This brings forth a discrimination issue. Besides, violation cases of journalists had commenced July 19 onwards, both on Khorenatsi and Freedom Square, and Sari Tagh. On July 24 the fact that a journalist was brought to police station and was involved in as a witness was particularly impermissible. By the way, the explanation entails as if the journalists had witnessed the police officers conducting violations. Journalist should not be involved in as a witness with reference to the incidents s/he illustrates. The journalist has right to video record, take photographs of the police officer operating in a public place. Journalists conduct a public activity and take the role of the public control group. Strict penalty measures should be applied against the people carrying out those violations, the imprisonment of the journalist should be excluded. I will always stand by the journalist on this issue.”
The ombudsman told that anonymous queries prove that the journalists have suffered violence by people in civilian clothes, but in the presence of and by the permission of the police: “Police should have warned the journalists on the conduction of special measures. Journalists have been targeted from the perspective of the conduction of special measures. The violence towards the journalists has covered the aim of punishing them. Or else, a question is put forth within the report – how to explain the case when the prosecution of the journalist has proceeded even when s/he has ceased her/his activity in the result of the violence of those people. For example, a journalist has witnessed in an anonymous query that s/he has hidden in a nearby bakery along with several other journalists, but the people with civilian clothes have broken the door, entered and conducted violations towards the journalists inside. Such consistency can be explained merely by the desire to punish the journalist, humiliate the person and offend the dignity. Such deeds are both
The ombudsman told that anonymous queries prove that the journalists have suffered violence by people in civilian clothes, but in the presence of and by the permission of the police: “Police should have warned the journalists on the conduction of special measures. Journalists have been targeted from the perspective of the conduction of special measures. The violence towards the journalists has covered the aim of punishing them. Or else, a question is put forth within the report – how to explain the case when the prosecution of the journalist has proceeded even when s/he has ceased her/his activity in the result of the violence of those people. For example, a journalist has witnessed in an anonymous query that s/he has hidden in a nearby bakery along with several other journalists, but the people with civilian clothes have broken the door, entered and conducted violations towards the journalists inside. Such consistency can be explained merely by the desire to punish the journalist, humiliate the person and offend the dignity. Such deeds are both inhumane and humiliating.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
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