Journalists and camera operators were also among those targeted during the police’s actions near the NSS building. They were doing reports about Prosperous Armenia leader Gagik Tsarukyan leaving the NSS building. The police were trying to remove citizens who came to express their support to Tsarukyan from the road because they had gathered near the NSS building. They did not consider the fact that journalists and camera operators were carrying out their professional activities, and thus, they too were forcefully removed.
“Look at what your police did to my arms. When I ask them to let me go because I am a journalist, they choke and tackle me. How is that acceptable?” journalist Margarit Davtyan said while showing what the police did to her arms. Another journalist, Ani Gevorgyan from Tert.am, said that the police hit her. In response, the police officer in charge of the operation said that the police had ordered that everyone leave the road open for travel. “Why weren’t they moving back? You saw that they immediately came and closed off the road. Was it right for them to close off the road? Yes or no?” In response, the journalists said that the orders and actions took place simultaneously and they were unable to move back. Besides that, they were still working.
A journalist from News.am was also injured during these activities. They had received minor wounds on their legs. According to our sources, a tool that allows Para TV to hold live broadcasts also got lost.
Lusine Budaghyan
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Aravot: The Media Advocate initiative issued a statement that said, “We will apply to international organizations based on the case of violence against journalists. Furthermore, we will raise the issue on the platform of international human rights organizations. The Media Advocate initiative describes all this as a manifestation of the authorities’ incompetence and urges society to support the media community.”
