Today a representative of the authorities committed another sensational act of obstructing the professional activities of a journalist — Hayk Sargsyan, a nicknamed deputy of the ruling My Step faction of the National Assembly of Armenia, snatched the mobile phone of reporter for Hraparak Armenian Daily Anush Dashtents, who was trying to ask him a question, and returned the mobile phone after a while.
The Union of Journalists of Armenia strictly condemns the incident and views it as a part of the campaign that the authorities have launched against freedom of expression and the press. Similar crimes are committed due to unlawful acts committed in the past, impunity and the absence of adequate legal evaluations.
The Union of Journalists of Armenia demands that the law-enforcement authorities lead an objective investigation into the incident, along with the adequate legal consequences, and demands that the Speaker of the National Assembly present this incident as an issue for the ethics committee to discuss. If not, the society and the press will deduce that the news about this unruly Member of Parliament having indulgence to do whatever he wants, corresponds to reality.
Union of Journalists of Armenia
