On June 26 the Chief Editor of “Zhamanak-Yerevan” daily Arman Babajanian was
detained. According to the press release of the RA General Prosecutor’s Office,
on June 24, basing on the data provided by the RA Military Police, criminal
proceedings were instituted against Arman Babajanian, on clause 2, part 2, Article
327 of the RA Criminal Code (“Avoidance of military service, military exercise
or summons”). On June 26, the press release says, Arman Babajanian was examined
and “in the presence of an attorney made a confession” that “he had forged documents
to avoid drafting for military service” in November 2002.
On the same day, on June 26, the management of “Zhamanak-Yerevan” held a press-conference.
According to the Director of “Zhamanak-Yerevan” Manuk Sukiasian, the editorial
office was visited by 7-8 people dressed in civilian and after a short conversation
with Arman Babajanian took him to the General Prosecutor’s Office. The reason
for the detainment, as Manuk Sukiasian pointed out, does not seem plausible
at least because Arman Babajanian (lives in the USA, being a citizen of Armenia
– Еd. note) had repeatedly visited Armenia and never before did he have problems
related to avoidance of military service. In the opinion of “Zhamanak-Yerevan”
management, the reason for the incident is in the journalistic activities of
the Chief Editor and is a matter of freedom of speech infringement. (“Zhamanak-Yerevan”,
the version of US-based “Zhamanak-Los Angeles” intended for Armenia, was launched
in May this year and immediately expressed itself as a strongly oppositional
daily. Arman Babajanian heads both newspapers.)
On June 27 the employees of “Zhamanak-Yerevan” held a rally by the General
Prosecutor’s Office. Representatives of other media, journalistic associations
and human rights organizations took part in the rally, too. The protesters demanded
a meeting with the General Prosecutor Aghvan Hovsepian (never held) and the
release of the Chief Editor of “Zhamanak-Yerevan”. On the same day Yerevan Press
Club and the Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression addressed the General
Prosecutor with an inquiry: to name the attorney, in whose presence, as the
press release of the General Prosecutor’s Office states, Arman Babajanian was
interrogated and made a confession.
On June 27 the court of primary jurisdiction of Center and Nork-Marash communities
of Yerevan made a resolution on the arrest of Armenia Babajanian for two months’
term.
In the issue of June 28 “Hayots Ashkhar” daily with the heading of “How Documents
are Forged” published an interview with the investigator of the General Prosecutor’s
Office Samvel Sinanian, in charge of Arman Babajanian’s case. The investigator
noted, in particular, that as the criminal and legal practice shows, the preventive
punishment of Arman Babajanian could not have been any different. “In the course
of 2005 76 cases were directed to the courts on part 1 of the same Article,
stipulating milder punishment, and in all cases arrest was chosen as preventive
punishment”, Samvel Sinanian explained. “Hayots Ashkhar” article further describes
the details of the fraud. The piece is accompanied by photocopies of the documents.
Protests actions were held by the General Prosecutor’s Office on June 28 and
29, too. As the editorial staff of “Zhamanak-Yerevan” stated (in the issue of
June 28, 2006), the rallies “for freedom of speech” will be held every day,
until “Arman Babajanian is with us again”.
