As Alvard Sakhkalian, the Director of “Echmiadzin” TV company, told Yerevan Press Club on May 15, the World Press Freedom Day was marked by an incident, exceptional for Echmiadzin: the camera of Haik Eghiazarian, the cameraman of “Echmiadzin” TV, was broken. That day the TV company received information that one of the central streets of the city was flooded with mud. Having arrived on the site, Alvard Sakhkalian and Haik Eghiazarian saw liquid cement pouring out of a shop under construction. Soon the owners of the store turned up. They appeared to be Levon Ghazarian, a Member of the Senior Council of Echmiadzin Municipality, and his brother Hakob. The latter, with little thought being given to the matter, attacked the cameraman and broke the camera.
The Echmiadzin Division of Interior Affairs confirmed this fact, noting that the case is currently being investigated. According to criminal expertise department of Interior Ministry, the material damage caused was evaluated as 28 thousand drams (about $50). The detective of Echmiadzin police major Ghazar Gevorgian who is in charge of the case informed that the case will be submitted to the investigative department, as the actions against the shooting crew were premeditated.
