On November 27 in Gyumri (Shirak region) a conflict between the bodyguards of the Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasian and the correspondent of "Haikakan Zhamanak" daily in Shirak Arman Galoyan occurred. According to the journalist, after the session of the Regional Council he was suddenly approached by the Mayor’s bodyguards who started insulting him. Arman Galoyan tried to record what was being said, yet his recorder was immediately taken away and was returned some time later without the tape and the batteries.
On the same day "Asparez" Journalists’ Club disseminated a statement, in which it condemned the unhealthy relations that have formed during the past eight months between Arman Galoyan and Gyumri municipality. In the opinion of "Asparez", the situation is caused by inadequate, often somewhat unethical publications of the journalist, on the other – the emotional and exaggerated response of people these publications tell about. " ‘Asparez’ Journalists’ Club believes that this mutual intolerance may lead to tough consequences, unacceptable and abnormal for media-authorities relations", the statement says.
