On May 15 in Yerevan a press-conference of TV journalist Hamlet Ghushian was
held. Hamlet Ghushian had previously worked for different TV channels and till
2002 he headed “Yerevan” TV company. At the meeting with his colleagues Hamlet
Ghushian disseminated a statement, making a public apology to the former Chief
Commander of Mountainous Karabagh army, presently the leader of “Dashink” party
Samvel Babayan.
After the attempted assassination of Mountainous Karabagh President Arkadiy
Ghukasian on March 22, 2000 (Samvel Babayan had been charged with its organization),
Hamlet Ghushian made a revelatory film about him, titled “The Master of Heaven
and Hell”. As the author maintains, while preparing the film he was using the
materials provided by the Prosecutor’s Office, tax bodies and the MK State Television,
and it has now turned out the information was false. According to the TV journalist,
after the amnesty of Samvel Babayan (the former Chief Commander, having been
sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment, was pardoned in September 2004) they met,
and he had a chance to realize how wrong he had been. For this reason Hamlet
Ghushian decided to make a public apology and would like to make another film,
with a conventional title of “Samvel Babayan: an Outside Look”, where different
opinions would be presented.
At the press-conference Hamlet Ghushian also informed that his return from
Moscow to Yerevan after an over three years’ absence is related to the invitation
of a well-known entrepreneur Hrant Vardanian to head “Grand Media” holding,
incorporating, in particular, the two TV companies owned by the Vardanian family
– “AR” and “Hayrenik”.
Meanwhile, on May 17 “Hayots Ashkhar” daily published the comment of “Dashink”
party with regard to the press-conference held: “Neither Samvel Babayan, nor
his party needs the new film by Hamlet Ghushian. (…) We are fully satisfied
with the public apology made by Ghushian, and we think this issue solved.”
