STATEMENT
Regarding the use of force against journalists by the police
On early morning of April 13, journalists were also among the victims of the rally dispersed by police forces on Baghramian Avenue in Yerevan.
Yerevan Press Club, Journalists Union of Armenia, Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression state that law and order bodies have not yet revealed and punished the perpetrators of April 5 violence against the journalists. Moreover, this time the police themselves used force towards journalists on their duty: several media representatives were exposed to beating, their equipment was snatched away or crashed.
We once again stress that impeding journalist activity by any person even the police is criminal offence.
We condemn this display of violence and declare that we will be consistent in our demands, namely to track and punish, on Article 164 of RA Criminal Code, the persons using violence against the journalists on both April 5 and April 13 early morning, as well as to compensate the damage caused to the media.
Yerevan Press Club
Journalists Union of Armenia
Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression
