On July 1, Special Investigation Service (SIS) of Armenia initiated a criminal case under Clause 3, Article 164 (“Impending the legitimate professional activities of a journalist”) and Clause 2, Article 309 (“Abuse of power”) of the RA Criminal Code, on the basis of complaints filed by Ani Gevorgian, correspondent of “Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” newspaper, and Sargis Gevorgian, cameraman of iLur.am. This information was published on the SIS website.
As we have reported, on June 23, journalists together with dozens of people were waiting near the Kentron Police Department of Yerevan for the release of activists detained earlier that day in the city centre, for participation in a civil protest against the upcoming increase of electricity tariffs (27 participants of the protest were detained). Standing in line, policemen started pushing the people. Journalists were among the casualties of the incident. In particular, Ani Gevorgian and Sargis Gevorgian were injured (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, June 23-29, 2014).
The police received complaints from other citizens as well; all the complaints were combined into one case. Ani Gevorgian and Sargis Gevorgian, as well as a number of other participants of the incident, are recognized as victims.
