On September 30, Dunja Mijatović, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, called on the Armenian authorities to end the climate of impunity and to bring to justice those responsible for attacks on journalists.
In a letter to RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, dealing with the September 19 incident between Taguhi Hovhannisian, correspondent of “Haikakan Zhamanak” daily, and Artyusha Karapetian, the head of the Armenian community of Kazakhstan, Dunja Mijatović expressed concern with the recent attacks against journalists in Armenia and the lack of effective measures to end the climate of impunity. “I hope the attack on Hovhannisian will be duly addressed by law enforcement”, stressed OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media in her letter to Foreign Minister.
Dunja Mijatović also expressed her disappointment with the RA Special Investigation Service’s (SIS) refusal to open a criminal case on the September 9 attack on Marineh Khachatrian, correspondent of “A1+” TV, by the chief of parliament security service, as well as with the decision of the SIS to dismiss the criminal case initiated against police officers who on February 12 used force against Ani Gevorgian, correspondent of “Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” newspaper.
“I urge the authorities to adequately and timely address these crimes. Impunity has a potential to generate more violence and produce a chilling effect on free expression and free media”, Dunja Mijatović said.
