RA Special Investigation Service (SIS) refused to open a criminal case on the incident between the Chief of Security Service of the RA National Assembly, Karen Hayrapetian, and correspondent of “A1+” TV company, Marineh Khachatrian, writes “A1+” on September 25.
As we have reported, the incident occurred on September 9 at the main entrance of the National Assembly, where the “Counterblow” Art Group hung a banner reading “Hello, Rob”. (The action was a reminder to the incident that occurred 13 years ago when bodyguards of Robert Kocharian, RA Second President, beat to death Georgian citizen Poghos Poghosian for saying “Hello, Rob” at the cafe “Aragast” in Yerevan downtown.) Several minutes later, the head of the National Assembly Security Service rushed out from parliament’s gates, tore down the banner and, noticing that “A1+” correspondent is filming the scene, approached the journalist and hit her on the arm, knocking down her tablet. There were numerous witnesses to the incident, including journalists filming it. As RA Prosecutor’s Office on September 12 informed that all media coverage of September 9 incident has been forwarded to the Special Investigation Service (see details in YPC Weekly Newsletter, September 9-14, 2014).
It is unclear, though, on what basis the investigating authority has refused to open a criminal case against Karen Hayrapetian. As “А1+” reports, SIS intends to provide clarifications later on.
