STATEMENT
Regarding the assault on iLur.am correspondent Hakob Karapetian
On April 23, 2013 at about 17.30 in Yerevan correspondent of iLur.am Hakob Karapetian was filming the campaign event of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) candidate running in the Yerevan Council of the Elders election. Some people approached him and demanded to stop videotaping the event. The journalist explained that he was performing his professional duties. According to the journalist, Ashot Papayan, member of Yerevan Council of the Elders from the RPA, who is also running in these elections from the RPA, approached Hakob Karapetian and hit the journalist swearing at him. Several others joined Papayan and also started to push the journalist. The men seized the camera from Hakob Karapetian, and returned it after deleting the video files. A Police Major was also present during the incident, however, he did not intervene.
We, the undersigned, condemn the attack on iLur.am correspondent and urge the authorities to punish the attackers, as well as to take measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
No excuses will be acceptable if the perpetrators remain unpunished, since the disclosure of the crime does not present any difficulties in this case.
If the crime does not entail any consequences, we will consider the numerous statements of the police administration about its political impartiality as an empty rhetoric.
“Asparez” Journalists’ Club
Investigative Journalists NGO
Yerevan Press Club
Internews Media Support NGO
Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression
“Journalists for the Future” NGO
