STATEMENT
Regarding the violence against mass media representatives on May 13
During the dispersal of protests in Yerevan on May 13, 2024, officers of the RA Police Special Forces hindered the work of ABCmedia.am cameraman Mher Davtyan, and 24news.am reporter Mary Manukyan, both covering the events. In particular, Mary Manukyan was injured and lost consciousness after being pushed and thrown to the ground. Although the police officers provided first aid, it became necessary to hospitalize the journalist.
Since the beginning of protest actions related to the ongoing border demarcation in Tavush region, there have been 8 recorded cases of attacks and violence against media representatives. Notably, 5 were committed by law enforcement officers who abused their authority.
We, the undersigned organizations, strongly condemning the unjustified use of force against journalists and cameramen, state that despite numerous calls for an internal probe and accountability measures towards those responsible, the police have not yet provided the public with information regarding any such process or its outcomes.
Based on the above, we demand from the Ministry of Internal Affairs:
• to issue a notification and provide information regarding the investigation of cases of violence committed by police officers against media representatives;
• to take effective measures to ensure the unhindered work of journalists and cameramen during mass actions and eliminate violence against them.
Considering that the ongoing protest actions in the country show a tendency to continue and unfortunately are often accompanied by impediments to the activities of the media, we will vigilantly monitor the developments, documenting all the facts and regularly sharing them with the public, along with our assessments.
COMMITTEE TO PROTECT FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
YEREVAN PRESS CLUB
MEDIA INITIATIVES CENTER
MEDIA DIVERSITY INSTITUTE-ARMENIA
PUBLIC JOURNALISM CLUB
“JOURNALISTS FOR THE FUTURE” NGO
“JOURNALISTS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS” NGO
GORIS PRESS CLUB
