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Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor strongly condemns the actions of law enforcement bodies, which result in violence and intitimidation agaisnt journalists, and demands that journalist Hayk Gevorgyan, the person responsible for issuing the “Haykakan Zhamanak” Daily, be immediately released and a thorough and objective examination be conducted.

According to the statement released by the editorial group of the “Haykakan Zhamanak” Daily, on February 3, 2012, at approximately 11:00 a.m.,  the renowned journalist and the person responsible for issuing the “Haykakan Zhamanak” Daily, Hayk Gevorgyan, was arrested in a “special enforcement” action by the police and was taken to the Nubarashen Penitentiary Institution.

During this period, Hayk Gevorgyan was unable to make phone calls and his family did not receive any official notification about his whereabouts. The officers of the Kentron Department of the RA Police justified the decision about transferring the reporter to the detention facility by stating that Hayk Gevorgyan was declared wanted since January 23, 2012, in relation to a traffic accident connected with a vehicle he was operating.

According to the RA Criminal Procedure Code, an individual can be declared wanted if his/her location is unknown and he/she avoids the investigation.

Both before January 23^rd and after that, Hayk Gevorgyan continued his regular journalistic activities; he drove the same car; he went to work every day driving the same car; he returned home; he participated in the government sessions; and he covered press conferences of high-ranking officials and even ministers.

During the same period, Hayk Gevorgyan had several telephone conversations with the investigator of the traffic police, who declared him wanted. Gevorgyan stated that we was ready to appear for examination if he received an appropriate summons. The investigator was also informed about the location of the vehicle operated by Hayk Gevorgyan and he was offered to examine the car on-site. However these legitimate suggestions were not accepted.

Such a course of events allows for recording that the police was conducting an ordered persecution against the key representative of the “Haykakan Zhamanak” Daily connected with his journalistic activities.

On January 12, 2012, Hayk Gevorgyan took part in an interview given by the RA Chief of Police, Vova Gasparyan, following the Government Session. Gevorgyan asked several vexed questions and as a result, he came up with a publication in the “Haykakan Zhamanak” Daily, containing shameful contents for Vova Gasparyan.  The shameful character of the publication, however, was not due to the reporter’s predisposition, but to some facts about the RA Chief of Police, which were reported directly, without any journalistic interpretation. (see “Haykakan Zhamanak” for January 13, 2012)

In the evening of the publication day, there was an attempt to instigate a run-over incident involving the vehicle operated by Hayk Gevorgyan. However, the plan failed because of Gevorgyan’s alertness.

The developments following this leave no doubt that both Hayk Gevorgyan’s arrest and the fabricated criminal persecution were ordered personally by the RA Chief of Police, Vova Gasparyan. We assume that Gasparyan’s patience wore off after the Article “A small present” published on the cover page of the February 3, 2012 issue of the “Haykakan Zhamanak”, which referred to the origin of Mercedes G – Class for 120-150 000 USD owned by Vova Gasparyan.