Tert.am
and Yerevan.today journalists Ani Gevorgyan and Syuzi Badoyan addressed
complaints to the Human Rights Defender about the fact that various people in
Ararat raised professional obstacles, but the Police servicemen on-duty did not
ensure their safety.
The Office
of the Human Rights Defender discussed all the issues with the journalists,
reviewed all the published videos, and carried out social media monitoring.
In
particular, the journalists noted in the complicit addressed to the Defender
that without
any grounds, the Police servicemen did not allow them to approach and cover in
the specific areas of the Hotashen and Masis villages and Artashat city of the
Ararat province, where meetings were held between the acting Prime Minister and
residents of the communities.
According
to the journalists, the Police servicemen did not provide any reason for not
removing the restrictions and obstacles of the professional work of
journalists.
The
journalists also mentioned that one of the citizens took journalist Ani
Gevorgyan’s phone during the coverage in the Artashat city, and slapped her, while
the phone had been returned to the journalist after the invention of the Police
servicemen. According to the complaints, the citizens in the Artashat city took
journalist Syuzi Badoyan’s badge; the police servicemen later returned it.
Ani
Gevorgyan informed the Human Rights Defender that she had repeatedly appealed
to on-duty police servicemen about the incident and obstacles that different
people are causing, but the police servicemen did not take any preventive
action.
Instead,
the Police servicemen urged to submit a report to the Police. The examination
of the published video by the Office Human Rights Defender confirms, that when
a journalist asks the Police for help, it is the police officer who urges him
to submit an oral report to the Police. Moreover, when asked by a journalist to
ensure his safety, the Police serviceman answered that he was carrying out
public order protection, which gives the impression that public order protection
is something else.
In
this regard, the Human Rights Defender states that in principle such approaches
are inadmissible. First of all, the task of the Police servicemen serving in a
gathering or any other public place is to ensure the unimpeded professional
work and safety of every person, especially for journalists. In addition,
ensuring the safe work of a professional journalist on site is an integral part
of maintaining public order.
According
to journalists Ani Gorgyan and Suzy Badoyan, several aggressive men and women
tried to obstruct their work, spat on their cars in the village of Masis, and
in the city of Artashat, they pursued their aggressive behavior, swearing at
them.
According
to the journalists, as the Police tried their best to remove them from the
meeting places, the people with the mentioned aggressive behavior started to be
more aggressive towards the journalists.
The
Human Rights Defender states, that the Police servicemen on duty at any rally
or other public place are obliged to guarantee the unimpeded and safe work of
journalists.
The Police
should bear in mind that if any rally or other public event is taking place and
they are assigned for service, and journalists have restrictions on their work
and coverage, then the police are obligated to provide adequate and exhaustive
explanations to them in advance or on site.
In these
tense days, especially the Police servicemen should constantly urge or inform
the participants of the rallies that any insulting speech or swear, and any
kind of aggressive behavior should be excluded.
The Human Rights Defender, taking into account
the complaints journalists will send a letter to the Police, making the actions
of the Police servicemen a subject of discussion.
Հայերեն
