Opposition Paper Insists Case Against Journalist is Fabricated

Journalist Hayk Gevorgyan, responsible for publishing local opposition daily Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian Times”), was arrested at around 11 am on Feb. 3 and moved to Nubarashen penitentiary after noon. During this process, he was not allowed to make a phone call, nor did the authorities inform his family of his whereabouts, reads a statement issued by the paper, which was presented to the press by Haykakan Jamanak chief editor Nikol Pashinyan earlier this evening.

The statement mentions that the official reason for Gevorgyan’s arrest is his involvement in a car accident and that he has been wanted by police since Jan. 23. However, Gevorgyan “as before Jan. 23 so too after continued his journalism activities on a daily basis, drove the same car, went to work every day with that car, returned home, participated in government meetings, covered high-ranking officials’ — including ministers’ — press conferences.”

During this time, the journalist’s colleagues say, Gevorgyan spoke with traffic police by phone and said he is ready to cooperate in an investigation if he is sent a proper summons corresponding to Armenia’s legislation. Furthermore, he has informed the investigator who launched the case where his car is located and suggested it be taken in for inspection; however, these suggestions were not heeded.

The opposition paper thereby concludes that the police are persecuting the journalist for his professional activities.

Haykakan Jamanak representatives point to an incident on Jan. 13 following a Q&A between RA Police Chief Vladimir (Vova) Gasparyan (pictured) and the press in which Gevorgyan asked a few poignant questions and subsequently published a piece that was very critical of the police chief.

On the evening of the day the article was published, “there was an attempt to provoke an incident involving Hayk Gevorgyan’s car running someone over,” according to the statement, which Nikol Pashinyan elaborated at the press conference this evening.

Pashinyan said that Gevorgyan tried to call police to find out the identity of the man who allegedly was run over by him on that day. He was informed that the man is in serious condition and is lying at St. Gregory the Illuminator Medical Center. Visiting the hospital, Haykakan Jamanak representatives discovered that the man had no connection with the incident involving Gevorgyan and a man by that name was, in fact, in Martuni. The man was later found.

During the incident on Jan. 13 outside the Ministry of Economy, as relayed by Pashinyan, Hayk Gevorgyan tried to back out of his parking spot when the man in question tried to throw himself under the car. Gevorgyan asked him to step aside and not obstruct his passage. Pashinyan assured the press that Gevorgyan assured him that his car did not come in contact with that man.

Pashinyan then said that the supposed victim said the car touched his foot on which he has a tendon that “if touched even by a finger, he gets ill.” According to this man’s testimony, as a result of the car touching his foot, he sat on the curb, leaned back and hit his head on the wall along the curb.

The Haykakan Jamanak statement notes that such developments leave no doubt that “Hayk Gevorgyan’s arrest and fabricated criminal persecution were ordered personally by RA Police Chief Vova Gasparyan.”