10:42, 21 July 2016

Yerevan: journalists suffer during disperse of protesters

Activist demand to allow delivering food for people inside the seized building, Yerevan, July 20, 2016. Photo by Tigran Petrosyan for the ‘Caucasian Knot’.

Staff members of the Office of the Armenian Ombudsman intend to file a complaint to the investigating authorities. The number of injured journalists has not been specified yet.

In the morning on July 17 supporters of the "Constituent Parliament" captured the building of the police regiment of the patrol-and-guard service in Yerevan, demanding the release all the country's political prisoners. During the capture, a policeman was killed; and six other people were wounded.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 20, supporters of the "Constituent Parliament" demanded from the policemen to permit them to deliver food for people inside the seized building. After the police refused to meet the conditions of the ultimatum, the protesters began throwing stones and smoke candles on the policemen. The policemen stopped the activists' attempt to break through to the seized building. At 2:50 a.m. of July 21, 51 people were hospitalized to medical centres of the Armenian capital. Of them, 28 were policemen.

The Office of the Armenian Ombudsman claims that journalists suffered during the dispersal of demonstrators by the police in Yerevan.

"We condemn that fact, not only as violence, but also as a negative phenomenon in terms of obstructing the media professional activities," states the Ombudsman as quoted by the "Interfax".

The Office of the Armenian Ombudsman prepares the materials for sending them to the investigating authorities with a view of further possible institution of criminal proceedings, the "Sputnik Armenia" reports today.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.