ASSAULT ON EDIK BAGHDASARYAN

[MosJan]

 

ASSAULT ON EDIK BAGHDASARYAN

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Edik Baghdasaryan, President of the Investigative Journalists NGO, was taken to hospital minutes ago all in blood. He was severely beaten and half-naked.

 

At about 8:00 p.m. three unknown people fell on Edik Baghdasaryan at 1/3 Pavstos Buzand when the latter was on his way home.

 

 

 

 

 

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“They were already waiting for me when I approached my car. They fell on me without uttering a word and began hitting,” Edik Baghdasaryan told A1+.

 

The Editor-in-chief of Hetq Online resisted the blows. Just at that moment one of them hit Baghdasaryan on the head with a stone. They took flight after seeing the flow of blood spilling from Baghdasaryan's head. Edik Baghdasaryan ran to the building and asked to call an ambulance. The group had torn off Baghdasaryan's shirt and taken the photocamera belonging to the editorial office.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MosJan]

Հարձակում ՀԵՏՔ-ի խմբագրի վրա

[ 17 Նոյեմբերի 2008 | 20:40 ]

 

Նոյեմբերի 17-ին, ժամը ութին մոտ Բյուզանդի փողոցի վրա (Վերնիսաժի տարածքում) երկու անծանոթներ հարձակվել են «Հետաքննող լրագրողներ» ՀԿ նախագահ, «Հետք» օն-լայն շաբաթաթերթի գլխավոր խմբագիր Էդիկ Բաղդասարյանի վրա: Մինչ նրանք քաշքշել են լրագրողին, մի երրորդ անձ հեռվից քարով խփել է նրա գլխին` պատճառելով լուրջ վնասվածք: Հարձակվողները պատռել են Էդիկ Բաղդասարյանի հագուստը, որը դեպքից հետո այդ տեղանքում հայտնաբերել չհաջողվեց: Նրանք խլել են նաեւ լուսանկարչական խցիկը: Ականատեսների կանչով դեպքի վայր են ժամանել շտապ օգնության բժիշկներն ու Կենտրոնի ոստիկանության մի աշխատակից: Տեղում օգնություն ցուցաբերելուց հետո Էդիկ Բաղդասարյանին տեղափոխել են հիվանդանոց: Լրագրողը դժվարանում է նշել դեպքի հնարավոր պատճառները, թեեւ չի բացառում, որ դա կարող է կապված լինել իր մասնագիտական գործունեության հետ:

[MosJan]

CASE FOR ATTACK ON JOURNALIST

 

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Police are investigating to find out who attacked head of the “Investigative Journalists” NGO, journalist Edik Baghdasaryan.

 

On November 17 at 7:50 p.m. three anonymous people beat Baghdasaryan near the building located on 1/3 Buzand Street and fled the scene.

 

At 8:55 p.m. Edik Baghdasaryan was transferred to the “St. Grigor Lusavorich” hospital with a brain injury and was given a forensic medicine notice.

 

Edik Baghdasaryan is currently in the hospital with stitches on his head.

[MosJan]

POLICEMAN SAVED JOURNALIST'S LIFE?

 

 

Today the Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Armenia isued a statement which runs in part,

 

At about 8:00 p.m. November 17, 2008, Armenia’s Prosecutor's Office got an alarm saying that Edik Baghdasarian, Chairman of the “Investigative Journalists” NGO, editor-in-chief of “Hetq” online publication, had been assaulted and beaten in P. Buzand Street. The Criminal Division of the Kentron police station was immediately assigned to send an operative- investigative group to the scene.

 

After receiving first medical aid Baghdasarian was taken to St. Lusavorich Medical Centre with brain injuries.

 

Later in the day Edik Baghdasarian said that at about 7:50 p.m. he was on his way home/ at 1/3 Buzand / when three unknown people fell on him bullying and swearing. Baghdasaria dropped the photo camera and beat one of the bandits with his cellar phone. Just at that moment he got a staggering blow on his head with a stone. Baghdasarian blacked out and regained consciousness after feeling a kick in his ribs.

 

The group took to flight after hearing a gunshot at a distance. Before Edik Baghdasarian was taken to hospital a 30-year-old stranger went up him and introduced himself as a policeman. He said he had fired a shot from a gas revolver to frighten the criminals.

 

Edik Baghdasaryan says the criminals posed no demands to him.

 

An action has been filed under Article 113 /Items 2 and 3/ of the Criminal Code.

 

Investigation is underway.

[MosJan]

TSankananq Edikin Shutapuyt Apaqinum

[MosJan]

AMBUSHED: INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST BECOMES VICTIM OF VIOLENT ATTACK

 

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Another attack on a journalist has happened in Armenia. On Monday evening, three unknown persons beat Edik Baghdasaryan, an award-winning investigative journalist, chairman of the “Investigative Journalists” NGO. Baghdasaryan, who is also the editor-in-chief of the Hetq online journal, left his office located in 1/3 Buzand Street at 7.50 pm and went into the direction of his car where he was ambushed by three unknown persons. “Those were strangers, their faces were open but it was dark, they did not say anything to me, they started to hit me straight away, they did not demand anything. I tried to resist and we fought for a few minutes, for quite some time, then they dragged my clothes off me,” Baghdasaryan told A1 Plus a few minutes after the attack as he was being given first aid on the spot by ambulance workers. He said he had resisted until one of the assailants hit him on the head with a rock. Baghdasaryan then, according to his own account, managed to escape and run quickly to the building, asking for an ambulance service to be called in. The assailants, he said, had run away taking with then an expensive photo camera. The Hetq editor is currently at the Grigor Lusavorich medical center, receiving treatment for his injuries. In particular, he received an injury on the skull. Doctors say his current condition is satisfactory and soon he will be transferred to an ordinary room. Deputy chief of the Hetq magazine Liana Sayadyan told ArmeniaNow that the editorial office had not received any threats, either verbal or written, of late. “There were cases in the past when we received emails where it was specifically mentioned who Edik Baghdasaryan should not write about, but in this case we did not get anything like that and do not know who could have done such a thing,” she said. “He [baghdasaryan] himself does not suspect anyone particularly, since in the recent period he has worked simultaneously on many stories – ranging from corruption in banana imports, the mining industry, and the violence that happened near the Odnoklassnki restaurant and other stories,” Sayadyan added. “But one thing is clear to me – it has to do with serious exposures that he made with his work, all his stories expose abuses of office and are potentially dangerous. I am convinced that the incident is linked with Baghdasaryan’s professional activities.” Police instituted a criminal case under article 113 of the Criminal Code (inflicting bodily harm of medium gravity by a group of persons). An inquiry is ongoing. At the same time, the country’s main opposition Armenian National Congress issued a statement strongly condemning the attack. “This outrageous deed is another proof that the criminal regime has declared war on free speech,” the opposition alliance, in particular, said. It was reported later in the day that Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan visited Baghdasaryan in the hospital. Also, presidential spokesman Samvel Farmanyan described the violence as “unacceptable” and “condemnable”. “The president of the republic has given instructions to law-enforcement bodies to find and bring to account those responsible for the attack,” he said in a statement. This year has stood out not only by an unprecedentedly tense internal political situation in Armenia but also – and the link is obvious – by an increased number of attacks on journalists in Armenia. Several international and local watchdogs and human rights groups have slammed the government for not doing enough to prevent and expose cases of attacks on media representatives and trace and find those responsible for the attacks.

* Sara Khojoyan

[MosJan]

NEWS ABOUT ATTACK

 

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New details about the attack on the editor of Hetq publication and the President of Investigative Journalists Edik Baghdasaryan are being discovered. According to our source, Karen Harutyunyans family, Harutyunyan is currently under preliminary investigation, has close relations with one of our officials, who is famous in production field also. Edik Baghdasaryan has published several articles about this official. Besides, it is known that Karen H. escaped for some days, before he appeared beyond the police. Remind that Karen Harutyunyan has appeared in the Central Police Station and announced that he was one of those 2 who made an attack on reporter Edik Baghdasaryan on November 17.