US embassy cable - 04YEREVAN1148

UNCLAS YEREVAN 001148 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, AM 
SUBJECT:  TWO MEN DETAINED ON CHARGES OF ATTACKING 
JOURNALISTS 
 
 
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified, protect accordingly. 
 
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SUMMARY 
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2. (SBU) The Office of the Procurator General (PG) 
announced May 12 that they had identified and 
officially charged two men for attacking journalists 
during an opposition rally on April 5.  An assaulted 
journalist had identified one of them as the man who 
stole her camera and knocked her to the ground.  The 
two men will likely be charged with "hooliganism," a 
charge that can carry up to five years of prison.  The 
opposition press has called on the authorities to 
identify those who ordered these two to disrupt the 
April 5 rally.  End Summary. 
 
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EGGS, FIRECRACKERS, AND BROKEN CAMERAS 
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3. (SBU) The PG's office announced May 12 that they 
have detained two unemployed men, Ashot Avetisian and 
Hrair Harityunian, for allegedly attacking journalists 
during the April 5 opposition rally held by the 
National Unity Party in Yerevan.  The rally was 
disrupted when roughly two dozen men started to throw 
eggs at party leader Artashes Geghamian and then set 
off firecrackers.  Photo and TV journalists who filmed 
the disruption had their cameras smashed by a group of 
"well-built thugs" with shaven heads.  The incident was 
widely covered by TV and print media; several TV 
channels and opposition newspapers carried some of the 
disrupters' photos for few days. 
 
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INITIAL POLICE INACTION 
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4. (SBU) According to eyewitness accounts the police, 
led by Deputy Police Chief Hovhannes Varian, stayed 
idle and simply watched the whole scene unfold.  Some 
reporters and politicians speculated that the attackers 
were bodyguards of Armenian oligarchs, fueling wide- 
spread rumors that the incident may have been 
orchestrated by the authorities.  (Note:  A slightly 
different, but equally plausible version, was provided 
by a senior GOAM official to us informally.  He claimed 
that one press photographer started snapping pictures 
of the private goons on stand-by at the edge of the 
crowd.  One of them took umbrage and seized camera and 
photographer.  Attracted by the commotion, other 
photographers moved in to cover the scene, and the 
other goons joined their colleagues in destroying the 
film and cameras -- with attendant personal violence. 
Our source did not know the goons' affiliation, but 
seemed convinced they belonged to one or more prominent 
oligarchs.  In this version, there was no direct 
connection between the egg-throwers and those who 
attacked the journalists.  End Note.) 
 
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COMMENT:  IT'S A START 
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5. (SBU) Thus far the PG's office has detained two 
alleged perpetrators; according to the PG's statement, 
the suspects have already been interrogated and 
confessed.  Aravot daily correspondent Anna Israelian 
recognized one of the suspects, Hrair Harutyunian, as 
the man who stole her camera and knocked her to the 
ground.  The PG's office announced that the two 
suspects will be charged with "hooliganism," a Criminal 
Code Article that carries up to five years of 
imprisonment.  The opposition press, meanwhile, is 
calling on the authorities to identify those who 
ordered Avetisian and Harityunian to disrupt the rally. 
Human rights activists and opposition supporters will 
be watching this case closely to judge how committed 
the government is to pursuing those responsible for the 
April 5 events. 
ORDWAY