US embassy cable - 04YEREVAN1878

UNCLAS YEREVAN 001878 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CACEN, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, AM 
SUBJECT:  INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST ALLEGEDLY ATTACKED 
OVER PHOTO 
 
REF:  YEREVAN 1148 
 
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect 
accordingly. 
 
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JOURNALIST ALLEGEDLY ATTACKED 
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2. (SBU) On August 24, two investigative journalists 
alleged that they had been threatened and one of them 
roughed up by unidentified men after they had 
photographed the luxury home of the Deputy Chief of 
Armenia's National Police.  The journalists, Anna 
Israelian and Mkhitar Khachatrian told the press they 
photographed Deputy Chief Armen Yeritsian's house as 
part of a report on environmental damage caused by 
house construction.  While touring an expensive 
residential area, the journalists took a picture of 
Yeritsian's house, despite a warning from a guard who 
stood in front. 
 
3. (SBU) According to the journalists, later that day 
the same guard accompanied by several other men 
approached them at a cafe.  Khachatrian said the men 
roughed him up and threatened to kill him if he didn't 
back down.  Khachatrian surrendered the photo card from 
his digital camera.  (Note:  Khachatrian suffered 
bruises and scratches that did not require 
hospitalization.  End Note.) 
 
4. (SBU) According to press accounts, Khachatrian 
described his attackers as "the same type of men" who 
attacked photojournalists at two rallies in April 
(reftel).  Israelian, who was one of the journalists 
attacked on April 5, told the press that she would not 
lodge a formal police complaint because of the 
"ineffectiveness" of the April investigation. 
 
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PRESS CLUB WILL WORK WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT 
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5. (SBU) The Union of Journalists and the Yerevan Press 
Club publicly denounced the attack.  We spoke with 
Boris Navasardyan, the president of the Yerevan Press 
Club who stated that a local media advocacy group wrote 
a letter to the Prosecutor General's office in June 
complaining about the recent attacks on journalists, 
and he noted that this most recent attack would become 
part of the discussion.  He told us that the advocacy 
group, known as the Media Working Group, plans to hold 
meetings with top law enforcement officials in the 
second half of September to discuss methods of 
preventing and effectively prosecuting the perpetrators 
of such attacks.  Post will continue to monitor the 
statements of the Media Working Group and the reception 
its concerns receive from law enforcement. 
EVANS