US embassy cable - 04YEREVAN2325

UNCLAS YEREVAN 002325 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, PREL, AM 
SUBJECT:  COURT CONVICTS, SENTENCES JOURNALIST'S 
ASSAILANT 
 
REFS:  A) YEREVAN 1878  B) YEREVAN 1925 
 
This cable is sensitive but unclassified.  Please 
protect accordingly. 
 
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ASSAILANT SENTENCED TO JAIL 
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(SBU) On October 11, the Court of First Instance of 
Kotayk region sentenced Gagik Stepanyan to six months 
in jail for assaulting two journalists.  Stepanyan was 
convicted for roughing up Mkhitar Khachatryan, a 
photojournalist with the Photolur News Agency, and 
Aravot Daily reporter Anna Israelyan on August 24.  The 
journalists were working on a report on environmental 
damage caused by construction in a resort area when the 
incident occurred (refs A and B).  Prosecutor Koryun 
Piloyan demanded a six-month sentence for the 
defendant, citing a recent increase in crimes against 
journalists.  The court agreed.  (Note:  The defendant, 
who was arrested on August 26, has served more than one 
third of his term in pre-trial detention and is already 
theoretically eligible for early release.  End Note.) 
This is the first prison sentence for assaulting a 
reporter in Armenia.  Media watchers have hailed this 
as a positive development. 
GODFREY