Court of Cassation rejected appeal of journalist
On April 6, Court of Cassation rejected an appeal by journalist Marine Khachatryan and her representatives Artak Zeynalyan and Ara Ghazaryan. “In doing so, the law-enforcement agencies and the judicial system of our country concluded that no one hampered the journalist in her legitimate professional activities on September 9, 2014. Our courts overtly ignore the obvious facts. Of course, this decision did not surprise us. So, let the case reach the European Court of Human Rights. The person who violates journalist’s rights should be subject to liability at least once,” Ashot Melikyan, Chairman of the Chairman of the Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression, said in connection with the court’s decision. On September 9, 2014, after members of the Hakaharvats (Counter Attack) street art group hung a banner reading “Hello Rob” (Rob referring to Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan) on the National Assembly’s main gate, the chief of the NA security Karen Hayrapetyan came out and tore down the banner. Then he hit A1+’s journalist Marine Khachatryan, who was covering the incident, on the arm, causing her to drop her recording device – iPad – to the ground. Karen Hayrapetyan then tried to hit the journalist for a second time but he missed her. A SIS investigator dismissed the case due to lack of evidence.
