RFE/RL “Azatutyun” correspondent Arus Hakoyan had been subjected to violence by individuals wearing civilian clothing, while she was covering the Take A Step, Reject Serzh protests in a live broadcast, near the city of Artashat. She sustained bodily injuries.

The video released by RFE/RL clearly shows the face of the person who hit the journalist, as well as the fact that one of the passers-by warned the journalist that she was bleeding from her ear.

Arus Hakobyan stated during the RFE/RL broadcast that police officers were present during the incident and did not do anything to prevent the act of violence. Journalist appeals to policemen were not responded to. All this is also apparent in the video.

The journalist was subjected to violence when a few men gathered to ask a person why they were taking pictures. In response to the journalist asking one of the men the question, “who are you?” the man hit the camera and the journalist saying “get that thing away from here.”

Arus Hakobyan approaches one of the officers nearby, her questions and appeals were left unanswered.

“Police officers, don’t you see that they are hitting people? Why aren’t you stopping them on the spot?” It seemed that the police were not listening to the journalist’s question as they turned and walked away.

Another policeman approached and insisted, “get out of the way.” The journalist asked “and when they hit people, you don’t see anything?” The police once again turned away and left.

In one episode, two police officers are seen, of which one urges the other to secure the journalist’s safety, but when the journalist stated “my safety has already been endangered, because they have already hit me and you didn’t do anything,” they left without giving a reaction.

RFE/RL announced that the person who hit Arus Hakobyan is the director of the Artashat Water Usage Association, Arthur Ghazaryan.

Yesterday, during a protest at the Nor-Norq administrative district, Lriagir.am journalist Tehmine Yenokyan was also subjected to violence.

A young man hit the journalist in the head, interfered with the journalist’s work, one of the women present pulled the journalist’s hair, and another tore off the straps of her bag.

Anahit Danielyan