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SIMPLE QUESTION LEFT UNANSWERED

Politics

The April 23rd edition of the “Aravot” Daily offered data that Suren Khachatrian, Governor of Shirak Region, had beaten a teenager. About two weeks later all the TV channels broadcast Prime Minister Tigran Sargssian’s statement claiming the falsity of the news and the latter’s anecdote on the discrepancy between the reality and a rumour.

Reporter of the “Aravot” Daily Anna Israyelian reminds on this account that as early as on April 25 the paper introduced modifications to this article, correcting the name of the beaten teenager.

“Gor Karapetian was taken to hospital for an X-ray examination of the jaw and no injuries were detected. Whereas Yeghishe Antanossian, who was the one really beaten, was claimed to have no serious injuries as far as the physician could see “with the naked eye”. They should have taken to hospital the one really beaten, shouldn’t they? Though weeks have passed and the bruises might have healed”, notices Anna Israyelian.

The reporter declares that the official information offers thorough details on the events preceding the beating but there is no certain answer to the simple question whether the teenager was beaten by Governor Suren Khachatrian or not. “The investigation was launched to find out the real offender but it did not serve the purpose. They say the boy’s parents have no complaint and the argument has been smoothed away. By his anecdote the Prime Minister emphasized the falsity of our information but did not reveal the reality. In this sense the anecdote was very offensive.”

“Don’t you think disguising the facts stimulates the repetition of such kind of violence?” asks “A1+”. “We’d better not hurry in making conclusions. On the one hand I am an optimist and I cordially hope the situation will change. On the other hand, I might be too naïve to expect that Suren Khachatrian will suffer his punishment. He used to offer various services to the authorities at the time of Presidential Elections. We still hope though the beginning was not hopeful.”