Police need a "literacy campaign"

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The RA Police say they have "weighty" facts according to which journalist Ani Gevorgyan applied force against a police officer, but that is not too convincing for president of the "Freedom of Speech Defense Committee" Ashot Melikyan.

"The police chief's words are no longer weighty after the events in Charentsavan when the chief of police said one thing and the facts were different, or the case with Nver Mnatsakanyan when the police chief said they were pursuing a girl's father and had mixed him with Nver Mnatsakanyan and in the end it turned out that the case had been quashed because they hadn't found the criminals," he said.

"I am more inclined to think that they are pursuing Ani Gevorgyan for her professional activities," said Ashot Melikyan who finds it hard to imagine how a 23-24-year old girl could apply force against a policeman.

Ashot Melikyan noted that recently, the police apply much force against journalists then accuse the journalists of beating them. "If it is not so, let them change places. At least that way policemen will work in a more civilized manner," said Ashot Melikyan.

President of Yerevan Press Club Boris Navasardyan said the police don't have a good understanding of the difference between participants of the event and those shedding light on the event. "Even if the event that was being covered by Ani Gevorgyan was illegal, a journalist has the right to shed light on an illegal event and nobody has the right to impede the journalist by RA legislation," Boris Navasardyan told "A1+" and underscored that though he saw a certain order, there was also a principled problem. Many police officers don't know that journalists have the right to take part in any event or action and provide coverage and even defend themselves."

Boris Navasardyan finds that there should be a "literacy campaign" for policemen and take rather strict measures against those who violate the law.

Navasardyan remembered how the police applied force against cameraman Levon Grigoryan during the events of April 12, 2004, but there were no effects.

"Levon Grigoryan's life was in danger, but no police officer was punished for that."