Republican Ashot Papayan asks journalist for forgiveness
Ashot Papayan, a member of the Council of Elders, has issued a statement, in which he asks for forgiveness for banning a journalist from shooting a campaign meeting ahead of the May mayoral election.
"On April 23, an unpleasant incident occurred in Yerevan's Nor Nork district when Hakob Karapetyan, a journalist of Yerevan-based Ilur website, was banned from shooting a campaign meeting," Ashot Papayan told henaran.am.
During the meeting, the loyalists of incumbent mayor Taron Margaryan first demanded that the ‘alien journalist clear off' then they attacked him, kicking and tearing his clothes. They took away the camera from the journalist and erased the record. Karapetyan suffered injuries to his face and body in the presence of district residents.
The journalist managed to photograph the assailants. One of them was identified as Aram Papayan, the organizer of the campaign meeting, a Republican candidate in the May 5 municipal election. Throughout the incident, the police officers stood nearby without interfering with the attack.
"People know that I was attacked and beaten, that my professional activities were hampered. People must know that Ashot Papayan and the other assailants feel sorry for the incident. He [Papayan] must apologize to me and the journalist community," the journalist said after the incident.
