Front Line is deeply concerned following reports received of an attack on human rights defender Edik Baghdasaryan in Yerevan, on 17 November 2008. Edik Baghdasaryan is the chairperson of the Armenian Association of Investigative Journalists, the editor of the Yerevan-based on-line magazine HetqOnline, and an award-winning journalist known for his investigative reporting on Armenian politics, crime and corruption.

Further Information

On 17 November 2008, at approximately 8:00 pm, Edik Baghdasaryan, had left his office in Yerevan and was getting into his car, which was parked on the street, when he was ambushed and beaten by three unknown individuals. According to Edik Baghdasaryan, it was an unprovoked attack and the assailants did not demand anything from him. After two of the attackers hit him, Edik Baghdasaryan retaliated when a third person allegedly hit him on the head from behind, presumably with a rock or some other solid object, after which, according to Edik Baghdasaryan, he fainted. The three attackers fled after a security worker from a nearby construction site fired a shot into the air. An ambulance service administered first aid to Edik Baghdasaryan on the spot and the journalist was hospitalized with a head injury. According to reports received, his condition is stable and the injuries are not life threatening.

A criminal case has been initiated in connection with the incident under article 113 of the Criminal Code (inflicting bodily harm of medium gravity by a group of persons). According to police sources, an inquiry is ongoing. This latest attack is the seventh case of violence against media personnel in Armenia in 2008. These cases include that of Lusine Barseghyan and Hrach Melqumyan. On 11 August 2008, Lusine Barseghyan, a journalist with the newspaper Haykakan Zhamanak, was attacked by unknown individuals. She was left with serious head injuries. On 18 August 2008, in the centre of Yerevan, Hrach Melqumyan, the deputy head of the Yerevan office of radio “Liberty,” was also violently attacked by unknown persons. To date, no one has been charged with these attacks. This rise in violence against the media and a perceived climate of impunity in Armenia have been criticised by local and international media watchdogs and human rights groups.

Front Line believes that the attack against Edik Baghdasaryan is directly related to his legitimate work as a human rights defender, in particular his work as an investigative journalist and his defence of freedom of speech. Front Line fears that this attack may represent an ongoing trend of violence against journalists in Armenia. Front Line fears for the physical and psychological integrity of Edik Baghdasaryan.