Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04YEREVAN2325
2004-10-19 12:11:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Yerevan
Cable title:  

COURT CONVICTS, SENTENCES JOURNALIST'S

Tags:  PHUM PGOV PREL AM 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

191211Z Oct 04
UNCLAS YEREVAN 002325

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, DRL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL AM
SUBJECT: COURT CONVICTS, SENTENCES JOURNALIST'S
ASSAILANT

REFS: A) YEREVAN 1878 B) YEREVAN 1925

This cable is sensitive but unclassified. Please
protect accordingly.

--------------
ASSAILANT SENTENCED TO JAIL
--------------

(SBU) On October 11, the Court of First Instance of
Kotayk region sentenced Gagik Stepanyan to six months
in jail for assaulting two journalists. Stepanyan was
convicted for roughing up Mkhitar Khachatryan, a
photojournalist with the Photolur News Agency, and
Aravot Daily reporter Anna Israelyan on August 24. The
journalists were working on a report on environmental
damage caused by construction in a resort area when the
incident occurred (refs A and B). Prosecutor Koryun
Piloyan demanded a six-month sentence for the
defendant, citing a recent increase in crimes against
journalists. The court agreed. (Note: The defendant,
who was arrested on August 26, has served more than one
third of his term in pre-trial detention and is already
theoretically eligible for early release. End Note.)
This is the first prison sentence for assaulting a
reporter in Armenia. Media watchers have hailed this
as a positive development.
GODFREY