ARF member: ‘Disgraceful days’ of 2018 must not repeat themselves in Armenia
MP Iveta Tonoyan from the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party says the use of violence against reporters and media representatives in general is “unacceptable”.
"During the February 23 opposition march, some of the protesters obstructed the work of a correspondent and a cameraman of RFE/RL’s Armenian Service,” the lawmaker wrote on Facebook.
“Regardless of the attitude towards the policies pursued by various media outlets, I consider it inadmissible to use violence against journalists and anyone engaged in the media activity in general. I urge our compatriots to show restraint and not to obstruct the work of the media.
“Unlike the current authorities, we don’t divide news outlets into “black and white, preferred or undesirable” groups. I also call on the authorities not to get overexcited about the unpleasant incident and try to throw mud at the opposition,” she said, also condemning the use of force by police against opposition activists at Tuesday’s rally outside the government.
MP Ani Samsonyan from the opposition Bright Armenia Party took to Facebook to condemn both the attack on the reporters and the use of force against protesters.
"The unlawful use of force against citizens by police officers must be subjected to an official investigation, and criminal proceedings must be launched in connection with the case of causing injuries,” she wrote. "Citizens who attacked the journalists must certainly be held accountable."
ARF Supreme Council of Armenia member Gegham Manukyan on Tuesday also reacted to the incident involving the film crew of RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
"It is inadmissible and appropriate measures will be taken. We should not allow such a thing. Citizens are obliged, regardless of their preferences, to treat all journalists with respect,” he wrote on Facebook.
“No one has the right to obstruct a journalist’s work. Also, the disgraceful days of 2018, when many media outlets were covering [the opposition protests] without using a microphone with their logo not to be attacked by the crowd, must not repeat themselves. It is inadmissible to hinder the work of a journalist,” he said, adding they were informed about the incident after the protest march.