YEREVAN—RFE/RL Armenian service correspondent Narine Ghalechyan was threatened and chased by a man while reporting on safety standards at Armenia’s liquefied gas stations on Aug. 14.
Police officers inspected the damaged car used by the RFE/RL crew. (Photo: RFE/RL)
The young man turned on the reporter when she approached one such station in Sevan, a town approximately 35 miles north of Yerevan, and began filming, according to the RFE/RL Armenian service report.
“I switched off and hid the video camera to prevent him from damaging it but kept holding the microphone in a visible way, which was enough for him to understand that I’m a journalist, then ran away and got in the car,” Ghalechyan said. “I told him not to approach me or I will call the police, which made him even angrier…. He reached for the car’s door, which I already locked. When he realized that the door is locked, he started kicking and punching it.”
Ghalechian then headed to a police station and reported the incident to senior officers there. The man was brought into the police station for questioning later in the day. Police officers also inspected the damaged car used by the RFE/RL crew. They pledged to hold the violent man accountable.
Armenia’s Ombudsman (Human Rights Defender), Arman Tatoyan, was quick to express concern at the incident. A statement by Tatoyan’s office said he has formally appealed to the Armenian police to conduct an investigation.
Source: Armenian Weekly
Link: Reporter Threatened, Chased in Sevan