Editorial staff of "ArmeniaNow" on-line weekly concerned over threats to journalist

On November 4, John Hughes, editor-in-chief of the on-line weekly "ArmeniaNow" and director of the "New Time" Journalism Training Center, addressed a letter to Armenian Military Prosecutor Gagik Jangirian. Copies of the letter were sent to the heads of the International Union of Advocates, the Yerevan Press Club, the Journalists Union of Armenia, the Public Affairs Section of the US Embassy in Armenia and the Internews Armenia public organization.

The letter reads that, after the publication of "The Price of Privileges: Murder of Soldiers May Be Connected with Payoffs and Common System of Surviving in the Armenian Army" ("ArmeniaNow", August 15, 2003), telling about the murder of privates Levon and Hamlet Bagdasarians and their friend, sergeant Arman Davtian, committed in Vanadzor on August 6, its author, Zhanna Alexanian, has been receiving telephone threats from the father of the brothers killed, Sahak Bagdasarian, for over a month. The letter says he accuses the journalist of "defending the murderer".

In the opinion of John Hughes, the reason for Sahak Bagdasarian's dissatisfaction is the part of the article telling that the Bagdasarian family is known for "its business connections, which include distribution of petrol".

In its address to the Military Prosecutor of the country, the editorial staff of the weekly expressed its concern over the threats to Zhanna Alexanian, "We take these threats seriously and we hope that your agency will take appropriate measures to stop them."

On November 5, the statement of Tigran Janoyan, chairman of the International Union of Advocates, was disseminated, where the public of the country is called upon to voice condemnation of the situation. The Yerevan Press Club also shares the concern of the "ArmeniaNow" editorial staff and the International Union of Advocates.