Armenian Journalists Union condemns attacks on media during clashes between protesters and police

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YEREVAN, 13 June. /ARKA/. The Union of Journalists of Armenia condemned in a statement today 'disproportionate' actions of law enforcement bodies against citizens on 12 June evening in central Yerevan, when mass media representatives were also attacked during clashes between anti-government protesters and police.nbsp;nbsp;/pp

The Union demanded urgent identification and criminal and legal assessment of the responsible police officers for such attitude towards media workers.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;/pp

Otherwise, all responsibility for the incident will fall on the political authorities to prove that the action to harass journalists was carried out on their instructions, the Union said./pp

The Union of Journalists of Armenia simultaneously drew the attention of local and international human rights organisations, numerous structures dealing with freedom of speech and press, and called on them to make a proportionate assessment of what happened, being guided an honest desire to protect the rights of journalists.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;/pp

As a result of the gross violation of the law by the police and the use of stunnbsp;grenades on the evening of 12 June, some 10 media journalists and cameramen - were also seriously injured, according to the statement./pp

The grenades were used against demonstrators during a rally outside the Armenian parliament on Wednesday with protesters demanding the resignation of PM Pashinyan./pp

The Health Ministry reported that 101 citizens sought medical assistance after the clash, while the police reported that about 100 people were deatined -0-/p