Armenian journalist released from prison

YEREVAN, February 6. /ARKA/. An Armenian journalist Hayk Gevorgyan, arrested last week on charges of causing injuries during a traffic accident, will be released fr om prison today, Sona Truzian, a press secretary for the office of prosecutor general, said today to ARKA. She said the prosecutor supervising the case decided to release him on condition that he stays in town. 

Sona Truzian said the decision was sent to Nubarashen prison wh ere Hayk Gevorgyan is kept and in several minutes he will be set free.

Ms. Truzian said the charges against the journalists are not grave and besides he was not prosecuted in the past This in view, there is no need to keep him in prison, she said.

Hayk Gevorgyan, 45, a veteran correspondent and deputy editor of the pro-opposition daily Haykakan Zhamanak, was taken into custody for running over a man last month. He was formally charged with causing injuries caused in traffic accidents. Gevorgyan was taken to the police headquarters in the city’s central administrative district and several hours later was transferred to the Nubarashen prison in Yerevan.

The alleged car incident occurred on January 13. Nikol Pashinian, the Haykakan Zhamanak's editor-in-chief, speaking at a news conference last Friday said the charge was fabricated and demanded Gevorgyan’s immediate release.

Pashinian said the accident was provoked and no "physical contact" between the car and the man, recognized as the victims, occurred. 

On Saturday president Serzh Sargsyan declined comments on the arrest of Hayk Gevorgyan saying he would refrain form doing so until a court’s ruling.

"Concerning the arrest of Hayk Gevorgyan, I will refrain from expressing an opinion until the decision of the court, which I hope will happen as soon as possible", Sargsyan said on Saturday during a meeting with representatives of the Council of Women of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia.

The largest extra-parliamentary opposition alliance, the Armenian National Congress, led by ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosian, issued a statement demanding the immediate release of Hayk Gevorgyan. The statement says the criminal case against Gevorgyan is fabricated, and he was imprisoned solely for his professional activities.

On Saturday, in an interview with Armenia Novosti news agency UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia Dafina Gercheva said that the Armenian media community should monitor the progress of this case to provide an unbiased coverage. -0-