Organized Crime and Coruption Project

On Monday, Baghdasaryan, who works with Investigative Journalists of Armenia (HETQ), was attacked by three men as he was leaving his office in Yerevan. One of the men hit him on the head with a rock and the three stole his camera equipment. It is possible that he was targeted for attack because of his courageous reporting. It's also possible that the attack was due to uncontrolled crime and the inability of police in Armenia to solve such cases. In either case, it is imperative that authorities act aggressively to find and punish the culprits.  If reporters are attacked with impunity, it will only lead to less information for the people of each of our countries. The public ends up as a victim.

We pledge our continuing support to our colleagues at HETQ and wish Edik Baghdasaryan a speedy recovery.