Demand for Position on Incident Involving MP Haik Sargsyan from Parliament and CP

A number of journalistic organizations have issued a joint statement regarding the incident involving MP Haik Sargsyan.

The statement notes: "On June 3, Haik Sargsyan, a member of the 'My Step' faction of the National Assembly, once again exhibited inappropriate behavior towards a journalist. Anush Dashtents, a reporter for the 'Hraparak' newspaper, reported to the media that upon noticing a representative of the ruling political force near the headquarters of the 'Civil Contract' party, she approached him to ask a question. In response, the MP snatched the phone from her and drove away in his car, stating that he would not return it until the journalist 'gathers her wits.' Anush Dashtents informed those present that she would turn to the police, but they responded that they had not seen anything, making it impossible to prove what had happened. Later, when the journalist reached out to one of the MP's close associates, the phone was returned, but it was unlocked and the recorded video had been deleted.

Haik Sargsyan told the media that he asked not to be filmed along with his friends, which was disregarded, leading to his actions. It is noteworthy that after receiving the alert, the police summoned the journalist to the station to file a report.

We, the undersigned journalistic organizations, express our outrage at this incident. We note that MP Haik Sargsyan had exhibited intolerant and rude behavior towards a media representative months ago, which we addressed in a statement. This time, obstructing a journalist's work and stealing their property are evidently criminal offenses. Moreover, the MP's act of unlocking Anush Dashtents' phone and using it for other purposes is nothing less than an illegal intrusion into the journalist's personal life.

We reaffirm the assertions made in previous statements that such unacceptable incidents are particularly dangerous for public stability during today’s extremely tense electoral period, as the uncontrolled behavior of political figures is fraught with inciting unnecessary tensions.

In light of the above, we demand the following: from the leadership of the National Assembly, the 'My Step' faction, and the 'Civil Contract' party to address MP Haik Sargsyan’s behavior, express a position on the incident, take measures to prevent such occurrences and inform the public about all this; from the RA police, to conduct an impartial investigation into the incident and provide an unbiased legal assessment of Haik Sargsyan's actions."