We Condemn the Actions of the NSS Against Nairi Hakhikyan: Journalists' Union

The President of the Union of Journalists of Armenia, Satik Seyranian, has issued a statement: "Nairi Hakhikyan, a member of the Union of Journalists of Armenia, journalist, and television commentator, was summoned to the National Security Service (NSS) on July 29, 2021, for questioning in the capacity of a witness, during which his mobile phone was confiscated. Hakhikyan offered to voluntarily provide the investigative body with the evidence he had, but the NSS representatives ignored the journalist's willingness and seized the phone, which contained numerous personal and professional information.

In this regard, the investigative body has, in fact, obstructed the journalist's professional activities. It is noteworthy that Nairi Hakhikyan has published a documentary film and several facts regarding the 44-day war in 2020, which have sparked extensive public discussions, after which the Armenian authorities have effectively begun to persecute the journalist carrying out his professional activities.

Summoning him for questioning in the capacity of a witness without familiarizing him with the details of the criminal case and conducting actions specific to a suspect during that time (accusatory questions, confiscation of personal belongings) constitutes illegal actions and pressures against the journalist.

Nairi Hakhikyan has published several details from the words of the Jewish blogger Alexander Lapshin, shedding light on the dark pages of the 44-day war; these contain factual evidence, while the NSS is confiscating the journalist's phone. The Union of Journalists of Armenia condemns the actions of the NSS against journalist Nairi Hakhikyan, simultaneously calling on the Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia to investigate and publicly assess the actions of the state power structure against the journalist."