RA Human Rights Defender`s Office responds to video footage of harassment of French- Armenian journalist
ArmInfo. The RA Human Rights Defender's Office responded to video footage of the harassment of French-Armenian journalist Leo Nicolian, who has been on a hunger strike at Zvartnots airport for more than a month. He was banned from entering Armenia.
On the evening of May 23, footage of the incident between Nicolian and employees of the Yerevan airport was circulated on the World Wide Web. The citizens who filmed the video claim that airport employees provoked Leo Nicolian, trying to create the possibility of his deportation from the country.
In a statement, the office of the Ombudsman of Armenia notes in this regard that immediately after the publication of the video of the incident between airport employees and journalist Leo Nicolian, at the direction of the Human Rights Defender, the necessary measures are taken.
"The issue is under the direct attention of the Defender, and appropriate clarifications have been requested from the competent government authorities.
We consider it necessary to emphasize that, on the instructions of the Ombudsman Anahit Manasyan, representatives of the Human Rights Office regularly visit Zvartnots airport to meet with Leo Nicolian and find out about his state of health. The last visit took place on May 21," stated the office of the Human Rights Commission of Armenia.
On April 22, French journalist of Armenian origin Leo Nicolian was not allowed to enter the Republic of Armenia. However, the reasons were not officially explained to him. After this he went on a hunger strike. Nicolian is in the neutral zone of Zvartnots airport, demanding clarification regarding the grounds for banning his entry into the Republic of Armenia. At the same time, the journalist has suspicions that this may be related to the coverage of the Voskepar topic.