First through Facebook, than through Unzipped I found out that a group of Armenian journalists and photographers have issued a statement protesting recent arrests and detention of their colleagues and bloggers in Iran, following disputed presidential election and post-election protests in Tehran.
While I support the statement wholeheartedly, something that fells a little uneasy about this statement is the fact, that the same “Armenian journalists and photographers” didn’t seem to move a finger when their collegues were beaten and threatened in Armenia, but in case of Iran – they dash out like this. Is there something I don’t understand?
Artur Papyan
Journalist, blogger, digital security and media consultant
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Here’s the text of the statement from Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/inbox/readmessage.php?t=1099495440157&mbox_pos=0
Taking as a basis the “Reporters Sans Frontiиres” humanitarian organization official website report per June 25 (http://www.rsf.org/Confessions-arrests-and-a-campaign.html), we would like to express our deepest concerns regarding the recent events in post-election Iran.
The arrests and detainments of Iranian mass media and cyber-space bloggers have launched on June 14; they are still being continued.
By acting apart from mass media companies which we are currently working for and by not politicizing our statement we are hereby taking the floor to express our protest against any action aimed at the oppression of Freedom of Speech; we are also calling for securing the Right to Freedom of Speech and other Fundamental Human Freedoms.
We, the Undersigned Armenian journalists and photographers are deeply worried about the fate of dozens of our colleagues and comrades in Iran.
We wish strength and patience to the families of arrested journalists, bloggers and photographers, who have no information about their relatives’ state. We hope for our colleagues to be freed at earliest possible convenience and to be able to continue their activity freely and objectively.
We are also concerned about hundreds of detained intellectuals and civilians in Iran.
Taguhi Torosyan, Karin Grigoryan, Seda Papoyan, Anahit Hayrapetyan
Sara Khojoyan, Sona Grigoryan, Nazeli Ohanyan, Vaghinak Ghazaryan
Anahit Minasyan, Ofelia Zakaryan, Nazik Armenakyan, Lusine Petrosyan
Nvard Manvelyan, Gayane Gevorgyan, Haykaram Nahapetyan, Lousine Musayelyan, Shushan Harutyunyan, Inna Mkhitaryan. Anjela Harutyunyan