September 16, 2025, Yerevan

On September 12, 2025, at around 9 p.m., Hakob Karapetyan, a journalist and expert at Yerevan Press Club, was physically assaulted by an individual, who remains unidentified. The assailant, whose face was concealed with a mask, had been lying in ambush near Karapetyan’s workplace. As soon as the journalist stepped outside, the perpetrator attacked him, delivering multiple strikes to various parts of his body, including the head and face. Hakob Karapetyan tried to defend himself and first of all tear off the assailant’s mask, but he did not succeed.

This incident was preceded by a dispute that had taken place on Facebook several weeks earlier. In that exchange, a user responded to Karapetyan’s critical post directed at Yerevan Municipality employees—a post concerning the unjust fining of a public transport passenger—with profanities, insolent remarks, and threats. Later, Hakob Karapetyan disclosed that this user was Avetik Babayan, the acting head of the Public Order Protection Service of Yerevan Municipality. The journalist contacted him, but was once again met with profanities and threats. This story is described in more detail on Hakob Karapetyan’s Facebook page and in media publications.

Without intending to violate anyone’s presumption of innocence, the injured journalist nevertheless sees a direct link between the threats he received on Facebook and the physical violence against him, given that he has no conflicts or tense relations with others. At this stage, unless proven otherwise, seeing a link between the threats and the subsequent use of violence is logical and should be considered a reasonable hypothesis.

We, the undersigned journalistic organizations, express our indignation over the brutal attack against journalist Hakob Karapetyan. Taking note that criminal proceedings have already been initiated, we demand that law enforcement agencies responsibily and thoroughly investigate this case, identify and bring to liability not only the perpetrator, but also any person who may have ordered and financed the attack.

Regardless of whether or not the insults and threats directed at the journalist were connected to the subsequent physical violence, we urge Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan to carry out a careful examination of both the incident and Avetik Babayan’s conduct during that period, including threats and insults directed at the journalist, and, should the facts be confirmed, immediately remove him from his post.

At the same time, we express our deep concern that at his September 15 press conference, Tigran Avinyan himself made unjustified accusations against media in a highly irritable tone. This episode is another manifestation of the trend, particularly observed in recent times, when representatives of the ruling elite target even those media that are committed to quality journalism and have built a reputation for impartial reporting through their work. After all, one must have a very rich imagination to accuse the online newspaper of investigative journalists “Hetq” of corruption and preparing paid-for articles, as Avinyan did. Although the outlet was not explicitly mentioned, there can be no question that the mayor was specifically targeting “Hetq”. Meanwhile, it is this kind of attitude that generates hatred towards journalism and journalists in general, paving the way for various manifestations of intolerance, including violence. This assault on Hakob Karapetyan is just one of many such examples.

COMMITTEE TO PROTECT FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
MEDIA INITIATIVES CENTER
MEDIA DIVERSITY INSTITUTE-ARMENIA
JOURNALISTS’ CLUB “ASPAREZ”
PUBLIC JOURNALISM CLUB
“JOURNALISTS FOR THE FUTURE” NGO
“JOURNALISTS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS” NGO
YEREVAN PRESS CLUB