Yerevan Today police search had nothing to do with journalism, reaffirm investigators

The Investigative Committee of Armenia has issued a statement about the police search in the Yerevan Today news website’s head office.

The Investigative Committee has presented certain clarifications, and responded to Yerevan Today editor-in-chief Sevak Hakobyan’s statements.

“A task force has been set up, and together with tactical-intelligence bodies necessary actions are being carried out to reveal all circumstances surrounding the wiretapping and leaking the phone conversation of heads of two law enforcement bodies and to reveal the circle of suspects,” the Investigative Committee said, adding that the investigation into the wiretapping of National Security Service director Arthur Vanetsyan and Special Investigative Service Sasun Khachatryan is continuing.

The statement mentions that based on information, investigators had filed motions and subsequently were granted search warrants from courts for six different addresses, including the head office of Yerevan Today.

“Considering the public interest, we once again note that the lawful search which was carried out in the editorial office has nothing to do with their journalistic activities, and is exclusively aimed that ensuring a comprehensive, objective and complete investigation of the case,” the statement said.

The Investigative Committee also mentioned Article 42 of the Constitution – which guarantees the right to freedom of expression, which includes press freedom.

“The Investigative Committee respects the freedom of mass media, attaches importance to maintaining required mechanisms for safeguarding its exercise, and hasn’t anyhow obstructed and doesn’t obstruct news media with its actions in spreading any information, and in such circumstances viewing a judicial and investigative action, which was carried out within the law, as “an attempt to silence” the media outlet is to say the least strange, and has nothing to do with reality,” the statement reads.

At the same time, it mentions Article 33 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to the freedom and confidentiality of correspondence, phone conversations and other types of communication.

According to the Investigative Committee, the audio recording of the wiretapped conversation was first uploaded on YouTube on September 5, but was widely distributed on social networks and mass media only on September 11. However, according to the Investigative Committee, Yerevan Today has uploaded the video on September 9, according to Google’s search system, which became subject of investigation.

Yerevan Today Editor-In-Chief Sevak Hakobyan has said that they haven’t uploaded it on September 9, and that the misunderstanding is caused by an error in the Google search system. The Investigative Committee said they are probing this claim also.

The Investigative Committee said that it has to investigative and reveal whether or not in fact Yerevan Today uploaded the recording on that day, because any information on the matter is significant for the proceedings.

It mentioned that investigators have confiscated only the computer which was used for the upload, and that three hard drives have been taken for an expertise.

“We believe that the editor of the website too should be interested in the lawful clarification of the abovementioned fact, whereas he has hurried to give unlawful and unethical assessments to the investigators’ implementation of constitutional functions, and has distorted factual circumstances,” the statement said.

It reminded that the police search of Yerevan Today’s office took place in pursuance of a court warrant, within the law.

The editor-in-chief himself was present during the search, along with his two lawyers.

“The editor’s statement claiming that the actions of the [investigators] were aimed at obstructing journalistic activities is baseless and fictitious,” the statement said, reminding that they’ve confiscated only one computer out of many. It said that the confiscation was a necessity.

Moreover, the editors were allowed to take the copy of any information they need for work from the hard drives, before they were taken.