”Iravunk” newspaper continues to preach violence
On 17th of May, 2014, the editor-in-chief of “Iravunk” newspaper Hovhannes Galajyan published an article on the newspaper’s website titled “They serve the interests of international homosexual lobbying: the blacklist of country’s and nation’s enemies.” In the article, the author presents a “blacklist” containing Facebook hyperlinks of 60 people, makes offensive statements addressed to those persons and calls for “Ordinary people to stop communicating with the lobbyist on the internet, as well as in real life, not to greet them, not to help them with any issues, not to engage in any business relations with them; state officials not to hire those lobbyists for public service jobs, and if they already work there, to fire them under any convenient pretext.” For employers to do the same and for the co-owners of media companies, so those lobbyists won’t be given any chance to make an influence on public opinion and also for “the heads of educational institutions, so they won’t let the lobbyists to participate in the upbringing of younger generations.”
The information in the above mentioned entry, its entire essence and certain phrases contain calls for discrimination, offend the honor and dignity of the people mentioned in the article. In addition to this, it contains data that does not correspond to reality, it denigrates and insults the honor and dignity of those persons, and discredits the professional reputation of the latter.
On 30th of May, 2014, several citizens whose names appeared in the “blacklist” have sent a letter to the president of the editorial board of Iravunk, Haik Babukhanyan, and the editor-in-chief Hovhannes Galajyan, where they pointed out that the article contains insults, and also requested them to deny the information written in the article. This request was denied and in 03.06.2014 another article was published titled as “And they still dare to request a denial?” in which Iravunk continued to insult and give inaccurate information. In particular, such expressions as “this creature,” “filthy biography” and more were aimed at those who requested denial of the untrue information. These two mentioned articles have had a lot of publicity and were spread in different social networking websites.
On the occasion of united lawsuits 16 RA citizens, and individual lawsuits of Iranian citizen Romik Danial and employees of “New Generation” NGO, “Iravunk” newspaper continuously publishes personal information about each of the defendants, insults them and makes them vulnerable, on the occasion of which in the 62nd print edition of “Iravunk” newspaper (6-9 June, 2014) another article was published in the “Anti-national” section titled as “When grant-sucker defenders of homosexuals get support from the government” in which they referred to the activities of “New Generation” NGO. In July 1st “Iravunk” newspaper again continued denouncing the activities of “New Generation” NGO with another article titled “HRD Ijevan ‘defunct’ branch as lobbyist of homosexuality.”
In the 09.07.2014 edition of Iravunk another targeted article was published about Romik Danial in their Criminal section entitled “only a citizen of Iran was missing to protect homosexuality”. Romik Danial’s pictures were also published in the article, which endangers his life in the territory of RA; particularly as a citizen of the Islamic Republic of Iran as by the laws and practices of Islamic Republic of Iran a person can be subjected up to death because of being homosexual. It turns out, mildly said, that in a result of insult and false information that person can no longer visit the Islamic Republic of Iran as in that case he can be subjected to up to death .
In the 11.07.2014 “Iravunk” newspaper edition, in the section “Obscenity with no limits” another article was published “Another three of Conchita’s witnesses joined against the persecution of free speech”, where details of personal lives of 3 applicants, employees of “New Generation” NGO Arman Sahakyan, Hovhannes Mkrtchyan and Grigor Gevorgyan were presented.
In the 15.07.2014 “Iravunk” newspaper’s 78th edition, in the section “Conchita’s witnesses” another article was published regarding the case about Perchuhi Kazhoyan, entitled “When When the daughter of public official is engaged in lobbying homosexuality”.
Despite its name “Iravunk” (The right) the newspaper does not aspire to protect human rights, presenting viewpoints that segregate and split the society. Moreover, “Iravunk” newspaper, and the editorial staff violation the interests of a part of the community by presenting them in a negative way and dehumanizing various social groups.
All the above mentioned writings of the newspaper with their nature, contents and purpose contradict the Constitution and laws of RA; violate the fundamental rights and freedoms set forth in the RA Constitution, laws and international laws; particularly, the right to non-discrimination, the right to liberty and security, the right to respect for private and family life.
Moreover, the writings published by the newspaper are ethically unacceptable and contradict to the standards set in RA Constitution and laws for legitimate activities of the mass media.
