At a press conference held earlier today, Avetik Ishkhanyan, President of the Helsinki Rights Committee in Armenia, stated that the April 30 attack on journalist and attorney Argishti Kiviryan was a case of “attempted murder”.

Also at the press conference were representatives from the Freedom of Speech Defense Committee and the Armenian Chamber of Advocates.

Helsinki Committee President Ishkhanyan stated, “I don’t wish to say that what happened to Argishti Kiviryan was unprecedented because such acts have already taken place this year. After each such incident I make it a point to visit the injured party but this assault stands out in its savagery.”

In his view, those who attacked Mr. Kiviryan carried no personal grudge. “Most likely it was an ordered hit, most likely political,” he concluded.

Based on the savagery of the attack, Mr. Ishkhanyan noted that, “It is actually quite dangerous to live in Armenia.” He added that if we take into account the fact that Mr. Kiviryan hasn’t been working as an attorney of late, the attack most probably is linked to his professional activities as a journalist.