At around 10:30 am at the 10/19 polling station located on Alaverdyan Street, news photographer Gagik Shamshyan took some shots of Ara Simonyan’s proxy walking arm-in-arm with voters to the ballot box. All this took place at the directive of local election committee president Gagik Baghdasaryan and was witnessed by employees of the United States Embassy who had arrived at the polling station to observe the balloting procedure. Seeing that the irregular proceedings were being photographed, Gagik Baghdasaryan ordered a bunch of "goons" in civilian dress to take care of the prying news reporter. Shamshyan was set upon by the unidentified thugs. They proceeded to beat and threaten him, and attempted to snatch his camera away.

Radio Liberty reporter Anoush Martirosyan was also assaulted along with her soundperson. Mikayel Danielyan, President of the Helsinki Association, was also roughed up and evicted from the polling station. Members of the police, at the behest of local election committee President Baghdasaryan, hampered the reporters in covering what was taking place at the polling station and then forcibly ejected them. Baghdasaryan argued that the reporters’ press credentials were not sufficient I.D. and that they had to bring their passports. Even though reporter Anoush Martirosyan produced her passport as I.D., she too was ejected from the building.

Photos: Gagik Shamshyan