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Subject: IWPR'S CRS No. 24, Additional Story.
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WELCOME TO IWPR'S CAUCASUS REPORTING SERVICE, NO. 24, Additional Story.

KARABAKH POLICE SEIZE JOURNALIST

Journalists campaign to secure the release of an opposition journalist
detained by the Nagorny Karabakh regime

By Mark Grigorian, in Yerevan, and Shahin Rzaev, in Baku

A Nagorny Karabakh journalist has been arrested and his apartment ransacked
in the wake of a massive police investigation into the attempted murder of
President Arkady Ghukasian.

The arrest of Vahram Aghajanian - well known for his stinging criticisms of
Karabakh's de facto regime -- has provoked howls of protest from media
organisations across Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The president of the disputed enclave was wounded in both legs when two
gunmen riddled his Mercedes with machine-gun bullets on March 22. 

Over 30 people including former minister of defence Samvel Babayan have
since been detained in connection with the Stepanakert shooting which many
see as a severe blow to ongoing peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Karabakh interior ministry officials burst into Aghajanian's apartment on
March 28 and proceeded to ransack the premises, reportedly searching for
weapons, drugs and cash. They also rifled through video and audio cassettes
as well as newspapers and documents.

Insiders claim that the police officers failed to produce a search warrant
before entering the apartment -- a direct violation of Karabakh law.

Aghajanian was then summoned to the Ministry of the Interior buildings in
Stepanakert where he is still in custody. His sister was told, "Don't expect
him to be released anytime soon."

As yet, no official charge has been brought against the journalist, although
sources close to the case say Aghajanian is being questioned over articles
he recently published about Anushavan Danielian, the Karabakh prime
minister.

Vahram Aghajanian has long been a thorn in the side of the Karabakh regime
and has already been arrested on several occasions. He is employed by the
Tasnerord Nahang ("Tenth Province") newspaper which is thought to be
controlled by Samvel Babayan, commander-in-chief of the Karabakh army.

Tasnerord Nahang was sued for libel in December 1999 over a series of
articles criticizing  Prime Minister Danielian. A separate case was brought
against Aghajanian for libelling government officials. 

Aghajanian also writes for Iravunk ("Right"), a Yerevan-based paper which is
the official organ of the Union for Constitutional Rights - a party which
supports Babayan. On March 24, IWPR published a report by Aghajanian and
Mark Grigorian describing the events surrounding the attempt on Ghukasian's
life.

Aghajanian is also well known in neighbouring Azerbaijan where he took part
in the Support for the Mass Media in the Caucasus project, organised last
June in partnership with the Swiss Ministry of Internal Affairs. During his
visit to Baku, the journalist published a series of articles in the
Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo ("Mirror").

Meanwhile, press representatives in Armenia and Azerbaijan have been quick
to voice their protest. Yerevan's Haykakan Zhamanak ("Armenian Time") said
"the Karabakh authorities decided to take advantage of the uncertain
situation and gag any journalists who are not accountable to the
authorities."

Azerbaijani journalists are currently mounting a campaign to secure
Aghajanian's immediate release. They are calling for a fair investigation
and a court hearing attended by fellow journalists and international
mediators.

Mark Grigorian and Shahin Rzaev are IWPR Project Editors in Yerevan and Baku
respectively.

********** VISIT IWPR ON-LINE: www.iwpr.net **************

IWPR's Caucasus Reporting Service provides the regional and international
community with unique insiders' perspective on the Caucasus. Using our
network of local journalists, the service publishes objective news and
analysis from across the region upon a weekly basis.

The service forms part of IWPR's Caucasus Project based in Tbilisi and
London which supports local media development while encouraging better local
and international understanding of a conflicted yet emerging region.

IWPR's Caucasus Reporting Service is supported by the UK National Lottery
Charities Board. The service is currently available on the Web in English
and will shortly be available in Russian. All IWPR's reporting services
including Balkan Crisis Reports and Tribunal Update are available free of
charge via e-mail subscription or direct from the Web.

The institute will be launching a fourth news service, IWPR Central Asia
Reports, in the coming months. To subscribe to any of our existing or
forthcoming news services, e-mail IWPR Programmes Officer Duncan Furey at
duncan@iwpr.net.

For further details on this project and other information services and media
programmes, visit IWPR's Website: <www.iwpr.net>.

Editor-in-chief: Anthony Borden. Managing Editor: Yigal Chazan; Assistant
Editor: Alan Davis. Commissioning Editors: Giorgi Topouria in Tbilisi,
Shahin Rzayev in Baku, Mark Grigorian in Yerevan, Michael Randall and Saule
Mukhametrakhimova in London. Editorial Assistance: Felix Corley and Heather
Milner. To comment on this service, contact IWPR's Programme Director: Alan
Davis alan@iwpr.net

The Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR) is a London-based independent
non-profit organisation supporting regional media and democratic change.

Lancaster House, 33 Islington High Street, London N1 9LH, United
Kingdom.Tel: (44 171) 713 7130; Fax: (44 171) 713 7140. E-mail:
info@iwpr.net; Web: www.iwpr.net

The opinions expressed in IWPR's Caucasus Reporting Service are those of the
authors and do not necessarily represent those of the publication or of
IWPR.

Copyright (c) IWPR 2000

IWPR'S CAUCASUS REPORTING SERVICE, No. 24

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