Armenia
Armenia in state of crisis over recent electionsPosted Apr 2 2008
Apparent supporters of election winner Prime Minister Serzh Sargsian attacked Armenian journalists covering the country's Feb. 19 presidential elections, according to IFEX. The journalists were attempting to document election fraud taking place at eight polling stations in Yerevan, according to Human Rights Watch. Apparently police and election officials observed the assaults, but did nothing to prevent them from happening. Charges of fraud included voter intimidation, ballot-box stuffing and the use of incorrect voter's lists.
President Robert Kocarian later declared a state of emergency in Armenia March 1 due to violent clashes between government troops and opposition supporters over the recent election results. Opposition supporters claim that vote-rigging allowed Kocharian’s successor to win easily. Journalists were ordered to only cite official sources when discussing the elections, says CPJ. Several independent and opposition news websites were blocked by the government, including those for news agency A1+ and newspapers Aravot and Aikakan Zhmanak. The Armenian branch of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty was also blocked the news agency Armenia Today reported.