YEREVAN. – Armenia’s investigation service has not exerted pressure on reporter Zhanna Aleksanyan, deputy head of the service said.

Hayk Grigoryan, deputy head of investigation service at the Armenian Defense Minister, commented on journalist’s work on the incident involving serviceman Zhora Mkrtchyan.

The incident is one of those mentioned in “Armenia: No space for Difference” report issued by Amnesty International in August. The report said pressure was exerted on journalists Zhanna Aleksanyan and Lala Aslikyan who were investigating army incidents.

Aleksanyan said the verdict did not come into force, since none of the servicemen involved in hazing, did not stay in jail for a day.

In response Grigoryan said the investigation service learnt the details from Zhora’s father.

“Then, Zhanna Aleksanyan presented further details. We summoned her only to find out where she got this information,” he assured.  In response to a remark about the impunity of the perpetrators, he said that the question should be addressed to the court, not the investigators.