News - Statement by journalistic organizations regarding the actions taken against AntiFake.am.

Journalistic organizations have issued a statement regarding actions taken against the AntiFake.am site. We present it below. "Yesterday, on November 13, NSS officers arrested the co-authors and hosts of the AntiFake.am site’s 'Իմնեմnimi' podcast Vazgen Saghatelyan and Narek Samsonyan. Later, by court order, they were remanded in custody for two months. The reason is the insults and abusive comments they voiced toward Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Speaker of the National Assembly Alen Simonyan, and other representatives of the government in two episodes of the podcast following the November 7 interview with Serzh Sargsyan, the third president of Armenia. The prosecution was initiated based on a report by Alen Simonyan. According to the Investigative Committee, the case was opened under Part 2, Clause 1 and Part 3 of Article 297 of the Criminal Code (hooliganism committed by a group using information or communications technologies). The co-authors of the 'Imnimimi' podcast, Narek Samsonyan and Vazgen Saghatelyan, were remanded for two months. On the same day, the NSS conducted a search of the AntiFake.am office, seized the editing equipment, and then arrested journalist Davit Fidanyan on grounds of obstructing justice. Today, November 14, authorities also detained AntiFake.am employee Ishkhan Khosrovyan, who was released a few hours later. We, the undersigned journalistic organizations, deem the use of this disproportionate force and brute pressure by the authorities unacceptable, manifested through spectacular actions involving the NSS, which have no direct connection to the core issue — the arrest of other AntiFake.am staff and the seizure of all editing equipment, leading to disruption of the opposition platform’s activities. These actions are condemnable and unbecoming of a state that aspires to democracy. At the same time, we fundamentally reject and condemn insults and profanity in public space, particularly on social networks and in the media. This widely spread pernicious phenomenon, which often remains unpunished, further deepens social division and polarization, and sows intolerance and impudence. Undoubtedly, insults and profanity, hate speech and threats must receive legal assessment. They are incompatible with the basic norms of public discourse. In light of the above events and their public resonance, we demand: from law enforcement bodies to avoid selective approaches when holding individuals accountable for insults and profanity, and to conduct the investigation comprehensively and objectively — regularly informing the public about its progress and outcomes; from authorities and all political forces, including media associated with them, to refrain from language that crosses the boundaries of decency and from insults in public discourse, and to show greater tolerance and restraint when discussing topics of public interest. Committee for the Protection of Freedom of Speech Yerevan Press Club Center for Media Initiatives Asparez Journalists Club Transparency International Armenia Public Journalism Club Journalists for the Future NGO Journalists for Human Rights NGO