Lawyer: Arrests of Armenian podcast hosts aimed at silencing opposition media

The arrests of Imnemnimi podcast co-hosts Vazgen Saghatelyan and Narek Samsonyan are aimed at silencing opposition media, Saghatelyan’s lawyer, Arsen Babayan, stated on Thursday.

Babayan called the case politically motivated, saying investigators had seized all technical equipment belonging to the AntiFake news site. “Evidently, this is an attempt to shut down and silence a media outlet,” he told reporters.

Saghatelyan and Samsonyan were detained following a complaint filed by National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan, who accused them of committing hooliganism via communication tools. Babayan argued that the alleged offence “does not exist” in the hosts’ actions.

He further accused the authorities of selective enforcement, noting that critical remarks by pro-government figures often go unpunished. “In one case it is done for Nikol Pashinyan or at his behest. In another case, it involves people with opposition views,” Babayan said.