Armenian opposition podcasters jailed amid allegations of selective justice and media pressure

The Armenian authorities have arrested two prominent opposition activists and co-hosts of the Imnemnimi podcast, Vazgen Saghatelyan and Narek Samsonyan, in what critics call a politically motivated attempt to silence dissent ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections.

The two men, whose show airs on AntiFake TV, were taken into custody late on 13 November following a complaint by National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan. A Yerevan court ordered two-month pretrial detention for both men on charges of “hooliganism committed through communication tools”, the same allegation from which they were acquitted earlier this year.

Speaking at a briefing on 14 November, Hayk Mamijanyan, head of the opposition Pativ Unem faction in the Armenian parliament, called the detentions “illegal and baseless”, accusing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government of acting swiftly only against political opponents. He said both men have been transferred to a penitentiary facility.

Mamijanyan questioned the circumstances of Simonyan’s complaint, noting that the speaker had himself publicly insulted the podcasters before they responded. “How logical is it that the head of parliament posts offensive remarks on social media, receives a reply and then files a complaint?” he said.

Two AntiFake.am journalists, Ishkhan Khosrovyan and David Fidanyan, were also detained, and National Security Service (NSS) officers seized all equipment from the outlet’s newsroom. Mamijanyan said the actions amounted to an attempt “not only to silence Vazgen and Narek, but to paralyze the work of an opposition media outlet.” He vowed to appeal to international organizations, calling the detainees “political prisoners”.

Experts warn of selective justice and pressure on critical media

According to Simonyan’s spokesman, the speaker asked law-enforcement authorities to assess what he described as “insults and threats” made on the podcast. Courts approved investigators’ requests to detain both hosts.

Legal experts and rights advocates described the arrests as an example of selective justice. Lawyer Ruben Melikyan noted that Simonyan had earlier labelled the podcasters “punks” and “puppies” after they interviewed former President Serzh Sargsyan. “Crude language is regrettable, but it was the authorities who normalized it,” he said.

Arsen Babayan, Saghatelyan’s lawyer, said his client faces the same allegation for which he was previously acquitted. He questioned why investigators dismissed Simonyan’s own remarks while treating the podcasters’ comments as criminal.

Political analyst Suren Surenyants linked the detentions to AntiFake’s long-standing criticism of the government. “The authorities are trying to suppress an influential critical voice through force rather than public debate,” he said, arguing the moves aim to tighten control of the information space ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections.

Former MP Naira Zohrabyan said she had frequently heard harsher statements from ruling party MPs that never received any legal scrutiny. Human rights activist Zhanna Alexanyan accused the authorities of fostering a double standard. “If others are punished for offensive language, why are officials exempt?” she asked.

Several experts also criticized the use of masked NSS officers to detain the podcasters and conduct searches at their homes, calling the measures disproportionate for a mid-level offence. Constitutional law specialist Gohar Meloyan said such tactics were “clearly intended to intimidate their families” and are typically used only against government critics.

Equipment seizure raises fears of efforts to disable AntiFake

AntiFake.am’s editor-in-chief, Astghik Matevosyan, said the seizure of all newsroom equipment made it impossible for the outlet to continue operating. “The authorities that claim to be democratic cannot tolerate any criticism,” she said.

Legal experts stressed that the confiscated equipment has no relevance to the case, since the podcast episodes in question are publicly available on YouTube. “This step has no investigative value. Its real purpose is to paralyze a major opposition media platform,” Meloyan said, calling the move unprecedented in recent years.

Saghatelyan and Samsonyan were previously detained in March 2024 under the same article for remarks made during the 83rd episode of their podcast. International rights groups, including Amnesty International, criticized the arrests as politically motivated. A Yerevan court acquitted both men in May 2025.