Lawyer: Detention of opposition podcasters aims to silence free media in Armenia

Two Armenian opposition podcasters have been placed in pre-trial detention for two months on charges of "hooliganism" their lawyers and experts reject as politically motivated.

Vazgen Saghatelyan and Narek Samsonyan, co-hosts of the Imnemnimi podcast, were arrested in connection with their 10 November episode, in which they discussed National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan and allegedly used offensive language and made threats.

In a social media post on Saturday, Saghatelyan’s lawyer, Arsen Babayan, accused the ruling Civil Contract party members of “spreading falsehoods and manipulation” regarding the case. He stated that the authorities were seeking to stifle critical voices.

Babayan pointed to comments by senior Civil Contract MP Hayk Konjoryan, who released a video questioning whether the public considered insults and harsh language acceptable in political debate. Babayan called the framing a “cheap trick”, arguing that while some may object to the podcasters’ tone, “there is no crime in it and their detention is legally indefensible”.

He described the two men as “political prisoners” and claimed the broader aim was to “pressure free media, specifically to shut down AntiFake”.