Armenian journalist says detained podcasters are 'political prisoners' amid crackdown on media

A journalist of AntiFake news website on Wednesday accused Armenia’s leadership of carrying out political repression against critical media and called two recently detained podcasters “political prisoners”.

Speaking during parliamentary hearing on an opposition-drafted statement regarding political prisoners and violations of their rights, journalist David Fidanyan claimed Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government had failed to uphold human rights, constitutional norms and democratic standards during seven years in power.

“Expecting this regime to protect human rights and democracy is like expecting Ilham Aliyev to abandon anti-Armenian policy,” Fidanyan stressed.

He argued that the authorities had broken their earlier promises on justice and human rights protection, citing mounting pressure on independent media. According to Fidanyan, the recent arrests of Imnemnimi podcast co-hosts Vazgen Saghatelyan and Narek Samsonyan, along with searches at AntiFake’s offices and the seizure of its equipment, were part of efforts to paralyze opposition media.

Fidanyan insisted the two men were jailed on fabricated charges of hooliganism because they refused to accept the government’s “disastrous political course”.

“They are political prisoners because they have not accepted and will not accept the regime’s renunciation of national values and violations of human rights,” he said.