AntiFake editor says NSS officers even seized tripods during raid

The staff of opposition media outlet AntiFake.am on Friday accused the National Security Service (NSS) of deliberately obstructing its activity by detaining two of its podcast hosts and seizing the newsroom’s equipment, including nine camera tripods.

Speaking at a protest outside the EU Delegation office in Yerevan, AntiFake editor Astghik Matevosyan highlighted that Imnemnimi podcast co-hosts Narek Samsonyan and Vazgen Saghatelyan have been held in custody for 23 days now.

Matevosyan said NSS officers confiscated all technical equipment during a search of the outlet’s newsroom, including computers, storage devices, cameras and even tripods. “What information could tripods possibly contain?” she said. “Perhaps they considered them ‘hooligan tripods’ and decided to arrest them as well.”

She said the team viewed the seizure as an attempt to halt the operations of an active media outlet. Despite the confiscations, she said AntiFake had managed to acquire enough replacement equipment to resume limited work.

Matevosyan added that officers also removed the office’s DVR system, which was used for security monitoring. “They deprived us of the ability to ensure our own safety,” she noted.

The editor said the team had previously staged a protest outside the U.S. Embassy and delivered a message from Samsonyan’s wife but had received no response. Today’s demonstration aimed to similarly alert EU diplomats to ongoing unlawful actions in Armenia.