Armenian opposition accuses Public TV of spreading lies

Narek Karapetyan, a board member of the opposition Strong Armenia party, has accused the state-run Public TV Company of spreading false reports aimed at discrediting opposition groups.

In a video statement released on Wednesday, Karapetyan referred to a broadcast in which images of businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan, opposition leader Gagik Tsarukyan, and former President Robert Kocharyan appeared alongside a Russian flag in the background. The caption under the images stated that “the opposition’s unified candidate is Robert Kocharyan.”

“This is the toolkit the authorities use against the people,” Karapetyan said. “They spread lies and do not hesitate to use state-run Public TV to do so.”

He emphasized that his party had only declared support for Samvel Karapetyan, while other opposition groups had pledged to back whichever opposition force proved strongest in the polls. According to Karapetyan, current surveys show Strong Armenia leading among opposition parties.

The politician also alleged that social media accounts had been created using photos of Samvel Karapetyan and other party members, falsely attributing statements to them. One such page, titled “Caring Armenia”, claimed that Samvel Karapetyan had called for support of Russia in its war against Ukraine.

“Samvel Karapetyan has never said such a thing. This is a fabrication by the ruling Civil Contract party,” Narek Karapetyan said. “Armenia has enough of its own problems to solve.”