Statement on the Forced Suspension of Panorama.am

On May 27, between 17:00 and 18:45, panorama.am was subjected to an unlawful interference attempt that resulted in the forced suspension of the news website. We strongly condemn this blatant misuse of digital platform mechanisms and opaque external pressure against an online news outlet.

On May 22, the developer of panorama.am received a highly unusual email from an individual identifying himself as a Pakistani lawyer from the Punjab region. The email alleged that a news item published on panorama.am violated DMCA copyright rules and demanded its immediate removal. The material in question had not been produced by panorama.am; it had been republished from another media outlet as part of standard journalistic practice, with a proper hyperlink to the original source. The complaint also alleged that the publication was defamatory and harmful to the reputation of the complainant’s client.

In response, panorama.am promptly contacted the major Armenian business entity mentioned in the lawyer’s letter, on whose behalf the lawyer had allegedly acted, and requested official clarification. The entity replied in writing that it saw no issue with the publication of the material and had not instructed any lawyer to act on its behalf. Despite this clarification, the individual identifying himself as a Pakistani lawyer or intermediary proceeded to take action through hosting service providers, resulting in the temporary suspension of panorama.am.

We regard this as an unacceptable attack on freedom of expression, media freedom, and the public’s right to information in Armenia. The fact that this occurred during an active election campaign makes the incident particularly alarming and raises serious concerns about politically motivated interference with the work of the press. We believe this was a politically motivated attack against panorama.am and an attempt to restrict public access to information.

Such practices must stop immediately. We call on relevant international media freedom and human rights organizations, as well as digital service providers, to urgently examine this incident and take all necessary measures to prevent the abuse of digital infrastructure as a tool of censorship and political pressure. The editorial team of panorama.am is fully prepared to provide all relevant information to interested watchdog and human rights organizations.

We also ask our audience to continue following panorama.am not only through the website, but also through our social media channels until the situation is fully resolved.

We apologize to our readers for the inconvenience and thank them for their support.