By Alexander Pracht
Armenia has sent an official diplomatic note to Russia expressing concern over what it calls “direct interference” in its internal affairs after a broadcast on Russian TV covered the arrest of Russian-Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said on Wednesday that the note specifically addressed critical coverage by Russian state media and statements by Russian lawmakers.
“We, the Republic of Armenia, consider this not only to be conflicting with traditional Armenia-Russia relations, but also a direct and open interference in Armenia’s internal affairs and an attack on our sovereignty and democracy,” Mirzoyan said, adding that the note had already been delivered to Russia’s Foreign Ministry.
On Tuesday evening, the state-owned Russia-1 channel aired a program hosted by Vladimir Solovyov, one of the Kremlin’s most prominent propagandists, focusing on the arrest of billionaire Samvel Karapetyan in Yerevan. Solovyov, who described Karapetyan, now charged in Armenia with inciting the overthrow of the government, as a close friend of his, launched a tirade against Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, referring to him as “Turkol” and threatening that Armenia “might cease to exist as an independent country.”
Following the broadcast, Armenia’s High-Tech Minister Mkhitar Hayrapetyan announced plans for legislative and technical measures to block Russian state propaganda in Armenia’s media space. The broadcast has already been removed from Armenia’s public multiplex but remains accessible via cable and online platforms.
Hayrapetyan also warned about the role of Armenian citizens in spreading such content on social media, saying many were doing so “enthusiastically.”
In a statement on Facebook published Thursday, Boris Navasardyan, honorary head of the Yerevan Press Club, called the continued broadcast of Russian state TV in Armenia “a farce” and said there are clear grounds to terminate the agreement with Russia covering such media cooperation.
Russia and Armenia are bound by a bilateral agreement that obliges both parties to prevent and refrain from hate speech and hostile rhetoric against each other on public television. As part of this deal, three Russian state TV channels are broadcast in Armenia on free-to-air television. The agreement was last renewed in 2021.
However, this provision has frequently been violated by the Russian side. The latest instance occurred in January, when Armenia summoned the Russian ambassador to formally protest remarks made on Russian state TV. The protest followed a broadcast of the Weekly News program on Russia’s state channel, during which host Dmitry Kiselyov echoed Azerbaijan’s stance on territorial demands toward Armenia and repeated President Ilham Aliyev’s aggressive rhetoric. Kiselyov escalated tensions further by concluding the segment with a veiled threat, suggesting that Russia could cut off gas supplies to Armenia if Yerevan continued deepening its ties with the European Union.
