By Alexander Pracht
A coalition of Armenian non-governmental organizations issued a joint statement Monday, reacting to a recent broadcast on Russian state television in which prominent presenter Vladimir Solovyov made offensive remarks about Armenia’s leadership, using slurs and questioning whether Armenians have any say in their country’s future.
“Given that Russia-1 is a state broadcaster and Solovyov is a key Kremlin propagandist, his comments likely reflect the stance of Russian authorities, and they have not been denied in the days since the broadcast,” the NGOs said, adding that such rhetoric seeks to meddle in Armenia’s internal affairs ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections.
The NGOs noted that Solovyov’s show, already banned from Armenia’s free-to-air TV due to repeated breaches of professional standards and the spread of hate speech, continues to lead a broader campaign of disinformation and insults directed at Armenia. They pointed out that similar sentiments were echoed by Russian lawmakers from the ruling United Russia party and Kremlin-aligned commentators and called on the Armenian government to ban the Russian TV channels from subscription-free access in Armenia.
The signatories, including the Yerevan Press Club, Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression, and the Media Initiatives Center, referred to the June 18 broadcast of Solovyov’s show which focused 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.”
The following day, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry sent an official diplomatic note to Russia expressing concern over what it called “direct interference” in its internal affairs. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said on Wednesday that the note specifically addressed critical coverage by Russian state media and statements by Russian lawmakers.
Also 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.
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.
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.
