Chief editor: Armat Media being closed, our 4 computers have been taken away, we can’t work

It is with great sadness that I inform that our four computers are being taken away, it turns out that we absolutely cannot work anymore. Nelly Avetisyan, Chief Editor of Armat Media news agency of Armenia, told this to reporters Friday, referring to the fact that National Security Service and Investigative Committee members conducted investigations in Armat Media’s editorial office this morning.

“These are editing computers; that is, we are being cut off from the possibility of live broadcasts, from the possibility of booth programs, we are being cut off from the possibility of creating any type of content. Our four editing computers and laptops are no longer nearby. In fact, we cannot engage in professional journalism. They told us that they must take away all the equipment.

I hope that based on the [parliamentary] election results [on Sunday], those computers will reach us sooner, because there will be a change. Otherwise, I don’t know when they will be returned.

This only hinders the work of the media, the work of Armat Media is paralyzed. On election day, nothing can be done without technology, it turns out that our followers cannot see us. This only hinders the work of the media, there is nothing else.

This is political, there cannot be any material related to Alik Aleksanyan on the editor’s computer, there are recordings there, with which we could prepare our reports. Our archive is there, as well as previously recorded videos, reports that were supposed to be broadcast on the 8th of the month,” said the chief editor of Armat Media.

Also, she raised the question of where the international observers, NGOs engaged in the protection of media rights, are. “Are they constrained? Do they have political constraints? Dependence on the [Armenian] authorities? I think this is an occasion for a major investigation and I would be grateful if you could help us with your professionalism and reveal where the observers are, where the international community is, where the ambassadors are.”

Aghavni Sukiasyan, one of the editors of Armat Media, also said that right now they are confiscating the editing computers with which the programs are prepared. “I can’t say what connection those programs have with that criminal case. They are removing the USB flash drives, and those computers are being sealed so that they can be removed from here. The Armat Media rooms will be sealed and will remain sealed until a decision is made to open them; that is, total paralysis. There will be no programs, no live broadcasts, there will be nothing. Right now, they are sealing a computer that contains a pre-recorded program that was supposed to be broadcast, and in fact, we will not be able to edit and broadcast that program. They are actually closing Armat Media. It is currently in a closed state, all three rooms are being sealed, we will not be able to enter.”

As reported earlier, officers from Armenia’s National Security Service and the Investigative Committee are conducting investigations in the editorial office of the Armat Media news agency since this morning. They have confiscated the employees’ phones.

The owner of Armat Media is Alik Aleksanyan, a member of the Strong Armenia party, who is currently in custody.