To prevent the spread of misinformation regarding the border incidents, Armenia’s state bodies must disseminate precise and clear information, but there were discrepancies in the news coming from state sources in regard to today’s incident in Syunik Province. This is what Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am, touching upon the border incident in Syunik Province and the panic spread among the public today.

“The Office of the Human Rights Defender has been following the processes unfolding in Syunik Province since early morning, and all the questions are in my direct focus. I immediately talked to the commander of the first army corps and then the leaderships of the local self-governments of Goris, Kapan, Tegh and other borderline communities of Syunik Province. Of course, we’re also following what is going on in the media and on social networks. Unfortunately, we witnessed misinformation spreading panic, but there are also problems in terms of the government’s information policy. I believe the government didn’t respond quickly. The border situation is a very sensitive issue and concerns national security, and the public has the fully legitimate right to be informed about what is going on and receive precise and complete information,” Tatoyan said, adding that the spread of misinformation is inadmissible and that state bodies need to spread precise and specific information in order to manage the situation and prevent the spread of fake news.

Asked if this and previous incidents serve as ground to assume that the situation on the border in Syunik Province will escalate, Tatoyan said the following: “The Azerbaijani presence in those places is completely unlawful, and there is no legal ground. The Azerbaijani Armed Forces have always tried to make provocations near the civilian settlements of Syunik Province since the end of the military operations. The Azerbaijanis are also taking actions that are clearly intimidating. The purpose is to pressure the people psychologically,” he said.