Channel 5 has issued a statement, referring to the latest developments as their owner Armen Tavadyan has been detained.
According to the statement, TV Channel 5 journalism team expresses concern over the illegal detention of television owner Armen Tavadyan.
“This is also the most outrageous example of psychological and financial pressure on Channel 5 that fits into the logic of the campaign against free media,” the statement said. “It has become almost impossible for our journalists to get public information from government institutions, and efforts to get comment from government members and representatives of the ruling political force are often in no avail.”
“Taking into account the fact that a number of media outlets – Yerevan.today, News.am, Aysor.am, Hayeli.am, Hraparak daily, Zhoghovurd daily, Kentron TV – have also been in target, we call on political forces, local and international human rights organizations, journalistic organizations, foreign diplomatic missions accredited in our country to defend the rights of journalists, free media, freedom of speech in Armenia,” the statement said. “Despite the government’s wide-ranging toolkit for restricting freedom of speech, Channel 5 journalists will continue to do their utmost to ensure the most balanced media in conditions of public disturbance.”