Members of the AntiFake media outlet, along with Lusine Arakelyan, the wife of Imnemnimi podcast co-host Narek Samsonyan, held a protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan.
“The best example of the power of public pressure was the case of Lidia Mantashyan. We will continue our protests,” AntiFake editor Astghik Matevosyan told reporters at the protest, as reported by Panorama.am .
She explained that their goal was to deliver a message from Arakelyan to the U.S. ambassador, regarding what they describe as political persecution against her husband.
“A few days ago, she sent a letter to the U.S. ambassador, but there’s been no response. Our aim is to hand it over in person so they can’t later claim they weren’t informed,” Matevosyan said.
In addition to Arakelyan’s letter, the AntiFake team prepared a statement outlining the circumstances of the case, including actions by law enforcement, the raid on the editorial office, and the seizure of equipment.
On the morning of November 13, masked officers from the National Security Service raided the homes of Narek Samsonyan and Vazgen Saghatelyan, conducted searches, and arrested them. A court placed both under a two-month pretrial detention. Their homes and the AntiFake office were searched, with all technical equipment confiscated. Two other journalists were also detained. Human rights defenders and lawyers argue that the actions aim to silence media outlets and critics of the government.
