“Media Advocate” initiative alarms that the broadcasting of “5th Channel”, “Shoghakat”, “A-TV” and two other TV channels in the territory of the Artsakh Republic has been suspended. According to NKR President’s Spokesman Vahram Poghosyan, “the problem is purely of technical character. The case refers to 5 channels, three of which are Yerevan channels, the other two are sports and music channels. As soon as the problems are solved, the broadcasting of those channels will continue.”
“Media Advocate” initiative is full of hope that the suspension of the broadcasting of Armenian TV channels in the territory of Artsakh does not chase any political purpose and is not a step against freedom of speech. It will be painful if the tenure of the newly elected President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan starts with steps against the free activity of the media and freedom of speech. As a modern democratic state, the Artsakh Republic has always served as an example of establishing the principles of democracy and ensuring the rule of law. We hope this process is irreversible. Otherwise, the reputation of the Artsakh Republic, which has an issue with its international recognition, will be a major blow to the modern democratic state, for which the free activity of the media and freedom of speech are the most important values.
“Media Advocate” initiative is full of hope that the problem is really technical, and the broadcasting of the TV companies that have been removed from the air in the territory of the Artsakh Republic will be restored in the near future. We will thoroughly monitor the developments and consistently contribute to the solution of technical issues as soon as possible. If necessary, we will make additional announcements and provide the necessary information to the public and specialized media organizations defending the free activity of media outlets.
