World boxing champion Israel Hakobkokhyan has been on an indefinite hunger strike since August 12. Near the monument to Garegin Nzhdeh, he answers questions of the media for several days, notes that the hunger strike is against the Istanbul, Lanzarote conventions, the exploitation of Amulsar, general educational standards, encroachments on the Armenian Apostolic Church. According to him, the goal is to unite the people concerned about the nation so as not to lead the country to death. He notes that there have been many problems before, but there has never been such enmity among the people: “Supporters and opponents of the revolution, “blacks and whites.” However, the declared hunger strike of the world boxing champion did not affect the Public Television and the RFE/RL’s Armenian Service which constantly avoids covering protests and actions against the authorities. As a result, a picture is presented that, similar to the previous cases, is different from reality.
The authorities acting on behalf of the people must be consistent in the activities of Public Television, which must provide accurate and comprehensive information. The Public TV is funded at the expense of taxpayers and is obliged to put the public interest above personal and political. As long as Azatutyun is concerned, in Sunday’s August 16 issue, Hrayr Tamrazyan presented the events around Amulsar incomprehensively. He talked with the executive director of “Lydian Armenia” Hayk Aloyan. Tamrazyan presented the concern of environmentalists, but was also obliged to provide airtime to the activists. It should be noted that Public Television also presents the events around Amulsar incomprehensively, in particular, it does not note that the demonstrators demanded a meeting with the Prime Minister, asked the Prime Minister’s press secretary, and the latter only noted that the Prime Minister was following developments around Amulsar.
