Armenia may pull plug on Russian TV, says parliament speaker

Armenia may consider suspending the broadcasting of Russian television channels on its territory, according to a statement by Alen Simonyan, the Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly.

Speaking to reporters on July 1, as reported by Armenian media, Simonyan said the issue should be seriously debated, citing growing concerns over the content aired by Russian state-run media regarding domestic developments in Armenia, per Caliber.Az.

"I believe we must begin a very serious discussion on the possibility of stopping the broadcast of Russian TV channels in Armenia," Simonyan stated. "This is damaging Armenian-Russian relations."

The parliamentary speaker expressed concern that Russian state broadcasters have been openly interfering in Armenia’s internal affairs through their coverage and commentary.

"If state-owned television channels allow themselves to interfere in Armenia's domestic matters, then we must respond — at the very least, by blocking their access to the homes of our citizens," Simonyan said.

By Tamilla Hasanova