The State Duma has spoken out about a possible ban on Russian TV channels in Armenia

Armenia's steps to ban Russian TV channels, fight the canonical church, and crush the opposition are reminiscent of the path Ukraine has already taken, Alexei Zhuravlev (Rodina party), first deputy chairman of the State Duma's Defense Committee, told RIA Novosti.

Earlier, Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan said that the issue of banning Russian TV channels in the country should be considered.

"All of Armenia's steps are exactly reminiscent of the path that Ukraine has already taken. The fight against the canonical church, the crushing of the opposition, and now the ban on Russian TV channels. And this is only so that the population does not have the right to a point of view alternative to that broadcast by the Armenian government. The creation of an information vacuum, and then a single Armenian telethon. Just a made-up reality where the great (Armenian Prime Minister Nikol – ed.) Pashinyan has already defeated everyone," Zhuravlev said.

According to the parliamentarian, everyone can see an example of this brainwashing right in front of them – the Kiev regime pushed the country into a military confrontation with Russia in exactly this way.

“The Armenian people still have a chance not to repeat the same mistakes. And to finally think about where the current authorities are leading Armenia. Certainly not to prosperity and well-being,” he added.

In March 2024, Armenia's television and radio broadcasting network announced that it was blocking the broadcast of the programs “Evening with Vladimir Solovyov” and “Sunday Evening with Vladimir Solovyov” on the public multiplex. The television network claimed that the decision was made “based on facts of constant violations,” but did not provide any specific examples.

Today, Armenia's public multiplex retransmits Russia's Channel One, RTR-Planeta, and Kultura, as well as the interstate television channel Mir.

Earlier, Armenian Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Ayrapetyan said that the Armenian side had sent Moscow a proposal to amend the intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the field of mass communications, which regulates the broadcasting of Russian TV channels on the country's public multiplex and expires in December 2027.

In December 2023, on the sidelines of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation between the Russian Federation and Armenia, a meeting was held between Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation Bella Cherkesova and Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry of Armenia Avet Poghosyan. During this meeting, the Armenian side stated that there had been violations of Article 5 of the agreement on cooperation in the field of mass communications between the two countries, and the Russian side took note of Yerevan's concerns. At the same time, the Russian Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media noted that no specific documentary evidence of these facts had been presented by the Armenian side.

Reprinted from https://ria.ru/