Armenian Ambassador to Russia Appeals to Russian Prosecutor General Over 'Независимая газета' Article

The Armenian ambassador to Russia, Vardan Toghanyan, commented on an article in 'Независимая газета' regarding the Sumgait pogroms during an interview with 'Говорит Москва' radio station. The ambassador stated that he would not demand a retraction from the newspaper but has already appealed to the Russian Prosecutor General for verification of facts related to incitement of national hatred, xenophobia, and religious intolerance.

"We will not demand a retraction from 'Независимая газета' because we consider what was published in the newspaper to be sacrilege, wild, and criminally punishable. We believe that the licensed organization, being a newspaper, bears responsibility first and foremost. It has a media license and, according to our lawyers, the publication clearly violates media laws and contains a multitude of criminal offenses; hence I have addressed the Prosecutor General's office," the ambassador noted.

The diplomat also cast doubt on the documents referenced by the article's author, Lev Askerov, stating: "I do not know what archival materials are being referred to. Special services presumably have various materials. How serious these are or if they are just a trivial act is hard to say. We know how history is currently distorted, not just of the 20th century. And we understand that what is convenient can be found in archives, and certain materials can be taken and used from various cases."

The Armenian ambassador added that he has appealed not only to the Russian Prosecutor's office but also to the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media ('Роскомнадзор').

"In any case, the media bears some responsibility for this or that information. Based on this responsibility, it must be understood that in this case, we are talking about ordinary defamation and incitement of hatred against each other. That is why I have addressed the Prosecutor's office. Not only I, but many Armenian civil organizations as well," the ambassador emphasized.