Media Defender Advises Minister Torosyan to Follow His Own Recommendations

In March, after declaring a state of emergency in Armenia, many organizations expressed their support for the authorities; one such organization was Hetq.am news agency. Understanding the seriousness of the situation, the agency attempted to compile a mapped database of data that could later facilitate the ministry's work and mobilize the public. It was necessary to gather information on when and from which countries the infected individuals had arrived, the exit country, and the flight company they used. They also wanted to clarify the age, gender, and later the blood type, residence, and isolation locations of the individuals.

However, the ministry stated that this data is personal and has not been provided to the news agency. Concurrently, according to the news outlet, the minister considered such inquiries absurd. In fact, the minister, who has approached the fight against the virus non-seriously and leads with humor, finds the professional assistance of the news outlet absurd.

We urge Arsen Torosyan to refrain from such manifestations and avoid attempting to label the work of the site. Currently, the public does not have access to any map indicating how many confirmed cases there are from each region, and a categorized list of the most dangerous diseases has not been published. It is also not mentioned how the funds collected from taxpayers and donations are being spent. Transparency is lacking here as well.

Ultimately, which companies are involved in combating the pandemic—from disinfection to food supply? How were these companies selected? What happened to the masks that were supposed to arrive in Armenia? How were the masks purchased with public funds used, and other similar questions remain unanswered.

Now, the minister urges a serious approach to the virus and threatens to report any unverified news to the police. A video has already been published on Minister Arsen Torosyan's page, where the virus spreads at home after a child plays in the yard. The video promotes wearing rubber gloves. According to one of the Ministry of Health's social advertisements, a character named Armen did not leave his house to prevent the spread of the virus, but on the same days, Minister Torosyan was spotted in a café without a protective mask or gloves.

During these days, kindergartens are reopening, and public transportation has already been launched.

The Media Defender initiative advises Minister Torosyan to follow his own recommendations before giving advice and labeling news outlets. He should reflect on his detached attitude towards the virus and ask the public for forgiveness for not taking the pandemic seriously from the outset.