The Child in the Spreading Photos is Not Little Marat: Parents Raise Alarm

In recent days, various websites and Facebook and Instagram pages have been circulating several photos of children, claiming that they depict little Marat, who died in the explosion at the Surmalu shopping center on August 14.

Initially, the parents of one of the toddlers contacted Iravaban.net, stating that the child in the photo is their alive child and has no connection to the tragic incident. The child in the picture is now 7 years old, and the circulating photo was taken years ago.

In another case, a user named Armine Dowlathbekian wrote: "I am forced to share this photo. Nothing is being controlled in this country, I don’t understand. Max and Marat have absolutely no connection to each other; they are different people. There was simply a slight resemblance, and some brainless individuals have spread Max's pictures, and his mother justifiably demands their removal and to let them be. Leave these people alone." In both instances, the parents are requesting and demanding the removal of their children's photos from all pages and websites.

It is also worth noting that the Personal Data Protection Agency has issued a statement, emphasizing that in every case of processing personal data and disseminating information related to a person's private and family life, it is necessary for media (journalists) to specify the particular purpose of data processing and to evaluate whether there exists a public interest that justifies the dissemination of information concerning a person's private and family life. While media outlets are mentioned, it must be noted that most of the photos are being circulated on various dubious websites, Facebook, and Telegram pages. Once again, we remind that any photo or video of a minor must have their face blurred, and parental written consent should be obtained before dissemination.