You Are Afraid That Your Colleagues Will Tear You Apart: Alen Simonyan Challenges Opposition Media

It has already been three days since I challenged the opposition media and proposed to respond to all their questions in any studio they wish. During the offer, I mentioned several names and media outlets, and now these editors and websites, with their decidedly oppositional stance, are trying to find a way out of this situation.

Armine Ohanyan is raising some reasons and conditions—sometimes under a pseudonym (Edik), sometimes within the framework of a newspaper article. Aram Abrahamyan is proposing a mechanism of communication and invitations. Satik Seyranian pretends that she hasn’t seen or heard anything, while the websites and television channel of Kocharian are waiting for the owner to instruct them on what to do.

Alen Simonyan, the President of the National Assembly, wrote about this on his Telegram channel: “The fact is that I insist you are simply afraid. This is not said to insult you or provoke principles.

When I made this offer, I anticipated possible reactions: A. You would face a situation where your long-voiced accusations would receive responses and you would find yourself in a bad position. After all, it’s one thing to sit and say ‘dear’ to an unknown person you’ve chosen, and another to hear a different response. B. You are afraid that your colleagues will tear you apart, just as you do with your own peers. One might say, ‘smile a bit more,’ another might say, ‘you didn’t raise this question,’ and a third might wonder, ‘why did you leave?’ C. You are concerned because I know a lot about you, and what if I say something on air that puts you in a bad position? D. You are worried that suddenly, during the broadcast, I might recall your sponsors, and you won’t know what to do or how to respond. E. You cannot stand each other and are sitting there thinking about how you will appear in the same studio apart from Alen Simonyan and how you will force a smile at each other.

F. It is clear that after that interview, I will be the only one benefiting, as the myth you have created about me and our teammates will collapse, and you won’t know what to do afterward. G. The existence of this offer and the interview will break the image of Armenia as a place of media repression, as well as the authoritarian picture you are trying to spread. For this and many other reasons, you will avoid it, as I said before, you will bring reasons, pretend that you haven’t heard, haven’t seen that the President of the National Assembly is inviting the editors of opposition media outlets to come to their studio and answer all questions. This offer is valid until December 1. Let me know, do you have questions? Do you have something to say? Are you a representative of the media sphere or just serving a specific idea?”