Lawyer: No sexual insults were ever voiced on the air of the “Imnemnimi” program (Video)

The authors of the Imnemnimi program, Vazgen Saghatelyan and Narek Samsonyan, have been in detention for one month. On this occasion, the defense team held a press conference to once again outline how the case began.

“It all started with a more than seven-hour interview with Third President Serzh Sargsyan on November 7. Following that interview, there was a wave of nonstop posts from representatives of the authorities, almost around the clock. It was obvious that instructions had been issued whether by SMS or through other means for everyone to make negative posts,” said Vazgen Saghatelyan’s defense attorney, Arsen Babayan.

“Ultimately, the worst reaction came from the Speaker of the National Assembly, Alen Simonyan, who published a post using extremely crude language and insulting our colleagues. In the following episode of Imnemnimi, the hosts responded to that statement. I can state with confidence that their response was proportionate. This was followed by a complaint filed by Alen Simonyan, after which investigators, masked officers of the National Security Service, conducted searches at Narek and Vazgen’s homes, as well as at the office of the AntiFake website. All equipment - down to tripods - was seized, and the two were taken to a police station,” Babayan said.

According to the lawyer, the confiscation of equipment was aimed at preventing the media outlet from continuing its work.

“It has now been a month since the boys were taken into custody. We have already experienced a similar situation in the past, when they were eventually cleared. In this new case, the same individuals are involved – the same investigators and prosecutors – who have launched the same process once again. It is obvious that this could not have happened without a political motive,” Babayan stated.

He added that the authorities are persistently attempting to claim that the hosts allegedly made sexual insults. “Both then and now, we firmly insist that no sexual insults or threats have ever been uttered on the air of the Imnemnimi program,” the lawyer emphasized.