On December 11, 2025, the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists issued an alert regarding the detention of journalists Narek Samsonyan and Vazgen Saghatelyan in Armenia. The alert was classified as Level 1—the most serious category—indicating a severe interference with media freedom.
The Platform called on the Armenian government to:
· Clarify the legal basis for applying hooliganism charges and for any alleged “threats” forming part of the case.
· Reassess the legality and necessity of the detention of Saghatelyan and Samsonyan, with a view to ensuring their release in line with the ECHR.
· Explain the seizure of Antifake.am’s journalistic equipment and return the equipment. – Provide updates on the criminal proceedings and the conditions of detention.
The Armenian government was given a three-month deadline—until March 11 of this year—to submit а response.
According to the information on the Platform’s website, the deadline is missed and no reply has been received from the Armenian government to date.
Platform’s full statement
https://fom.coe.int/…/detail/107643293;globalSearch=false
