Latest news with #Simonyan
OC Media
02-07-2025
- Politics
- OC Media
Armenian Parliamentary Speaker Simonyan suggests possible ban of Russian TV broadcasts
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member Armenian Parliamentary Speaker Alen Simonyan has told reporters that the government should 'seriously discuss' banning the broadcast of Russian TV channels in Armenia. Simonyan made his statements on Tuesday in response to recent commentary featured on Russian state broadcasters regarding the ongoing dispute between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the Armenian Apostolic Church. On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the dispute an internal affair of Armenia, but added that the 'attacks on the canonical thousand-year-old Armenian Apostolic Church are a matter of grave concern'. In response, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan urged Lavrov 'to refrain from interfering in Armenia's domestic affairs and internal politics'. Separately, on Tuesday, Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of Russian state-run media outlet RT and one of the country's most well-known propagandists, called Pashinyan the 'antichrist's anus'. 'If there are channels that allow themselves to interfere in Armenia's domestic affairs, perhaps we ought to respond likewise, by at least banning their entry into the homes of our society', Alen Simonyan said in his response on Tuesday. During the briefing, Simonyan also implied that 'some people' could be trying to interfere in Armenian domestic affairs using funding provided by Armenian–Russian businessperson Samvel Karapetyan. Advertisement In mid-June, Karapetyan was placed in pre-trial detention on charges of calling for the usurpation of power in Armenia. This follows remarks he had made in support of the church amidst ongoing tensions between the government and the church. At the time, Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov called the Armenian government 'corrupt, vile, worthless' and accused it of betraying 'the history of Armenia'. He also called Pashinyan 'Turkol' — a portmanteau of his first name, Nikol, and Turk — as an insult. The statements were made on his TV programme, aired on Russia 1. In response, Alen Simonyan criticised the commentary, stating that 'such outbursts on a state TV channel cause serious damage to the relations between our countries, and only elicit deep disgust among the population of Armenia'. In a follow-up post on X Tuesday evening, Simonyan, writing in Russian, addressed the Russian reactions to his statement, criticising their focus on 'Western influence' and 'human rights violations'. 'There is no need to invent culprits: it is enough to simply turn on the TV. Because the ones who cope best with the 'task of ruining Russian–Armenian relations' are not Western special services, not mythical agents, and not NGOs, but some Russian state TV channels, journalists, and editors', Simonyan wrote. He continued by listing how Russian TV channels insult Armenian authorities, including sometimes with 'outright obscenities', question the 'sovereignty, independence and even the very existence of the Republic of Armenia', 'openly condemn the actions of Armenian law enforcement officers who are enforcing the law of their country', and interfere in 'all aspects' of Armenia's internal affairs, questioning whether Moscow would allow the same. 'This is what is really destroying Russian–Armenian relations — not the West and certainly not the Armenian people or politicians. So instead of routine cliches and witch hunts, try to finally ask yourself one single, but honest question: Why?', Simonyan questioned. 'This must stop. Either you stop it — or we will', he concluded. This is not the first time Armenia has taken umbrage with Russian broadcasting. In March 2024, Yerevan banned the retransmission of Solovyov's daily talk show due to his repeated criticism of Pashinyan. Two months later, in May 2024, Pashinyan threatened to ban all Russian broadcasters if they did not respect 'state order' and national interests.
OC Media
01-07-2025
- Politics
- OC Media
Russian propagandist Simonyan calls Pashinyan the ‘antichrist's anus'
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of Russian state-run media outlet RT and one of the country's most well-known propagandists, has called Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan the 'antichrist's anus'. In a scathing criticism of Pashinyan's ongoing feud with the Armenian Apostolic Church, Simonyan condemned his 'attacks [on the] world's oldest Christian state church'. 'It is not Pashinyan who is personally the antichrist, but the antichrist is something collective, something big. Pashinyan is perhaps the little finger of the antichrist, the appendix of the antichrist. Maybe Effendi Pashinyan is the anus of the antichrist', Simonyan said on a broadcast of fellow Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov. She also shared the clip on Twitter with English subtitles. The Antichrist won't arrive as a single villain. He is a collective entity. Take Armenia's Pashinyan, who now attacks world's oldest Christian state church. He is too minor to be the Antichrist. Perhaps he is the Antichrist's pinky finger, or his appendix. Or the Antichrist's… — Margarita Simonyan (@M_Simonyan) July 1, 2025 In another clip of the programme shared the previous day, Simonyan, who is an ethnic Armenian and has been declared persona non grata in Armenia, appeared to call on Armenian citizens to rise up against Pashinyan. 'To Armenians living in their homeland: what are you waiting for? For your sons to be beheaded, and your daughters to be enslaved into harems — again?' she said. Over the past week, Armenian authorities have arrested two high-ranking and influential clergy for either plotting or calling for a coup in Armenia. Advertisement The arrests follow a series of highly critical and controversial attacks from Pashinyan and his wife, Anna Hakobyan, against important clergy members. Simonyan was not the only high-level Russian figure to criticise Pashinyan and the Armenian government's handling of the feud with the church. On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the dispute between Pashinyan and the church an internal affair of Armenia, but added that the 'attacks on the canonical thousand-year-old Armenian Apostolic Church are a matter of grave concern'. 'The church has always been one of the key pillars of Armenian society, and we would very much not like this church to be subjected to unjustified attacks without any serious grounds', Lavrov said. In response, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan urged Lavrov 'to refrain from interfering in Armenia's domestic affairs and internal politics'.
San Francisco Chronicle
30-06-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
A Russian media outlet is raided in Azerbaijan's capital as tensions rise between Moscow and Baku
BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — Police in Azerbaijan's capital of Baku searched the offices of Russia's state-funded news outlet Sputnik on Monday, local media reported, as tensions rose between the two countries after the deaths of two ethnic Azerbaijanis during a police raid last week in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. Azerbaijan's Ministry of Internal Affairs said it was investigating claims that Sputnik Azerbaijan was continuing its work despite having its license revoked in February 2025, media outlets said. Russian diplomatic representatives in Baku went to the Sputnik offices to investigate, said Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of broadcaster RT as well as editor of the state-funded media group Rossiya Segodnya, which operates Sputnik. 'We are unable to reach our Azerbaijan bureau staff by phone after local media announced a 'special security operation' against our staff, which includes Russian citizens,' Simonyan posted on X. 'Representatives from our embassy are attempting to gain access.' The search followed official protests from Baku after Russian police raided the homes of ethnic Azerbaijanis in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg on Friday. Two brothers, Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov, were killed, and several others were seriously injured during the raids, officials said, with nine people detained. Sayfaddin Huseynli, a brother of the two dead Azerbaijanis, told The Associated Press the raids were 'an inhumane, cruel act by Russia against migrants — an act of intimidation.' One of the dead was a Russian citizen and the other held both Russian and Azerbaijani citizenship, Huseynli said. Their bodies were being returned to Azerbaijan on Monday. He earlier told Azerbaijani public broadcaster ITV that the men were beaten and subjected to electric shocks 'without any trial or investigation.' 'The so-called Russian law enforcement agencies broke into houses in the middle of the night, beat and took people away like animals,' he told the broadcaster. Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said it expected 'that the matter will be investigated and all perpetrators of violence brought to justice as soon as possible.' Russia's Investigative Committee said Monday that one of the deaths was from heart failure. It did not provide details on the second victim, but said a medical examination would be conducted to determine the exact cause of death for both men. It also said the raids were part of an investigation into several murders spanning more than two decades. Officials in Baku responded by canceling a scheduled trip to Moscow by Azerbaijani officials, citing the 'targeted extrajudicial killings and violence against Azerbaijanis on the basis of their nationality' by Russian law enforcement. It also canceled a planned visit to Baku by a Russian deputy prime minister, and the Culture Ministry called off concerts, exhibitions, festivals and performances by Russian state and private institutions. Moscow has maintained a muted response to Azerbaijan's actions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday he 'sincerely regretted' Baku's decision to cancel the events. He also said Moscow would continue to 'explain the reason and nature' of the Yekaterinburg raids. 'Everything that took place is related to the work of law enforcement agencies, and that cannot and should not be a reason for such a reaction. We are interested in further developing our good relations with Azerbaijan,' he said. Ties between Moscow and Baku have been strained for months. On Dec. 25, 2024, an Azerbaijani passenger jet was hit by fire from the ground as it approached Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, Azerbaijani officials said. It diverted to nearby Kazakhstan, where it crashed while attempting to land, killing 38 of 67 people aboard. Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said it was shot down over Russia, albeit unintentionally, and rendered uncontrollable by electronic warfare measures amid allegations that Russian air defense systems were trying to fend off a Ukrainian drone strike near Grozny. Aliyev accused Russia of trying to 'hush up' what happened for several days. Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to Aliyev for what he called a 'tragic incident' but stopped short of acknowledging responsibility.
Hamilton Spectator
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
A Russian media outlet is raided in Azerbaijan's capital as tensions rise between Moscow and Baku
BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — Police in Azerbaijan's capital of Baku searched the offices of Russia's state-funded news outlet Sputnik on Monday, local media reported, as tensions rose between the two countries after the deaths of two ethnic Azerbaijanis during a police raid last week in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. Azerbaijan's Ministry of Internal Affairs said it was investigating claims that Sputnik Azerbaijan was continuing its work despite having its license revoked in February 2025, media outlets said. Russian diplomatic representatives in Baku went to the Sputnik offices to investigate, said Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of broadcaster RT as well as editor of the state-funded media group Rossiya Segodnya, which operates Sputnik. 'We are unable to reach our Azerbaijan bureau staff by phone after local media announced a 'special security operation' against our staff, which includes Russian citizens,' Simonyan posted on X. 'Representatives from our embassy are attempting to gain access.' The search followed official protests from Baku after Russian police raided the homes of ethnic Azerbaijanis in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg on Friday. Two brothers, Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov, were killed, and several others were seriously injured during the raids, officials said, with nine people detained. Sayfaddin Huseynli, a brother of the two dead Azerbaijanis, told The Associated Press the raids were 'an inhumane, cruel act by Russia against migrants — an act of intimidation.' One of the dead was a Russian citizen and the other held both Russian and Azerbaijani citizenship, Huseynli said. Their bodies were being returned to Azerbaijan on Monday. He earlier told Azerbaijani public broadcaster ITV that the men were beaten and subjected to electric shocks 'without any trial or investigation.' 'The so-called Russian law enforcement agencies broke into houses in the middle of the night, beat and took people away like animals,' he told the broadcaster. Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said it expected 'that the matter will be investigated and all perpetrators of violence brought to justice as soon as possible.' Russia's Investigative Committee said Monday that one of the deaths was from heart failure. It did not provide details on the second victim, but said a medical examination would be conducted to determine the exact cause of death for both men. It also said the raids were part of an investigation into several murders spanning more than two decades. Officials in Baku responded by canceling a scheduled trip to Moscow by Azerbaijani officials, citing the 'targeted extrajudicial killings and violence against Azerbaijanis on the basis of their nationality' by Russian law enforcement. It also canceled a planned visit to Baku by a Russian deputy prime minister, and the Culture Ministry called off concerts, exhibitions, festivals and performances by Russian state and private institutions. Moscow has maintained a muted response to Azerbaijan's actions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday he 'sincerely regretted' Baku's decision to cancel the events. He also said Moscow would continue to 'explain the reason and nature' of the Yekaterinburg raids. 'Everything that took place is related to the work of law enforcement agencies, and that cannot and should not be a reason for such a reaction. We are interested in further developing our good relations with Azerbaijan,' he said. Ties between Moscow and Baku have been strained for months. On Dec. 25, 2024, an Azerbaijani passenger jet was hit by fire from the ground as it approached Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, Azerbaijani officials said. It diverted to nearby Kazakhstan, where it crashed while attempting to land, killing 38 of 67 people aboard. Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said it was shot down over Russia, albeit unintentionally, and rendered uncontrollable by electronic warfare measures amid allegations that Russian air defense systems were trying to fend off a Ukrainian drone strike near Grozny. Aliyev accused Russia of trying to 'hush up' what happened for several days. Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to Aliyev for what he called a 'tragic incident' but stopped short of acknowledging responsibility. In May, Aliyev declined to attend Russia's Victory Day parade in Moscow. Later that month, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha visited Azerbaijan, signaling closer ties between Baku and Kyiv. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
The Hill
30-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
A Russian media outlet is raided in Azerbaijan's capital as tensions rise between Moscow and Baku
BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — Police in Azerbaijan's capital of Baku searched the offices of Russia's state-funded news outlet Sputnik on Monday, local media reported, as tensions rose between the two countries after the deaths of two ethnic Azerbaijanis during a police raid last week in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. Azerbaijan's Ministry of Internal Affairs said it was investigating claims that Sputnik Azerbaijan was continuing its work despite having its license revoked in February 2025, media outlets said. Russian diplomatic representatives in Baku went to the Sputnik offices to investigate, said Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of broadcaster RT as well as editor of the state-funded media group Rossiya Segodnya, which operates Sputnik. 'We are unable to reach our Azerbaijan bureau staff by phone after local media announced a 'special security operation' against our staff, which includes Russian citizens,' Simonyan posted on X. 'Representatives from our embassy are attempting to gain access.' The search followed official protests from Baku after Russian police raided the homes of ethnic Azerbaijanis in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg on Friday. Two brothers, Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov, were killed, and several others were seriously injured during the raids, officials said, with nine people detained. Sayfaddin Huseynli, a brother of the two dead Azerbaijanis, told The Associated Press the raids were 'an inhumane, cruel act by Russia against migrants — an act of intimidation.' One of the dead was a Russian citizen and the other held both Russian and Azerbaijani citizenship, Huseynli said. Their bodies were being returned to Azerbaijan on Monday. He earlier told Azerbaijani public broadcaster ITV that the men were beaten and subjected to electric shocks 'without any trial or investigation.' 'The so-called Russian law enforcement agencies broke into houses in the middle of the night, beat and took people away like animals,' he told the broadcaster. Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said it expected 'that the matter will be investigated and all perpetrators of violence brought to justice as soon as possible.' Russia's Investigative Committee said Monday that one of the deaths was from heart failure. It did not provide details on the second victim, but said a medical examination would be conducted to determine the exact cause of death for both men. It also said the raids were part of an investigation into several murders spanning more than two decades. Officials in Baku responded by canceling a scheduled trip to Moscow by Azerbaijani officials, citing the 'targeted extrajudicial killings and violence against Azerbaijanis on the basis of their nationality' by Russian law enforcement. It also canceled a planned visit to Baku by a Russian deputy prime minister, and the Culture Ministry called off concerts, exhibitions, festivals and performances by Russian state and private institutions. Moscow has maintained a muted response to Azerbaijan's actions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday he 'sincerely regretted' Baku's decision to cancel the events. He also said Moscow would continue to 'explain the reason and nature' of the Yekaterinburg raids. 'Everything that took place is related to the work of law enforcement agencies, and that cannot and should not be a reason for such a reaction. We are interested in further developing our good relations with Azerbaijan,' he said. Ties between Moscow and Baku have been strained for months. On Dec. 25, 2024, an Azerbaijani passenger jet was hit by fire from the ground as it approached Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, Azerbaijani officials said. It diverted to nearby Kazakhstan, where it crashed while attempting to land, killing 38 of 67 people aboard. Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said it was shot down over Russia, albeit unintentionally, and rendered uncontrollable by electronic warfare measures amid allegations that Russian air defense systems were trying to fend off a Ukrainian drone strike near Grozny. Aliyev accused Russia of trying to 'hush up' what happened for several days. Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to Aliyev for what he called a 'tragic incident' but stopped short of acknowledging responsibility. In May, Aliyev declined to attend Russia's Victory Day parade in Moscow. Later that month, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha visited Azerbaijan, signaling closer ties between Baku and Kyiv.
