“Ankakh” Has Started a Judicial Process against Russian and British Publishing Houses

“Ankakh” weekly, and the same website, which was the first to identify and cover about Armenia, disinformation placed in the Geographical Encyclopedia published by a Russian publishing house, the judicial process is going to start against the Russian «Махаон» and British «The kingfisher geography encyclopedia» publishers.

The geographical encyclopedia published by the «Большая иллюстрированная энциклопедия географии» Russian publishing house, where Armenia is represented, to put it mildly, in false information  (besides Armenian the main language in Armenia is also Azerbaijanian, the basic religions in Armenia are Orthodoxy and Islam – Shia – in particular direction, Artsakh is the historical territory of Azerbaijan , mostly populated by Armenians, and а photo, which doesn’t have any connection with Armenians at all) already ten days has drawn the public’s attention.

The corresponding state offices are aware of it, but they haven’t responded specifically to it. They mention that it isn’t included in their functions to control and punish such publications.

According to the director of the Staff of the President Public Relations and Information Center SNCO Ara Saghatelyan’s words, they can’t do anything, but recommend to present the issue to the public and bring to court the publishers that have published and spread the encyclopedia.

“This issue should not be engaged in the state,” he says, in all democratic countries such problems are solved by social structures.

Saghatelyan believes that bringing to court these publishing houses are just minutes’ affair: They must achieve the denial and prohibition claim of the sale of the book.

He also said that the Ministry of Education is also aware of it, and the issue has been discussed with them.

Ministry of Education and Public Relations Department chief Artur Baghdasaryan said that they are aware, however, he believes that it is the National Security Service that must deal with the problem.

“Like every citizen, every Armenian, we are also outraged by the ignorant, wrong and false publication, but do not have the jurisdiction to deal with the issue,” he said.

NSS Media and Public Relations Department Artsvi Bagramian in turn said that they were aware of the issue, but are not competent to deal with it.

It should be noted that a few days after the publication a young man came to “Ankakh” editorial office, visited a young and showed the Cambridge-Prague’s Dictionary bought many years ago, where in front of Armenia there was written: language – Azerbaijani, currency – Manat.

After all this, we must only hope that society, at least, will not be indifferent to such false and anti-Armenian and in case of meeting they will surely struggle.

“Armenia is a democratic country, we have no censorship.” This is certainly a positive fact, but not a serious excuse for not struggling against the campaign of authorities that defames the nation and statehood.