Jehovah’s Witnesses

For Immediate Release
June 5, 2012
(Armenian)

Armenian Public Television retracts false statements about Jehovah’s Witnesses

YEREVAN, Armenia—On June 5, 2012, viewers of the “Haylur” news programs observed something rarely presented to the Armenian public: a retraction of false statements made about Jehovah’s Witnesses.

As part of a settlement agreement signed on May 15, 2012, Armenian Public Television and its representatives broadcasted a retraction of statements that falsely associated a young man charged with brutally murdering his elderly parents in Sevan, Armenia with the religious community of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Since neither the young man nor his parents were ever Jehovah’s Witnesses, the misrepresentation was offensive to and considered insulting by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

According to the terms of the signed settlement agreement, the Armenian Public Television station, H1, broadcasted the retraction once during the first 20 minutes of each of their primetime news programs at 5:00 p.m. and at 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 5, 2012. The retraction is also being posted on the media outlet’s official website (www.1tv.am), listing it among the top five news stories during the period of June 5, 2012, through June 14, 2012.

Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide are noting this positive outcome. “No one wants false statements broadcast about them, and we are no exception,” states David Semonian, a spokesman at the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses in New York. “It is important that the Armenian public hear the truth about Jehovah’s Witnesses, and we are pleased that Armenian Public Television has taken steps to set the matter straight for the viewing public in Armenia.”

Media Contacts:
David Semonian, Office of Public Information, tel. +1 718 560 5600
Armenia: Tigran Harutyunyan, tel. +374 93 900 482