False Information: Alen Simonyan Voted at the School Named After A. Margaryan and Did Not Leave the Vicinity for the Next 15 Minutes
Verdict – False Information
Yerevan Today’s journalist Syuzi Badoyan wrote that the Vice President of National Assembly (NA) Alen Simonyan entered his polling post on Saryan street in Yerevan, stationed at the school named after Andranik Margaryan; he voted, then stood at the entrance for about 15 minutes saluting the people with handshakes instead of leaving the territory. The information is false, Alen Simonyan’s polling station is in the 5th School, located at 107 Pavstos Buzand St.
When and Who Shared the News
The journalist Syuzi Badoyan wrote in the early morning (08:59) of June 20 that the NA Vice President Alen Simonyan went to his polling post at the school named after Andranik Margaryan, located on Saryan street in Yerevan. He voted and stood outside at the entrance, shaking hands with people and not leaving the vicinity of the building. The article mentioned that the chairman of the commission did not interrupt this political propaganda scene and did not order the high-ranking official to leave the territory. The chairman was thus aiding the Civil Contract Party in their self-promotion. This information was paraphrased and shared by ParaTV, Radio Aurora, AntiFake.am, Analitik.am, Alternativ.am, Armlur.am, Lurer.com, “168 hours” and many other media sites. No photos or videos were posted to confirm the claim, despite it saying that Alen Simonyan was standing at the entrance for 15 whole minutes.
After about an hour, Alen Simonyan had written that the news which Syuzi Badoyan was sharing was false. Simonyan wrote that he still had not voted, that he does live by the school named after Andranik Margaryan, however, is going to vote at the Mushegh Ishkhani school, at 11:00.
“At the time of making the post I am at the courtyard of the Holy Mother of God Church in Nork Marash,” he wrote.
It is true that Alen Simonyan’s polling post is not situated on Saryan street, at the school named after Andranik Margaryan. In the register of the Electors of the Republic of Armenia, his polling station is the post 9/21.
This station is in school number 5, named after Mushegh Ishkhanyan, located at 107 Pavstos Buzand St.
Attached is the name of Alen Simonyan’s polling post and the video recording, downloaded from the Central Electoral Commission’s (CEC) website. In the clip, we see that the NA Vice President was already at the polling post 9/21 by 11:19. His voting process took about 6 minutes, after which Simonyan left.
Therefore, Alen Simnoyan neither could vote at the Andranik Margaryan school nor in any other polling post in the area because his polling station is in school number 5 named after Mushegh Ishkhanyan.
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