Armenian Service
Radio Azatutyun pairs exemplary journalism with digital innovation to be a leading source of credible, independent news in Armenia.
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About the Service
Launched in 1953, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service, known locally as Radio Azatutyun, is a leading multimedia outlet operating from Yerevan and specializing in digital innovation.
During protests in Armenia’s border villages and in Yerevan sparked by the 2024 border demarcation deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Radio Azatutyun provided in-depth reporting.
Radio Azatutyun shines a light on human interest stories about Armenians displaced by conflict and what ordinary people face in a post-war environment.
In coordination with RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service, Radio Azatutyun provides accurate and timely cross-border reporting on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict with detailed analysis on the cost of war.
The Service conducts in-depth interviews with key figures in Armenia and beyond, tackling controversial and sensitive topics including women’s rights, government corruption, and more.
Reaching Audiences
Media Climate
Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index ranks Armenia 43rd out of 180 countries.
Radio Azatutyun journalists were targeted with Pegasus spyware during and after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.
Awards
Armenia’s Media Advocacy Coalition
In 2024, Radio Azatutyun Service Director Heghine Buniatyan was honored for her contributions to the development of quality journalism by Armenia’s Media Advocacy Coalition.
Latest Updates
RFE/RL’s JamieFly Presses Officials On Journalist Safety During Visit To Georgia, Armenia
RFE/RL President Jamie Fly addressed the importance of press freedom and journalist safety during visits last week to Georgia and Armenia.
RFE/RL Journalists Assaulted In Armenia
Three Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) journalists were assaulted in Armenia over the weekend during mass rallies against Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian that culminated in his resignation today.
Azerbaijan Seeks To Silence RFE/RL Ahead Of Presidential Election
As Azerbaijani citizens head to the polls to vote in a snap presidential election on April 11, the Azerbaijani Service website of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) remains under a…
Service Director
Heghine Buniatyan
Heghine Buniatyan is Director of RFE/RL’s Armenian Service, known locally as Radio Azatutyun. Previously, she worked as a Senior Editor with the Service since June 2016. She has previously served as the Editor in Chief of the Yerevan bureau, a broadcaster, and as the director of the Maxliberty Youth Program. Before joining RFE/RL in 2004, she worked for Armenian Public Television as a correspondent and anchor of the midnight news, and as a freelancer at Internews, contributing weekly reports for radio and television. A graduate of Yerevan State University and Moscow State University with a degree in journalism, Buniatyan also participated in several journalism and leadership training courses in Armenia and abroad. In 2004, she won first prize in the OSCE media awards in the Best Radio Journalist category for highlighting environmental issues.
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