On March 24, 2025, a controversial episode of 28 Minutes, a program aired by the Franco-German public-service channel Arte, sparked widespread outrage when it featured a map of the Caucasus region that completely omitted Armenia.
The map, which was part of a segment focusing on Turkey, displayed the neighboring countries accurately, including Georgia, Iran, Iraq, and Syria, but Armenia was entirely absent. In its place, Azerbaijan’s borders were extended uninterrupted to Turkey, effectively erasing the sovereign nation of Armenia from the map.
The omission has generated significant backlash, with many accusing Arte of either a severe lapse in fact-checking or a deliberate editorial choice. Among the critics was Simon Karapetyan, an Armenian citizen living in France, who publicly denounced the mistake.
The timing of this misstep only added to its sensitivity. Armenia, which lost the Artsakh region in 2023, continues to face immense challenges, including the displacement of over 120,000 people. With the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day approaching on April 24, this error has further aggravated an already tense geopolitical situation.
Arte, which is funded by both French and German taxpayers to promote culture and education, has come under fire for this significant error in a region where territorial integrity and historical accuracy are particularly critical.
The omission could not simply be dismissed as a minor mistake. It raises important questions about the channel’s commitment to presenting well-researched and accurate content, especially given the delicate nature of the issues surrounding Armenia and its neighbors.
In the wake of public backlash and multiple complaints, Arte has delayed issuing an official response. The broadcaster has yet to clarify whether this was an unintentional mistake or a more concerning editorial choice and make a public apology for the mistake.
Simon Karapetyan informed on his facebook page that he has applied directly to Arte with a formal inquiry about the error and is now waiting for a response from the broadcaster. He has expressed hope that Arte would provide an explanation and take responsibility for the omission.
Given its role as a publicly funded entity, Arte has a responsibility to uphold high editorial standards and ensure the accuracy of the information it broadcasts.
Following the backlash, the TV Channel first removed the episode from the website. Later on, the episode was redownloaded, but the scenes with the map were covered up.
