Court Upholds Konstantin Orbelian's Lawsuit Against Nazeni Gharibyan

The court has fully upheld the civil lawsuit of Konstantin Orbelian, the artistic director of the Opera Theater, against former Minister of Culture Nazeni Gharibyan.

From July 24, sessions began at the general jurisdiction court of Yerevan regarding Orbelian’s lawsuit against the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia.

Orbelian sought to nullify Gharibyan’s March 3, 2019, decree terminating his powers, restore him to his position, and demand the payment of forced leave compensation.

“I would not have approached the court if there were even 1 percent doubt that I would not win. I was appointed according to the law and unlawfully dismissed,” Orbelian had stated in a previous conversation with journalists.

It is noteworthy that Konstantin Orbelian was dismissed from the position of theater director on March 29 by Gharibyan’s decree, under the law governing state organizations, which prohibits holding both the positions of theater director and artistic director simultaneously.

The day after the decree was signed by Gharibyan, the staff of the Opera Theater held a protest rally, after which they met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Following the lack of response from Pashinyan, Orbelian turned to the court for resolution.