Media Continues to Defame Garik Sargsyan’s Name: He Has Addressed the Ombudsman

“Since the very first days of my term, certain organizations that consider themselves media have written the most shameless lies about me, consistently accusing me and continuing to accuse me of this or that ‘offense’,” said Garik Sargsyan, the governor of Ararat Province, on his Facebook page.

“My name is being tarnished by publications. However, during this time, no factual evidence has been presented regarding any of these writings. Moreover, I myself have filed a lawsuit regarding a false and defamatory publication from one of the websites. Yet, as I observe, even after filing a lawsuit, the media and those who consider themselves as such continue to make disgusting and false publications about me.

In this regard, I appeal to law enforcement agencies to identify those individuals who spread defamation and false information about me, and hold accountable both them and those providing false information.

Let me note that the publications of the latter are also disseminated by certain political circles and activists, whose comments contain hate speech, insults, not only towards me but also towards the employees of the governor’s office.

To resolve this issue, I also appeal to Armenia's Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan, the chair of the National Assembly's Committee on Human Rights and Public Affairs, Naira Zohrabyan, former journalist MPs Gayané Abrahamyan, Haik Gevorgyan, Vahagn Hovakimyan, Sargis Khandanyan, Sisak Gabrielian, Taguhi Tovmasyan, human rights defenders Arthur Sakunts, Marina Poghosyan, Nina Karapetyants, Zhanna Aleksanyan, Vardan Harutyunyan, representatives of journalistic organizations Levon Barseghyan, Ashot Melikyan, Hasmik Budaghyan, Arman Gharibyan, Boris Navasaradyan, as well as the professional journalists who also complain about this type of behavior.