Nikol Pashinyan and His Spokesperson Will Apologize: Court Decision Published

The Yerevan City Court of General Jurisdiction has published a ruling in the case of Khachatryans v. the Government of the Republic of Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Mane Gevorgyan (the Prime Minister's press secretary), which was initiated by Gagik, Gurgen, and Artyom Khachatryan following derogatory and defamatory statements made by the Prime Minister's press secretary Mane Gevorgyan on her Facebook page on April 28, 2020, reported the Khachatryan legal team.

"The Khachatryans requested an apology for the insulting remarks directed at them, as well as a retraction of the defamatory statements. The court found and confirmed that derogatory and defamatory expressions were made by the Prime Minister through his press secretary and upheld their claim in this regard.

Specifically, the court ruled to obligate the respondent, Prime Minister Nikol Vova Pashinyan, to issue a retraction on the official Facebook page belonging to Mane Gagik Gevorgyan within five days after the ruling gains legal force (quote): 'The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan apologizes to Gagik, Gurgen, and Artyom Khachatryan for the statements made about them that defame their honor and dignity in the post published on April 28, 2020, on the Facebook page of Mane Gevorgyan, the Prime Minister's press secretary.'”

The statements concerning 'Gagik Khachatryan and his sons leading a corrupt and mafia-like system, as well as accumulating illegal wealth' were deemed to be false. The Khachatryans accept that members of their family caused harm to the state through plunder or have expressed a willingness to return any plundered property to the state,' do not align with reality.

In case it is impossible for the Prime Minister's press secretary Mane Gevorgyan to post the apology and retraction on her Facebook page, Nikol Vova Pashinyan is obligated to publicly apologize through a printed newspaper with a circulation of at least 5,000 copies throughout the Republic of Armenia within five working days after the ruling gains legal force, publishing the same content as requested for the post on the Facebook page of Mane Gevorgyan.'

The claimants did not present a demand for material damages; however, a request for reimbursement of court expenses was partially satisfied, with Prime Minister Nikol Vova Pashinyan being ordered to pay 8,000 AMD to Gagik Gurgen Khachatryan, Gurgen Gagik Khachatryan, and Artyom Gagik Khachatryan as reimbursement of previously paid state duty, as well as 500,000 AMD as reasonable attorney fees. The ruling will gain legal force one month after its publication and can be appealed to the Court of Appeal of the Republic of Armenia within the same period.

It is noted that the Khachatryans have been subjected to persecution since 2018, which has been condemned by various local and international organizations engaged in human rights protection and the promotion of free economic activity, documenting abuses in the form of public and administrative pressure and obstacles to economic activity, accompanied by illegal seizures and other forms of intervention. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has applied interim measures and is continuing to examine the Khachatryan case, including allegations of torture, inhuman treatment, discrimination, and political persecution," the released statement said.