Robert Kocharyan Sues Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan Again, Demands 4 Million Drams

Robert Kocharyan has once again filed a lawsuit against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the Republic of Armenia. This information comes from the Judicial Information System, as reported by “Haykakan Zhamanak”.

The lawsuit was submitted on April 7 and has been assigned to Judge Arthur Mkrtchyan of the Yerevan City Courts.

Kocharyan's representative, Haik Alumyans, told HZ that the basis for the lawsuit stems from statements made by the Prime Minister during a rally on March 1, 2021. “Statements were made from which it can be inferred that Mr. Kocharyan is the subject,” Alumyans said.

When asked about the specific statements, Kocharyan's representative replied that there are remarks in the Prime Minister's speech that refer to the criminal case currently under investigation. “It is discussed in a manner that leaves no doubt that it includes Mr. Kocharyan among others. Although the surname was not mentioned directly, the entire speech was structured in such a way that it leaves no doubt that it includes Mr. Kocharyan,” Alumyans added.

Thus, Kocharyan is demanding the recognition of the violation of the right to a fair trial, compensation for non-material damages caused by the violation, a public denial of the statements made about him, and compensation for non-material damages due to defamation. “We demand the presumption of his innocence to be recognized, and we also demand a denial related to defamation. Considering that two different violations have occurred, we are demanding 2 million drams for each. In total, we request 4 million drams,” detailed the plaintiff's representative.

Addressing the question of why Kocharyan has also sued the Republic of Armenia, his representative stated that Nikol Pashinyan acted as the Prime Minister and that his speech has been posted on official sites, including the Prime Minister's website. “Thus, this is not only information disseminated by a private individual, but also published on official Armenian government pages. We believe that in this case, both the Prime Minister and the Republic of Armenia, which he represents, are responsible. Therefore, the presumption of innocence can be violated by the Republic of Armenia or any person acting on its behalf,” he explained.

It should be noted that this is already the third lawsuit Robert Kocharyan has filed against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Recall that during his speech, the Prime Minister particularly stated: “March 1, 2008, was a significant milestone in the struggle for people's power. On March 1, 2008, the then government of Armenia deployed the army against the people, and they decided to shoot at Armenian citizens. It is very important to note that there are defendants in this case who are currently in court. And yes, I must record that the March 1 case, in my view, has been uncovered.” It is noteworthy that during these statements by Pashinyan, Kocharyan had, in fact, the status of a defendant.