Makunts Wins Legal Battle Against Garnik Isagulyan

The court of general jurisdiction in Yerevan, Armenia, has ruled on January 7 that Lilith Makunts's claim against Garnik Isagulyan, concerning defamatory statements made during press conferences, is partially satisfied, as reported by 1in.am.

The court specifically ordered Garnik Isagulyan to publicly refute the defamatory factual information regarding Lilith Makunts that was presented during the press conference held on November 23, 2020. The court directed him to issue a public denial through appropriate media channels concerning the statements made therein, including claims that funds had been brought from Georgia to Armenia by various high-profile individuals, including Makunts herself.

The ruling included the requirement for Isagulyan to publicly retract statements made on December 9, 2020, during another press conference, which contained unverified and defamatory allegations against Makunts, linking her to alleged financing through Azerbaijani sources for the revolutionary activities.

As a result of the court decision, Garnik Isagulyan is ordered to compensate Lilith Makunts with 300,000 AMD as damages for defamation, along with 110,000 AMD for reasonable attorney fees and 14,000 AMD for prepaid state duty. The court also addressed additional claims related to damages based on minimum wage scales, ultimately ordering Isagulyan to pay 2,000,000 AMD in reparation for the defamation resulting from statements made during the press conferences on November 23 and December 9, 2020.