09:23, 23 January 2019

Ex-President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan wins libel suit

Robert Kocharyan. Photo © : administration of Robert Kocharyan https://ru.armeniasputnik.am/politics/20180813/13835702/ehks-prezident-armenii-robert-kocharyan-vypushchen-na-svobodu.html

The court has obliged the media company to refute the data about Robert Kocharyan, containing slander and defaming his honour and dignity, and to pay over USD 800 to the second Armenian president.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 16, 2019, the investigator rejected the petition demanding to stop the criminal prosecution of Kocharyan.

Robert Kocharyan was arrested on July 27, 2018, on charges of financial crimes and overthrowing the constitutional order in connection with the crackdown of people's protests in Yerevan in March 2008. Then, the court overturned this decision with reference to the former president's immunity, but later, the court of appeal re-authorized Mr Kocharyan's arrest.

Now, the court has obliged the "1in.am" portal and the "Zhamanak" newspaper to publish refutations, apologize to Kocharyan and pay a fine for disseminating slanderous information, discrediting his honour and dignity, Robert Kocharyan's office has stated.

The media company's article states that, according to Grigor Grigoryan, the Commander of the Internal Troops, he "had received an order to open fire at demonstrators from the then President Robert Kocharyan."

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 22, 2019 at 02:46 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Tigran Petrosyan

Source: CK correspondent