Prime minister of Armenia brings an action against ex-prime minister

Tigran Sarkisyan, former Chairman of the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia and nowadays the Prime Minister of the country, has lodged a claim on protection of his honour, dignity and professional reputation against Grant Bagratyan, leader of the oppositional non-parliamentary party "Azatyutyun" (Freedom), who was the prime minister of Armenia in 1993-1996.

Tigran Sarkisyan demands that the justice oblige ex-prime minister Bagratyan to refute the data published on February 2, 2008, in the "Aravot" newspaper on certain details of bankruptcy of the "Ardshinbank", sale of "Agrobank" shares to Akop Akopyan and privatization of the "ArmSberbank". The claimant asserts that the law does not imply that the Chairman of the Central Bank can make a decision on bankruptcy, such decisions are made by the Board of the Central Bank, besides, there was a decision of the court.

However, Arthur Grigoryan, advocate of the ex-prime minister, asserts that G. Bagratyan's publication had not pursued the aim to be completely compliant with all the subtleties of the legal terminology, and it was not a lecture on the law - the overall objective of the article was to provide the readers in clear words the information on the course of events.

In the opinion of Mr Bagratyan himself, the suit is one of the ways to prosecute him for his political convictions. The claim will be considered by the Court on Civil Cases of Yerevan. Today, a preliminary hearing took place.