Kocharian Lawyers Defend Fresh Libel Suit

Lawyers for Robert Kocharian on Tuesday defended his decision to sue yet another Armenian newspaper, saying that it used offensive language to describe the country’s former president, reports RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun Radio).

Speaking to RFE/RL’s Armenian service, the lawyers representing the Yerevan-based law firm G-Partners cited specific passages from an article that appeared in local daily Hraparak on Feb. 12.

The article discussed Kocharian’s spat with the ruling Republican Party of Armenia. It referred to the ex-president as a “blood-thirsty” individual who is also notorious for his “particularly brilliant foolishness.” The author also questioned his “human ability to think.”

“These are quite unethical and inappropriate claims,” said Arpine Melikbekyan, one of G-Partners attorneys. She said such public characterizations not only violate Armenian law but also the European Convention on Human Rights.

Melikbekyan added that she and her colleagues will present more detailed arguments during court hearings on the libel suit which are scheduled to start on May 10. Kocharian is seeking 6 million drams (about $16,200 US) in damages.

He has also demanded last month that Hraparak assets be frozen pending a court verdict on the case. A Yerevan court granted the petition last week.

Sargis Grigoryan, another Kocharian lawyer, defended the court injunction. He claimed that Hraparak broke a pledge to retract its disparaging statements on the ex-president.

But Hraparak editor Armine Ohanyan denied that, saying that the plaintiff’s representatives never clarified in writing which sentences in the controversial article should be refuted. “I just didn’t know what retraction text would satisfy their demands,” she told RFE/RL’s Armenian service. “We asked them to send a text but they never did.”

Ohanyan condemned the lawsuit and accused Kocharian of “declaring a war on print media” on Monday. She pointed to similar legal action that was taken by Kocharian and his family members against two other newspapers in recent months.

Grigoryan dismissed suggestions that the spate of libel suits could actually damage Kocharian’s reputation. “Defense and restoration of rights are a supreme value,” he said. “No statistics, no evaluation of image and public relations implications have anything to do with that.”