For the First Time, Court Dismisses Armenian MP’s Lawsuit Against Newspaper

The Court of General Jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash Administrative Districts of Yerevan today dismissed MP and notorious businessman Tigran Arzakantsyan’s lawsuit against Iravunk Media LLC, report Iravunk editors.

Recall, the MP was asking the court to oblige the newspaper to publish his response to a Feb. 22, 2011 Iravunk article titled “A Round Sum has been Gambled?”, to pay 3 million AMD (about $8,000 USD) as compensation for libel and insult caused to his honor and dignity, as well as an additional 586,000 AMD for attorney fees and 68,000 AMD for the fee paid to the state.

The lawsuit was entirely dismissed for “being groundless.” The court also ruled to exact 10,000 AMD from the plaintiff for “the unpaid state levy.”

“This is the first instance when a court dismisses an oligarch’s suit against a news outlet,” reads the statement issued by Iravunk.