Libel Suit Against Daily Postponed: Case of a Wrong Address?

The hearing in the case of director of the Scientific Research Institute of Spa Treatment and Physical Medicine, advisor to the defense minister Benik Harutyunyan vs. local daily Joghovurd was heard today at the Court of General Jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash Administrative Districts of Yerevan.

According to a statement issued by the newspaper, the trial, however, was cut short. It seems the plaintiff (Harutyunyan) didn’t receive notification as it was sent to an address in Hrazdan (Harutyunyan lives in Yerevan). Thus, Judge Apinyan decided to postpone the trial to Nov. 29 at 10 am.

In its Sept. 9 issue (N151), Joghovurd published an article titled “The Doctor-Professor’s Adventures in Gold Mines” in which US citizen Nune Serobyan and her colleague Armen Asryan said Harutyunyan took $294,000 USD from them which he isn’t returning. Though Harutyunyan and his attorney’s version is also noted in the article, the advisor to the defense minister has decided to take the matter up in court, demanding 2.2 million drams from the daily in compensation for damages.