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Try Again: The Kocharyans Suit Against “Zhamanak” Daily Continues

The verdict of the case brought against the “Zhamanak” daily by Bella and Sedrak Kocharyans, the wife and the son of the second president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, was not published, though it was previously announced that the last court session would be held today.  

Meanwhile, Arayik Melkumyan, judge of general jurisdiction court of Kentron and Nor Nork districts, who has been presiding over this session, decided to resume the trial to examine some evidences again.

The Kocharyans have sued the “Zhamanak” daily for the three articles published last autumn. The plaintiff argues that information disseminated through those articles has been false. In particular, the daily has noted that Robert Kocharyan’s wife, Bella Kocharyan is involved in the drug business and that the “911” drugstores’ network belongs to their family. In another article of the “Zhamanak” it was written that the freights of “Spayka” company are realized under the auspices of Robert Kocharyan’s son, Sedrak Kocharyan.

The Kocharyans family demands the “Zhamanak” to pay 6 million drams (about $16,200) as compensation for the damage caused through insult and libel.

Although the parties could reconcile with each other in the trial, but the plaintiff had not accepted the newspaper’s lawyer Nikolay Baghdasaryan’s peace proposal.

The verdict of the case brought against the “Zhamanak” daily by Bella and Sedrak Kocharyans, the wife and the son of the second president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, was not published, though it was previously announced that the last court session would be held today.  

Meanwhile, Arayik Melkumyan, judge of general jurisdiction court of Kentron and Nor Nork districts, who has been presiding over this session, decided to resume the trial to examine some evidences again.

The Kocharyans have sued the “Zhamanak” daily for the three articles published last autumn. The plaintiff argues that information disseminated through those articles has been false. In particular, the daily has noted that Robert Kocharyan’s wife, Bella Kocharyan is involved in the drug business and that the “911” drugstores’ network belongs to their family. In another article of the “Zhamanak” it was written that the freights of “Spayka” company are realized under the auspices of Robert Kocharyan’s son, Sedrak Kocharyan.

The Kocharyans family demands the “Zhamanak” to pay 6 million drams (about $16,200) as compensation for the damage caused through insult and libel.

Although the parties could reconcile with each other in the trial, but the plaintiff had not accepted the newspaper’s lawyer Nikolay Baghdasaryan’s peace proposal.

The lawyer of the “Zhamanak” daily believes that the court’s unexpected decision obviously intends to extend time. “We were expecting that the verdict would be reached today and the case dismissed, since it is obvious that the plaintiff had missed the appointed periods to apply to the court. It is a political decision rather, than a legal one,” is sure Baghdasaryan.

“The fact that the court is not able to make a final decision is also conditioned by inadequate wordings of the law. It is very unclear,” says the newspaper’s lawyer.

As to the lawyer of the Kocharyans’ family, there was no commentary provided by him while leaving the courtroom.

The next court session was appointed on May 20.

Source:  JNews.am