On October 17, the daily “Zhoghovurd” received the third in this month notification of a lawsuit. All the three suits were filed claiming to receive compensation for defamation and insult. The overall amount of compensation claimed for the three lawsuits is 5,248,000 AMD (about $13,950).
The “Zhoghovurd” daily is being published since February 1, 2011 with a circulation of 3,500 copies. And since June 2011 the newspaper has launched its website – Armlur.am.
The first lawsuit was brought against by the governor of the Gegharkunik marz Nver Poghosyan who has demanded the daily to pay 2,2 million AMD (about $5,850).
The governor has applied to the court after the “Zhoghovurd” published a statement made by Ttujur village inhabitant Anna Torosyan in the article “The Governor Took Bribes” in its October 7 issue.
According to Torosyan the governor has taken US $3,000 by means of his driver to secure the victory for the vacancy of history teacher for Anna Torosyan’s rival, inhabitant of the same village.
In the interview with JNews, the daily’s editor-in-chief Taguhi Tovmasyan said that no preliminary hearing has been arranged for this lawsuit but the court has ordered the police to investigate the case of Nver Poghosyan.
On October 17, the daily “Zhoghovurd” received the third in this month notification of a lawsuit. All the three suits were filed claiming to receive compensation for defamation and insult. The overall amount of compensation claimed for the three lawsuits is 5,248,000 AMD (about $13,950).
The “Zhoghovurd” daily is being published since February 1, 2011 with a circulation of 3,500 copies. And since June 2011 the newspaper has launched its website – Armlur.am.
The first lawsuit was brought against by the governor of the Gegharkunik marz Nver Poghosyan who has demanded the daily to pay 2,2 million AMD (about $5,850).
The governor has applied to the court after the “Zhoghovurd” published a statement made by Ttujur village inhabitant Anna Torosyan in the article “The Governor Took Bribes” in its October 7 issue.
According to Torosyan the governor has taken US $3,000 by means of his driver to secure the victory for the vacancy of history teacher for Anna Torosyan’s rival, inhabitant of the same village.
In the interview with JNews, the daily’s editor-in-chief Taguhi Tovmasyan said that no preliminary hearing has been arranged for this lawsuit but the court has ordered the police to investigate the case of Nver Poghosyan.
The next lawsuit was filed by citizen Gurgen Aghajanyan, who was insulted by the article in which the “Zhoghovurd” cites a letter accusing the former head of State Property Management Department Karine Kirakosyan and the present deputy chief of the same department Ashot Markosyan.
The following sentences are characterized as insult: “Karine received her apartment on Abovyan Street as a bribe”, “Heading the department for 7 years with her deputy, “scientist”, bribe-taker Ashot Markosyan they have won a significant part of the state property.”
According to 1in.am news website, Gurgen Aghajanyan noted that the information published in the article was not true, besides it has defamed his honor and dignity.
Aghajanyan demands 804,000 AMD (about $2,150) as compensation.
“The editorial is not obliged to check any addressee. If everyone in Armenia requires a denial like Gurgen Aghajanyan what will be the situation with the newspaper?” says the editor of the daily.
On October 24, in the Court of General Jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash Administrative Districts of Yerevan preliminary hearing of Gurgen Aghajanyan’s suit against the “Zhoghovurd” daily was held.
The hearing was postponed till December 8 because of the absence of Karine Kirakosyan and Ashot Markosyan.
The daily received the third court notification on October 17. According to Lragir.am, the Court of General Jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash Administrative Districts of Yerevan took in the proceedings the suit of the head of the Spa Treatment and Physical Medicine Research Center Benik Harutyunyan against the “Zhoghovurd”.
The suit relates to the article published in the September 9 issue of the daily and titled “Dr. Professor’s Adventures in the gold mines” which contained accusations of the US citizen Nune Serobyan on that Benik Harutyunyan with whom she had a business, doesn’t return $218,000 invested by her.
The “Zhoghovurd” disseminated a statement declaring that in the same article they have published Benik Harutyunyan’s and his lawyer Mher Simonyan’s denials and return accusations.
However, as compensation for defaming and insulting his dignity and honor Benik Harutyunyan demands 2 million AMD ($ 5,300) and 244,000 AMD (about $650) to cover the attorney and court costs.
This lawsuit will take place on November 15.
The editor-in-chief believes that all the three lawsuits are impossible to lose.
“We have preserved all the rules of ethics publishing opinions and comments of both sides, we have not insulted anyone. Nothing will happen if there is no presidential order,” says the editor-in-chief of the daily Taguhi Tovmasyan.
Tovmasyan noted that they will apply to all the appeal instances if they lose any of these cases.
Source: JNews.am