The Comments’ Victim: Another suit against the “Hraparak” to be a topic of discussion
According to the research conducted by the Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression, after the Law on Libel was decriminalized last year, 29 legal suits were brought against journalists and media outlets (mainly against the dailies) on charges insult and libel.
The 30th suit was registered this month. This, however, unlike the previous ones, is considered as an unprecedented case by the experts, since the first time the case against the news outlet has been filed because of the readers’ comments posted on the periodical’s website and not because of the article’s content itself.
Suit against the “Hraparak” daily has been filed by lawyer Arthur Grigoryan, member of the Chamber of Advocates of RA. He is convinced that the newspaper must bear also the responsibility for the readers’ comments on the website.
Moral damage caused by the six comments was estimated 18 million drams (about $47,000) by lawyer Grigoryan. He demands just this much from the “Hraparak” to compensate the moral damage caused to him. Comments, which angered Grigoryan, concerned the article entitled “Are Citizens Victims of Dishonest Lawyers?” published in the electronic version of the “Hraparak” on August 10.
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