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The Court of Common Jurisdiction of the Kentron and Nork-Marash Administrative Districts, presided over by Judge Aleksan Sukoyan, invited the first pre-trial session on February 20, 2012.The plaintiff was “Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor” Human Rights NGO, represented by Artur Sakunts and Vahe Grigoryan, a member of the Chamber of Advocates. The defendant was Vova Gasparyan, the RA Chief of Police, who was represented by  Ara Zohrabyan, a member of the Chamber of Advocates.

The plaintiff disputes the statements made by the RA Chief in the Hraparak Newspaper and the “Zinuzh” TV program, which caused damageto the honor, dignity, and business reputation of the organization, and demands the defendant to publicly renounce the defaming information about HCAV and to pay 10 (ten) AMD in damages.

The plaintiff brought up an additional claim, in particular the party informed that, in an interview with News.am, the defendant clarified that he specifically meant the plaintiff and the organization: “The defendant intentionally questions the human rights activities conducted by the organization. In his speeches, the defendant directly, (although he does not mentionany names, (his words give away who he is referring to) insults all those active and courageous representatives of civil society who have raised the issue of illegalities and the urgent public issues such as the number of deaths in the army and the issue of the perpetrators not being punished,” said Vahe Grigoryan. However Advocate Ara Zohrabyan noticed that the Vahe Grigoryan was not presenting the subject of the lawsuit but its contents. Vahe Grigoryan presented the grounds for the claim: Article 3 of the RA Constitution and several articles of the RA Civil Code.

The next preliminary hearing is scheduled for 3:00 p.m., March 12, 2012.

Source: http://www.aravot.am