Subsequent “Responding Party”
00:00, July 9, 2011 | Press Release | Freedom of Information and Speech, Right to Fair Trial
If clothes have “Bush is a Murderer” print…
Lori Region Court of General Jurisdiction, presided by Varduhi Hovnanyan, is hearing the trial of Lernapat village Mayor Vano Yeghiazaryan’s claim against his co-villager Kamsar Tamaryan. The Mayor accuses Kamsar Tamaryan of publicly causing damage to his prestige, dignity and business reputation.
Kamsar Tamaryan had come up with an announcement in the September 1, 2010 issue of the “Zhamanak” Daily, which was criticized by the Lernapat village Mayor.
“The responding party has made the following slanderous statement in my address “He has completely ruined this village”, provided that I have implemented over 40 projects in this village directed at the improvement and development of our community. In 2000-2010, the village school and the community center were constructed, the village medical center was renovated, drinking and drip irrigation water lines were installed, 120 houses were built, the community was provided with gas”, states Lernapat community Mayor.
However, Lernapat community resident asserts that the Mayor has demolished the village. “I have seen this man destroying our village, and that is why I had my say in the newspaper. He has illegally favored his relatives; he has assigned his wife as a village Deputy Mayor, since he only trusts his wife. Thus, nobody out of so many village residents was found trustworthy. He has recruited only his relatives in the Mayor’s office”, complains the villager.
Artur Sakunts, head of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor, adds that the village Mayor’s claims against his co-villagers are aimed to create a tense environment in the village by restricting the villagers’ right to freedom of expression.
“How can slanderous articles be applied to restrict people’s rights to freedom of expression. For a public official, who is an elected body, opinions must serve a mechanism for incurring him to liability. The latter can also be intense. If USA citizens can wear clothes with “Bush is a Murderer for Attacking Iraq or Afghanistan” print, then do you think Bush should sue each of them? Because there are no proofs that Bush is a murderer”, notes the human rights defender.
According to him, the villagers’ statements should be perceived as an expression of personal opinions, evaluation of an official’s activities, and which can also be extreme.
Moreover, the human rights defender notes that the community Mayor has recruited his relatives, who provide testimonies in the court only in favor of him. “It is more than natural that the eyewitness should speak in favor of him. Such a biased situation cannot but impede the revelation of the crime. It is also a source of corruption risks.”
Sakunts recalls the female neurologists from Lori region to which the court applied detention as a measure of restraint for bribery of 55.000 AMD.
“Detention resolution was made against the physicians for 55.000 AMD, while a criminal case was filed against Vano Yeghiazaryan for the embezzlement of 11.000.000 AMD. Contrary to this, Vano still continues holding his office by putting the court proceedings on the wrong track.
A criminal case was filed against Lori region Lernapat community head V. Yeghiazaryan at Lori Region Department of RA Police.
The community mayor is charged with exceeding his official authorizations, embezzlement and official fraud. Release upon his signed agreement was chosen as a measure of restraint.