The Yerevan court of general jurisdiction has accepted a lawsuit filed earlier this year by members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation against parliament member Arman Babajanyan. The lawsuit stems from comments Babajanyan made against the party while addressing parliament in early December.
Judge Avag Gabrielyan said that he will hear the case, which calls on the courts to compel the lawmaker to publicly apologize for his comments.
During a speech delivered in parliament on December 6, Babajanyan, who is an independent lawmaker not affiliated with any of the blocs represented in the legislature, attacked the ARF saying the party is known for “its terrorist past.”
“Evidently, the plaintiffs have found the [Babajanyan’s] statement to be offensive and defamatory,” explained ARF attorney Haikouhi Sedrakyan at the time of filing the lawsuit.
Since the legal action taken by the ARF, Babajanyan has taken to social media to further aggravate the situation by posting comments and more innuendo against the party. He has scuffed at the lawsuit, saying “I’ll see you in court.”
Earlier this month, ARF Supreme Council of Armenia chairman Ishkhan Saghatelyan, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, told news.am that “at this juncture we have decided that the best course is to resolve the issue through legal means.”
It is unfortunate that our Party, in Armenia, has come to see individuals of this species, ignorant, uneducated, vulgar, a member of a national assembly and insult our history and thus the Armenian Nation. In addition to the National Assembly by its President, Mr. Mirzoyan, then Mr. Pashinyan and President Sarkisyan are expected to make an official statement. Otherwise it must be concluded that the country maintains the Soviet spirit
Absolutely right!