CivilNet has filed a lawsuit against Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan, demanding a public apology on live TV for calling the media “a big garbage dump.”
On December 18, 2024, during a debate with former mayor Hayk Marutyan on Factor TV, Tigran Avinyan addressed an investigative article titled “Armenia’s Former Deputy PM Oversaw Project That Benefited His Family Company,” published by CivilNet and the Organized Corruption and Crime Reporting Project (OCCRP) and called it a “lie.”
During the debate, the mayor stated that “some media outlets have become a big garbage dump.” After the host’s remark, the mayor clarified that he was referring to some, not all, media.
In an interview with Media.am, CivilNet Editor-in-chief Karen Harutyunyan stated that Tigran Avinyan made his remark in response to the CivilNet article and “clearly meant us.” As a result, the media outlet decided to file a lawsuit against him.
Addressing the opinions that the mayor’s statement was general, Karen Harutyunyan emphasized that they believe the statement was explicitly directed at CivilNet despite its general nature.
Ashot Melikyan, the chairman of the Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression (CPFE), noted that it would be difficult to prove in court that the mayor’s words were directed at CivilNet. “From a legal point of view, the lawsuit has weak grounds. The insult or slander must be targeted for the court to satisfy it. On the other hand, of course, the media field could not help but react to such a statement made by an official,” the CPFE chairman noted.
He noted that the media’s lawsuit against ruling party MP Artur Hovhannisyan was justified because the MP had made a targeted statement mentioning specific names, whereas Tigran Avinyan’s case is different.
