EX PREMIER OF ARMENIA HAS NO INTENTION TO APOLOGIZE TO INCUMBENT PRIME MINISTER

ArmInfo
2008-07-24 17:55:00

Ex-premier of Armenia Hrant Bagratyan has no intention to apologize
to incumbent Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, Bagratyan’s lawyer Artur
Grigoryan said at Mirror Debate Club Thursday.

He mentioned that on 2 February 2008 H. Bagratyan published an
item ‘Old decisions must be changed’ in Aravot daily wherein he
accused then Central Bank Chairman T. Sargsyan of taking measures
artificially leading to bankruptcy of banks. Among such banks,
Bagratyan outlined Promstroybank, Agrobank and Savings Bank. He
outlined also the great role of ex-president Robert Kocharyan in the
process. T. Sargsyan lodged against H. Bagratyan demanding protection
of honor and dignity. On July 10 Civil Court of Yerevan made a verdict
and demanded H. Bagratyan to apologize to the prime minister in the
same daily within 10 days.

Artur Grigoryan said Thursday that during the proceedings the court did
not allow his client to use the base of proofs referring to banking
secrecy. In addition, the Court abused its power when demanding
Bagratyan to apologize since in conformity with the legislation the
court can demand only refutation but never apologies. ‘Hrant Bagratyan
intends to appeal to the Court of Appeal, then Cassation against the
verdict to achieve justice. If it proves insufficient, he will apply
to the European Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg’, the lawyer said.

He is sure that the given proceedings are politically motivated. Many
critical items have been published about Tigran Sargsyan both during
his chairmanship of CB and after he was appointed prime minister, but
no claims have been made against their authors. If H. Bagratyan wrote
the item a few years ago he would not be lodged against. However,
as soon as Bagratyan openly supported first president of Armenia
Levon Ter-Petrosyan, legal proceedings were launched against him,
A. Grigoryan said.