On April 18 “Investigative Journalists” NGO received a notification informing that RA Court of Cassation has revoked its complaint on the case with Ijevan Municipality (Tavush region). As it has been reported, the reason for about a three-year litigation became the articles "Whose Pocket Receives Money from Sand Mine?" and "Will the Three Commissions Notice the Illegal Use of Sand?". The pieces were published in "Hetq" online publication, founded by "Investigative Journalists", on May 5 and June 23, 2008, and in the supplement to "Azg" daily, "Transparent Local Self-Government", on May 20 and July 9, 2008, respectively. The information reflected in the articles discredited the honor, dignity and business reputation of Ijevan Mayor Varuzhan Nersisian – as seen by the city administration. Passing through several court hearings (see details in Yerevan Press Club Reports "On Freedom of Speech in Armenia" for 2008 and 2009 on www.ypc.am in “Media Reports” section), the case was reconsidered by the court of general jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash administrative districts of Yerevan. On July 9, 2010 the court bound the “Investigative Journalists” to refute the information and to compensate the expenses of 930 thousand AMD (about $ 2,500) made for the attorney services, as well as to pay the state duty for filling the court by Ijevan municipality. “Investigative Journalists” contested this decision at the RA Civil Court of Appeal. On December 27, 2010 the Court of second jurisdiction partially secured the appeal of the plaintiff, reducing the amount to be compensated to 450 thousand AMD (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, January 10-20, 2011). The NGO had contested the decision of the Civil Court of Appeal at the Court of Cassation. The latter did not take the complaint into consideration.
The “Investigative Journalists” informed YPC about their intention to address the European Court of Human Rights.
