On December 5 Vanadzor court of general jurisdiction of Lori region started hearing the suit of Tereza Shakhverdian, Dean of Pedagogic Faculty of Vanadzor State Pedagogical Institute versus Adrineh Torosian, correspondent of “Hetq” online publication. “Hetq” is involved in the case as a third party. Tereza Shakhverdian had contested the piece “Unhealthy Passions at Vanadzor Pedagogical Institute”, published in “Hetq” on May 13, 2011. On September 8 the Dean addressed the court, demanding to refute the information discrediting her honor and compensate the moral loss caused by defamation in the amount of 2 mln AMD (about $ 5,200). The case was taken into consideration on September 12.
At the December 5 session the plaintiff presented a supplement to the suit, in which the sum of the financial claims versus Adrineh Torosian was reduced to 200,000 AMD. The supplement also contained the refutation text, which should be published in “Hetq”. Besides, Tereza Shakhverdian required that Adrineh Torosian bring apologies in “Hetq”. The plaintiff reasoned the reduction of the moral loss compensation by the November 15, 2011 ruling of RA Constitutional Court, which prescribed recommendations for judges on the application of Article 1087.1 of RA Civil Code, “Order and Conditions of Compensation of Damage to the Honor, Dignity or Business Reputation” (see details in YPC Weekly Newsletter, November 11-17, 2011).
It should be noted that the contested “Hetq” piece also became a matter for another court litigation – the case on the protection of honor, dignity, and business reputation of Gurgen Khachatrian, Rector of Vanadzor State Pedagogical Institute, versus Lousineh Ashughian, former professor of the same Institute. As third parties in the trial appear “Hetq” and ATV TV company, on the air of which the respondent had made some negative allegations about the Vanadzor Institute Head on July 15, 2011. The suit of Gurgen Khachatrian is being considered by the same court of general jurisdiction of Lori region.
