On February 29 court of general jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash administrative districts of Yerevan started hearing the suit of Yerevan State University and Ara Gabuzian, Head of YSU Criminal Law Department, versus “Banadzev” LLC (independent TV program and film production company) and Gyumri resident Sirekan Yeghiazarian. The matter of the suit on protection of honor, dignity and business reputation was the plot “Jurist-Violator” on a program of “Akanates” (“Eyewitness”) TV cycle, broadcast on the air of First Channel of Public Television of Armenia on May 28, 2011 (the cycle was produced by “Banadzev” LLC for PTA First Channel). In the plot, Sirekan Yeghiazarian, applicant of graduate studies of YSU Law Faculty, tells about his story, when he tried to appeal the unsatisfactory grade at the YSU and RA Ministry of Education and Science. The story was supported by the comments of legal expert Sona Harutiunian. The plaintiffs demanded “Banadzev” LLC and Sirekan Eghiazarian to bring public apologies and refute the untrue information on the same program. The suit was taken into consideration on June 27, 2011. Hearings should have started on September 2011, but were delayed for some reasons.
At the session of February 29 plaintiffs presented a supplement to the suit. Public apologies are now required not only from “Banadzev” LLC and Sirekan Yeghiazarian, but from Sona Harutiunian. Besides, as “Banadzev” LLC no more cooperates with PTA First Channel, the apologies and refutations should be voiced on a program of First Channel; the court ruling on the case should be stored on http://akanates.banadzev.com.
