On November 4 at the court of primary jurisdiction of Center and Nork-Marash
communities of Yerevan hearings on the suit of the Chairman of “Arshil Gorky”
Fund Badal Badalian versus “Hayots Ashkhar” daily were held. The plaintiff demanded
that the newspaper publishes a refutation of Kima Eghiazarian’s article titled
“Shall We Celebrate Arshil Gorky’s 100th Anniversary? Sons of Lieutenant Schmidt
Appeared”, published in “Hayots Ashkhar” on January 25, 2005 (Editor’s note:
in the article headline allusion to literary characters, signifying imposture,
is made). In the opinion of Badal Badalian, it contained information discrediting
his honor, dignity and business reputation.
The publication described the efforts of the Armenian Government and Holy Echmiadzin,
made to get from the USA several dozens of pictures by American Armenian artist
Arshil Gorky for further storage in Armenia. The works were willed by his widow
to Armenian Apostolic Church. At the same time the article criticized the activities
of the Chairman of “Arshil Gorky” Fund, which, in the opinion of the piece author,
went contrary to the efforts of the Government and the Church.
According to the explanations of “Hayots Ashkhar”, on June 15 the editorial
staff received a letter from Badal Badalian with a request to publish a refutation.
The newspaper however did not do so, since the RA Law “On Mass Communication”
allocated one month’s timeframe for publishing a refutation.
The court ruled to reject the suit of Badal Badalian.
