On December 27, 2010 the RA Civil Court of Appeal partially secured the application of the “Investigative Journalists” NGO, which had appealed the July 9, 2010 decision of the court of general jurisdiction versus Ijevan municipality (Tavush region). As it has been reported, the reason of more than a two-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, founded by "Investigative Journalists", on May 5, and June 23, 2008, and also printed on May 20 and July 9, 2008, respectively, in the supplement to "Azg" daily, "Transparent Local Self-Government". 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), the case was redirected to reconsideration 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 (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, July 9-15, 2010).
At the session of December 27, 2010 the Civil Court of Appeal reduced the amount to be compensated by the “Investigative Journalists” to 450 thousand AMD, upholding the other parts of the decision of the court of general jurisdiction.
