Robert Kocharyan files second lawsuit against Alen Simonyan

Second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan has filed a second lawsuit against Speaker of the National Assembly Alen Simonyan, according to the Datalex judicial information portal, Report informs via Armenian media.

In the lawsuit, Kocharyan demands a public apology and retraction of the statements published by Simonyan on his Telegram channel.

According to the ex-president, the information posted is false and baseless, damaging his honor, dignity and business reputation. He insists that Simonyan post an apology and retraction both on Telegram and on his Facebook page.

If the lawsuit is upheld, the speaker will have to publish the following text: "Earlier, I voiced offensive expressions towards former President Robert Kocharyan, with which I aimed to tarnish his honor and dignity. I regret this and apologize."

On June 14, Kocharyan filed a similar lawsuit against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Alen Simonyan, demanding a public apology and compensation for moral damages. He is demanding 6 million drams (about $15,000) from Pashinyan and 9 million drams (about $23,700) from Simonyan as compensation.

In response, Simonyan posted a caustic message on his Telegram channel, expressing surprise that Kocharyan chose to go to court rather than resort to methods 'characteristic of previous years.' He also wondered why the ex-president didn't file a lawsuit for his statements about his 'illiteracy' and 'spy status.'