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    Categories: 2023

Avinyan’s lawyer asks court to unfreeze reporter David Sargsyan’s assets

Panorama
Armenia – May 16 2023

Yerevan Deputy Mayor Tigran Avinyan’s lawyer Harutyun Harutyunyan has asked a court in the Armenian capital to unfreeze assets of 168 Zham reporter David Sargsyan.

Avinyan filed a defamation lawsuit against Sargsyan and his newspaper after the journalist released a video report accusing the vice mayor of illicit enrichment. The report claimed Avinyan and his family had been “steadily getting richer” since Nikol Pashinyan came to power in 2018.

The court granted Avinyan’s request to freeze the assets of both the newspaper and the journalist worth 18 million drams and 9 million drams, respectively, pending a verdict in the case.

In a statement on Tuesday, Harutyunyan said following discussions with his client, he filed a motion to the court on Tuesday to unfreeze the reporter’s assets in response to a statement issued by Armenian media organizations on May 12.

“It also highlights that Tigran Avinyan has no intention of bankrupting any media outlet or deliberately causing it any financial inconvenience,” the lawyer said.

At the same time, he urged media outlets and reporters to be “as scrupulous as possible” and remain committed to the principle of integrity.

Emil Lazarian: “I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS