Court Forces Gagik Melkonyan to Refute Defamation Live on 'H1', Vanezyan States

The president of the 'Homeland' party and former head of the National Security Service, Arthur Vanezyan, announced on his Facebook page:

“The Civil Court of First Instance in Yerevan has made a decision regarding my lawsuit against Gagik Melkonyan, and I want to share this news with the public, especially with my friends who volunteered for the 'Homeland' detachment during the 44-day war.

Back in 2021, Gagik Melkonyan made a series of statements on public television that defamed the honor and dignity of me and my friends, including accusations of fleeing from the battlefield. The court has ruled that Melkonyan must present a statement via live broadcast on ‘H1’ television to refute these claims. According to the court's decision, he is obligated to articulate a specific text stating that the information he disseminated is 'false and fabricated, does not correspond to reality, and constitutes complete defamation.'

Attempts to cast a shadow over the selfless efforts and good reputation of me and my friends with defamatory statements like those of Gagik Melkonyan have been officially recognized by the court, which is extremely important.

Additionally, the court has ordered Gagik Melkonyan to pay me 500,000 Armenian Drams as compensation for defamation. It is clear that our aim was to establish the truth, rather than seek financial compensation. Therefore, the amount received will be allocated for charitable purposes.”