The first day of Court Session

The First Court Session on the Lawsuit against Genocide Denial in RA Took Place (03․12․2009)

A1plus.am, 03.12.2009

“Alexander Iskandaryan had to agree with the information that he was releasing; otherwise, why would he spread that information?” advocate of the “Ararat” center Artur Grigoryan asked surprisingly.

Today Judge of the Kentron and Nork-Marash districts’ first instance court, Karine Petrosyan, presided the hearing of the “Ararat” center’s appeal against the “Caucasus Institute” Foundation.

The plaintiff demands the court to oblige the “Caucasus Institute” to deny the release of the fact of Armenian Genocide, prohibit the use of the term “Genocide” and compensation for damages.

Let us recall that in 2008, the “Caucasus Institute” released the book entitled “Neighborhood in the Caucasus: Turkey and the South Caucasus” where, among other articles was the article by Turk Aybars Gurgulu entitled “Turkey-Armenia Relations: Eternal labyrinth?” in which the writer, according to the plaintiff, denies the Armenian Genocide. Director of the “Ararat” center Armen Ayvazyan claims that editor of the book, Alexander Iskandaryan, also denies that fact.

Present at court were Armen Ayvazyan from the plaintiff’s side, his advocate Artur Grigoryan, and Vahagn Grigoryan who is the advocate for Alexander Iskandaryan. Despite the open-door trial, video recording was prohibited because the defendant was against it.

Besides objecting that, he did not wish to respond to any questions after the trial. The latter petitioned the court to quash the case because the “use” of the term doesn’t presuppose a situation that will be subject to the court examination.

The plaintiff brought up objections in relation to that. “This is a case because it relates to the honor and dignity of the Armenian nation.”

The judge went to the consultation room to take the decision on an act regarding the petition and the session was postponed for tomorrow at 4 p.m. In other words, tomorrow it will be clear if the appeal will be examined or not.
After the session

Alexander Iskandaryan told “A1+” that he was surprised that he was charged with forgetting about the genocide. In his book, he states that he is not responsible for what was published in his book. How grounded is the appeal? In response, Artur Grigoryan said: “A person can commit very serious financial machinations, but put up a sign and say that he is not responsible for that. That doesn’t free the person from responsibility. If he reserves that he is not responsible for that article, then that still doesn’t mean that he is not responsible from the angle of legislation.”

Armen Ayvazyan said that if his claim was upheld, the denial of Armenian Genocide in Armenia would be part of law and practice with many consequences. If it is not upheld, that will mean that there can be any article or speech denying the Armenian Genocide in Armenia.

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