Arrested Gyumri mayor files claim against Armenia, RA NA vice-speaker 

ArmInfo.  On November 24, the elected and now arrested mayor of Gyumri, Vardan Ghukasyan, whose powers have been suspended, filed a civil lawsuit against Vice Speaker of the Parliament Ruben Rubinyan and the Republic of Armenia, represented by the Ministry of Finance.  The relevant information is  posted in the Datalex judicial information system. The case has been  signed in the name of Judge Gurgen Malkhasyan of the Shirak Regional  Court of General Jurisdiction.

The plaintiff demands "a public refutation of the factually  defamatory information and the recovery of 500,000 Armenian drams in  compensation for moral damages caused by the defamation." Ghukasyan  also demands recognition of the violation of his fundamental right to  a fair trial (the presumption of innocence) and the recovery of  500,000 Armenian drams from the Republic of Armenia as compensation  for moral damages caused by the violation of his fundamental rights.

Earlier, Ruben Rubinyan, in his social media posts, called Vardan  Ghukasyan a "scoundrel bribe-taker" after the latter was charged in a  criminal case investigated by the Anti-Corruption Committee. The  deputy speaker called bribery Vardan Ghukasyan's "favorite pastime"  and declared the political responsibility of those who "made  Ghukasyan mayor." As a reminder, Vardan Ghukasyan was arrested on  October 21st in connection with a bribery case, and on October 26th,  his lawyers announced a new case against him for "public calls to  renounce Armenia's sovereignty" in connection with his statements  about a union with Russia and Belarus. On November 21st, it was  announced that Vardan Ghukasyan had been charged with a third offense  under Article 297 of the country's Criminal Code: hooliganism  committed by a group of persons using information or communications  technology (the maximum penalty is up to 5 years in prison).