Armenian speaker says he's ready to face Kocharyan in court

PanARMENIAN.Net - Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan has said he is untroubled by the lawsuit filed against him by Armenia’s second president, Robert Kocharyan.

"I'm very glad Robert Kocharyan is suing me. Had I known he would, I would have been ready to pay the court fee myself," Simonyan said, according to Radar.am.

He added that Kocharyan is demanding 9 million drams in compensation.

"So now he’s filed a claim asking me for 9 million drams. Sure, that amount means nothing against $200 million. I don’t believe he’ll win this case. What, am I supposed to prove my own statements, that I voiced opinions? So, when people accuse Robert Kocharyan of being a murderer for March 1, October 27, and the death of Poghos Poghosyan, am I the one who should prove it? I think it’s he who should prove he’s not a murderer or a thief," Simonyan said.

According to the report, Armenia’s second president Robert Kocharyan has filed lawsuits against both Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan. Kocharyan demands that Simonyan publish a retraction on his official Facebook page and pay 6 million drams for defamation and 3 million for insult as compensation for non-material damage.

In the case against Prime Minister Pashinyan, Kocharyan is demanding a retraction of a statement made during a June 5 government session and later posted on Pashinyan’s official Facebook page, where the prime minister stated, "By court ruling, Robert Kocharyan has been recognized as a bribe-taker."