Tevanyan sues Alexanyan for defamation

PanARMENIAN.Net - Detained Mother Armenia party leader and Prosperous Armenia parliamentary candidate Andranik Tevanyan has filed a defamation and insult lawsuit against Civil Contract deputy chairman and MP Vahagn Alexanyan.

The lawsuit is based on a number of statements made by Alexanyan during the May 31 debate, Political Parties' Programs on Peace and Security: The Great Debate, broadcast on Armenia's Public Television, according to Factor.am .

During the debate, Alexanyan referred to Tevanyan using phrases accusing him of "disclosing state secrets," "selling the Republic of Armenia for $622,000," committing "treason," "espionage," and "acting as an agent."

Tevanyan has asked the court to order Alexanyan, within five working days after the ruling enters into force, to retract what he describes as defamatory factual claims against him by publishing the retraction in both written and video formats.

He has also requested that Alexanyan issue a public apology, again in both written and video form, with the following wording:

"Public apology. I, Vahagn Alexanyan, apologize to Andranik Tevanyan for the statements made about him during the May 31, 2026 debate titled 'Political Parties' Programs on Peace and Security: The Great Debate,' which damaged Andranik Tevanyan's honor and dignity. In particular, I apologize for calling Andranik Tevanyan a 'spy,' an 'agent,' a 'traitor,' a person who 'sold his homeland for money,' and someone who 'should rot in prison' and 'spend time behind bars.'"

In addition, Tevanyan is seeking 6 million drams in compensation for alleged reputational damage caused by defamation, 3 million drams for alleged insult, reimbursement of the 310,000-dram state fee already paid, and reasonable legal costs.

The lawsuit has been accepted for consideration and assigned to Judge Tatevik Stepanyan of the Yerevan Civil Court.

Tevanyan has also filed a separate defamation lawsuit against Taron Chakhoyan, deputy chief of the Armenian prime minister's staff. That lawsuit is based on a 54-second video published on May 23 beginning with the words: "It seems that Andranik Tevanyan, who committed treason, spied against Armenia and sold state secrets for money..." Tevanyan is also seeking 6 million drams in damages from Chakhoyan.