Samvel Karapetyan's legal team sues ruling party MPs for defamation

Prominent businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan's legal team has filed defamation lawsuits against MPs Arsen Torosyan and Hayk Konjoryan of Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party.

The legal claims are aimed at protecting his business reputation and restoring his rights violated by defamatory public statements and reports.

“This is a legal team initiative with the broader aim of curbing slander and insult in public and political discourse, which will benefit everyone, and first of all, the society,” the team said in a statement on Friday.

Karapetyan has been charged with making public calls to seize power in Armenia and has been placed in pre-trial detention for two months. The charges are widely condemned as politically motivated.