Yerevan mayor's father loses court case over offensive remarks about Opel drivers

A Yerevan court has partially upheld a lawsuit filed by several Opel drivers against the father of Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan, who called them “scumbags” in December 2023.

In a social media post on Saturday, Grigor Iskandaryan, a member of the Yerevan City Council representing the opposition Hayastan faction, said the plaintiffs had sought 500,000 drams in damages.

"The court has awarded them 250,000 drams which will be donated to charity," the councior added.

The lawsuit followed comments made by Avinyan’s father in an interview with Oragir.news, in which he defended the municipal council’s decision to sharply raise parking fees.

“They should make it 500,000 drams so that every scumbag cannot park his village Opel here. You have to pay a hefty fee to drive into the city center in Italy.”

The remarks sparked public outrage and led to legal action by drivers who viewed the comments as offensive and discriminatory.