Armenian MP Sues Ruling Party Secretary for Defamation

Taguhi Tovmasyan, a deputy from the opposition "I Have Honor" faction of the National Assembly, has filed a lawsuit in the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction against Artur Hovhannisyan, the secretary of the "Civil Contract" faction of the National Assembly. T. Tovmasyan demands that Hovhannisyan publicly apologize for offensive statements, refute the defamatory information, and pay compensation in the amount of 9 million drams.

Taguhi Tovmasyan is demanding that the court oblige Artur Hovhannisyan to publicly apologize in a video on the "24 News" and "5th Channel" websites for the offensive statements made against her.

Tovmasyan is demanding that the video be published with the following title: "Apology: Regarding the information that constitutes an insult to Taguhi Manvel Tovmasyan," and with the following content: "I, Artur Gharibi Hovhannisyan, a deputy of the eighth convocation of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, secretary of the 'My Step' faction, apologize to Taguhi Manvel Tovmasyan for calling her 'immoral' on September 8, 2025, for the proposal addressed to Taguhi Manvel Tovmasyan with the following content, namely: 'let her take a sexually transmitted infection test every day, and we will understand where her four houses came from,' as well as for the expression 'she is a woman, let her behave like a woman, or else I will question that test too - her gender identity.'"

In addition, Tovmasyan is demanding that Artur Hovhannisyan be obliged to refute the factual data considered defamatory against her in the same manner. To set the publication of the video with the following title: "Refutation: Regarding the information that constitutes defamation against Taguhi Manvel Tovmasyan," and with the following content: "I, Artur Gharibi Hovhannisyan, a deputy of the eighth convocation of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, secretary of the 'My Step' faction, on September 8, 2025, in the National Assembly, slandered opposition deputy Taguhi Tovmasyan, claiming during a briefing with journalists that she had bought 4 houses on Northern Avenue, being an ordinary journalist, which is not true."

Taguhi Tovmasyan is demanding 9 million drams in compensation for non-pecuniary damage, of which 3 million drams are for insult and 6 million drams are for slander.

The lawsuit was filed yesterday, September 30, 2025, and assigned to Judge Anna Shilajyan. There is no decision yet on accepting the case for proceedings.

In 2025, this is the second lawsuit against Artur Hovhannisyan. In June, another opposition deputy, Anna Grigoryan, filed a court claim for a public refutation of information considered defamatory. In this case, the basis of the lawsuit was Artur Hovhannisyan's speech on May 12 from the rostrum of the National Assembly. He had said: "look into Anna Grigoryan's eyes, you will see the HPPs."

Anna Grigoryan, in addition to the refutation, is demanding 3 million drams in compensation.

Let us recall that on September 8, 2025, during a briefing with journalists, Artur Hovhannisyan made rude remarks about Taguhi Tovmasyan, urging her to take a sexually transmitted infection test every day to understand how she managed to acquire 4 houses. The statements of the deputy of the ruling faction caused public outrage.