One hour before the start of today’s slander trial pitting plaintiff Tereza Shahverdyan against Hetq reporter Adrineh Torosyan, the court informed the reporter that Shahverdyan had dropped the charges.

The suit stems from a May 13, 2011 article penned by Torosyan entitled “Unhealthy Passions at the Vanadzor Pedagogical Institute”.

The May 13 Hetq article there was a passage regarding Tereza Shahverdyan, Dean of the Pedagogical Faculty at the Hovhannes Tumanyan State Pedagogical Institute f Vanadzor

Shahverdyan and Liza Sargsyan, another instructor at the school, had gone to the Vanadzor police station alleging that Ashoughyan had been making death threats against Lusineh Sargsyan, the daughter of Liza.

The article in question goes on to reveal that the charge was an intentional falsehood (false denunciation) and that Shahverdyan had taken part at the urging of the Institute Rector Gurgen Khachatryan.

In her original suit, Shahverdyan had also demanded Hetq publish a retraction of the alleged slanderous passages in the article.  

As the trial progressed, Tereza Shahverdyan had dropped her 2 million AMD compensation demand of Hetq reporter Andrineh Torosyan to 200,000 AMD.