On December 19, 2012, Armenia’s Court of Cassation has rejected a lawsuit by the Helsinki Citizens Assembly of Vanadzor which sought to overturn an October 17, 2012 verdict of the Court of Appeals sustaining a lower court’s ruling in favour of RA Chief of Police Vladimir Gasparyan.

On July 20, 2012, Yerevan’s Kentron and Nork-Marash Court threw out the original  slander suit brought by the Vanadzor Office of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly (HCAV) against Vladimir Gasparyan.

The NGO had sued Gasparyan for remarks he made during an October 2011 interview with the hraparak.am news site and a program called Zinouzh. The organization claims that some of the remarks slandered its good name.

Vladimir Gasparyan, now the Chief of Police in Armenia, made the remarks while serving as the deputy defense minister.

The NGO had demanded that Gasparyan issue a public apology for his remarks and to pay 10 AMD in symbolic compensation.

(Photo: Artur Sakunts, President HCAV; Vladimir Gasparyan)