Yesterday, lawyers for Hetq reporter Adrineh Torosyan, who is being sued for slander by Lernapat Mayor Vano Yeghiazaryan, couldn’t make the court date in Vanadzor due to the snowy road conditions.

Torosyan did make it to court and requested that the trial be postponed due to the absence of her lawyers Tigran Yegoryan and Lusine Hakobyan.

The plaintiff, Vano Yeghiazaryan urged presiding Judge Varduhie Hovnanyan to proceed nevertheless, arguing that the trial was “crawling along at a snail’s pace”.

Judge Hovnanyan pointed out that the last court session had been postponed as well after the defense lawyers requested additional time to draft an answer to the charges. The judge asked if such a response was ready to be delivered to the court, to which Torosyan replied that her lawyers would present it.

Judge Hovnanyan decided to proceed with the trial and proposed that the parties decide in what order the evidence would be reviewed. Vano Yeghiazaryan proposed to hear the defendant first.

The judge decided to first hear the plaintiff, then the defendant, followed by third-party testimony.

The next trial date is scheduled for March 23.

Photo - Defense lawyersTigran Yegoryan and Lusine Hakobyan