Prosperous Armenia party head Gagik Tsarukyan has filed a defamation suit against PM Nikol Pashinyan, demanding that he refute statements he made during the June 7 parliamentary election campaign accusing Tsarukyan of being a “criminal and spy, and robbing the people of Armenia.”

Tsarukyan wants Pashinyan to pay him 9 million drams in compensation and publicly apologize and deny these allegations.

Tsarukyan was the Prosperous Armenia party's canadidate for prime minister in the election.

Tsarukyan and the Prosperous Armenia party have also filed a lawsuit against Public Television of Armenia, demanding that the broadcaster publicly refute a news piece it aired alleging that Prosperous Armenia was founded at the instigation of former president Robert Kocharyan, in cooperation with former president Serzh Sargsyan.

Tsarukyan denies that the party was formed at the instigation of any political force or figure, or that it acted under anyone’s patronage.

“Prosperous Armenia was created to serve the people, ensure a dignified life for them, and contribute to the prosperity of our homeland,” Tsarukyan’s lawsuit states.

The plaintiffs demand that the Public Television of Armenia recover 6 million drams each in favor of the Prosperous Armenia party and Gagik Tsarukyan as compensation for the damage caused by defamation, as well as the 200,000 drams of state duty and reasonable attorney's fees paid in advance for each plaintiff.