Narek Karapetyan, who tops the Strong Armenia party’s list for the 7 June parliamentary elections, has said the party will file lawsuits against those spreading false reports about him and his uncle, businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan.
In a social media video posted on Wednesday, Karapetyan dismissed recent reports concerning both men as fabricated.
“Samvel Karapetyan has never been involved in anything outside Armenia other than business, and I, as many know, have never held the citizenship of any other country, including Russia,” he wrote.
Karapetyan said the pair had deliberately refrained from responding immediately to what he described as a coordinated smear campaign.
“We will submit legal claims against all those who circulated these false allegations so that they are held accountable for spreading lies,” he said.
Karapetyan added that any compensation awarded through the lawsuits would be used to renovate the psychiatric hospital in the town of Sevan.
According to him, the initiative would include "refurbishing patient wards and introducing a program to provide free medication to people with mental health conditions."
In an apparent reference to senior government officials, he said the program was intended to ensure that individuals displaying “erratic and unbalanced behaviour” receive treatment rather than hold public positions.
Quick Read Nigerian human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has called out singer Adekunle Gold over the reported imprisonment of a social media user. Nigerian huma...