$1,000 fine imposed for insulting Anna Hakobyan

PanARMENIAN.Net – More than a year after a confrontation at the Armenian Genocide Memorial on April 24, 2024, involving Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s partner Anna Hakobyan and their daughter Arpi, a Yerevan court has issued a ruling in the case.

Tigran Dermoyan was found guilty of inciting hatred and sentenced to pay a fine of $1,000, Factor.am reports. The court determined that his public chants, including “Nikol traitor,” and “Nikol Turk”, constituted hate speech, though no prior conspiracy or group coordination could be proven.

The incident occurred during Hakobyan’s memorial visit, where Dermoyan shouted slogans for nearly 10 minutes, with the event broadcast live. His behavior was not found to involve premeditated collusion with others, but the court still ruled that his statements met the legal threshold for promoting hatred and intolerance.

At the time, Dermoyan was carrying a business card associated with the National Democratic Alliance. Although seven individuals were initially detained, only Dermoyan was charged.

Security personnel testified that Hakobyan’s daughter was visibly distressed by the chanting. While Dermoyan refused to testify during both investigation and trial, the court ruled based on the content and context of his remarks.

The defense and prosecution have both appealed. The prosecutor seeks a two-year prison sentence, while Dermoyan ’s lawyer has requested a full acquittal.