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Yerevan-based environmental lawyer Nazeli Vardanyan has condemned lawsuits against eco-activists in Armenia.

“Prosecution of journalists, lawyers and environmentalist activists is reprehensible all over the world. Even various international organizations register such cases and monitor them. Many countries have already passed laws that prevent such practices. Lawsuits of the kind are called SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation). In other words, if there are elements of persecution, the cases don’t go to court. There is also a need for similar amendments in Armenia,” the lawyer told Panorama.am in an interview on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the picture is quite the opposite in Armenia. Mining companies file lawsuits in court to silence environmental activists and win them as a matter of fact. Recently, Lydian Armenia CJSC won a case against reporter and environmentalist Tehmine Yenokyan, who was obliged to pay the company more than 1,200,000 drams. Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine CJSC has now sued Oleg Dulgaryan, chairman of the Center for Community Mobilization and Support NGO, seeking a denial and a sum of 6,000,000 drams (approximately 14,000 euros).

Vardanyan warns of an increase in lawsuits targeting environmental activists in recent years in an effort to pressure them.

"This is a dangerous trend, because it can become increasingly rampant. Although they fail to achieve any results as this method cannot help silence environmentalists, inconveniences are created for them, including a burden of monetary payments, anxiety, etc. First of all, this does not bring honor to businesses; although they go to court to recover their reputation, it yields the opposite result. The public assesses it very negatively. In addition, the suits make it to international registers as inadmissible cases. They reach the European Court of Human Rights and then the government has to pay compensatory damages to defendants. Why do we need all this?” she said.

The lawyer claims Armenia's poor judicial system has “emboldened” business entities to freely sue their critics.

“The government fails to stop them despite owning shares in two companies (ZCMC and Lydian Armenia). These two companies have filed the largest number of lawsuits in court. The government bears equal responsibility for what is happening," Vardanyan remarked.

The lawyer believes that such cases deal a blow to Armenia’s reputation.