YEREVAN. – The Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan has made a verdict acquitting Aram Harutyunyan, head of the opposition National Accord party of Armenia.

Harutyunyan was charged under the Criminal Code article on making public calls for using violence, and publicly justifying or preaching violence.

As per the aforesaid verdict, Aram Harutyunyan's speech cannot be considered a call to publicly justify violence, and as such, it cannot be considered hate speech either. Such a view of the court is conditioned by the fact that Harutyunyan had spoken as a political player and chairman of an opposition political party, presenting the latter’s views on political issues of general public interest, and therefore he was under the protection of free speech.

According to the indictment, however, in a video posted on YouTube, Aram Harutyunyan had voiced calls to publicly justify violence against Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.