YEREVAN. – The Administrative Court of Armenia on Monday examined Armenian citizen Artak Beglaryan’s lawsuit against Armenia’s MFA. Beglaryan accuses the foreign ministry of discriminatory conduct against him and demands a 1 dram [symbolic] compensation for moral damages. He also demands that FM’s decision be lifted and he be permitted to take MFA Diplomatic School’s entrance exams.        

Artak Beglaryan lost his vision at an early age, but that did not deter him from studying at, and receiving a Bachelor’s degree from, Yerevan State University’s Department of Political Science. And in January 26, 2011, Artak tried to apply for Armenian MFA’s Diplomatic School, but MFA refused to accept his application papers on the grounds that he is blind. And according to the plaintiff’s representative Vahe Grigoryan, this is discriminatory conduct. Beglaryan tried to appeal this decision several times, but to no avail. MFA stated that the education process does not have corresponding technical conditions.           

At the court session on Monday, the Court listened to the representative of the plaintiff and also representatives of Armenian MFA and Ministry of Finance, that is, the defendants. The ruling is scheduled for October 10.