Civilnet.am scrutinized the family’s business assets in a journalistic investigation jointly conducted with the international Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).
In an article posted on its website last month, the publication said that Avinian’s dazzling political career made since the 2018 “velvet revolution” was “accompanied by the growing prosperity of businesses linked to his family.” It singled out an agribusiness firm that received government grants and loan subsidies when Avinian served as deputy prime minister from 2018-2021.
Avinian denounced the “false article” and pledged to sue Civilnet.am during a live debate with former Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutian hosted by the Factor TV online broadcaster on Wednesday.
“Our media has become a big garbage dump where anyone can say whatever they want,” he charged.
Although the 35-year-old mayor clarified moments later that he did not refer to all media outlets, he drew strong condemnation from editors, journalists and press freedom groups.
“High-ranking officials such as the mayor of Yerevan are obliged to be tolerant of public criticism,” said Shushan Doydoyan of the Center for Freedom of Information. “The [Civilnet.am] journalists acted absolutely within the scope of their duties and mission.”
Armenia - Former Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutian talks to reporters outside the municipality building, March 12, 2024.
During the debate, Avinian also found himself on the defensive when Marutian decried the fact that his business class ticket purchased by the Yerevan municipality for his recent flight to Los Angeles cost taxpayers almost 7.7 million drams ($19,500).
Avinian admitted that buying such an expensive ticket was “wrong.” But he denied personal responsibility for what the head of Armenia’s leading anti-corruption watchdog, Varuzhan Hoktanian, described on Thursday as a waste of public funds.
Avinian, who is a senior member of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s Civil Contract party, traveled to the United States late last month together with eight other municipality officials. His office put the total cost of the trip at 26.1 million drams ($66,500).
In the last municipal elections held in Yerevan in September 2023, Civil Contract fell well short of an absolute majority in the city council empowered to appoint the mayor. Pashinian’s party suffered the setback despite a lack of opposition interest in the elections and a record-low turnout which played into its hands.
Nevertheless, it managed to install Avinian as mayor after reaching a power-sharing deal with a pro-establishment party and securing the effective backing of another group led at the time by a fugitive video blogger. Marutian’s party and another opposition group represented in the current city council have challenged the mayor’s legitimacy, demanding a repeat ballot.