Refutation: No citizen of Italy by the name of "Pierluigi Collina" has adopted a child being citizen of the Republic of Armenia

Recently, in their releases or discussions, certain media outlets, violating the presumption of innocence proclaimed by the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, are allowing themselves to accuse foreign citizens of committing criminal acts, the consideration of which is within the criminal proceedings of law-enforcement authorities.

Moreover, certain media outlets are reserving themselves the right to present names of specific persons, ascribing to them the commission of criminal acts, without publication of a court judgment.

The Ministry of Justice considers the created situation as inadmissible from the moral and legal perspectives.

Accepting as a basis the statement regarding former football referee, current Chairman of the FIFA Referees' Committee and consultant of the Italian Football Referees Association Pierluigi Collina, published by Armenian media outlets on 6 December 2019, according to which Pierluigi Collina adopted a child from the Republic of Armenia and criminally at that, we officially inform the following:

The Ministry of Justice has never received from the Central Authority of the Republic of Italy the application of Pierluigi Collina on his intention to adopt a child being citizen of the Republic of Armenia. No citizen of Italy by the name and last name of "Pierluigi Collina" has adopted a child being citizen of the Republic of Armenia.

Dissemination of such misinformation is not appropriate for a civilised legal state and may be harmful for interstate relations. Therefore, we ask all media outlets to be as alert as possible when considering or providing coverage of child adoption.

At the same time, the Ministry of Justice informs that criminal liability for publishing the secret of child adoption contrary to the will of the adopter is provided for by the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia.