Month: February 2015

LOOK WHO WAS ARRESTED BY ARMENIAN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES!

Lragir.am
Law – 05 February 2015, 10:25

Yesterday Mnatsakan Alexanyan of Sarnaghbyur village was arrested. He
took part in the demonstrations in Gyumri on January 14-15 demanding
to hand the case and suspect of the manslaughter in Gyumri to the
Armenian law enforcement agencies. The demonstrators clashed with
policemen who were blocking the central street of the city where the
Russian Consulate is located.

The Armenian law enforcement agencies vowed to call on the Russian
side on this matter, as well as not to persecute the participants of
the demonstrations. However, a real hunt began on the following days
of the demonstrations. People were invited to the police stations,
underwent violence and were intimidated, as the press and the people
who experienced this reported.

And yesterday the participant of demonstrations was arrested.

According to Hetq.am, Mnatsakan served in NKR, completed his service
two years ago, has a lot of awards, fought against and pushed back
three Azerbaijani commandos, served in the military unit of commander
Artak Budaghyan. The same Budaghyan who was wounded, and his brother
was killed during the tragedy near Liska’s house. Liska’s son was
acquitted for this murder.

Mnatsakan’s father fought in the war in Artsakh. Now he is knocking at
the police doors trying to find out what is happening to his son who
merely stood up for the dignity of the same law enforcement agencies
to save their face.

PROTEST PARTICIPANT ARRESTED WITHOUT PROPER DOCUMENTATION IN GYUMRI, SAYS LAWYER

02.05.2015 13:59 epress.am

Mnatsakan Aleksanyan, who was called in yesterday as a witness by
the Gyumri police and subsequently arrested, was not given the proper
investigation records initiated against him, said Aleksanyan’s lawyer
Hayk Harutyunyan in an interview with Epress.am. As of 1PM Aleksanyan
is still being kept at the Gyumri investigation department. The lawyer
has motioned to receive the documents, including the arrest records
and initial decision, as to what Aleksanyan was charged with.

“For around one hour they didn’t let me in. When I finally saw
Aleksanyan, I asked him to give me the documents (regarding his
arrest), he said that they hadn’t given him anything,” told Hayk
Harutyunyan.

The lawyer said that one thing they know is that Aleksanyan was
arrested in the framework of the criminal case initiated into the
January 15 incidents on articles of hooliganism and use of force
against representatives of authorities. Currently, the young man is
kept in detention without being formally charged of the latter.

Yesterday, Aleksanyan was invited as a witness, he gave a testimony,
and was informed afterwards that he was arrested. Journalist Levon
Barseghyan wrote on his Facebook page that Aleksanyan was interrogated
for 13 hours straight on January 17 as well. A few websites’ broadcasts
of January 15 events showed Aleksanyan conversing with Heritage Party
MP Zaruhi Postanjyan. Aleksanyan reprimanded the MP for getting into
a police vehicle. “I have one question, did you find it appropriate
to be seen in a police car on the streets of Gyumri?

Answer my question with a yes or no. If you asked anyone from Lenikakan
(Gyumri) to take you to London, they would, but you shouldn’t have
sit in a dog’s car,” said Aleksanyan.

Thousands of people demonstrated on January 15 in front the Shirak
province’s Prosecutor’s office demanding that the murder suspect of
the 7 members of the Avetisyan family Russian soldier Valery Permyakov
be transferred and tried by Armenian law enforcement. One group of
the demonstrators decided to move toward the Russian consulate and
were barricaded by police, which resulted in a confrontation. Ever
since a criminal case has been opened for use

VILLAGE MAYOR FOUND GUILTY OF EMBEZZLEMENT, ASSAULT, ABUSE OF POWER, AND FORGERY CONTINUES TO HOLD POSITION

02.05.2015 12:28 epress.am

Mayor of Karmirgyugh village in Gegharkunik province Misha Danielyan
was found guilty on December 10, 2014 of embezzlement, abuse of power,
assault, and forgery, however he is still holding the position of
the village mayor.

Harutyun Baghdasaryan, the lawyer who represents a group of villagers
who sued Danielyan, said in an interview with Epress.am that Danielyan
had not spent one day in prison; he has not been arrested, when he
received 5 years imprisonment by the Gegharkunik Court of First
Instance, he was also granted amnesty by the court’s presiding
Judge Aghvan Petrosyan. The plaintiffs were left displeased with
the verdict. The lawyer motioned for a supplementary punishment to
restrict Misha Danielyan’s right to hold certain positions of public
office. However, the court denied the motion, which resulted in the
village mayor continuing to hold his position. The plaintiffs have
appealed to the Court of Appeals and the hearings will begin on
February 11.

During the trial the court found that the village mayor contracted a
driver, a Yerevan resident, from the village budget for 102,000 AMD
(around $214); having purely mercenary motives, he auctioned off 52
estates of agricultural use, of which 47 were signed with contracts. 3
estates were contracted under his name. Another issue saw, 8 of
33 individuals included in a state project did not actually work,
however, the village mayor, committed forgery and signed under their
names. The court also found that the village mayor had convened an
illegal council hearing, without the sufficient quorum, and decided
to allocate 500,000 AMD (about $1,050) from the village’s savings fund
to the Armenian-Russian Cossak Union, which Danielyan is a member of.

According to the charges, it has been confirmed that Danielyan had
assaulted the village’s kindergarten teacher Ovsanna Gevorgyan. One
of the residents of Karmirgyugh, who wished not to be named, told
Epress.am that Danielyan’s firing of and assault of Gevorgyan had a
political motive. During the mayoral elections, Gevorgyan had voted
for the Republican Party candidate, while Danielyan is a Prosperous
Armenia Party member. The residents also explained that the mayor was
confident during the trial that he was not going to be punished. “I
have a clear pass everywhere,” the mayor had said.

Danielyan told Epress.am that he was not going to appeal the verdict
only because he does not wish to create conflict with people in the
village. He was asked if he did not want to voluntarily resign from
his position as village mayor, to which he replied “I’ll work for
another 20 years. I’m a good village mayor. I’ve built everything.”

FROZEN STATUS OF FIOLETOVO MINING EXPERTISE CAN BE MELTED DOWN

18:12 February 04, 2015

EcoLur

The issue of Fioletovo gold mining project continues remaining worrying
for several reasons: Fioletovo open pit mining submitted by “Grade
Redmet” Company high risks of environmental pollution, which are
not laid down in the project in any way. Information in the project
is marred starting from gold concentration. Under the project, gold
concentration is from 2.5 g to 5.5 g, but if to compare these data
with the scientific data (F. G. SHAMTSYAN, S. U. VARTANYAN, ABOUT GOLD
CONTAINING STRUCTURE AND PROSPECTS OF SOUTH EASTERN AND CENTRAL PARTS
OF SEVAN-AMASSIYA TECTONIC ZONE IN ARMENIA, Yerevan State University,
3, 2010), the article says completely different figures – 1.7-2.4-2.7
g of gold per ton. Taking into consideration that the company hadn’t
carried out any prospecting before the environmental expertise,
it’s clear that official sources were used, but the company project
figures are overstated by twice.

The project doesn’t say anything about accompanying metals (besides
silver), the presence of which bears high pollution risks during
ore crushing. Sotq mine has similar geological formations, while as
a result of Sotq mine, Masrik and Sotq – rivers in the Sevan basin,
were polluted with such elements as cadmium, vanadium and antimony. The
concentration of vanadium in Lake Sevan exceeds the MPC by 5-8 times,
which is a highly toxic element and an indicator of chemical pollution
in developed European countries.

Thus, the main artery of Tavush Region, Aghstev River, is undermined,
as its right bank is considered to be gold-bearing. Dilijan National
Park neighboring with Fioletovo is also endangered. Under the project,
mining wastes make up 3 million cum, which will be dumped in an area
of 4 ha. As a matter of fact, these are industrial wastes – crushed
and spread into environment polluting the area with a radius of 25-30
km from the center. In case of mining pollution areas take place in
such scales.

Fioletovo mine has “gold” relatives nearby in Dilijan. Dilijan
gold mine is similar to Fioletovo mine with its parameters. And
consequently, “green” light for Fioletovo means another green light
for Dilijan gold mine.

2. We would like to draw attention to the procedure of environmental
expertise, which is not expertise, as a matter of fact, but has a
nature of political decisions, as all the mining projects in Armenia.

In case of Fioletovo, the Embassy of the Russian Federation and
the OSCE Office in Yerevan supported the villagers. The real owners
of “Grade RedMet” LLC are another issue. We learn about them from
the mass media: “License on prospecting the area in the village by
“Grade RedMet” LLC was issued in 2005. The founders of the company
are Hasmik Harutyunyan, Mairen Batoyan and Vardan Markaryan. The
permit for geoprospecting was issued to the company when Nature
Protection Minister was Vardan Ayvazyan, currently an MP and Chairman
of the Standing Committee on Economy. Hasmik Harutyunyan is Yervand
Hovhannisyan’s wife, who held the position of Head of Mine Surveyor
Control Department at Nature Protection Ministry during Vardan
Ayvazyan’s office. Mairen Batoyan is Vardan Ayvazyan’s wife’s friend
and his countrywoman. Vardan Margaryan is the owner and director of
“Meghradzor Gold” Company developing Meghradzor mine.

Vardan Ayvazyan owns several mines and has already sold his rights to
developing Hrazdan iron mine, Svarants and Abovyan mines to Chinese
“Fortune Oil”. The Chinese got from Ayvazyan an expired documentation
package for Hrazdan mine. People in Fioletovo say the Chinese also
deal with transaction (information is not checked). We don’t exclude
that the Chinese will try to compensate their damage from 3 huge but
non-perspective iron mines with small gold mines.”

From: Baghdasarian

NGO ENQUIRING: WHETHER NATURE PROTECTION MINISTER DOESN’T HAVE CONFLICT OF INTERESTS IN CASE OF ZANGEZOUR BIOSPHERIC COMPLEX

15:19 February 04, 2015

EcoLur

Arthur Ghazaryan, Chairman of Kapan-based “Union of Employees’ Rights
Protection” NGO has addressed an open enquiry to Nature Protection
Minister Aramayis Grigoryan on the outcomes of the projects carried
out in the specially protected areas of Syunik Region and financial
reporting.

The program on establishing Zangezour biospheric complex left as
inheritance from Ex Nature Protection Minister Aram Harutyunyan
to the current Ministry staff can’t be still determined either in
its geography, or regime or the frames of its own competences. The
government adopted a resolution 1465-N on establishing Zangezour
biospheric complex dated on 19 December 2013, i.e. one year ago. As
a result, Arevik National Park, Shikahogh State Reserve and a number
of nature sanctuaries under one protected area unit making it one of
the region’s largest protected areas – 60,000 ha.

The letter says, “The budget of KfW funded “Support to Specially
Protected Areas of Caucasus” program makes u 8.25 million Euros,
and a part of these funds are to be directed to the solution of
socio-economic problems of the adjacent communities to “Zangezour”
Biospheric Complex in Syunik Region”.

The studies of our experts showed that the borders of the specially
protected areas and adjacent communities in Syunik Region were not
specified.

The observations leave an impression that so far the projects
implemented in the specially protected areas in Syunik Region haven’t
been effective and the distribution of these funds was not transparent.

It was also found out that geoprospecting and soil management licenses
were issued for the land areas located within the borders of the
specially protected areas in Syunik Region and its adjacent areas.

However, Article 17(2) of RA Law “On Specially Protected Areas
of Nature” says, any geoprospecting in the recreation zone of the
national park is forbidden.

We would like to ask you to provide information on the following
within the statutory time period:

· List of the companies having conducted mapping of borders of
“Zangezour” biospheric complex in Syunik Region and the results of
their activities.

· What is the substantiation for such contradicting activities,
as mining within and beyond the borders of the specially protected
areas of nature,

· What are KfW-funded projects implemented in the Republic of Armenia
during the last 10 years,

· Which organizations have implemented environmental projects funded
by KfW in the Republic of Armenia during the last 10 years,

· We would like to ask you to provide us the outcomes of the projects
funded by KfW and participated and/or implemented by Nature Protection
Ministry and financial reporting in the Republic of Armenia during
the last 10 years.

ARMENIAN PROSECUTOR GENERAL’S PETITION REMAINS UNANSWERED

15:03 * 05.02.15

Both on Wednesday and Thursday, a source at the PR Department of the
Russian Prosecutor’s Office could not answer a question about whether
Russia’s law-enforcers discussed Armenian Prosecutor General Gevorg
Kostanyan’s petition for the transfer of the Avetisyan family murder
case to Armenia’s law-enforcers.

Asked about possible developments, the source said that a relevant
inquiry was sent to the International Cooperation of the Prosecutor
General’s Office of Russia, but no answer has so far been received.

Armenia’s Prosecutor General applied to his Russian counterpart
Yuri Chaika for a transfer of the Avetisyan family murder case to
Armenia’s law-enforcers.

WHAT WILL HINDER THE BROTHER OF SERZH SARGSYAN?: LEVON ZURABYAN’S QUESTION (VIDEO)

14:55 | February 5,2015
Levon Zurabyan

HAK deputy Levon Zurabyan thinks that the law on “Income tax”
is anti-market.

What will hinder the brother of Serzh Sargsyan to monopolize this
sector?, asks Levon Zurabyan- based on the thesis of the law.

EVERYONE SEE MANIFESTATIONS OF DISTRUST AMONG LEADERS OF THREE POLITICAL FORCES – RUBIK HAKOBYAN

15:30 / 05.02.2015

The conduction of such conference by the PAP leader Gagik Tsarukyan
is a quite daring step, head of the Heritage faction Rubik Hakobyan
said today, stressing that today people are not waiting for rallies
but for practical steps.

“The Pan-National movement is an alternative to the authorities and
if it fails to solve the issues of the people, ease the burden we may
state that we too just like the authorities bear the responsibility
of the created lukewarm atmosphere,” Hakobyan stressed, adding that
the rigged elections caused such atmosphere.

Hakobyan stressed that in Armenia business and politics have merged
which is one of the main causes of the created atmosphere. He stressed
that today Armenia faces serious domestic political, economic issues,
it faces Karabakh conflict and if it continues in such way we will
lose our independence.

Speaking about the activity of the pan-national movement, Hakobyan
stressed that the success of the movement depends on how frank the
leaders of the three political forces will be with each other and
whether atmosphere of trust will be created among them or not.

“Everyone see that there are some manifestations of distrust between
the three forces and thus they have still a lot to do,” he said,
adding that only by joint decision the leaders of the three forces
must make joint statement and make any decision.

From: A. Papazian

THE AUTHORITIES MUST SEE THE SERIOUS POLE READY TO GOVERN THE STATE

13:00 / 05.02.2015

The conference of non-governmental forces initiated by the leader of
the Prosperous Armenia Party Gagik Tsarukyan launched today. According
to the organizers, the goal of the conference is to show the
authorities that there is a serious pole ready to govern the state.

“If after this event we manage to change step by step the indifference
and despair of the public we can say that we reached our goal. It
is the matter of all of us. We all bear the responsibility. There
should not be domestic hostility in our country. Like here among the
authorities as well there are modest people. I am convinced that the
discussion here will take place in healthy atmosphere,” PAP MP Vahe
Hovhannisian said.

On the basis of the speeches and proposals voiced at the conference
a document will be worked out and presented to the public.

Nyut.am

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CENTENNIAL TO BE COMMEMORATED AT THE NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST

15:29, 05 Feb 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

The “National Prayer Breakfast”–a sixty-two year tradition in
Washington, held annually on the first Thursday in February–will
this year commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide,
accoridng to Eric Reeves, professor of English language and literature
at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Bringing together a wide range of guests from all fifty states and
more than 100 countries, the event is hosted by the U.S. Congress
and is designed to facilitate engagement between various social and
religious groups. This year President Obama and the Dalai Lama are
headline guests.

Eric Reeve notes that “he Armenian genocide should be commemorated
at a National Prayer Breakfast; the refusal to recognize this
genocide–and the belated recognition by much of the world–is a
failure to acknowledge the terrible suffering and destruction of the
Armenian people a century ago–it remains a ‘stain on our soul’.”

Eric Reeves is professor of English language and literature at Smith
College in Northampton, Massachusetts. He has spent the past seven
years working full-time as a Sudan researcher and analyst, publishing
extensively both in the US and internationally.