Month: February 2015

PAP CLAIMS “GOVERNMENT REPRESSIONS” AMID REPORTS OF DETENTIONS

POLITICS | 17.02.15 | 10:45

The opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) says several of its
members were detained on unspecified grounds late on Monday, claiming
that it is part of a government crackdown launched against the party
and its leader Gagik Tsarukyan last week.

Talking to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service, PAP lawmaker Elinar Vardanyan
said Artur Mamoyan, the leader of the party’s chapter in Yerevan’s
Nor-Nork district, had been taken to a police station on unspecified
grounds earlier yesterday. She said they also had information
about detentions of BHK activists elsewhere in the city. Later it
was reported that Mamoyan was detained on suspicion of illegally
keeping weapons.

The lawmaker linked the recent “political repressions” against the
party with the February 12 statements by President Serzh Sargsyan
who described PAP leader Tsarukyan as “evil” for the country and
effectively called for his ouster from politics.

Earlier on Monday, Armenia’s former president Robert Kocharyan, who is
regarded by many as Tsarukyan’s political patron, warned the government
against taking any further action against the PAP and its leader.

“Taking into account the degree of social tensions and discontent in
the country, as well as the BHK’s and its leader’s wide popularity,
the more vigorously the government will try to “clean up” the political
field, the stronger will be the consolidation against the government
and the more so real will be the prospect of political upheavals,”
Kocharyan told his unofficial website, 2rd.am.

The PAP and its key opposition allies, the Armenian National Congress
and Heritage, plan to hold a joint rally in Yerevan on February 20.

From: Baghdasarian

HOLLYWOOD SHOOTS MOVIE BASED ON WILLIAM SAROYAN’S NOVEL

ARTS AND CULTURE | 17.02.15 | 11:27

A new Hollywood movie based on Armenian American writer William
Saroyan’s Human Comedy novel is due to be presented this year.

Enlarge Photo

According to IMDB.com, the United States premiere of the movie shot
in the genre of drama with a budget of $5 million will take place
on December 31. The director of the movie is Hollywood star Meg Ryan
and producer is an equally meritorious actor Tom Hanks.

Armenpress says that the Hollywood Reporter included the movie in
the most expected hundred list. According to the Magazine, a great
role in it was played not only by the work of William Saroyan, but
also the cast. Besides directing, Meg Ryan will play the role of the
hero’s mother. Among other actors involved in the movie are Melanie
Griffith, Sam Shepard and Lois Robbins.

TASHIR DOESN’T COMMENT ON INFORMATION ON SAMVEL KARAPETYAN’S MEETING WITH GAGIK TSARUKYAN

February 17, 2015 10:57
EXCLUSIVE

Karen Karapetyan and Samvel Karapetyan

Photo: Press office of Yerevan Municipality

Yerevan /Mediamax/. The press service of Tashir Group doesn’t comment
on the information according to which President of Tashir Group Samvel
Karapetyan met with the leader of Prosperous Armenia Party Gagik
Tsarukyan in Yerevan to stabilize inner political situation in Armenia.

Mediamax was informed about it at the press service of Tashir Group.

News.am reported a day before that head of Tashir Group Samvel
Karapetyan and former Yerevan Mayor, Vice President of Gazprombank
Karen Karapetyan who had arrived in Yerevan on February 16 met with
leader of Prosperous Armenia Party Gagik Tsarukyan.

According to the news agency’s information, Samvel and Karen
Karapetyans try to persuade Tsarukyan to reach agreement with the
authorities. The source of the agency didn’t rule out that Samvel
Karapetyan and Karen Karapetyan might also meet with Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan.

ARTAK KHACHATRYAN REJECTS THE HYPOTHESIS THAT HE WAS BEATEN AT THE BASE BELONGING TO BHK MEMBER (VIDEO)

12:25 | February 17,2015 | Politics

“Kasetsum” movement member Artak Khachatryan claims that nothing has
been changed in his life and he continues to be a fighter for freedom
and justice.

“If there are laws on “Turnover tax” I will continue fighting. Let
small and medium-sized entrepreneurs know that I will continue
fighting if necessary. I continue to be a member of the party and as
a person I am standing by Gagik Tsarukyan,” today Artak Khachatryan
told the reporters.

Yesterday he was discharged from the hospital. It should be reminded
that on February 7 Artak Khachatryan was abducted and beaten.

The member of Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) hopes that the law
enforcement authorities will reveal the crime as soon as possible.

Touching upon the news that his beating and abduction were ordered by
BHK deputy Abraham Manukyan, he noted that inspections had been carried
out, he personally participated in the inspections and rejected that
he had been at that place.

“Most part of the case is unknown, and in such case making assumptions
isn’t correct. Hypothesis will be brought forward and checked. It is
a serious crime and it must be punished,” he said.

The activist is sure in one thing that his beating and abduction are
connected with his political activities.

PLATOON COMMANDER FACES CHARGES, AFTER MILITARY STUDENT IS FOUND HANGED FROM CHIN-UP BAR

by Ashot Safaryan

Tuesday, February 17, 11:17

Platoon commander of the Military Academy after Vazgen Sargsyan,
Artyom Avetisyan, has faced charges over the murder of the military
student Haykaz Barseghyan, according to the investigation Committee
press-office,

According to the source, Avetisyan stood by the quarreling students
Haykaz Barseghyan and Arshak Martirosyan and did nothing to stop them,
prevent violation of the military regulations, as well as failed to
report the senior officials of the incident.

Avetisyan is charged with Article 375.1 of the Criminal Code of
Armenia (Abuse of power, excess of power or responsibilities by an
officials, as well as failure to use the authority when necessary
for personal reasons or other mercenary motives, which results in
systemic damage). Avetisyan has been arrested.

The body of Haykaz Barseghyan was found hanged from a chin-up bar on
the sports ground at his military unit on Jan 29 morning.

The Investigation Committee of Armenia told ArmInfo the Chief Military
Investigation Department of the Investigation Committee has opened
a criminal case based on Article 104.7.2. of the Criminal Code of
Armenia (murder committed by a group of persons of organized group)
after relevant examination of the spot and preparation of materials.

Four fellow-students of the murdered officer were arrested, including
the son of the deputy head of the Academy. Defense Minister Seyran
Ohanyan dismissed the Academy leadership.

GAGIK TSARUKYAN MEETS WITH SAMVEL KARAPETYAN AND KAREN KARAPETYAN OVERNIGHT: NO DETAILS REPORTED

by Tatevik Shahunyan

Tuesday, February 17, 10:34

Leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) Gagik Tsarukyan met with
Samvel Karapetyan, the owner of Tashir Group, and Karen Karapetyan,
the former-mayor of Yerevan, Vice President of Gazprombank Company,
overnight.

Sources close to the PAP told ArmInfo the businesspersons arrived from
Moscow with a special mission to reconcile Tsarukyan with President
Serzh Sargsyan to avoid further confrontation and domestic policy
tensions. The outcome of the negotiations is not known yet. The
Russian businesspersons, Armenians by origin, look to meet also with
President Serzh Sargsyan. There is no reliable information if the
president will receive them or not.

The latest speech of the president at the Republican Party Council
ratcheted up the domestic policy tensions in Armenia. The point
is that the president labeled PAP leader Gagik Tsarukyan as “evil”
of the political system, ordered tax audits of the businesses owned
by Tsarukian’s extended family and recommended that the opposition
figure be dismissed from his state posts and be stripped of his
parliamentary seat.

From: Baghdasarian

POLICE REPRESSIONS IN ARMENIA BEFORE OPPOSITION RALLY

16 FEBRUARY 2015
Written by Karen Tovmasyan

The Armenian police has started a series of repressions against
the opposition activists today. According to the press center of
Prosperous Armenia party dozens of activists and functionaries of
opposition parties, mainly from opposition Prosperous Armenian party
have already been taken to police stations without any explanations.

According to opposition MP Rustam Gevorgyan, policemen dressed as
civilians, without any documents and permission from the court have
climed on the wall of his house and entered to his ownership and
without any documentation made illegal rummage.

The police repressions are arranged by announcement of one of
the richest Armenian businesman Gagik Tsarukyan about joining the
opposition and willingness to take active part in the change of the
president by organizing pan-national demonstrations and rallies.

The pan-national rally of the leading opposition trio (Armenian
National Congress, Prosperous Armenia, and Heritage parties) is
planned on 20th of February.

POLITICIANS HAIL WITHDRAWAL OF ARMENIA-TURKEY PROTOCOLS

12:49 * 17.02.15

President Serzh Sargsyan’s decision to halt the ratification of the
Armenia-Turkey protocols has been evaluated as a positive step by
different political figures.

Speaking to Tert.am, Kiro Manoyan, the political director of the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaksutyun, hailed the president’s
move, at the same time stressing the importance of further efforts
towards recalling the Armenian side’s signatures.

“We must carry this through by recalling the signatures. Even after
the withdrawal from the National Assembly, I virtually consider the
protocols still alive. So, excluding the question from the National
Assembly’s agenda does not absolutely imply rendering the protocols
harmless,” he said, otherwise not ruling out the documents’ possible
return to parliament.

Asked whether that step has to be taken before the April 24 Armenian
Genocide centennial day, Manoyan said he doesn’t think that such a
time coincidence is absolutely necessary.

He said the justification for recalling Armenia’s signature may
repeat the reasoning cited by the president in his official address
to the National Assembly’s speaker. “Turkey demonstrated that in the
past almost six years, it hadn’t been open with Armenia in terms of
establishing relations unconditionally,” said the politician.

Armen Martirosyan, the Heritage party’s deputy leader who repeatedly
poses the question to the parliament’s ruling majority, says he
considers the president’s move positive but belated.

He also agreed that the withdrawal alone is not an exhaustive solution,
calling for urgent steps to recall also Armenia’s signature to declare
the protocols null and void.

According to political analyst Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan, the
president’s decision was an attempt to call the international
community’s attention to the fact that Turkey itself bears the entire
responsibility for the process’ failure.

“I am sure that the protocols’ withdrawal was dictated by the political
realities that we saw in the Armenia-Turkey relations in the past
couple of years. Armenia was doing everything possible to normalize
the relations, but not meeting a corresponding reaction by Turkey,
the official Yerevan could not but withdraw the protocols from the
parliament,” he noted.

The analyst said he sees that the Turkish authorities’ unwillingness
to normalize relations and their desire to link the process with the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict (over Nagorno-Karabakh) became especially
evident at the threshold of the Armenian Genocide centennial. “I
believe that the political decision to recall the protocols was
made long ago, so they are now interrelating the processes with the
centenary events,” he noted.

The expert said he never before saw any precondition signaling the
possibility of reconciliation.

“I think there will be a call for vigilance for the Turkish society’s
conscious part that sees and realizes denial policy’s hazards to
Turkey’s international reputation,” Melik-Shanazaryan added.

VIEWS FROM MOSCOW: WITH INEVITABLE GROWTH OF RUSSIA’S ECONOMY, ASTANA AND MINSK WILL TURN TO MOSCOW AGAIN

by David Stepanyan

Tuesday, February 17, 12:04

With the inevitable growth of Russia’s economy in the short- term
outlook, Astana and Minsk will turn to Moscow again and learn lessons
from Kiev’s negative experience in this aspect. The statement came
from Vladimir Yevseev, Head of Caucasus Department of the Moscow-based
CIS Institute, in an online interview with ArmInfo.

“The Eurasian Economic Union as an integration tool in the post-Soviet
area will remain effective even amid Ukraine crisis. This will have
both positive and negative factors. For instance, the financial and
economic sanctions imposed on Russia have partially opened its market
for the EEU countries,” he said.

As for the latest pessimistic statements by Nazarbayev and Lukashenko
regarding the EEU’s prospects, Yevseev said the presidents of
Kazakhstan and Belarus have fundamentally different problems. He said
Nazarbayev with his multi-vector policy has got too dependent on the
West’s influence. Meanwhile, the national economy of Kazakhstan is
based on raw materials only i.e. it is fully dependent on the global
prices of gas. As for Lukashenko, Yevseeev said, he is afraid of
a color revolution. In the current situation, both them fear that
Russia will not resist the West’s pressure. This is why they hesitate
so much, he said. As regards Armenia, Yevseev is sure that the best
way for the country is to launch a bridge linking the EEU and EU in
its territory. It is necessary as long as Tehran seeks to keep the
privileges it enjoys from the EU and the current volume of exports to
Europe. In Georgia is involved in the process, the Armenian public
will no longer feel the need to chose between Russia and the West
so acutely.

The online press conference was organized as part of the project of
the “Region” Research Center “Urgent Dialogues for Armenia Media”
and is supported by the British Embassy in Armenia.

HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK: SERZH SARGSYAN PAVING WAY FOR COALITION WITH ARF-D

08:45 * 17.02.15

Commenting on Serzh Sargsyan’s decision to halt the ratification
of the Armenia-Turkey protocols, the paper says that the president
is thus seeking to build bridges of cooperation with the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation Dashnaksutyun (ARF-D).

The paper claims that despite the justification presented in his
letter to the National Assembly’s president (that Turkey failed to
demonstrate enough political will, misrepresenting the documents’
essence and trying to impose preconditions on Armenia), Sargsyan, as a
matter of fact, intends to offer the former coalition partner of his
Republican Party of Armenia to consider the possibility of joining
the ruling political force again. The paper notes that the ARF-D
quit the coalition government in 2008 in the wake of the president’s
“football diplomacy” policies.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress