Month: February 2020

Doctors at the Nork Infection Clinic Hospital in Yerevan refused to conduct coronavirus diagnosis tests for citizens of Armenia who have returned from China, saying they need to have several symptoms at once and have grave health condition. This is what Gayane Aprunts, who returned from China three days ago, wrote on her Facebook page.

Aprunts added that she and the other citizens of Armenia had passed all tests at the airports, but decided to undergo another checkup today. However, they found out that the coronavirus diagnosis tests are for those who have several symptoms at once and have grave health condition. They didn’t receive any response today and will have to take a blood test tomorrow. Aprunts added that an X-ray or blood test can’t diagnose coronavirus.

YEREVAN. – Both the statement by the PACE co-rapporteurs and the statement by the president of the Venice Commission are addressed to the Armenian authorities, and both statements contain a certain call to the authorities in different terms. Edmon Marukyan, head of the opposition Bright Armenia faction, said this at today’s meeting with reporters in the National Assembly.

“The first was aimed at preserving the recommendations on passing to the early retirement system [for the serving Constitutional Court judges], and the second was on the tension that exists today,” Marukyan said. “Both statements were misinterpreted by the authorities and were interpreted in their favor. That is, when the authorities say ‘we welcome that statement,’ they want to cover up that whole part of the concern. I shall call it trolling. The power trolls the PACE co-rapporteurs at a high level, and then the president of the Venice Commission. They make fun of these people. And why do they make fun? Because if you compare how statements of this kind have been perceived before, it will be clear, too, because power is a legitimate power and is not constrained in any way, it shows that ‘I am a legitimate power and I don’t care about your statements;’ that is how I perceive it.”

He noted that the former Armenian authorities, for example, were afraid of such statements, they were trying to make some corrections, whereas these authorities are simply trolling and making fun of these people.

“But I must say that these people are also to blame, because if there is an opportunity in the statements to interpret them in different ways, then maybe our colleague is doing the right thing and making fun at a high level. (…). (…) they say to the authorities, ‘the actions you take, and that is a bouquet of actions, it’s an aura, a series of events and actions, that series,’ they say, ‘don’t do it, you are creating tension with it between the two wings power and more, it contradicts our previously selected recommendations regarding passing to the voluntary early retirement system.’ But they interpreted the call as saying that the call is addressed to [Constitutional Court president] Hrayr [Tovmasyan], that they have called on Hrayr to behave, ‘you’re going too far, already, it seems you are meddling too much there.'”

YEREVAN. – We have learned from open sources that Armenian President and Great Britain citizen Armen Sarkissian has a share in Azerbaijan’s [natural] gas and oil infrastructures. That person’s personal financial interests conflict with the national security interests of the Armenian states. Artur Danielyan, a member of the Adekvad congregation, which is holding a protest in front of the presidential residence today, told this to reporters.

According to him, they want to meet with the president to discuss the issue of his abandoning those infrastructures.

“How do we get the answer to our question?” Danielyan asked and continued. “Is that man ready to at least discuss whether to give up his money being received from Azerbaijan, we somehow compensate for it?”

The Adekvad members have brought oil barrels with them to the presidential residence and plan to hand them over to President Sarkissian.