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    Categories: 2021

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 03/30/2021

                                        Tuesday, 

Armenian Hospitals Overwhelmed By ‘Third COVID-19 Wave’

        • Artak Khulian

Armenia -- A healthcare worker clad in protective gear looks after COVID-19 
patients at the Surb Grigor Lusavorich Medical Center, Yerevan, June 5, 2020.

Armenian hospitals appeared to have practically run out of vacant beds for 
COVID-19 patients on Tuesday amid what health officials described as a third 
wave of coronavirus infections in the country.

According to the Armenian Ministry of Health, about 300 people severely infected 
with the disease awaited hospitalization in their homes early in the afternoon.

Deputy Health Minister Gevorg Simonian acknowledged that the waiting list 
resulted not only from logistical problems but also a shortage of hospital beds.

The authorities have already nearly doubled the number of hospitals across 
Armenia treating COVID-19 patients to cope with a resurgence of coronavirus 
cases that began a month ago.

Simonian said that the total number of such hospital beds now stands at 2,171. 
The authorities could add another 300 beds if necessary, he said.

The Ministry of Health reported in the morning that 750 Armenians tested 
positive for the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, sharply up from an average of 
183 cases a day recorded in February. It said the number of active cases rose to 
almost 14,500 from 6,772 registered on March 11.

The ministry also reported at least 21 more deaths, bringing the official death 
toll from the disease to 3,497.

In Simonian’s words, 228 infected and hospitalized persons were in a critical 
condition as of Tuesday.

“Specialists from all medical centers assert that the proportion of patients in 
a serious condition has increased during this third wave of infections,” said 
the vice-minister. He suggested that this is the result of the prevalence of 
new, more severe variants of the virus detected late last year.


Armenia -- People attend a rally organized by supporters of Armenian Prime 
Minister Nikol Pashinian in Yerevan, Armenia March 1, 2021.

An Armenian government commission dealing with the coronavirus pandemic 
discussed the worsening epidemiological situation in the country on Monday at a 
meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. The latter ordered relevant 
state bodies to step up the enforcement of the government’s sanitary rules meant 
to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Critics say that Pashinian himself contributed to the renewed increase of 
coronavirus cases by holding pro-government rallies in and outside Yerevan over 
the past month. Armenian opposition parties have staged even more rallies in the 
capital.

Varduhi Petrosian, a public health expert, said that widespread disregard for 
the safety rules in enclosed spaces has been another serious factor behind the 
coronavirus resurgence. She argued that few Armenians now wear mandatory masks 
not only on the street but also in shops and even public buses.



Armenia, Georgia Said To Discuss Border Reopening

        • Sargis Harutyunyan

Armenia -- The Armenian-Georgian border crossing at Bavra, October 1, 2017.

Armenia and Georgia are discussing the possibility of reopening their land 
border closed one year ago due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Armenian Foreign 
Ministry said on Tuesday.

Both neighboring states shut down their border crossings for foreign travellers 
in March 2020 following the outbreak of the pandemic. The Georgian-Armenian 
border has since remained open for only cargo shipments.

The Armenian government completely lifted its entry ban foreigners in January 
this year.

By contrast, Georgia still maintains most of its travel restrictions. It allows 
only the citizens of some countries, including Armenia, to enter the country by 
air after testing negative for COVID-19.

Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava said on Monday that her government is 
now considering reopening the country’s border crossings.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazian said last week that Yerevan is engaged in 
“very active contacts” with Tbilisi over the possible reopening of the 
Georgian-Armenian border.

“Both sides are committed to solving this issue,” Ayvazian told Armenian 
lawmakers. “Obviously the pandemic is still having a negative impact. But there 
are also some technical problems. I’m sure that they can be quickly resolved.”

An Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on 
Tuesday that the “active contacts” between the two countries are continuing. The 
official did not say when the Armenian-Georgian border could be reopened.

Mekhak Apresian, the head of the Armenian Tourism Federation, welcomed the 
possible border reopening. He said that it would boost the tourism sectors of 
both countries reeling from massive losses incurred as a result of the pandemic.

According to official statistics, the number of tourists visiting Armenia and 
Georgia plummeted by more than 80 percent last year.



Pashinian Accused Of Illegal Election Campaigning

        • Naira Nalbandian

Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian visits a village in Armavir province, 
March 28, 2021.

Opposition leaders and civic activists accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on 
Tuesday of abusing his powers to illegally launch his political team’s campaign 
for snap parliamentary elections expected in June.

Pashinian has toured villages in two Armenian regions and held rallies there 
after announcing on March 18 plans to hold the elections amid continuing 
opposition protests against his rule. The weekend trips were not announced 
beforehand and virtually no media outlets were able to cover them.

Pashinian mentioned the anticipated polls when he addressed villagers in Armavir 
province on Sunday. Speaking at one of those rallies, he urged supporters to 
vote against “wolves seeking to come to power” and give his administration a 
“mandate to strangle the wolves.”

“I hope and believe that you will solve that problem,” said Pashinian.

Opposition leaders condemned what they described as illegal campaign trips and 
gatherings facilitated by local government officials.

“Nikol Pashinian is now doing something against which he had for decades fought 
as a journalist and a parliament deputy,” said Naira Zohrabian, a senior member 
of the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK). “He is doing so in a much more 
ugly, immoral and open manner than the former authorities did.”

“Nikol Pashinian’s every trip to the regions is a total abuse of administrative 
resources,” Zohrabian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. She claimed that public 
sector employees and other local residents are forced to attend his rallies.

Daniel Ioannisian of the Union of Informed Citizens, a Yerevan-based civic 
group, likewise charged that Pashinian’s trips constitute a “blatant abuse of 
administrative resources.”

“When you meet with voters, speak about elections, the future and your programs, 
and say at the same time that you have just decided to pave roads in their 
village that gives those who possess administrative resources a clear advantage 
over other parties,” said Ioannisian.

Pashinian’s office could not be immediately reached for comment on these 
accusations.



Lawyers Demand End To Kocharian’s ‘Unconstitutional’ Trial

        • Naira Bulghadarian

Armenia -- Former President Robert Kocharian (C) and his lawyers attend a court 
hearing in Yerevan, .

Lawyers for Robert Kocharian demanded on Tuesday that a Yerevan judge throw out 
coup charges against Armenia’s former president, arguing that the Constitutional 
Court has declared them unconstitutional.

Kocharian as well as two retired generals are prosecuted under Article 300.1 of 
the Armenian Criminal Code dealing with “overthrow of the constitutional order.” 
The accusation rejected by them as politically motivated stems from the 2008 
post-election unrest in Yerevan that left ten people dead.

The current Criminal Code was enacted in 2009. The previous code, which was in 
force during the dramatic events of March 2008, had no clauses relating to 
“overthrow of the constitutional order” and contained instead references to 
“usurpation of state power.”

Kocharian’s legal team appealed to the Constitutional Court in 2019, saying that 
Article 300.1 cannot be used retroactively against the ex-president. A judge who 
initially presided over Kocharian’s high-profile trial also asked the high court 
to pass judgment on the legality of the accusation.

In a March 26 ruling, the court backed the defense lawyers’ arguments. It said 
that the prosecutors’ recourse to Article 300.1 runs counter to the Armenian 
constitution.

The Office of the Prosecutor-General has still not reacted to the ruling.

Anna Danibekian, the current presiding judge, said on Tuesday that she has 
received a letter from a prosecutor asking her to adjourn the trial until April 
6. Danibekian said he informed her that the prosecution needs time to submit an 
“extensive petition” in connection with the Constitutional Court’s decision.


Armenia - Judge Anna Danibekian presides over former President Robert 
Kocharian's trial, Yerevan, .

The judge went on to announce that the trial will resume on April 2. Kocharian’s 
lawyers criticized the decision, saying that she should have put an end to the 
coup trial instead.

“In effect, our client is still prosecuted under a Criminal Code article that 
does not exist anymore … You must have stopped his prosecution by now,” one of 
them, Hayk Alumian, told Danibekian.

“Do you realize just how seriously you are breaking the law?” Alumian charged.

Kocharian, who ruled Armenia from 1998-2008, also stands accused of 
bribe-taking. He strongly denies that accusation as well.

The 66-year-old ex-president has been at loggerheads with Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian’s government ever since it took office in May 2018. He was first 
arrested in July 2018. He was twice freed and twice rearrested before Armenia’s 
Court of Appeals released him on bail in June 2020.

Kocharian announced his return to active politics shortly after the first 
arrest. He declared in January that he and his political allies will participate 
in snap parliamentary elections expected later this year. He said they will be 
Pashinian’s main challengers.


Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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