Author: Adrine Hakobian

Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
 Friday
Armenian citizen subjected to labour exploitation in Georgia's
Azerbaijani populated Soghanlugh village
YEREVAN, AUGUST 11, ARMENPRESS.A criminal case has been initiated at
the General Investigation Department of the Special Investigation
Service of the Republic of Armenia for subjecting an Armenian citizen
to labour exploitation in Georgia's Azerbaijani populated Soghanlugh
village.
As "Armenpress" was informed from the press service of
theInvestigative Committee of Armenia, as a result of media monitoring
a number of publications have been recorded on the labour exploitation
of an Armenian citizen in the Azerbaijani populated village in
Georgia.
According to those publications, on July 28, 2017 a representative of
the Armenian MFA announced at a press conference that the Armenian man
was kept like a slave for years in an Azerbaijani populated village in
Georgia and was subjected to labour exploitation during those years.
Fortunatelly, it has been possible to take him back to Armenia. To
check the mentioned information the Deputy Chairman of
theInvestigative Committee of Armenia,Head of the SpecialInvestigation
ServiceVahagn Harutyunyan tasked to prepare materials. As a result, it
was found out that in 2003 the Armenian citizen left for Georgia
hoping to find a job, where he asked the driver of a random car to
help him in finding a job. The mentioned person took him to the
Azerbaijani populated village in Georgia, where the members of an
Azerbaijani family, taking advantage of his vulnarable situation
conditioned by being unfamiliar tothe area, kept in in in something
like slavery till May 7, 2017 making him to work without
anyremuneration in their land and the lands of their neighbors, while
he lived in themansard of the house sleeping on cardboard boxes.
A criminal case was initiated at the General Investigation Department
of the Special Investigation Service of Armenia on August 10.
Preliminary investigation is underway.

Trend News Agency (Baku, Azerbaijan)
July 27, 2017 Thursday
Pro-Armenian congressman insists on funds for NGO training Armenian occupants
by  Elmira Tariverdiyeva, Trend News Agency, Baku, Azerbaijan
July 27--The pro-Armenian congressman Brad Sherman insists on
providing the UK's HALO Trust non-governmental organization, which is
training the Armenian occupiers to mine Azerbaijani territories, with
funds.
During the US House of Representatives' subcommittee hearing on
"Examining the President's FY 2018 Budget Proposal for Europe and
Eurasia" member of the House Committee on Foreign Relations and, of
course, member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues,
Congressman Brad Sherman urged the US to support the mine-clearing
process in Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region occupied by Armenia.
As always, Sherman "forgot" to mention about the occupation of
Nagorno-Karabakh region. He also "forgot" to mention that the
assistance will be rendered to the HALO Trust organization, which
manages the illegal mine clearing work. Azerbaijan, of course, has not
given consent on carrying out the so-called mine clearing work, which
has been going on the territory of Azerbaijan, the territory of which
has been recognized by the US as well.
The pro-Armenian congressman's interest in mine clearing work in
Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia is obvious. According to
the information posted by the organization on its website, the
residents of Nagorno-Karabakh region are involved in mine clearing
process. The Armenian occupiers, in particular, representatives of
military organizations, will obtain skills which can be and will
likely to be used against Azerbaijan in the occupied territories.
A decision was made to close the OSCE Office in Yerevan in September
because of this threat. As the HALO Trust, OSCE Office in Yerevan also
launched mine clearing operations in the Azerbaijani territories
without the mandate or consent of the Azerbaijani side.
In general, the activity of the UK's NGO raises many legitimate
questions and its peaceful mission, as it says, in the occupied
Azerbaijani territories is doubtful although cooperation with the
occupier does not accord with the notion of a "peaceful" mission.
The way of the NGO's presenting the information about its illegitimate
activity on its own website is worth noting. Nagorno-Karabakh region,
occupied by Armenia, is mentioned as a separate and independent state,
rather than as part of Azerbaijan, which contradicts the resolutions
of the UN General Assembly and all norms of international law.
Moreover, one can see the Armenian name of the capital of the
Azerbaijani district, rather than the internationally recognized
geographical name of Khankendi, on the map.
Aside from that, the borders of the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region
cover, for some reason, other seven surrounding districts of
Azerbaijan, which are also under the occupation of Armenia, while the
Azerbaijani district centers have Armenian names (Mardakert, Martuni,
Hadrut).
It is clear that Armenians actively assisted the UK's NGO in the
creation of the section on illegitimate activity of the NGO in
occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region on www.halotrust.org. This is not the
first time when they are trying to rewrite history, as well as
geography in their own interests.
Baku repeatedly drew the world's attention to the illegal activity of
this UK's NGO. In 2011, Baku did not give permission to transport the
equipment of this NGO to Afghanistan through the Azerbaijani
territory.
During that time, Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Abid Sharifov told
reporters that he instructed the relevant organizations to prohibit
the transfer of equipment and cars of HALO Trust through the country's
territory as the organization has been included in Azerbaijan's "black
list" due to its illegal activity in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region.
This, however, didn't stop the NGO from carrying out illegal activity
and did not affect the illegal activity of its sappers in the
Azerbaijani territories which threatens the security.
As for Congressman Sherman's request, it is strange that the
representative of the authorities of the US, which is a country not
only living according to the principles of international law, but also
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair, which is designed to resolve the
Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, rather than exacerbate
it, is involved in another Armenian provocation.

Please find the attached press release of the Ministry of Diaspora.
Sincerely,
Media and PR Department
(+374 10) 585601, internal 805

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El Paso Times (Texas)
 Tuesday
Kerkorian Estate
Eds: Attorneys Jill Basinger and Amin Al-Sarraf, for the Kerkorian
estate, can be reached at (310) 553-3000; Brendan Coughlin, for Davis, (949)
379-6500.
By BILL HETHERMAN
City News Service
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Lawyers for Kirk Kerkorian's widow want a judge to
order the estate's executor to provide an explanation for some of the
billionaire's management decisions, including the financing of a box office
flop and the distribution of $200 million in estate assets to charities.
Una Davis was married for a brief time to Kerkorian before his June 2015
death at age 98 from age-related causes. His estate's lawyers estimated its
value at $1.8 billion at the time of Kerkorian's death, but Davis' attorneys
say increases in MGM stock value make the assets closer to $3 billion.
``This may well represent the largest probate estate in Los Angeles
County history, if not the entire state of California,'' Davis' lawyers state
in their court papers.
An attorney for the estate could not be immediately reached for comment
on the Los Angeles Superior Court petition, which is set for hearing on Sept.
13.
Davis is seeking a one-third interest in Kerkorian's estate, saying she
was pressured by those close to him into signing a waiver to any interest she
had when the two wed in 2014. Kerkorian was married three times previously.
Judge Maria Stratton previously put a stay on litigation related to
Davis' petition while she appeals the judge's March ruling allowing the
Kerkorian estate's executor, Anthony Mandekic, to oppose her petition. Davis
maintains she is an ``omitted spouse'' who is entitled to the same amount of
money she would have received had Kerkorian died without a will.
Documents filed by Kerkorian's attorneys when his estate was opened
included a copy of his will, dated July 2013. Kerkorian designated that $15
million be given to Patricia Mary Christensen, the wife of longtime Kerkorian
attorney Terry Christensen, and $7 million to Mandekic, who also served as
secretary-treasurer of Kerkorian's Beverly Hills-based Tracinda Corp.
Davis' lawyers maintain that the time is ripe for Mandekic to explain
some of his actions.
``Petitioner has become aware of a number of circumstances that should
give the court concern as to the actions of Mr. Mandekic as executor and should
lead to his being ordered to file an (account) for his actions in regard to
this multibillion-dollar estate,'' Davis' lawyers state in their court papers.
Mandekic has obtained sole control of $900 million in cash by selling
$34 million in MGM stock, according to Davis' attorneys.
``Has Mr. Mandekic been using or investing in options or other risky
investment vehicles?,'' Davis' lawyers ask in their court papers.
Davis' lawyers also cite the April premiere of ``The Promise,'' a film
about the Armenian genocide that starred Christian Bale and was directed by
Oscar winner Terry George. They state in their court papers that they believe
Mandekic was a co-manager of Survival Pictures LLC, which produced the movie.
``Despite its star power, the film was a financial failure and the
production is expected to lose as much as $80 million,'' Davis' lawyers allege
in their court papers. ``Leaving aside its historical relevance, how precisely
was the flop of a film financed? All of this concerns (Davis) as a claimant to
one-third of the estate, as it should concern the court in its supervision of
Mr. Mandekic in performance of his ... duties.''
The Davis attorneys also ask why Davis was given an executive producer
credit for the film.
In February, Stratton allowed for the distribution of $200 million to
various charities picked by Mandekic and other members of a committee.
Attorneys for the estate said in June that most of that money had been
distributed, according to Davis' attorneys' court papers.
``Which charitable organizations did the selection committee ...
choose?,''? Davis' lawyers ask in their court papers. ``What amounts were
distributed to each?''

Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
 Friday
PACE prevents creation of separate group involving Turks and Azerbaijanis
YEREVAN, JUNE 30, ARMENPRESS. One of the Italian delegates at the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) wanted to
establish a joint group of Turks and Azerbaijanis, however, the PACE
bureau made a decision to postpone that process with 4 votes in favor
and 11 against, Arpine Hovhannisyan – head of Armenia’s delegation to
PACE, PACE Vice-President, told Armenpress.
“The overwhelming majority in Free Democrats group were Turks and
Azerbaijanis, as well as the author of report over Sarsang reservoir
submitted to the PACE, member of the Parliament of Bosnia and
Herzegovina Milica Marković. They obviously wanted to create that
group to gather some people under it, however, a decision was made to
postpone it for two reasons. They firstly said it was created from
June 1, whereas at that time 17 members were members of other
political group. Secondly, they also accused in
On June 26 the PACE summer session kicked off in Strasbourg.