An official investigation has been launched against Yura Ivanyan, the head of the investigation team dealing with the Amulsar gold mine project, Investigative Committee spokesperson Naira Harutyunyan told Panorama.am.
The official said the investigation is set to check the accuracy of the information about Harutyunyan’s alleged partiality in the case.
Yura Ivanyan heads the Department of Investigation of Corruption-Related Crimes, Crimes against Property and Cybercrimes at the Investigative Committee.
The move comes after an article published on the Infocom information platform that pointed to a kinship between the top investigator and former Minister of Ecology Aramayis Grigoryan, who initially approved the gold mine operator Lydian’s Environmental Impact Assessment evaluation.
The Investigative Committee confirmed the information but dismissed as ‘unreasonable’ the claims that this fact could have affected the objectivity of the investigation into the gold mine project.
The team is comprised of two athletes, Izabella Yaylyan (59kg weight class) and Tatev Hakobyan (87kg).
Artashes Mersisyan has told Mediamax Sport that the Weightlifting Federation of Armenia invited him to manage the women’s team again in April, after the European Championship.
“We are training in Yerevan now. On 19 September we’ll travel to Thailand. Our training camps take place in Abovyan, Tsaghkadzor and Yerevan. We plan to compete for Olympic quotas, not medals prize winning places in the World Championship. The competitions will show the level of our readiness,” he said.
Nersisyan and another women’s coach Arman Ghazaryan were suspended after one of the athletes, Sona Poghosyan, tested positive for doping in 2018.
Nersisyan was substituted by Vigen Khachatryan until now, who managed the team in the European Championship in Batumi this April as well.
The expert opinion on Amulsar was published ahead of Nikol Pashinyan’s visit to the USA. I think this fact is at least something to think about. This was stated by Hermine Mkhitaryan, an expert of the “Hayatsk” analytical center, referring to the situation around Amulsar, writes Aysor.am.
“Just a year ago Nikol Pashinyan He expressed a very clear position on the issue of Amulsar. a new expert study will be conducted and it will be clarified whether the operation of the mine is safe for the waters of Sevan, Jermuk and the catchment basin. By the way, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of conducting the said examination by an organization with an unquestionable international reputation. This was a year ago. Today we have a situation where the expert opinion was presented by the Lebanese “Ellard” organization, which, at least, is difficult to consider as one of the best organizations in its field. And besides, the expert opinion was not the result of a comprehensive environmental study. only the documents submitted by Lydian were subjected to professional examination by the organization. As we can see, the conclusion we have today does not correspond in any way to the standards that were set by Prime Minister Pashinyan himself a year ago,” the expert noted.
He noted that it is not excluded that Pashinyan, by granting permission to operate the mine, subordinates possible environmental problems to solving issues of external importance for the country, such as not blocking the road to Armenia for foreign investors and finding new ways of dialogue in bilateral relations with the USA.
“The United States has repeatedly referred to the situation around Amulsar in different ways. Last year, the US ambassador to Armenia also expressed himself very clearly regarding Amulsar Richard Mills: In other words, the fact that the situation around Amulsar had an important place in the agenda of Armenian-American relations is unequivocal. And in this regard, it is very interesting that the expert opinion on mine operation, and a positive one at that, is published before the visit of the Prime Minister to the USA. I think this circumstance, at least, gives reason to think,” said Hermine Mkhitaryan.
At the moment, no agreement has been reached regarding the possible meeting of RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan with US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
RA Minister of Foreign Affairs Zohrab Mnatsakanyan announced this at the end of the government session today. “A meeting with US President Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo is on our foreign policy agenda. It will happen when it happens,” said the minister.
Mnatsakanyan disagreed with the journalists’ observation that the RA diplomatic corps was unable to organize Pashinyan’s meeting with the US leaders, saying: “they say wrong”.
“We have not had a meeting with Trump and Pompeo, but the level of our relations with the USA has not decreased,” said Mnatsakanyan.
To remind, RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s visit to the USA within the framework of the UN General Assembly is scheduled for September 22. Pashinyan will meet with the Armenian community at 16:00 Los Angeles time.
ArmInfo.Armenian Minister of Justice Rustam Badasyan excludes that after the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, same-sex marriages will be allowed in the Republic of Armenia, as the state does not recognize this right.
“The Convention will not have an impact on the state so that the latter recognizes same-sex marriages. However, whether these couples live together or separately, they decide for themselves,” Badasyan emphasized.
He noted that the government applied to the Venice Commission for the Istanbul Convention in order to interpret some of its provisions, and the Constitutional Court will act in accordance with the established procedure.
Badasyan also touched upon the statement of the Mother See of Etchmiadzin on the unacceptability of ratification of the Convention, noting that he was ready to discuss all the provisions of the document with clergy. The Minister does not yet know when the Convention will be sent to the National Assembly, however, the possibility of ratification this year is almost ruled out.
It should be noted that in January 2018, Armenia signed the Istanbul Convention (“Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence”). However, this convention has not yet been sent to the country’s parliament. The Istanbul Convention (or the “Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence”) was signed in 2011 in Istanbul (Turkey). Of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe, 34 have ratified the Convention, 11 have signed. In Armenia, this convention was opposed by the general public, who believe that ratification of the Istanbul Convention is unconstitutional and it will destroy Armenian traditional values. The Ministry of Justice sent this convention to the Venice Commission in order to study its compliance with the norms of the country’s legislation.
Two separate compensation cases, one of which was filed by U.S.-based Armenians Garbis Davoyan and Hrayr Turabian on July 29, 2010 and the other by Alex Bakalian, Anais Haroutunian and Rita Mahdessian on Dec. 10, 2010 at the California State District Administrative Court against the Turkish state, its central bank and Ziraat Bank, have been rejected during the appeal process by the court.
The claims of the Armenian-origin U.S. citizens were that their family properties were confiscated during the 1915 events, which provided unfair profit to the state treasury and banks. The families, with such claims, were demanding recovery for their sufferings through compensation. In response to these claims, Turkish banks defended themselves through the principle of sovereign immunity. During the defense, it was highlighted that in accordance with 1976 dated “Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act” of U.S. law that there cannot be any judgement.
The complainant, on the other hand, claimed that this act’s exceptional decrees regarding the institutionalization and commercial activities should be applied, which would enable the foreign state and banks to be judged.
On March 26, 2013, the court reached a decision, saying that the claims cannot be involved in judgement and is a political matter in terms of its nature. However, this decision that favors Turkey did not stop the Armenian diaspora. The lawyers of the Armenians went for an appeal on April 2013. At this point, the court decided to combine the two cases. After nine years of trials, the court finally ruled in favor of Turkey.
On Aug. 8, 2019, the court rejected the Armenians’ appeal with the reasoning that it lapsed, which approved the first-degree court’s decision.
The appeal court also based its decision on the first degree court’s “lapse” reasoning rather than the “political matter” doctrine, which strengthened Turkey’s hand even more. The appeal court also expressed that the complainants are not the real victims in this issue since their ancestors, who lived through the 1915 events, have moved to the U.S. decades ago.
As a result, the court denied the case unanimously without even launching any investigation regarding the claims. Although the Armenians had the chance to demand a renewal of the appeal process on Aug. 22, 2019, they have not done so. Experts expressed that the complainants still have the opportunity to bring the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, however, it would be hard for them to get different results.
Evaluating the process for Anadolu Agency (AA), diplomatic sources underlined that the decades-long dreams of some Armenian communities have fallen lat through this decision, calling the judgement a “milestone.”
PM Pashinyan presents key conclusion from his visit to Amulsar
20:06,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 23, ARMENPRESS. For Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan the key finding from his visit to Amulsar is that people are confident that he will never deviate from the truth and the balanced interest of Armenia, ARMENPRESS reports Pashinyan wrote on his Facebook page.
“The key conclusion for me from my today’s visit to Amulsar is that people know and are confident that I will not deviate from the truth and balanced interest of Armenia even by a millimeter. I am thankful for that trust”, the PM wrote.
Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
PM meets anti-Amulsar mine demonstrators in Jermuk
11:09,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 23, ARMENPRESS. Shortly after arriving in Jermuk Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a brief conversation with the locals who gathered in the town’s center to demonstrate against the potential operations of the Amulsar gold mine.
One of the protesters emphasized that the assembly is spontaneous and they haven’t been guided.
The PM vowed to once again meet with the demonstrators at the end of his visit to the town.
As the PM left, the demonstrators began marching towards the town hall.
Government to allocate another 6 million AMD for organizing return of Armenian citizens from Egypt
21:02,
YEREVAN, JULY 31, ARMENPRESS. The Government of Armenia will allocate the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures 5.8 million AMD for organizng the return of the Armenian citizens from Egypt, ARMENPRESS reports the issue is included on the agenda of August 1 meeting of the Cabinet.
The money is necessary for carrying out another Hurgahda- Yerevan flight and an agreement has been reached with Taron Avia to carry out the flight in August.
A few days ago the Armenian Government had already allocated 47 million AMD for returning 119 Armenian citzens from Egypt. The two flights took place on July 26 and 29.
132 Armenian citizens were left in Hurghada due to the cancellation of OTF 3703 flight en route Hurghada-Yerevan. According to some reports, the flight was cancelled because the Armenian A&R tour agency didn’t pay the Greek Orange Fly airline to carry out the flight.
Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan