Author: Andres-Papazian

ARF SAYS ARTSAKH HERO’S KILLING WAS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013

Armen Rustamian

YEREVAN-The Armenian Revolutionary Federation said Wednesday that
the shooting death of one its members and the mayor of the village
of Proshian Hratch Mouradian was politically motivated, citing years
of harassment.

Mouradian, a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and an
Artsakh War hero was reportedly gunned down as he was headed to his
office Tuesday and suffered injuries to his right temple.

Mouradian had an exemplary career from the onset of the Karabakh
liberation movement until its end. He was awarded the Military Cross
and several medals for his service to his country and heroism on the
battlefield in Artsakh.

“There was definitely a political subtext,” ARF Supreme Council of
Armenia representative Armen Rustamian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service.

“The authorities are doing everything to hide that subtext.”

“We have long brought to the authorities’ attention the fact that there
is constant tension around Hratch for a very simple reason: some people
were not interested in the popularity enjoyed by Hratch. The existence
of a mayor not belonging to their party and running a large community
so close to Yerevan kept many people restless,” said Rustamian.

Rustamian said that Mouradian was at odds with local activists of
the ruling Republican Party of Armenia and other government loyalists
throughout his eight-year tenure. He said the Proshian mayor received
threats from unknown individuals and faced frequent financial audits
by other higher-level authorities.

“They realized that they can’t do that through elections and switched
to the well-known methods,” claimed the head of Dashnaktsutyun’s
governing body in Armenia.

The Armenian police say they have questioned Proshian residents in
connection with the killing. But no suspects have been arrested or
identified yet.

Rustamian sounded pessimistic about chances of the investigators
identifying the masterminds and perpetrators of the crime. He said
that many political killings committed in Armenia in the past remain
unsolved.

On Tuesday, police reported that shrapnel from a bullet was recovered
from the 50-year-old village leader during preliminary forensic
investigation by the medical examiner. To identify the make and
caliber of the weapon used to shoot Mouradian an investigative task
force has been assigned by the prosecutor’s office.

The ARF Supreme Council of Armenia issued an announcement, in which
it called the killing a “pre-meditated and planned killing.”

“Regardless of who the culprits are, it is evident that the crime
occurred in an atmosphere of impunity and lawlessness,” said the
Supreme Council announcement.

Mouradian served as the head of the village since 2005 and enjoyed
the support and popularity of his villagers, which, according to the
ARF Supreme Council of Armenia, had made certain circles unhappy.

The announcement stated that during his tenure, efforts were always
made to destabilize his administration of the village.

“In condemning this crime, the ARF demands the quick and complete
revelation of the crime and due punishment for those responsible,”
said the announcement.

From: A. Papazian

RF NATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMITTEE EXPECTED TO INFORM TOP LEADERSHIP OF RUSSIA OF MISAPPROPRIATIONS BY ARMENIAN OFFICIALS

ARMINFO
Thursday, April 4, 13:12

National Anti-Corruption Committee of Russia public organization
is expected to submit data on jugglery and misappropriations by
high-ranking officials of Armenia to the top leadership of the Russian
Federation (RF), a representative of the organization Marina Galuchenko
told a Yerevan-based Aravot newspaper.

She said that data and relevant documents will be submitted officially,
including data of the Russian statesmen that “sheltered” export of
‘dirty money’ from Armenia at the time.

Galuchenko said that Russia is interested in return of those funds to
Armenia for social spending. The paper writes that the decision was
adopted in cooperation with the given structure and the Armenian NGO
Anti-Criminal. The latter decided to draw the list of the most corrupt
officials in Armenia with the second president Robert Kocharyan on
the top of it.

In this light, Galuchenko said that the name of the second president
may occur in the ‘dossier.’ In the meanwhile, ArmInfo’s correspondent
could not contact Kocharyan’s spokesperson for any comments.

From: A. Papazian

ARMAVIA’S BANKRUPTCY NOT TO AFFECT OPERATION OF STEPANAKERT AIRPORT

April 04, 2013 | 00:15

YEREVAN.- Bankruptcy of Armavia air company will not affect operation
of Stepanakert airport, head of Nagorno-Karabakh General Department
of Civil Aviation Dmitri Adbashyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“Several other air companies are registered in Armenia. One of them
will operate flights to Karabakh,” he added.

Armavia Airline Company, which is Armenia’s national carrier, issued
a statement recently and informed that its flights will end on Monday
and a bankruptcy process will commence.

Armavia has huge debts to its employees, Yerevan’s
ZvartnotsInternationalAirport, Russian companies, and Russian airports.

Opening of the Stepanakert airport remains a number one issue in
Azerbaijan. The official Baku periodically voices threats to shoot
down the aircrafts. However, Azerbaijani Deputy Minister Araz Azimov
recently said “official Baku will not permit Armenia to conduct civil
aviation flights over the air space of occupied Nagorno-Karabakh,
but it will do this without the use of military means.”

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: A. Papazian

DEFENSE MINISTER OF ISRAEL TO VISIT AZERBAIJAN

11:53 ~U 04.04.13

Defense Minister of Israel Ehud Barak will visit Azerbaijan to attend
“South Caucasus Forum” on May 6-8.

Press service of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora, organizer
of the forum, told Azerbaijani APA that Ehud Barak will make a speech
at the forum.

According to the poll conducted by Israel’s Ynet news agency in 2005,
Ehud Barak was named one of the 200 Greatest Israelis of all time.

Ehud Barak is also the only Israeli Prime Minister, who made efforts
in the peace talks with Palestine for the recognition of Palestine’s
territorial integrity.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

THREE ARMENIAN AMERICANS ELECTED TO GLENDALE CITY COUNCIL – PRELIMINARY RESULTS

April 03, 2013 | 12:53

The preliminary results of the elections to the Glendale City Council
showed three representatives of Armenian community were elected to
the Council.

Ara Najarian got majority of votes (8,615), followed by Laura Friedman
(6,888), Zareh Sinanyan (6,122), Chahe Keuroghelian (5,860) and Sam
Engel (4,362).

Another representative of American community Ardashes Kassakhian
(10,335) was elected to the post of Glendale City Clerk, while Raffi
Manoukian was elected Glendale City Treasurer.

Greg Krikorian won elections to the GUSD Governing Board

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: A. Papazian

70 ATHLETES FROM THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA AND NKR PARTICIPATED IN ARMENIA’S SAMBO CHAMPIONSHIP

11:15, 3 April, 2013

YEREVAN, APRIL 3, ARMENPRESS. 70 athletes from the Republic of
Armenia and the Nagorno Karabakh Republic participated in Armenia’s
Sambo Championship held in Artsakh’s capital Stepanakert. The Sambo
Federation of Armenia informed “Armenpress” that a number of wrestlers
from Artsakh, Abovyan, Vanadzor, and Yeghvard Children and Youth
Olympic Sambo and Judo school and it’s branches showed excellent
performance in the competitions. They won about the half of 36 medals.

Conscripts won 3 medals. Wrestlers from Gyumri and Spitak won two
medals each.

The President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan watched
the final fights of the aforesaid competition and honored the
championship with his presence. In order to popularize and promote
Sambo, the federation organizes athletic events of this type outside
the Armenian capital city Yerevan frequently enough. The weighing-in of
the athletes, the consultation meeting of the judges, and the making
of draws were held on April 1. As to the matches, they launched on
April 2.

From: A. Papazian

AN ARMENIAN SPRING?

12:38, April 3, 2013

A landscape exuding hopelessness and catastrophe surrounds the city
of Vanadzor in Armenia. As we neared the end of the three-hour drive
from Tbilisi last week, my companions and I passed orchards reduced to
stubble, farms that could barely be called subsistence, inhabited homes
whose roofs had long since caved in, and-bleakest of all-a sprawling
wasteland of concrete rubble from the earthquake that devastated
this region in 1988. Vanadzor itself, Armenia’s third-largest city,
reminded me of Russian provincial cities in the 1990s: depressing,
impoverished, grey.

Yerevan, the capital and home to a third of the country’s three
million people, shows a facade of modern prosperity. The buildings
are grand, gaudy, and intact, though many of the high-end apartments
stand empty. But I was told that until a few weeks ago, a common
hopelessness seemed to hang over both Yerevan and Vanadzor.

The reasons for the hopelessness were clear. President Serzh Sargsyan
presides over a corrupt and sometimes thuggish government. A small
number of oligarchs rule the economy and control its markets. Violent
repression of protests following Sargsyan’s election in 2008, combined
with the devastating impact of the global financial crisis on Armenia,
the sporadic war with Azerbaijan, and the failed border talks with
Turkey, have steadily deepened cynicism, poverty, and despair, while
propelling emigration.

See more here.

From: A. Papazian

TURQUIE: PUNIS POUR AVOIR ” BLASPHEME ” (2)

Publie le : 03-04-2013

Info Collectif VAN – Le Collectif VAN vous
propose cette analyse d’Etienne Copeaux publiee sur son blog
susam-sokak.fr, le lundi 14 janvier 2013.

Legende photo: Oguz Atak, barman assassine le 5 mai 1997. Capture
d’ecran de la TGRT publiee par Radikal le 6 mai 1997

susam-sokak.fr

Esquisse n° 32 – Punis pour avoir ” blaspheme ” (2) : Oguz Atak

Le 6 mai 1997, la presse annonce le meurtre d’un barman a Bebek,
quartier huppe d’Istanbul, sur le Bosphore. Il s’agit d’un beau ”
sujet ” car la victime est un personnage pittoresque, ” excentrique
“, et le mobile apparent du meurtre est un pretendu blasphème : a
un moment où la presse laïciste cherche a frapper l’islam politique,
cela tombe bien.

Cet article fait suite a l’ ” Esquisse n° 31 – Punis pour avoir ”
blaspheme ” (1) : Sevil Akdogan ”

(Dernières modifications : 20 mars 2013)

L’autre affaire qui a retenu mon attention est très differente dans ses
modalites, mais un pretendu blasphème en est egalement a l’origine, et
un media a egalement appele implicitement a la vindicte publique. Mais
ici interviennent une bande mafieuse et des tueurs professionnels.

Nous sommes au debut du mois de mai 1997. C’est une periode de grande
tension politique, durant laquelle la coalition Refahyol est aux abois,
poussee vers la sortie depuis l’ultimatum prononce le 28 fevrier par le
Conseil de securite nationale. Le mois de mai est agite a Istanbul :
la manifestation du Premier-Mai tourne mal, empreinte de violences ;
et le 11, c’est une immense manifestation islamiste qui envahit tout
le quartier de Sultanahmet.

Entre ces deux evenements, le 6, la presse annonce le meurtre d’un
barman a Bebek, quartier huppe d’Istanbul, sur le Bosphore. Il s’agit
d’un beau ” sujet ” car la victime est un personnage pittoresque,
” excentrique “, et le mobile apparent du meurtre est un pretendu
blasphème : a un moment où la presse laïciste cherche a frapper
l’islam politique, cela tombe bien.

Dans les jours qui ont precede, la brigade des stupefiants d’Istanbul
avait procede a des contrôles dans les bars et les boîtes du quartier,
accompagnee par des equipes de television, notamment celle de la
TGRT, une chaîne de tendance reactionnaire, proche du quotidien
d’extreme-droite Turkiye. Au cours du contrôle dans le She Bar, les
cameramen s’attardent sur la personne du barman, Oguz Atak, 42 ans,
dit Ozzy, qui fait son service torse nu, et dont le dos est tatoue
de calligraphies arabes du nom d’Allah et du nom ” Houwa ” (” Lui
“, autre nom de Dieu), dans le style qu’on peut admirer a la grande
mosquee de Bursa. Le barman a les yeux fardes, les lèvres peintes,
le crâne rase, et un autre tatouage barre verticalement son visage ;
sur les photos publiees par la presse (des captures d’ecrans en fait),
c’est un homme souriant qui semble heureux dans son travail.

Selon la presse, Atak serait homosexuel. Cette ” orientation “,
le style de cet homme, son metier, seraient totalement incompatible
avec les noms juges sacres. Sur le sujet de reportage prevu, la lutte
contre la drogue, s’en greffe un autre, providentiel, car pittoresque
et doublement scandaleux aux yeux du public de la chaîne.

Lire la suite de l’article sur le site susam-sokak.fr, le blog
d’Etienne Copeaux

——————-

Lire aussi:

” Esquisse n° 31 – Punis pour avoir ” blaspheme ” (1) : Sevil Akdogan ”

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : susam-sokak.fr

From: A. Papazian

CHILDREN’S AUTHOR LUCINE KASBARIAN AT ALMA ON APR. 2

Watertown TAB & Press, MA
April 1 2013

WATERTOWN – On Tuesday, April 2 (International Children’s Book
Day) author Lucine Kasbarian is “In Conversation” with Senior Book
Review Editor Wilda Williams of Library Journal at the Armenian
Library and Museum of America. Kasbarian and Williams will discuss
the challenges and benefits of producing material in this field,
including insights from their work inside publishing. They will talk
about new directions in today’s book publishing area, diversity in
children’s books, literacy issues, and Armenian-Americans publishing
their own writings, among other topics. The audience is encouraged
to take part in the conversation.

Kasbarian is author of Armenia: A Rugged Land, an Enduring People (a
1998 Bank Street “Best Books of the Year” Selection) and The Greedy
Sparrow (an Honor Book in the 2012 Storytelling World Resources
Awards). Kasbarian’s website ()
demonstrates how one story can act as a resource to teach about
cultures on multiple levels, providing study guides, creative ideas
and activities. In addition to writing, Kasbarian has worked as an
in-house publicist for major publishing companies and her own concern,
Progressive Book Publicity. She is also an avid political cartoonist.

Wilda Williams has been an editor and reviewer of many genres of books
at Library Journal for nearly 25 years. She also writes her own blog,
WildaBookBeast ()

International Children’s Book Day has been celebrated since 1967 on
the birthday of Hans Christian Andersen, aiming to inspire a love of
reading and to call attention to children’s books. ALMA is pleased
to be able to take part in this important mission.

The event will take place at ALMA’s 3rd Floor Gallery at 7:30PM. $5
donation suggested. A light reception will follow the event. Books
by Kasbarian will be available for purchase and signing by the author.

From: A. Papazian

IRANIAN SPOKESMAN ARRIVES IN YEREVAN

Islamic Republic News Agency , Iran
April 1 2013

Tehran, 1 April: Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast arrived
in Yerevan on Monday [1 April] to confer with Armenian officials.

After paying a visit to Belarus, Mehmanparast arrived in Yerevan to
discuss latest regional and international developments with Armenian
officials including the Press Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Tigran Balayan.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson is scheduled to have also a meeting
with Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandyan and give visits
to some academic and press centres there during his four-day trip to
the country.

Mehmanparast will end his trip to Armenia on Thursday [4 April]. He
started his regional tour last Wednesday [27 March] by paying a visit
to Belarus.

In recent years, Iran and its Northern neighbour Armenia have boosted
cooperation, signed agreements on energy cooperation and agreed to
cooperate in technology and research and to enhance ties in commerce
and economy.

From: A. Papazian