Author: Aram Torosian

                                        Thursday, 
Infected Official Slams Armenian Health Authorities
        • Artak Khulian
Armenia -- A medical worker clad in protecive gear and an ambulance parked at 
the entrance to Surp Grigor Lusavorich hospital, Yerevan, April 8, 2020.
A senior government official infected with coronavirus has lambasted the 
Armenian health authorities, saying that he did not receive adequate medical 
care in hospital and was sent home despite developing more health problems.
Faced with a rapidly growing number of coronavirus cases, the authorities 
stopped late last week hospitalizing or isolating people who show mild symptoms 
of the disease or none at all. They also began discharging fully or mostly 
asymptomatic patients from hospitals.
The Ministry of Health said that state-run policlinics across Armenia have been 
ordered to monitor such patients and give them necessary treatment or medication 
if need be.
Aram Babajanian, an adviser to the head of the Armenian government’s Urban 
Development Committee, and his wife were discharged from a Yerevan hospital at 
the weekend more than one week after testing positive for coronavirus.
In an interview with Hetq.am published late on Wednesday, Babajanian claimed 
that they barely underwent any treatment in the hospital and were sent home 
despite continuing to suffer from pneumonia and not having a second coronavirus 
test. He said a handful of hospital workers only measured their temperature and 
blood oxygen levels twice a day and left most of their questions unanswered.
Babajanian also claimed that the purported treatment caused him to develop a 
fungal disease and problems with his liver.
The 68-year-old official stood by his allegations when he spoke to RFE/RL’s 
Armenian service by phone on Thursday.
“I don’t know now whether or not I still have pneumonia and whether or not I’m 
still a coronavirus carrier,” he said. “As a result of the ‘treatment’ given to 
me, my [blood] test results only worsened and I don’t know the current state of 
my liver.”
“How should I continue my treatment and where should I have blood tests or a 
computerized tomography scan to find out the condition of my lungs if I’m 
supposed to remain in self-isolation for two weeks?” asked Babajanian.
The Ministry of Health dismissed the claims, insisting that the couple’s 
treatment was proper and “smooth.” A ministry statement said the hospital in 
question has a good track record of saving the lives of COVID-19 patients.
The statement also charged that Babajanian and his wife are unhappy because they 
demanded privileged treatment from the hospital staff but were denied it. It 
said they wanted to be checked by a medical professor.
Babajanian categorically denied that. “I demand that they name the person to 
whom I said such a thing … They are telling obvious lies,” he said.
Babajanian further alleged that doctors from a policlinic close to his place of 
residence refused to help when he contacted them after being released from the 
hospital.
Speaking at a news briefing held later in the day, Health Minister Arsen 
Torosian acknowledged “some tension” between policlinic staff and infected 
Armenians confined to their homes. He blamed it on the inexperience of 
policlinic doctors who are only now starting to deal with coronavirus infections.
Torosian also urged disgruntled patients to alert his ministry about problems 
encountered by them through a special telephone hotline.
Inessa Petrosian, a well-known lawyer, was also told to self-isolate in her 
apartment after contracting COVID-19 recently. She too complained about the 
plight of people like her.
“I manage to somehow solve my issues but I’m sure that many other citizens stuck 
in their homes are only doing one thing: measuring their temperatures,” 
Petrosian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service. “But this virus is such that you don’t 
know what your temperature will be moments later. People who haven’t had their 
lungs examined don’t know what other problems they may have shortly afterwards, 
and nobody else cares.”
Armenia Reports Single-Day Record For Coronavirus Deaths
        • Tatevik Lazarian
        • Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenia -- A COVID-19 patient at the intensive care unit of Surp Grigor 
Lusavorich hospital, Yerevan, May 10, 2020. (A photo by the Armenian Mnistry of 
Health)
Armenia’s government dismissed on Thursday growing calls for a fresh nationwide 
lockdown following a record-high number of daily coronavirus deaths registered 
in the country.
The Ministry of Health reported in the morning that 15 more people died from 
coronavirus in the past day, taking the official death toll to 113.
The toll does not include the deaths of 44 other people infected with the virus. 
The ministry says that those fatalities were primarily caused by other, 
pre-existing conditions.
The ministry also reported that the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases 
in the country of about 3 million rose by 442 to 8,216. The official figures 
suggest that more than a third of daily coronavirus tests came back positive on 
Wednesday.
According to Health Minister Arsen Torosian, at least 324 COVID-19 patients 
treated in Armenian hospitals are now in a severe or critical condition. “These 
numbers explain the sharp increase in deaths,” said Alina Nikoghosian, a 
spokeswoman for Torosian.
Torosian repeatedly warned last week of an impending shortage of intensive care 
beds in the hospitals, saying that they may soon be unable to give life-saving 
treatment to all patients. He said this could lead to a significant increase in 
coronavirus deaths.
The Armenian health authorities have so far set up a total of only about 200 
beds at the intensive care units of the hospitals dealing with the COVID-19 
epidemic. More than 150 of them were reportedly occupied as of Sunday.
The accelerating spread of the virus forced the authorities on May 22 to stop 
hospitalizing or isolating infected people showing mild symptoms of the disease 
or none at all. They also began discharging asymptomatic patients from the 
hospitals.
The daily numbers of new COVID-19 infections and deaths have increased 
significantly since the Armenian government began lifting in mid-April lockdown 
restrictions imposed in late March. All sectors of the Armenian economy were 
allowed to resume their work by May 10.
Armenia -- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian speaks during a cabinet meeting in 
Yerevan .
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian made clear on Wednesday that despite the “quite 
severe situation” the government is not planning to again restrict people’s 
movements and shut down much of the economy. He repeated that ordinary Armenians 
can easily defeat the virus if they frequently wash their hands, wear face masks 
and practice social distancing.
About a dozen Armenian civic organizations strongly criticized on Thursday this 
strategy of tackling the epidemic, saying that the safety rules set by the 
government are flouted by many citizens and not properly enforced by the police 
and sanitary authorities.
In a joint statement, they warned that the country’s overstretched healthcare 
system is facing “collapse” because of the growing number of new COVID-19 
infections. The only way to prevent a greater disaster is to impose a strict 
nationwide lockdown that would last for at least two weeks, said the statement.
Pashinian’s spokeswoman, Mane Gevorgian, disagreed, saying that the office of a 
government “commandant” enforcing a coronavirus-related state of emergency in 
Armenia “at the moment sees no need to again impose a lockdown.”
“That is one of the scenarios but it is not a desirable one,” Gevorgian told 
RFE/RL’s Armenian service. “Given the economic situation and the [warming] 
weather, it’s very hard to keep people at home.”
“People want to get out, which is why we can only urge people to follow the 
rules when leaving their homes: to wear masks, practice social distancing and 
not gather in groups,” she said.
Armenia -- Young women stroll in the center of Yerevan, May 25, 2020.
“Very soon people will start dying [in even larger numbers,] many of them 
without receiving adequate medical aid,” countered one of the NGO statement’s 
signatories, Daniel Ioannisian of the Union of Informed Citizens.
“This is also the result of actions and inactivity of the commandant’s office 
and the police,” said Ioannisian. “In this sense, their approaches are 
unacceptable. They can’t support the economy at the expense of human lives 
because we are losing both the economy and lives as a result.”
The civic activist also said that the authorities failed to properly enforce the 
lockdown imposed by them earlier this spring. He said the coronavirus crisis has 
since become so serious that the authorities have not only switched to home 
confinement of most infected people but also stopped tracing and isolating all 
other individuals who have been in contact with them.
“The state is not trying to control the spread of the virus in any way simply 
because it has reached such a scale that the state is not even able to control,” 
added Ioannisian.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2020 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
 

                                        Tuesday, 
European Court Faults Azerbaijan For ‘Endorsing’ Axe Murder Of Armenian Officer
        • Emil Danielyan
        • Harry Tamrazian
Armenia - The funeral of Lieutenant Gurgen Markarian, an Armenian army officer 
who was axe-murdered by an Azerbaijani colleague during a NATO training course 
in Budapest, 25Feb2004.
Azerbaijan violated a key European convention by pardoning, rewarding and 
glorifying an Azerbaijani army officer who hacked to death a sleeping Armenian 
colleague in Hungary in 2004, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on 
Tuesday.
The Strasbourg-based court said Baku’s actions amounted to the “approval” and 
“endorsement” of the “very serious ethnically-biased crime” committed by the 
officer, Ramil Safarov, during a NATO training course held in the Hungarian 
capital Budapest.
A court in Budapest sentenced Safarov to life imprisonment in 2006, convicting 
him of axe-murdering Lieutenant Gurgen Markarian and trying unsuccessfully to 
kill another Armenian participant of the course, Hayk Makuchian, in the same 
fashion. Markarian was attacked while he slept in his dormitory room.
Safarov received a hero’s welcome in Baku immediately after the Hungarian 
authorities controversially extradited him to Azerbaijan in 2012. He was not 
only pardoned by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev but also promoted to the 
rank of major, granted a free apartment and paid eight years’ worth of back pay.
Safarov’s release provoked a furious reaction from Armenia and strong 
international criticism. Armenia suspended diplomatic relations with Hungary in 
protest.
Azerbaijan -- Ramil Safarov, center, receives a hero's welcome in Baku, 
31Aug2012.
In 2013, Makuchian and Markarian’s now deceased uncle, Samvel Minasian, appealed 
to the ECHR to rule that the Azerbaijani and Hungarian governments’ actions ran 
counter to several articles of the European Convention on Human Rights. One of 
those articles upholds a person’s right to life while another forbids any ethnic 
or religious discrimination.
The plaintiffs also asked the court to consider ordering the revocation of 
Safarov’s pardon. They did not seek any damages apart from a reimbursement of 
their legal expenses.
In a lengthy verdict, the ECHR concluded that “the acts of Azerbaijan in effect 
granted [Ramil Safarov] impunity for the crimes committed against his Armenian 
victims.” Those acts were “racially motivated,” it said.
“Quite apart from his pardon, the Court is particularly struck by the fact that, 
in addition to immediate release, upon his return to Azerbaijan [Safarov] was 
granted a number of other benefits, such as salary arrears for the period spent 
in prison, a flat in Baku and a promotion in military rank awarded at a public 
ceremony,” reads the ruling.
“In addition, the Court finds particularly disturbing the statements made by a 
number of Azerbaijani officials glorifying [Safarov,] his deeds and his pardon. 
It also deplores the fact that a large majority of those statements expressed 
particular support for the fact that [Safarov’s] crimes had been directed 
against Armenian soldiers, congratulated him on his actions and called him a 
patriot, a role model and a hero,” it says.
At the same time the Strasbourg rejected the plaintiffs’ claim that the 
Azerbaijani authorities are directly responsible for Markarian’s murder. It said 
that while the authorities clearly endorsed the killing there is no evidence to 
suggest that Safarov’s actions “could have been foreseen by his commanding 
officers or should be held imputable to the Azerbaijani State as a whole.”
Hungary -- Thousands of people protest against the government's decision to 
extradite soldier Ramil Safarov, in Budapest, 04Sep2012
Azerbaijani officials have for years sought to justify the brutal murder, 
portraying Safarov as a victim of “Armenian aggression” against Azerbaijan. 
Accordingly, Aliyev has defended his decision to free the convicted axe-murderer.
“Azerbaijan freed its officer, returned him to the homeland and restored 
justice,” the Azerbaijani president declared in 2013.
Philip Leach, the director of the London-based European Human Rights Advocacy 
Center, which also represents the plaintiffs, welcomed the “strong verdict” 
handed down by the ECHR.
“Of course, the court did not go further and clarify what exactly the 
Azerbaijani authorities should do now,” Leach told RFE/RL’s Armenian service. 
“But the case can now be sent to the ECHR’s Grand Chamber or the Committee of 
Ministers of the Council of Europe to decide what steps should be taken by the 
Azerbaijani authorities.”
Leach said the committee, which represents all Council of Europe member states, 
is in a position to decide whether to tell the Azerbaijani authorities to send 
Safarov back to jail and thus “restore justice” for the families of the two 
Armenian officers. He expressed hope that “such pressure will be exerted” on 
Baku.
The Armenian government’s representative to the ECHR, Yeghishe Kirakosian, also 
hailed the ECHR ruling. “It is probably the first time that the European Court 
noted the Azerbaijani state’s policy of Armenophobia and ethnic discrimination 
against Armenians,” said Kirakosian.
The ECHR also cleared Hungary of any wrongdoing in the scandalous affair. It 
said the Armenian plaintiffs failed to substantiate their claim that the 
Hungarian government should have known beforehand that Safarov will be set free 
if repatriated.
Official Budapest has insisted all along that the extradition was in line with 
the European convention. It has also said that it had received formal assurances 
from Baku that Safarov will serve the rest of the life sentence in an 
Azerbaijani prison.
Armenia’s former government dismissed this explanation when it froze diplomatic 
ties with Hungary in 2012. Then Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian alleged at 
the time that corruption was at the root of the “Azerbaijani-Hungarian deal.”
Azerbaijan - President Ilham Aliyev (R) meets with Hungary's Prime Minister 
Viktor Orban in Baku, 30Jun2012.
In a 2017 report, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) 
revealed that from 2012 to 2013 more than $9 million was transferred to 
Hungarian bank accounts of an offshore company owned by a son of a senior 
Azerbaijani government official. It said that the first $450,000 cash transfer 
was carried out in July 2012, one month before Safarov’s extradition.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto strongly denied any connection 
between the cash flows and the scandalous extradition. Hungary’s controversial 
Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Baku in June 2012.
The OCCRP report titled “The Azerbaijan Laundromat” claimed that Azerbaijan’s 
ruling elite used a $2.9 billion slush fund to pay off European politicians, buy 
luxury goods, and launder money in 2012-2014.
 
Armenia To End Direct Election Of Town Mayors
        • Anush Mkrtchian
Armenia - Supporters of mayoral candidate Gevorg Parsian take part in an 
election campaign rally in Kapan, 18 October 2018.
Armenia’s government and parliamentary opposition have joined forces to draft 
legislation that will abolish direct elections of the mayors of all towns and 
even some villages in the country.
Under the proposed bill debated by the Armenian parliament on Tuesday, only 
local communities with up to 4,000 residents will continue to have directly 
elected mayors.
Residents of the larger communities will elect, on a party-list basis, only 
local councils that will turn in appoint their mayors.
Such a mechanism is already in place in Armenia’s three largest cities: Yerevan, 
Gyumri and Vanadzor. The government, the ruling My Step bloc as well as the 
opposition Bright Armenia and Prosperous Armenia parties want to extend it to 
the other urban communities and large villages.
Presenting the bill to lawmakers, Minister for Local Government Suren Papikian 
said the proposed change will strengthen democracy in the country by increasing 
the role of political parties and alliances.
“This draft law guarantees that there will be a healthy political atmosphere in 
those communities,” he said. “The model existing in the [national] parliament 
will also be introduced in local communities.”
Papikian claimed that clan-based and even “criminal” connections have often been 
decisive for the outcome of direct mayoral elections held in those communities.
He also noted that many of them are still run by mayors who were elected in 
disputed circumstances before the 2018 “Velvet Revolution.” He did not deny that 
the current government wants to make it harder for them to get reelected.
The minister, who oversees provincial administrations and local governments, 
insisted at the same time that he has “never had a problem” with any town mayor.
Despite Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s popularity, candidates nominated or 
endorsed by his bloc have lost some of the mayoral elections held since the 2018 
change of government.
Armenian Government Keen To Avoid Renewed Coronavirus Lockdown
Armenia -- People stroll in downtown Yerevan, .
The Armenian government indicated on Tuesday that it still has no plans to 
re-impose a nationwide lockdown despite the accelerating spread of coronavirus 
in the country.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said the government will instead toughen 
penalties for people and businesses not following safety rules which it believes 
can stop the growing number of new coronavirus cases.
“Administrative measures taken to date will be toughened further,” he said, 
adding that law-enforcement and sanitary authorities will step up their 
inspections of businesses, buses and taxis.
Speaking at a joint news briefing with Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinian and 
Health Minister Arsen Torosian, Pashinian again called on Armenians to 
frequently wash their hands, wear face masks in all enclosed spaces and practice 
social distancing.
“We are confident that if these rules are followed our epidemiological situation 
will not only improve but also gravitate towards an end,” he said. “So we 
continue to believe that our main task and message is to tell our dear 
compatriots that following these rules is very important and even obligatory.”
“Dialogue with citizens” remains the key element of the government’s fight 
against the COVID-19 epidemic, added Pashinian.
“It means that no economic restrictions are expected anytime soon,” explained 
Avinian. “We switched [in April] to the model of a decentralized fight, which 
means that each of us has to contribute to this fight and to protect themselves 
and their loved ones.”
“Every effort will be made to avoid the return to a nationwide quarantine,” he 
said. “But that requires us to be as disciplined as possible.”
Armenia -- A message at the entrance to a shop warns customers to wear face 
masks and gloves, Yerevan, .
The government is thus essentially sticking to its strategy of tackling the 
epidemic despite a significant increase in new coronavirus cases registered in 
Armenia. The Ministry of Health said in the morning that the total number of 
cases rose by 289 to 7,402 in the past day. It also reported 4 more fatalities 
which raised the official death toll from the virus to 91.
According to Torosian, 310 infected people were in a critical or serious 
condition as of Tuesday evening. The minister repeatedly warned last week that 
Armenian hospitals treating such patients will soon run out of vacant intensive 
care beds.
Pashinian’s government imposed a nationwide lockdown in late March, ordering the 
closure of most nonessential businesses and seriously restricting people’s 
movements. But it began relaxing these restrictions already in mid-April.
Although the daily numbers of confirmed COVID-19 infections steadily increased 
in the following weeks, most sectors of the Armenian economy were reopened by 
May 4. The government went on to lift its ban on public transport and allow 
kindergartens, shopping malls, indoor restaurants and gyms to resume their work.
Opposition figures and other critics say that the authorities ended the lockdown 
too soon and never enforced it properly in the first place. They also accuse 
Pashinian of trying to dodge responsibility for his poor handling of the 
coronavirus crisis with regular statements to the effect that ordinary Armenians 
must share with their government responsibility for tackling the epidemic.
“We will overcome the epidemic as soon as there is a change in citizens’ 
epidemiological behavior,” the prime minister insisted on Tuesday. “We don’t 
know of any other method.”
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2020 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.