Author: Babajanian Karo

KARABAKH WAR VETERAN: ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT HAS GIVEN ARTSAKH WAR VETERANS THE FINGER
by Marianna Lazarian

Tuesday, July 23, 16:14

The Armenian Government has given the Artsakh war veterans the finger,
Grisha Sargsyan, Chairman of the Military-Patriotic Union of the
Artsakh War Veterans, said at today’s press conference.

“About three months have passed since we raised the social problems
and came out with our demands, but not a single step has been taken
to help us. The Government’s statements about the empty state treasury
are just attempts to throw dust into our eyes. If they have no money,
let them not buy expensive composting toilets, expensive official
cars and let them not conduct asphalt works where it is not needed”,
he stressed.

He added that their protest action has been suspended to coordinate
the further steps. Sargsyan said that the Armenian Parliament has not
yet adopted a single bill to protect the rights of the Artsakh war
veterans. As regards the law “On the status of Yerkrapah volunteers”
recently adopted by the Parliament, it does not defend their rights,
he said.

Araik Khudaverdyan, another veteran, said that everyone takes advantage
of the veterans’ privileges, except the veterans themselves, who are
turned adrift in the world and have to make two ends meet.

To recall, in May 2013 Volodya Avetisyan started a sit-down strike in
Liberty Square. He demanded that the state should pay proper attention
to the difficult social conditions of the Artsakh war veterans.

On July 17 Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan met with the
Karabakh war veterans holding a protest action in Liberty Square of
Yerevan. They came to the agreement that the veterans would cooperate
with the state structures to discuss the problems and find acceptable
solutions to the problems. In the meantime, the Premier unintentionally
said that the state treasury has no money to help veterans.

To note, Hrachya Harutyunyan, whose KamAZ has recently crashed into
a passenger bus in Russia and killed 18 people, is also a veteran
of the Karabakh war. He lived in desperate conditions in Armenia and
left for Russia to earn money to make his son’s tombstone.

HASMIK PAPYAN’S CONCERT TO CLOSE CONCERT SEASON OF PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

15:35, 23 July, 2013

YEREVAN, JULY 23, ARMENPRESS: The world famous opera singer Hasmik
Papyan will perform a concert with the Armenian State Philharmonic
Orchestra on July 25. As Armenpress was reported by the Press
Service of the Armenian State Philharmonic Orchestra, the APO will
present the closing Gala concert dedicated to Wagner’s and Verdi’s
200th anniversary. The soloist in the Vienna State Opera, the world
famous soprano Hasmik Papyan will perform arias from operas by Wagner
and Verdi.

ARMENIA’S STANDARDS OF LIVING DROP – NEWSPAPER

July 23, 2013 | 08:11

YEREVAN. – In line with the preliminary official data for the first six
months of this year, which the National Statistical Service issued,
the inflation rate in Armenia was greater than the growth in the
average monthly wage, Haykakan Zhamanak daily reports.

“Accordingly, the inflation rate was 4.1 percent, whereas the growth
in the salary was 2.1 percent for the [first] six months [of this
year], as compared to the same period last year. And this means that
the prices have increased faster than the salary of the people. This
in turn means that the people’s standards of living have dropped;
the people have become poor[er].

“[But] it should be worth mentioning that the formal inflation does
not include the rise in [the prices of natural] gas and electricity
because this [that is, the inflation] refers to the months of January
to June of this year, whereas [the] gas and electricity [prices]
went up as of July 7,” Haykakan Zhamanak writes.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

TURKISH PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION CHAIRMAN: “TURKEY’S PASSIVENESS IN THE KARABAKH ISSUE IS OUT OF QUESTION”

APA, Azerbaijan
July 22 2013

“We turn a blind eye to the illegal working of 70 000 Armenians in
Yenikapi and other districts of Istanbul”

Istanbul. Mayis Alizadeh – APA. APA’s interview with Chairman of the
Constitutional Commission of the Turkish Grand National Assembly,
AK Party Istanbul deputy Burhan Kuzu

– The Prosecutor General of Armenia has made territorial claims on
Turkey about 20 days ago. Does any country have the right to demand
territories from another country within the international law?

– Receiving support of some states, Armenia is making demands contrary
to the law. Thus, Armenian atrocity is obvious: “Genocide was committed
against the Azerbaijani Turks. Unfortunately, Europe failed to take the
necessary steps in this issue, a commission consisting of 5 countries,
including France was established, it has been engaged in senseless
activities up to now and has not passed any decision. We intend to
have good relations with neighbours, but this doesn’t mean that we
should fulfil all their demands. When they wanted to separate the
Ottoman Empire along with the Russians in 1915, some Armenian citizens
suffered in the eastern regions, not only the Armenian citizens,
but everyone suffered at that time. I ask the persons describing the
events that happened at that time as “genocide: If the Ottoman state
committed genocide, why the wealthy Armenians living in the best places
of Istanbul were not injured? If it had been genocide we would have
killed them. So, the question is not that. The question is that as
Armenians betrayed the state by cooperating with the country that had
conflict with us, those who ruled the empire sent them to other regions
and some of them died on the way due to various reasons. Therefore,
I can not understand their claim on our territories. What, how much,
why do they want? It is meaningless. I think they intend to create
a new problem and make us admit the 1915 events as “genocide”. This
is the essence of the case. But I advise them not to go to 1915, but
come to the issue on the occupied Karabakh. I want to draw attention
to that point. Armenian should first of all answer for it. For the
present, 70,000 Armenians are living in Yenikapi and other districts
of Istanbul. Most of them are working and living here illegally. We
feel sorry for the Armenians and turn a blind eye to it. Such senseless
claims of those ruling the Armenian state will cause tension. If they
want it, let them continue making claims.

– You are one of the experienced parliamentarians of the Turkish
Grand National Assembly and a famous expert on the international
law. The UN Security Council has four resolutions on unconditional
withdrawal of Armenian forces from the occupied Karabakh territories,
but Armenia ignores these resolutions, the international community
does not create necessary mechanism of pressure over Armenia. Why do
you think the UN Security Council’s resolutions are not fulfilled?

-The main problem is that the power of the UN sanctions is very weak.

There are hundreds of resolutions on Israel, but Israel has fulfilled
none of them. I think there is a need for a mechanism that will give
sanction power to the UN for the fulfilment of the decisions. If it
does not happen, preference should be given to the solution of the
problems through mutual discussions. It is possible to make more
effective the Minsk Group established for the solution of Karabakh
problem. The international law has rules, but unfortunately the
implementation of the rules is impossible when there is no power
of sanction. There should be strong sanctions. It is impossible to
deploy NATO, UN forces everywhere.

– Turkey has always tried to realize peaceful mission in the Caucasus
and is doing its best for it. But despite this vice-speaker of the
Armenian parliament has said that Turkey should not interfere in the
Karabakh problem. Do you think it is possible?

– It is impossible, because Azerbaijan is our brother and we want
to have good relations with our neighbours, too. We always support
justice. The world has seen Armenian savagery in Karabakh and Khojaly
genocide. What can justify Armenians in these cases? Turkey is a
great power in the region, therefore, no problem can be solved in the
region without Turkey. We can not stay passive while all countries
in the region demand us to play a more active role in the solution
of the problems.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
July 21 2013

South Azerbaijani hunger strikers continue to plead case globally

21 July 2013 /GÖZDE NUR DONAT, ANKARA

Five South Azerbaijani politicians from northwestern Iran, imprisoned
for establishing a political party advocating their identity rights,
are continuing a hunger strike — which has already turned critical
for their health — that they started in an effort to have their
voices heard on the international scene due to the failure of Iran’s
state-controlled media to report on their situation

The Tabriz Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced five South
Azerbaijani activists — Latif Hassani (43), Mahmoud Fazli (45),
Shahram Radmehr (38), Ayat Mehr Ali Bayglu (35) and Behboud Gholi Zade
(48) — to nine years in prison in May on the charge of forming an
illegal group, the New Southern Azerbaijan National Awakening Movement
Party (Yeni GAMOH), and distributing anti-government propaganda.

The political activists have been on a hunger strike in the central
prison in Tabriz since July 13 in protest of the sentence handed down
against them. Relatives of the victims have confirmed that some of the
activists have already been hospitalized because of the strike.
According to the latest update from the prisoners’ families on Sunday,
visitations have been banned and the prisoners were transported on the
eighth day of their hunger strike to a prison in Tehran without
informing their families.

The imprisoned activists confirm that they will continue to strike
until their prison sentence is canceled, which they say the court
decided under the pressure of the Iranian intelligence community.

`Because of the Iranian media boycott on publishing news on Azeri
nationalists, this [hunger strike] is an opportunity for us to make
our voices heard internationally. This is just a stage in our
struggle,’ stated Duman Radmehr, brother of prisoner Shahram Radmehr.

Tabriz intelligence and the Tabriz prosecutor’s office had demanded
the most severe punishment for the prisoners, and it was given by the
court. The prisoners were detained during a series of arrests that
began in December last year in Iran, and they were sent to the central
prison in Tabriz.

Yeni GAMOH is an offshoot of GAMOH, an old party in Iran whose members
are currently in exile, as their party is illegal in the country. The
five imprisoned activists were on the administrative board of the new
party, under the chairmanship of Hassani.

Amnesty International issued a report on June 12 expressing worry for
the situation of imprisoned activists in Iran, including those five
from Yeni GAMOH.

Families of the prisoners have confirmed that the five activists were
in solitary confinement and that they were tortured physically and
mentally by Iranian intelligence officers before being sent to prison
in March. Included in the unlawful treatment of the detainees were
long periods of interrogation, severe beatings and days of solitary
confinement. They were only permitted to get a lawyer almost five
months after their detention and just one week before the court
hearing, the families also said.

All of Iran’s Azeri political groups had to organize outside the
country because the Azerbaijani population is not a `recognized
minority’ in the country. Article 26 of the Iranian constitution only
allows `[the] formation of parties, societies, political or
professional associations, as well as religious societies, whether
Islamic or pertaining to one of the recognized religious minorities.’

Karim Asghari, an active South Azerbaijani activist, told Today’s
Zaman: `Iran could not accept that GAMOH, which it accused of having
foreign/external origins, was found to be operating inside the
country. [Yeni GAMOH] has declared that it wants transparent politics,
which has been lacking in Iran for many years.’

`New presidency won’t decrease pressure on South Azerbaijanis

South Azerbaijanis think that the changing presidency in Iran due to
the June elections will not improve their situation, although the
president-elect, Hasan Rohani, is a moderate conservative supported by
Iranian democrats. His election has been read as a signal of a more
moderate Iranian policy, both vis-à-vis domestic actors and foreign
relations.

South Azerbaijanis are not so optimistic about Rohani abiding by his
promise to them before the elections on allowing education in their
mother tongue. `After the elections, he [Rohani] has returned to the
state’s old discourse, saying `all of us are Persians, so no need for
any other language,” Asghari stated.

Shahin Helali Khyavi, a friend of the prisoners who is based outside
Iran, however, estimated that such a harsh punishment would not have
been made if the arrests and trials had not occurred during the last
period of the outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, indicating his
hope for Rohani.

Iranian-Azeri people living in northern Iran define themselves as
southern Azerbaijani Turks and are struggling with the Iranian regime
as they have been denied their ethnic rights granted in Articles 15
and 19 of the Iranian constitution, which provides for the equal
treatment of all ethnic groups and freedom to use their mother tongue
in media and education. However, these Azeri Turks in Iran have been
arbitrarily deprived of such rights, while other ethnic groups, such
as Armenians, enjoy their freedoms. Iran has an Armenian population of
200,000, while the number of ethnic Azerbaijanis in Iran amounts to 35
million.

Georgian Armenian community celebrates kindergarten graduates

Published: Sunday July 21, 2013

Khorenatsi kindergarten graduates.

TBILISI – On 29 June 2003, in Calouste Gulbenkian Hall of the
“Hayartun” Center of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, a farewell
matinee of St. Movses Khorenatsi Kindergarten senior group students
was held. The clergy, teachers, parents, guests and representatives of
Tbilisi Armenian community had gathered in the festively decorated
hall.

Kids in festive attire, sewn on the Afyan family donations, opened the
holiday with Our Father Prayer and, after receiving a blessing from
the Head of the Diocese, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan,
demonstrated their knowledge and skills. Unlike previous events, the
graduates themselves welcomed the audience and hosted the entire
matinee, they recited alphabet and beautiful sayings, sang songs,
their dances exceeded all expectations.

10 from St. Movses Khorenatsi kindergarten 16 graduates will start the
new school year in the Armenian school. Principal of School ?104 Irina
Zhamkochyan, the representative of RA Embassy to Georgia Vahagn Afyan
assessed the students’ preparation level and the kindergarten
teachers’ contribution – the Headmistress Eugenia Markosyan, song and
dance teachers Lala Gevorgyan, Narine Ghushchyan, the spiritual
supervisor Deacon Gevorg Antonyan – in creation of more opportunities
and a strong foundation in training and Armenian education of the
students.

Residing in Russia benefactor of the “Hayartun” Center of the Armenian
Diocese in Georgia Boris Saakov highly appreciated the Center’s
activities, with undisguised satisfaction he underlined the activities
of built on his donations “Hayartun” Center for the good of the
nation, where people get what is near and dear to their hearts.

His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan blessed the audience and highly
praised the kindergarten activities, artistic and rich in content
holidays, which show the kindergarten teachers selflessness in the
education of children in the Armenian spirit and the spirit of the
Armenian culture.

Mrs. Anna Petrosyan, the wife of the “Hayartun” Center Board of
Trustees member Nelson Petrosyan, handed over St. Movses Khorenatsi
Kindergarten course completion certificates to the graduates, and then
the children were regaled with cake.

After that at Surb Etchmiadzin Church in Avlabar under the leadership
of the Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in
Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan and with the
participation of sacristan of the church Priest Manuk Zeynalyan a
christening ceremony of the kindergarten students and the parents of
two children took place.

Photo reportage is available
at:

ARMENIA-ECOLOGY
Two of the four varieties of Ichkhan, fish endemic to Lake Sevan disappeared

The situation of fish species endemic Ichkhan (Prince) of Lake Sevan
is considered very disturbing. For half a century already conditions
of Sevan basin does not allow the Ichkhan develop normally in its
natural environment. This is the method of rearing and fry are
relachage of the species continues. But four varieties of fish Ichkhan
now only two survive. The “Tsmérayin Ichkhan” (the winter Ichkhan) and
Podjak-another variety of the species of Ichkhan-vanished lake under
natural conditions. Their reproduction is artificial. It is done by
the officers of the Lake reserves. Some specimens of the species’
Amarayin Ichkhan “(summer Ichkhan) still survive in the wild. And
“Kagharkouniki” another kind of Ichkhan is a little more common. The
Armenian government is now trying to save two species still visible
and breeding naturally in their environment, “Kagharkouniki” and
“Amarayin Ichkhan.” At the meeting of the government meeting on 18
July, an annual budget of 60 million drams was devoted to their
preservation. It is expected to release this year in the waters of
Sevan, 300 000 fish species “Kagharkouniki” and the “Amarayin
Ichkhan.”

Krikor Amirzayan

Sunday, July 21, 2013,
Krikor Amirzayan © armenews.com

`453

ARMENIE
Les tarifs des transports publics en hausse à Erevan

Dans un geste qui reflète la hausse du prix du gaz naturel russe
importé en Arménie, les autorités municipales ont annoncé jeudi une
flambée de plus de 50 % du coût des transports publics à Erevan.

Les représentants du bureau du maire ont déclaré que le ticket de bus
passe de 100 drams à 150 drams (36 cents américains), tandis que le
coût du voyage par trolleybus a doublé pour atteindre 100 drams depuis
le 20 Juillet.

Les hausses de prix, ce qui ajoutera à la hausse de l’inflation, ont
été largement anticipées depuis que le prix du gaz russe a bondi de 50
pour cent en avril. Cela s’est traduit par de fortes hausses des
tarifs du gaz et de l’électricité pour les ménages arméniens depuis le
8 juillet.

La grande majorité des bus de banlieue et des minibus en Arménie
fonctionnent au gaz naturel liquéfié ou comprimé. Le ticket de bus à
Erevan n’a pas changé depuis plus d’une décennie. Le ministre des
Transports et des Communications Gagik Beglarian a indiqué à la fin
mai que son augmentation est inévitable à cause du prix du gaz plus
cher.

Cependant, Henrik Navasardian, le chef du service de transport en
commun à la municipalité d’Erevan, a affirmé que le facteur gaz
n’était pas décisif dans la mesure impopulaire. « Au cours des
dernières années les véhicules, leurs pièces de rechange et le
carburant sont devenus plus chers` a-t-il déclaré lors d’une
conférence de presse. « C’est pourquoi [les sociétés de transport] ont
demandé une révision tarifaire.`

Henrik Navasardian déclaré que les nouveaux tarifs des bus ont été
déterminés à la suite de négociations menées entre l’administration
municipale et les entreprises. Certains d’entre eux ont cherché une
hausse des prix encore plus drastique, a-t-il ajouté.

dimanche 21 juillet 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

DRIVER ARRESTED IN RUSSIA SHOULD BE RETURNED TO ARMENIA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE – NEWSPAPER

July 20, 2013 | 07:36

YEREVAN. – In an interview with Aravot daily, Armenia’s first Human
Rights Defender, public activist Larisa Alaverdyan reflected on the
case involving Hrachya Harutyunyan, the daily reports.

“Responding to the question as what we should have done [as Armenia],
she said: ‘Now, I believe the task is to defend Hrachya Harutyunyan.’

To our next query as to whether or not it will be possible to transfer
him to Armenia, Alaverdyan replied:

‘I read today [Friday] that a transfer is possible only after the
[court] verdict. In such cases, practice shows that the trial should
be held at the place where the incident occurred. But in general, an
extradition is the transfer during a judicial process, and I believe
this should be done as soon as possible.

‘In addition, I am convinced that the role of our Armenian community
[in Russia] is great. It would be good if the Union of Armenians
of Russia and the community paid more attention to the affected,'”
Aravot quotes.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, a truck crashed into a
passenger bus on July 13 outside Moscow, and it was found out that
the truck driver was an Armenian citizen by the name of Hrachya
Harutyunyan. The impact of the crash was so powerful that the bus had
split in two. The accident claimed 18 lives and about 50 others were
hospitalized. The court had Harutyunyan arrested on Monday. To note,
he was brought to the courtroom with slippers and a women’s robe. This
fact caused widespread discontent among the Armenian public, and
protests were staged across the Russian Embassy in Armenia.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

L’OSCE REDOUTE UNE RESTRICTION DE LA LIBERTE DE PAROLE EN TURQUIE

Turquie-medias-politique-gouvernement-kurdes

(AFP) – L’Organisation pour la securite et la cooperation en Europe
(OSCE) a denonce vendredi la condamnation d’un editorialiste turc
critique contre le pouvoir, Ahmet Altan, y voyant une menace pour la
liberte de parole en Turquie.

“La peine de prison a l’encontre du journaliste Ahmet Altan pour
insulte contre le Premier ministre Erdogan va restreindre a l’avenir
la liberte de parole en Turquie”, a regrette l’OSCE, basee a Vienne,
dans un communique.

Les responsables politiques “ne doivent pas seulement tolerer mais
proteger le droit des citoyens de les critiquer. C’est le seul moyen
pour assurer qu’un debat pluraliste sur tous les sujets d’importance
publique puisse voir le jour dans le pays”, a martele la Bosnienne
Dunja Mijatovic, representante pour la liberte des medias a l’OSCE.

La justice turque a condamne le 18 juillet l’editorialiste a onze mois
et 20 jours de prison, peine commuee en une amende de 7.000 livres
turques (environ 2.800 euros) pour un article paru en janvier 2012
dans le quotidien liberal Taraf.

Alors directeur de la redaction, il avait critique l’attitude du chef
du gouvernement islamo-conservateur, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, après
le bombardement en decembre 2011 du village d’Uludere (sud-est),
qui avait coûte la vie a 34 habitants kurdes.

“Cet Etat que tu crois diriger bombarde ton peuple, sous tes ordres
(…) Tu ne t’excuses meme pas”, avait alors interpelle M. Altan,
accusant M. Erdogan de ne pas avoir “nettoye” l’Etat turc du poison
de la raison d’Etat et d’avoir succombe lui-meme a ce poison, dont les
premiers symptômes sont “les menaces, les mensonges, les detournements
et les calomnies”.

Au pouvoir depuis plus de dix ans, M. Erdogan a regulièrement recours
a la justice contre les journalistes le critiquant.

Des centaines de milliers de Turcs ont manifeste durant des semaines
en juin, lui reprochant son autoritarisme et une volonte d’islamiser
la societe turque.

samedi 20 juillet 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com