Author: Babajanian Karo

Victims of Armenian Genocide commemorated in Batumi

17:55, 26 April, 2013

YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS: Events commemorating memory of innocent
victims of Armenian Genocide were held in Batumi on April 23, 24. As
Armenpress was informed from press, informational and public relations
department of Armenian Foreign Ministry, after offering a solemn
requiem ceremony in “Holy Savior” church, a candle lighting ceremony
was held by Batumi Armenian youth, near the cross-stone in the church
yard.

The next day a Divine Liturgy was offered in the church. Afterwards
all the attendees gathered around the cross-stone and commemorated
innocent victims of Genocide.

General Consul of Armenia to Batumi Aram Grigoryan delivered a speech
in which referred to the international recognition of Armenian
Genocide and to the denial issues.

Newly elected President of Batumi City Council Irakli Chavleishvili
also delivered a speech, condemning events which took place in Ottoman
Empire in 1915, issuing condolences to Armenian nation on behalf of
Georgian people.

Participants put wreaths on the cross-stone in the memory of innocent victims.

Vrezh Galstyan Taken To Psychiatric Hospital

Vrezh Galstyan who tried to penetrate into the National Assembly of
Armenia on March 22 armed with a knife and was wounded by the security
guards has been found insane and sent to a psychiatric hospital.
Pastinfo reports that Galstyan suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. He
is unable to participate in judicial processes.
17:14 26/04/2013

Story from Lragir.am News:

Prominent Turkish-Armenian photographer says why he concealed his
Armenian identity

17:22 26/04/2013 » SOCIETY

Ermenihaber.am news website presented excerpts from an interview of
world- renown Turkish-Armenian photographer Ara Guler with Haberturk.

First, Ara Guler told interesting stories from his past and told about
his achievements.

`I attended the Cannes Festival for 10 years in a row. There have been
interesting incidents during my career. You know Sophia Loren, don’t
you? Once I saw her waiting for the elevator and hurried to it. We
went up together in the elevator. There was a bed in the middle of her
hotel room. Sophia Loren was tired. She took off her shoes and sat
down on the bed. I asked if I could take photos of her. She said I
could. I took several photos and sent them to Turkey. The next day
posters appeared in Turkey reading `Our correspondent Ara Guler in
Sophia Loren’s bedroom.’

Guler said that although he was the son of rich people, he concealed
his name. Asked if he has ever been bothered for his nationality, Ara
Guler said, `No, in essence, no one ever knew that I was Armenian.’

Explaining why he concealed his identity, he said, `This is a strange
country, it is full of bastards, they could make trouble if they knew
it. But I am the most indigenous person here.’

There are no safe nuclear power plants. expert says

17:02 26.04.2013

Anna Nazaryan
`Radiolur’

On the 27th anniversary of the Chernobyl tragedy, experts in Armenia
discussed the risks of exploitation of the nuclear power plant. `There
are no completely safe nuclear power plants,’ nuclear energy expert
Emil Sahakyan told reporters today.

Speaking about the threats in Armenia, the expert pointed to the
issues of seismic security and the density of population in the ANPP
area.

Director of the Scientific-Research Institute of Nuclear Power Plants
Exploitation Vahram Petrosyan said Armenia and Chernobyl are
completely different from the point of view of security. He added that
the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant is one of the safest in the world,
and it had been constructed in a correct place form the seismologic
point of view.

Vahram Petrosyan said a stress test was launched at Metsamor Plant
after the Fukushima disaster, and will run until late May. Research
shows that the term of ANPP activity can be extended for another 5, 10
or 15 years, he said.

Turkish public figure: We would want Turkey to recognize Armenian
Genocide by 2015

16:12 26/04/2013 » TOPIC OF THE DAY

This was the fourth year when the victims of the Armenian Genocide
were commemorated in Istanbul on April 24, AGBU Europe representative
Nicolas Tavitian told a news conference in Yerevan.

Those commemorating the 98th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in
Istanbul were joined for the first time by a foreign delegation
composed of anti-racist and Armenian representatives from European
countries, he said.

While there are many nationalists in Turkey, such events are a great
progress for the Turkish public, according to Tavitian.

`Turkish public figures are in Yerevan, and have already visited
Tsitsernakaberd,’ he said.

Hildiz Onen, representative of DurDe! (Say Stop to Racism and
Nationalism!), said, `There are some people in Turkey who wish to
support the Armenian cause and the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide. Many things have changed in the past 10 years. If we manage
to make the Turkish authorities recognize the Armenian Genocide, we
will remove the barrier between Turks and Armenians. It would be good
if Turks could freely visit Yerevan, and visit Tsitsernakaberd. We
would like to be here. We would want Turkey to recognize the Armenian
Genocide by 2015, and we are going to intensify our activities in this
direction, together with the Armenians from Armenia and the Diaspora.’

Source: Panorama.am

`Change The City By Changing The Mayor’

April 19, 2013

ARF-D members Armen Rustamyan and Arsen Hambartzumyan answer to a
citizen’s questions
The ARF-D campaign’s round of open meetings with the public kicked off
on April 18 at Yerevan city’s Malatia-Sebastia region, yerkir.am
reports. Head of the ARF-D list and Chairman of the party’s Supreme
Council of Armenia, Armen Rustamyan told the public that ARF-D is
interested in changing the city by changing the mayor, rather than
winning a few seats in the Council of the Elderly (municipal
authority) of Yerevan.

Aiming at neutralizing the people’s discontent, the ruling regime is
trying to present these election as a choice about who the mayor will
be and how he will give solutions to everyday problems, said
Rustamyan. `Because by lowering it to a personal level it is easier
for the authorities to turn the election into a choice based on the
influence of personal acquaintances. That can make the citizens
passive. If you don’t show any interest at this election then the
ruling regime will be reproduced. The majority of the people of
Yerevan are unhappy and we have seen that in front of us. By changing
the mayor, we can bring changes not only to Yerevan but to entire
Armenia’ he said.

Armen Rustamyan interviewed by media representatives, at the
Malatia-Sebastia meeting
Rustamyan explained that the people’s unhappiness is caused by the
fact that the ruling regime has become one with the state, engaging
into actions that are uncontrolled. He said that the situation can be
turned around if the mayor comes from the opposition, therefore he
will act as a counterbalance to the regime.

Rustamyan also pointed out that the ruling party has turned the
mayor’s office from an elective position to an appointive one.
Therefore, the appointed mayor doesn’t feel he is accountable to the
public. It is no accident that in the past four years Yerevan has had
three mayors while issues such as job creation, emigration, and
housing are still on paper.

The ARF-D member stated that there is a strong potential for the
oppositional forces to cooperate after the election. `If the citizens
realize that by changing the mayor then Yerevan and Armenia entirely
can change then we will be facing not a simple election process but a
true referendum of mistrust against the ruling regime’ he added.
Rustamyan spoke about how the regime is using administrative resources
and has been engaged into vote-buying. Nevertheless, the recent
presidential election has showed that these tools are not as effective
as they used to be. Moreover, the opposition has representatives in
voting centers so they can control the process and protect the
citizen’s vote.

ARF-D Supreme Council of Armenia, Vice Chairman Arsen Hambartsumyan,
party members and candidates at the Malatia-Sebastia meeting

On CNN Mark Geragos strictly condemned rumors alleging Armenian
connection in Boston marathon explosions

12:25, 26 April, 2013

YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS. During the Live discussion on CNN
prominent American-Armenian attorney Mark Geragos strictly condemned
the international broadcaster and other media for continuous coverage
of rumors regarding a Muslim-convert Armenian, who directed the
Tsarnaev brothers in the way of radical Islam. As reports “Armenpress”
the Armenian National Committee of America and a number of Armenians
all over the world expressed their gratitude and support to the ethnic
Armenian attorney for his actual remarks.

Among other things Mark Geragos noted: “As an Armenian I do want to
comment on all the speculations about a convert named Misha, which is
by the way is not an Armenian name. It is insulting for the Armenians
everywhere, for it is the first Christian nation. So instead of
listening to an uncle, who has not seen the guys for three years, I
think we should be a little bit more critical to some of the
information, which is being passed around as Gospel.”

Also Mark Geragos underlined that it is insulting the Armenians
everywhere, saying that there is an Armenian convert to Muslim, and
reminded that this week the Armenians celebrated the 98th anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide, when 1.5 million Christian Armenians were
whipped out by Muslim Ottoman Turks. Summing up Mark Geragos
emphasized: “I think that this uncle is under the influence of
something.”

Armenian Genocide commemorated first time in Turkey’s Tunceli

April 26, 2013 | 00:04

The Armenian Genocide remembrance events in Turkey this year included
Tunceli (Dersim) city.

On the 98th anniversary of the Genocide, the Union of Dersim Armenians
organized a commemoration event on Wednesday at Tunceli’s Republic
Square, during which Union official Serkan Saritas delivered an
address, CNN Turk news agency of Turkey reports. He noted that their
childhood in Dersim had passed by listening to stories about the
genocide of the Armenians and the Alevis – the natives of Dersim.

Also, and in connection with the Armenian Genocide remembrance day, a
black ribbon was hung from a law office in downtown Tunceli. Inan
Yilmaz, an attorney at the office, stated that April 24 is the
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and that is why they hung black
ribbons on the windows.

To note, Armenian Genocide anniversary observance events were held
Wednesday in several Turkish cities including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir,
Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakir and Bodrum.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Karabakh President meets in Paris with France-Artsakh friendship circle

April 26, 2013 | 10:31

STEPANAKERT. – Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), or Artsakh, President
Bako Sahakyan met, on Thursday in Paris, with representatives of the
France-Artsakh friendship circle.

Sahakyan expressed gratitude to the members of this structure for
their permanent support shown to Artsakh and creating this friendship
circle, Central Information Department of the Office of the NKR
President informed.

According to the President, this was an important political and
humanitarian undertaking which would give new impetus to expanding and
deepening ties between the two states and nations.

The foreign policy of Artsakh, the regional policy, and the
implementation of several joint projects were discussed during the
talk.

NKR FM Karen Mirzoyan; Armenia’s Ambassador to France; Vigen
Chitechyan; Davit Babayan, head of the Central Information Department
of the Office of the NKR President; NKR Permanent Representative to
France, Hovhannes Gevorgyan; and several other officials likewise
attended the meeting.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Yerevan not convenient city for people with disabilities – Unison NGO CEO

13:11 – 26.04.13

Armenia’s capital Yerevan is far from being a convenient city
especially for those having moving limitations, CEO of Unison NGO
Armen Alaverdyan said.

At the same time he stressed that a positive change has been
registered during the past ten years, the officials now even do not
refute that people with disabilities face many issues which should be
solved.

`Our organization has many times raised this issue, first in a form of
request while now we are transferring it into a legal field,’ he said.

Pointing out to the issues of people with disabilities in Yerevan he
said despite mandatory construction norms, not all newly constructed
buildings keep them.

`The ramps must correspond to standards. Very often they are
inconvenient. They better not built such. We face transport problems.
For people with moving limitations transport is in desperate
condition. If to view from a viewpoint of right the authorities have
to create necessary conditions for them,’ he said.

Hasmik Muradyan, who became disabled after a car accident, voiced the
issue of finding jobs. She said she is Japanese language specialist
but cannot find job. `I have already lost my hope to find job. I have
formed a Japanese-Armenian phrase-book ready for publication but I
want to earn money on my own and not be on care of my family,’ she
said.

Referring to the issues in Yerevan, Muradyan said it is even difficult
to cross a street as the time for pedestrians is very short.
`If you do not manage to cross it quickly you will remain in the
middle but I cannot cross it quickly. It is an issue that may be
solved without any means. The stairs in a number of shops, pharmacies
are often made of granite even a person without disabilities moves
with difficulty on it,’ she said.
Armenian News – Tert.am