Author: Badalian Vardan

ARTUR SAKUNTS: THE SAME CAN HAPPEN TO ANY POLITICAL FORCE THAT WILL SEEK CHANGE OF POWER (VIDEO)

16:31 | April 8,2015 | Politics

Didn’t the law enforcement agencies violate human rights by arresting
seven members of the opposition Founding Parliament group?

“I shall refrain from making any comments as the investigation is in
progress,” Minister of Justice Hovhannes Manukyan said on Wednesday.

Asked how he assessed the arrest as a lawyer, Mr Manukyan said, “From
the legal point of view, I shall assess it as the man who serves as
Minister of Justice.”

The minister does not see a violation of the presumption of innocence
while the Investigative Committee of Armenia said yesterday it
prevented possible ‘mass disturbances’ during public events scheduled
for April 24 – the day when Armenians will be commemorating the
centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

“No names are given,” said Mr Manukyan.

Human rights activist Artur Sakunts says the arrest of the opposition
activists is ungrounded and the charges are fabricated. “They arrested
the people who, according to Serzh Sargsyan, are key figures in the
movement that is demanding his resignation,” he said.

Mr Sakunts says Serzh Sargsyan is doing everything to retain his power;
he is even applying violence and force against public.

“Today they are trying to intimidate the Founding Parliament. Tomorrow
it can be the Civil Contract or some other political force that will
seek a change of power,” he added.

FIVE COUNTRIES SEEK TO CARRY OUT RUSSIA’S TURKISH STREAM PROJECT IN EUROPE

(c) Sputnik/ Igor Zarembo
BUSINESS
14:48 08.04.2015Get short URL
40430
Hungary, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey seek ways to diversify
routes and channels of natural gas deliveries to Europe through Turkey,
according to a declaration foreign ministers of the five countries
signed in Budapest on Tuesday.

(c) AP PHOTO/ PETR DAVID JOSEK Turkish Stream May Bring Energy Security
to Europe – Senior Greek Official The declaration paves the way for
the five countries to participate in the project based on the so-called
Turkish Stream gas pipeline, according to the Kommersant newspaper. The
Russia daily added that Austria could also join the venture.

The Turkish Stream pipeline is an alternative to the South
Stream, which Russia terminated in December 2014, citing Brussels’
opposition to the project. The pipeline with an annual capacity of
63 billion cubic meters will deliver gas to Turkey via a gas hub on
the Turkish-Greek border for further distribution to consumers in
southern Europe.

The declaration reflects only political intent. The five countries
and companies interested in the project will have to convene again
on multiple occasions to discuss details of the venture. The next
ministerial meeting is expected to take place in July but bilateral
talks will start earlier.

The first leg of the Turkish Stream pipeline is scheduled to be
completed by the end of 2016.

Gas talks could become on the key issues during talks between the
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who is on a two-day visit to
Moscow, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

(c) AP PHOTO/ MURAD SEZER, FILE Putin, Tsipras to Discuss Connecting
Greece to Turkish Stream If the countries decide to take part in the
Turkish Stream project, Gazprom will have an opportunity to deliver
gas to Europe bypassing Ukraine without drastically altering existing
deals with the customers, Kommersant pointed out. But it has other
implications too.

Cordial relations with current and aspiring EU members, who try to
carry out independent foreign policy, are of high value to Russia
against the background of Moscow’s current relations with the West.

The European Commission will likely be against any joint ventures,
focusing on Russian gas. The EC is developing legal mechanisms, which
will allow it to block any intergovernmental agreements and business
contracts deemed harmful for the EU energy security.

Read more:

HEAD OF THE ICRC DELEGATION: 1915 EVENTS MUST NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN

20:47, 08.04.2015
Region:World News, Armenia
Theme: Politics, Analytics

Interview of Sarah Epprecht, head of the ICRC delegation in Armenia,
in connection with the upcoming centennial anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide.

What is the ICRC’s position on the massacre of the Armenian people
in the Ottoman Empire?

The events that occurred a century ago are without doubt tragic
and still provoke strong feelings. From a humanitarian perspective,
it is a tragedy.

In line with our mandate, we prefer to focus on the importance of
remembering the tremendous suffering and loss of life endured by
countless Armenians under Ottoman rule. We see this year’s centennial
commemoration as a time to recognize the need to strengthen respect
for human dignity and highlight the importance of efforts to prevent
such tragedies from happening again anywhere in the world.

How does the ICRC classify the events in legal terms?

We are aware that there is a lot of interest in ascertaining which
countries or organizations officially recognize as genocide the
terrible events that took place under Ottoman rule. However, as a
neutral and independent humanitarian organization, the ICRC does not
take part in such debates.

The ICRC is an international humanitarian organization with a history
of working in situations of violence that stretches back 150 years.

What efforts did the ICRC make to assist the Armenian people back then?

One hundred years ago, the ICRC was not yet the organization that it
is today. Unfortunately, at that time, we did not have the extensive
field presence and proximity to victims that now characterizes our
work. The situation at that time made direct assistance impossible.

Nevertheless, in the years that followed, the ICRC focused on providing
relief to Armenian children. It coordinated the efforts of a number
of organizations to help children in Armenia who were suffering from
the effects of the First World War.

The ICRC has an extensive archive of different types of documents
dating back a long time. Does it contain information about those
terrible events?

The ICRC archives from that time are open to the public, so they can
be consulted by anyone who is interested. The resources to be found
there reflect the ICRC’s historical position and actions, which
stemmed from its deep concern about the massacre of the Armenian
people in the Ottoman Empire.

ARMENIA’S INTERNATIONAL RESERVES AT ABOUT $1.5BLN BY END Q1 – NEWSPAPER

08.04.2015 15:45

YEREVAN, April 8. /ARKA/. Armenia’s gross international reserves will
amount to about $1.5 billion by the end of the first quarter 2015,
Haykakan Zhamanak (Armenian Time) says referring to the press office
of the central bank.

Hence, the international reserves will still be in line with the
international practices and will be sufficient for covering the imports
and the servicing of short-term (up to one year) commitments for more
than five years.

According to the newspaper, the regulator expects the international
reserves to be replenished by about $510 million in 2015, of it about
$300 million through second euro bond issue, and the remaining part
from other receipts.

At the same time, the foreign debt load is expected to decrease
substantially, by about 30%.

The newspaper says the number of commercial banks’ foreign currency
accounts in the central bank is expected to increase due to the
regulator’s recent actions to replenish commercial banks’ capital
and to promote forex inflow.

The reduction in reserves by $762 million during 2014 was facilitated
by a number of factors, particularly by decrease of $305 million in
balances on foreign currency correspondent accounts, external debt
servicing worth about $260 million and the central bank’s sale/purchase
deals worth $310 million to ensure financial stability and to curb
the inflation, says Haykakan Zhamanak. -0-

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TO TRAVEL TO ITALY AND VATICAN CITY

YEREVAN, April 8. /ARKA/. This evening Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan is to pay an official visit to the Italian Republic and will
hold meetings with the country’s top officials, the press office of
the president reports.

the press release says.

In Italy, President Serzh Sargsyan is also to meet with the
director-general of one of international organizations – the UN Food
and Agriculture Organization.

On April 12, the Armenian President will visit Vatican City where
he will take part in a liturgy devoted to the Armenian Genocide
Centennial to be performed by His Holiness Pope Francis at Saint
Peter’s Basilica. –0—–

ARMENIAN CEMETERY DESECRATED IN ANKARA

April 8, 2015 – 16:55 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – “Treasure hunters” in Ankara destroyed an ancient
Armenian cemetery, with human bones strewn everywhere, according to
Hye Tert.

The cemetery is also used as a picnic venue. The cemetery was the only
reminder of the Armenian presence in Ankara’s district of Sincan. A
while ago, the city municipality moved some of the well-preserved
tombstones to the municipal park to create an “open air museum.”

Later, the tombstones were removed, and reportedly sent to the Museum
of Anatolian Civilizations.

Several years ago, the cemetery was fenced, yet the measure proved
useless. The fence was broken down, with the graves desecrated by
treasure hunters.

TIGRAN KHZMALYAN: MOSCOW AND KGB BEHIND TERROR AGAINST FOUNDING PARLIAMENT

by David Stepanyan

Tuesday, April 7, 13:56

Tigran Khzmalyan, film director, oppositionist, public worker, says
Moscow and Russian KGB (State Security Committee) are behind the
“terror against the Founding Parliament Movement.”

Talking to ArmInfo, Khzmalyan said: “Perhaps, it is the only difference
between the actions of the Young Armenian Government of our country
and their Young Turkish teachers. I am reluctant to say that we
are witnesses and victims of a second genocidal actions against the
Armenian nation ahead of the Armenian Genocide Centennial,” he said.

Khzmalyan recalled that one hundred years ago Turks launched the
genocide of Armenians on April 24 with arrests of the Armenian
intellectuals of Constantinople and now, the Armenian authorities
are repeating the lessons of their teachers.

He said the activists of the Founding Parliament are facing arrests
not only in Yerevan, but also in Vanadzor. He anticipates reports on
expulsion of the Movement’s members from Diaspora and from Armenia.

“In other words, we are witnessing an open terror in response to
the efforts to fight corruption and feudal regime in Armenia by
constitutional methods,” the oppositionist said. Artsakh War Hero,
coordinator of the Founding Parliament (FP) Zhirayr Sefilyan, members
of the FP, Varuzhan Avetisyan, Pavel Manukyan and Sefilyan’s brother
Toros Sefilyan were detained today, on April 7.

Earlier, the Police searched the houses of Zhirayr Sefilyan, Varuzhan
Avetisyan, and Karo Yeghnukyan. The Investigation Committee of Armenia
has disseminated a report saying that “the National Security Service
and the Investigation Committee of Armenia have prevented an attempt
of organized mass disorders that were planned for April 24 2015.”

ZHIRAYR SEFILYAN’S WIFE WARNS

11:57 | April 7,2015 | Politics

Zhirayr Sefilyan’s wife Nanor Sefilyan posted on Facebook that after
the search in their house Zhirayr Sefilyan’s computer was also removed.

She warns, if there is a post on Facebook under the name of Zhirayr
Sefilyan, the author isn’t Zhirayr Sefilyan.

MEMBERS OF AN OPPOSITION MOVEMENT DETAINED IN YEREVAN

04.07.2015 11:15 epress.am

The Armenian law enforcement has begun searches in the offices of
“Founding Parliament” initiative in Yerevan and Vanadzor, as well as
the houses of its members; “Founding Parliament” coordinator Jirayr
Sefilian, his brother, Toros Sefilian, members of the initiative
Pavel Manukyan and Varujhan Avetisyan, have been detained.

According to a statement issued by the “Founding Parliament,” about
two dozen law enforcement representatives arrived at the office of the
initiative around 6:35 AM on Tuesday, April 7, introducing themselves
as officers of the RA National Security Service, Special Investigative
Committee, and Police, headed by RA Investigative Committee Chief
investigator Roman Sardaryan.

The law enforcement officers demanded to conduct a search at
the office, without presenting a search warrant to the attorney
who had arrived at the scene, and prohibiting him, as well as a
representative of the initiative from entering the building. Meanwhile,
the initiative’s statement reported that searches have also begun at
the houses of “Founding Parliament” members Jirayr Sefilian (pictured),
Karo Yeghnukyan, and Varujhan Avetisyan.

In an official statement issued by the RA Investigative Committee on
Tuesday it is said that “the RA National Security Service and Special
Investigative Committee have joined forces to prevent mass disorders
at the public event locations on April 24, 2015.”

“As a result of measures undertaken, it has become clear that a group
of individuals, taking into consideration the real likelihood of
large gatherings at the locations of public events organized on the
territory of the Republic of Armenia on April 24, 2015 on the occasion
of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, has been calling on
the people to not obey that day the requirements of the authorities,
and, if necessary, to use violence, to resort to power struggle.

Not only is the intention to use the public events on the Armenian
Genocide Remembrance Day in their own narrow interests, to put it
mildly, far from the boundaries of morality, but such actions also
contain signs of crime preparation with the purpose of creating mass
civil unrest. Therefore, the Investigative Committee has initiated
a criminal case pursuant to Article 225 of the RA Criminal Code
(organization of mass disorder, accompanied with violence, pogroms,
arson, destruction or damage to property, using fire-arms, explosives
or explosive devices, or by armed resistance to the representative
of the authorities). An investigation is currently underway,” the
statement said.

The official body has also confirmed that the law enforcement has been
conducting searches at the houses of the “Founding Parliament” members.

ARMENIA STANDS FOR COORDINATION OF FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES WITH RUSSIA – PRESIDENT

YEREVAN, April 7. /ARKA/. Yerevan has always favored foreign policy
coordination with Russia, Armenia’s president Serzh Sargsyan said in
his interview to Rossiya 24 TV channel.

When asked whether or not Moscow could count on its closest neighbors
and team-mates as concerned the international and geopolitical issues,
Sargsyan said it was a rhetorical question.

“When we join unions, we undertake obligations. Apart from the
relations we had with Russia, with the Russian people during the
centuries, we have formalized these relations. Hence, we have always
supported, first, the integration processes, and, the second, the
coordination, including that on the foreign policy. And I believe, at
least so far, there has been no case of us having tried to bypass our
direct obligations,” Sargsyan said, as cited by Novosti-Armenia. -0–