Author: Badalian Vardan

Prosperous Armenia launches parliament race in Abovyan

April 8, 2012 – 18:21 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Prosperous Armenia coalition party launched its
parliamentary race in Abovyan, the native city of party leader Gagik
Tsarukyan.

As Tsarukyan said at the meeting with local residents, the party’s
electoral plan will focus on resolving social issues in the country,
creating jobs, reducing emigration flow.

`A work well done, rather than friends in high places, is the main
value for the party,’ Tsarukyan stressed, calling those gathered for
support at oncoming elections.

Parliamentary elections are due in Armenia on May 6 featuring 8
political parties, Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), Prosperous
Armenia, ARF Dashnaktsutyun (ARFD), Orinats Yerkir, Heritage,
Democratic Party of Armenia (DPA), Communist Party of Armenia and
United Armenian party, as well as one election bloc represented by
opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC).

Prosperous Armenia candidate list is topped by party leader,
entrepreneur Gagik Tsarukyan, ex-Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian and
the Minister of Urban Development Vardan Vardanyan.

AZERBAIJAN FAILS TO INVESTIGATE HARASSMENT OF OCCRP REPORTER
By Valerie Hopkins

hetq
02:20, April 7, 2012

Azerbaijani journalist and OCCRP Regional CoordinatorKhadija
Ismayilova’s requests for a full investigation into her harassment and
defamation have been unmet by the Azerbaijani government, Isamyilova
said at a press conference today.

“The evidence shows that the government agencies were involved in
the crime and prosecutor’s office fails to act as an independent
investigative body,” said Ismayilova.

Results of an investigation she conducted with her lawyer and other
journalists revealed that illegal monitoring of the journalist
began just days after she published an story about the Azerbaijani
President’s family’s businesses.

On March 7, Ismayilova received an envelope with pictures of a
personal nature and a note saying, “whore, behave, or you will be
defamed.” A week after Ismayilova went public about the threats and
asked the Prosecutor General to open an investigation, the pictures
were published in newspapers connected to the ruling political party
and a private video of her was published on a website registered to
a United States IP address.

The investigation was opened only two days later, on March 16.

Ismayilova demanded that the government open an investigation on
charges of harassment of a journalist and invasion of privacy, but
the prosecutor’s office is only investigating the latter.

With the help of a team of journalists and lawyers, Ismayilova
conducted her own filmed investigation and found numerous wires in
the walls and ceilings of her bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. The
wires found are used for telephone communications, web cameras,
audio equipment, and electricity. New paint had been added to cover
up where the spy cameras had been placed.

The day after the initial search, Ismayilova said in the news
conference, she returned to the apartment with a group of journalists
and found that her home had been broken into again since their last
inspection. Lights left on and gloves were left in the kitchen that
were not left by Ismayilova or anyone she knew.

Ismayilova said that on March 19, she showed the results of her
investigation to the Prosecutor’s Office but they refused to comment
on it, and refused to invite a telecommunications expert to examine
the wires, Ismayilova said.

Ismayilova said her written requests for a detailed technical
examination by the Ministry of Communications, Baku Telefon
Communication Unit or the state-owned Automated Telephone Station
(ATS) were refused. Finally the investigator Nail Aliyev, a relative
of the security ministry chief, agreed to let a service man from the
ATS examine the connections.

The service man told investigators that last summer he received orders
from the ATS to connect a land line phone cable to the apartment. He
said he had been met by a middle aged man and was not allowed to enter
the apartment, where he heard sounds of construction. Ismayilova said
this occured while she was out of the country, just days after she
published a story implicating the first family in the ownership of
the countries monopoly mobile phone carrier.

In the news conference Ismayilova said that the investigator did
not include the serviceman’s testimony in their report and refused
to investigate who ordered the additional phone line to be installed
in Ismayilova’s apartment.

Ismayilova is a reporter for Radio Free Europe and hosts a popular
radio show. She is also the regional coordinator for the Caucasus
for OCCRP.

INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATE ASSAULTED IN ARMENIAN PROVINCE

PanARMENIAN.Ne
April 7, 2012 – 11:14 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Some Armenian papers reported that Meruzhan Mkhoyan,
independent candidate running for the parliament by majority system
in Armavir province in Armenia was assaulted on April 6.

According to media reports, Mkhoyan was kidnapped from his own house
and then beaten severely at a local cemetery.

Son of Nahapet Gevorgyan, MP of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia
(RPA) was allegedly one of assaulters. The MP refuted this information
in an interview with Haykakan Zhamanak daily dubbing it as “lie and
another show staged ahead of elections”. He declared that nothing
happened, and he didn’t believe this could have occurred.

RPA candidate nominated in this constituency, owner of MAP company
Alik Petrosyan also told the paper he was unaware of the incident
saying he spent the whole day in Yerevan.

The paper says it didn’t manage to contact Prosperous Armenia’s MP
Rustam Gasparyan representing Armavir province, while the Prosperous
Armenia party said it had nothing to do with the incident.

TROIS MILITAIRES ARMENIENS BLESSES PAR UNE MINE
Krikor Amirzayan

armenews.com
samedi 7 avril 2012

Nous venons d’apprendre par le journal armenien ” Joghovourt ”
que 3 soldats Armeniens furent blesses le 31 mars par l’explosion
d’une mine près des positions frontalières du village de Tchinar
dans la region de Tavouche. ” Il etait pourtant interdit de prendre
la direction de cette zone minee, mais pour des raisons inconnues,
les soldats se sont diriges vers cette zone et marche sur une mine
qui a explose. Ces soldats grièvement blesses sont les appeles Khoren
Saribekian, Hovhannès Vartanian et le lieutenant Marat Krikorian. Tous
trois sont soignes a l’hôpital ” ecrit le journal.

17 ISLAMISTES ARRETES, UN AGENT DES FORCES DE SECURITE TUE
Ara

armenews.com
samedi 7 avril 2012

BAKOU, (AFP) – Dix-sept islamistes presumes, soupconnes de preparer
des attentats en Azerbaïdjan, ont ete arretes au cours d’une operation
des forces de l’ordre dans cette ex-republique sovietique du Caucase,
a annonce vendredi le ministère de la Securite nationale.

“17 membres d’un groupe illegal arme, qui preparaient des attentats
afin de saper la stabilite politique du pays, ont ete arretes”,
a declare le ministère dans un communique.

Des armes, des munitions, des explosifs et de la litterature a
caractère extremiste ont ete saisis au cours de cette operation qui
a eu lieu notamment a Bakou, la capitale de l’Azerbaïdjan, et dans
deux autres grandes villes du pays, Gandja et Soumgaït, a-t-il precise.

Un agent des forces de securite a peri dans un echange de tirs avec
des islamistes a Gandja et trois autres agents ont ete blesses, selon
le communique. L’un des militants islamistes a egalement ete tue,
selon la meme source.

Depuis la chute de l’URSS, l’islam connaît un regain d’influence dans
ce pays laïc et riche en hydrocarbures. Les autorites denoncent pour
leur part regulièrement la menace grandissante que representeraient
les extremistes islamistes.

Des critiques du regime affirment toutefois que les autorites utilisent
le spectre de l’extremisme pour persecuter des opposants politiques.

ROBERT DER MERGUERIAN LE 12 AVRIL
Aurelie Ohanian

armenews.com
samedi 7 avril 2012

La langue armenienne : valeur identitaire nationale

Le jeudi 12 avril 2011 a 20h, la Jeunesse Armenienne de France organise
une conference sur la thematique ” langue et identite armenienne ”
avec la participation exclusive de Robert Der Merguerian au Centre
Culturel de la JAF.

Robert Der Merguerian est professeur emerite a l’Universite de Provence
où il a fonde la chaire d’etudes armeniennes. La conference sera axee
autour de la thematique de la langue et de l’identite armenienne,
ainsi que de la transmission des valeurs culturelles identitaires. Il
nous presentera egalement son nouveau livre Manuel d’armenien moderne.

Langue de la famille indo-europeenne au meme titre que le grec, les
langues slaves ou germaniques, l’armenien est ecrit dans un alphabet
original cree il y a 1600 ans et toujours en usage.

L’ouvrage de Robert Der Merguerian se compose de deux manuels
independants consacres respectivement a la branche occidentale et a la
branche orientale. Chaque lecon expose les divergences linguistiques
de prononciation, de vocabulaire et de grammaire.

De nombreux tableaux comparatifs montrent les similitudes et les
differences a tous les niveaux de la langue : les parties du discours,
la conjugaison, la declinaison, l’orthographe.

Il peut interesser un public de toute origine qui desire s’initier a
une langue d’une richesse inepuisable, qui a traverse le temps avec
l’histoire du peuple armenien et qui demeure moderne.

Focus sur Robert Der Merguerian

Diplôme d’etudes superieures de philologie et d’anglais a l’Universite
d’Etat de Erevan et titulaire d’un Doctorat de linguistique armenienne
et de l’Habilitation a Diriger des Recherches a l’Universite
de Provence, Robert Der Merguerian est le fondateur de la chaire
d’etudes armeniennes, professeur emerite de langue et de civilisation
armeniennes a l’Universite de Provence. Il fait partie de ceux qui
ont contribue et contribuent toujours grandement a l’enseignement, la
diffusion et a la transmission de la langue et la culture armeniennes
en France. Suite a ses efforts persistants, la langue armenienne
a connu une reconnaissance academique et depuis 1994, grâce a son
nouveau statut, l’armenien peut etre choisi comme langue vivante 1
ou langue vivante 2 dans le premier groupe d’epreuves du Baccalaureat.

Robert Der Merguerian est egalement traducteur d’oeuvres litteraires
de l’armenien en francais, il a publie plus de 30 articles consacres a
la langue armenienne moderne. Il participe aux colloques et conferences
internationaux consacres a la langue et la civilisation armeniennes. Il
a organise a l’universite de Provence plusieurs colloques consacres
a la culture armenienne, dont le dernier s’est tenu en mars 2007 a
l’occasion de l’annee de l’Armenie en France. Il a aussi contribue
a l’accord de cooperation interuniversitaire entre l’Universite de
Provence et l’Universite d’Etat de Erevan. Robert Der Merguerian est
Docteur Honoris.

ALAIN DELON VA RECEVOIR UN PRIX LORS DE L’ARMENIAN MUSIC AWARDS A MOSCOU
Krikor Amirzayan

armenews.com
samedi 7 avril 2012

L’acteur Francais Alain Delon va recevoir un prix lors de l’Armenian
Music Awards qui se deroulera ce soir a Moscou. Un spectacle qui
sera diffus en diect par la Chaîne publique d’Armenie (H1). Les
medias russes ont diffuse cette information. Alain Delon aurait
confirme sa participation a l’Armenian Music Awards. Alain Delon est
arrive a Moscou. C’est le celèbre acteur armenien vivant en Russie,
Armen Djigarkhanian qui lui remettra le prix. Lors de cette remise,
la chanteuse Tamara Kvertsiteli lui dediera une chanson. Alain Delon
jouit en Russie d’une très grande popularite.

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION, COALITION PARTY VOW JOINT EFFORT AGAINST VOTE RIGGING

April 4, 2012

Representatives of four major political forces announce the creation of
a joint Inter-Party Center For Public Oversight Of Elections in Yerevan

Armenia’s second largest party in the governing opposition and three
main opposition groups today pledged to work together in trying to
prevent possible vote rigging in next month’s parliamentary elections.

In an unprecedented joint declaration, the Prosperous Armenia Party
(BHK) as well as the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK), the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) and the Heritage
(Zharangutyun) party announced the establishment of the Inter-Party
Center For Public Oversight Of the Elections. They said the conduct
of the May 6 vote “in accordance with European standards” is vital
for the country’s future.

Senior representatives of the four political forces signed the document
following a meeting that was also attended by Galust Sahakyan, a deputy
chairman of President Serzh Sargsyan’s Republican Party of Armenia
(HHK). Sahakyan refused to put the HHK’s signature on the potentially
far-reaching deal, dismissing it as an anti-government ploy.

Sahakyan argued that there is no need for such an anti-fraud structure
because the outgoing National Assembly has already set up an ad hoc
tasked with preventing vote irregularities. “If they don’t believe in
the National Assembly, why should I believe them?” he told RFE/RL’s
Armenian service.

Sahakyan also chided the BHK for signing the statement before
discussing it separately with the HHK and Country of Law (Orinats
Yerkir), the third party represented in President Sargsyan’s coalition
government.

“Free and fair elections is probably the most important challenge
facing us,” Vartan Oskanian, a former foreign minister representing
the BHK, said at the signing ceremony.

Oskanian declared that virtually all elections held in Armenia since
independence have been flawed. “I think all of you will agree that
it is essential to have a legitimate government,” he said.

“We are sure that representatives of all but one political forces
sitting at this table are interested in truly legitimate elections,”
HAK representative Levon Zurabyan said in reference to the HHK’s
Sahakyan.

“That one force has absolutely no such interest because in case of
free and fair elections it won’t get more than 10 percent of the vote
and won’t cling to power which it usurped illegally,” Zurabyan charged.

President Sargsyan and his HHK-dominated government have repeatedly
pledged to do their best to ensure that the upcoming elections are
widely recognized as free and fair. Opposition leaders brush aside
these assurances.

The signatories said that they will meet again soon to flesh out
the joint effort and decide just how the multi-party structure will
operate.

In a related development, the HAK and Dashnaktsutyun announced earlier
in the day that they have drafted a joint letter to the Armenian police
chief Vladimir Gasparyan challenging him to publicize the names of
hundreds of thousands of voters that are believed to be absent from
the country. Both opposition forces are worried that the ruling HHK
could cast fake ballots in place of those Armenians on election day.

These concerns only intensified last week after the police released
the official vote registers that show a sizable increase in the number
of eligible voter since 2008. Gasparyan and other police officials
ruled out voter list manipulation. But one of Gasparyan’s deputies,
Arthur Osikyan, claimed on Tuesday that the police have no data on
the absent voters.

Armen Rustamyan, chairman of the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun Supreme Council
of Armenia, dismissed those claims. “They definitely know that,”
Rustamyan told the press. “I don’t believe in their statements.”

“If there is any state body in Armenia that has precise information
about who lives in Armenia and who doesn’t, it’s the police,” Zurabyan
said for his part. Zurabyan added that the HAK and Dashnaktsutyun
will try to have the BHK and Zharangutyun sign the letter before
sending it to the police chief.

Opposition members say that if they manage to prevent the use of
administrative resources by the Republican Party at the elections,
then the current ruling party will not win a majority in the next
National Assembly.

According to observers, the joint initiative is remarkable given
the long history of mutual antagonism between Dashnaktsutyun and HAK
leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who served as Armenia’s first president
from 1991-1998. Pundits also view BHK’s stance as a further indication
of deepening cracks within the ruling coalition. Furthermore, some
analysts already now tip Oskanian, who joined the BHK only in February,
as the speaker of the next legislature, which reflects expectations
of a strong performance by the BHK, which is largely associated with
ex-president Robert Kocharyan, in the May 6 general elections.

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER KHADIJA ISMAYILOVA INVESTIGATES BLACKMAIL CRIME AGAINST HER
By Giorgi Lomsadze

Eurasianet.org
April 5, 2012

BAKU. April 5, 2012: Azerbaijani investigative journalist Khadija
Ismayilova has taken on an investigation of her own into the filming
of a sexually explicit video posted online in an attempt to blackmail
her into dropping her reporting on a business deal possibly involving
senior government officials.

At an April 4 press conference in Baku, Ismayilova described how,
together with several fellow journalists, she revisited the apartment
where she had been secretly filmed in her bedroom in an intimate
relationship for clues to how the video had been made. During several
visits to the apartment, the team found a hidden network of wires
leading to an outside telephone box. Click here for video

The findings were shared with investigators, who declined to summon
a telephone company expert to pinpoint where the wires led, the team
reported. Instead, Ismayilova said she contacted the telephone company
to provide a technician to examine the box and wires. The technician,
who spoke with investigators’ approval, told the team that he had
been ordered by the company in July 2011 to connect the phone box to
Ismayilova’s apartment.

The wires have since been removed, but the technician’s testimony
not entered into the official evidence.

Ismayilova, her lawyers and associates say that the evidence they
collected offered valuable clues for the official investigation,
but that police have failed to document or act on it. No official
response has yet been released.

The official investigation targets the video as a violation of the
right to privacy, rather than as a crime against a journalist, as
requested by Ismayilova. In a joint release, the team maintains that
the response to their findings indicates that the “[P]rosecutor’s
Office fails to act as an independent investigative body.”

The incident has sparked an international outpouring of support for
Ismayilova, a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty radio talk show host as
well as a longtime reporter for EurasiaNet.org. Ismayilova maintains
that she will not be deterred by the video, but says that she now
has to live “with the feeling that someone was watching” her, and
“may be watching now.” (Eurasianet.org)

EXPERT: RUSSIA PRIORITIZES STABILITY IN ARMENIA TO DEMOCRACY PROBLEMS

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 6, 2012 – 15:35 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Stability in Armenia is more important to Russia
than democracy problems, head of the Regional Studies Center said.

According to Richard Giragosian, Russia needs stability in the region,
particularly in Armenia, thus pushing the problem of democracy and
fair elections to the background.

“Russia prepares for Putin’s presidency. However, his popularity has
sharply dropped. Public activity and surge of popular discontent was
unexpected even for Putin himself,” the expert said, stressing the
need for Armenia to consider the experience during the forthcoming
parliamentary and presidential elections to prevent repetition of
such a scenario.

Armenian parliamentary elections are due May 6.