Author: Badalian Vardan

SOLDIER KILLED BY ARMENIAN ‘SABOTAGE’ TEAM, SAYS BAKU

Journal of Turkish Weekly
March 12 2015

Anadolu Agency
12 March 2015

Azerbaijan military claims one soldier killed after ‘sabotage’ team
from Armenia attacked positions.

The Azerbaijan military has claimed that at least one of its soldiers
died during a clash with Armenian forces on Wednesday.

According to a statement from Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense an armed
incident took place on the direct border between the two neighbors
when “Armenian reconnaissance and sabotage teams” attempted to attack
Azerbaijani positions.

During the conflict, the Armenian side reportedly suffered losses and
retreated. The dead Azerbaijani soldier was identified as Anar Atayev.

No further details or confirmation were available.

Armenia and Azerbaijan remain locked in conflict after the 1988
invasion of the Azerbaijan territory of Nagorno-Karabakh by Armenia.

Since the end of the war in 1994, Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations
have held talks over the status of Nagorno-Karabakh under the
supervision of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe’s Minsk Group.

ARF ABOUT TURKEY’S VAIN THREATS TO COUNTRIES THAT RECOGNIZED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

18:10, 12.03.2015

YEREVAN. – Turkey’s threats to countries that have recognized the
Armenian Genocide in vain, ARF Dashnaktsutyun member Artsvik Minasyan
said commenting on Armenian parliament’s trip to Czech Republic.

According to him, in private conversations with Czech politicians,
he mentioned this fact, citing the example of France. When Paris
was going to criminalize denial of the Armenian Genocide, Turkey’s
politicians were threatening to burn their bridges, and now Turkish
firms are advertising goods as before.

“Genocide was recognized by Czech Republic’s neighbors Poland and
Slovakia, and no action by the Turkish side followed. And we see that
our Czech colleagues listened to these arguments,” he emphasized.

EGYPT: BELLY DANCER RISKS JAIL FOR ‘OFFENDING FLAG’: INDICTED FOR COSTUME RECALLING NATIONAL FLAG

ANSA English Media Service, Italy
March 11, 2015 Wednesday 12:27 PM CET

(ANSAmed) – CAIRO, MARCH 11 – The defense of Egypt’s national pride
with the rise to power of President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi has put a
famous Armenian belly dancer, who is very popular in the country,
in a difficult spot. After being arrested in August, Sofinar this
week was indicted for wearing a tricolor costume that recalls the
Egyptian flag, according to the website of broadcaster Al Arabiya.

She is charged with “offending the flag” based on a law approved last
June to coincide with the election of former general Sisi as head of
State. The charge, which will be examined by a court for minor crimes,
was sparked by a performance of Sofinar – known as Safinaz – who was
wearing a dress with a red bra, a white corset and a black skirt slit
at the front, as seen in pictures and videos posted to the internet.

The law provides for jail terms for anyone offending the national
flag, for example by raising it if it is torn or discolored or by
adding slogans and symbols on it, or using it improperly as in the
dancer’s case, according to the prosecution.

As reported by the website of Al Ahram, Safinaz was arrested at
the beginning of this month for performing with the controversial
costume in Ain Sokhna, a resort town on the Red sea south of Suez and
was released the same day on bail. She had already been arrested for
the same reason last August but this time she risks one year in jail,
although she is used to stating her love for Egypt, where she has been
living for the past two years. The artist is married to an Egyptian
and says she wants to stay in the country forever.

TOURIST VISITS TO ARMENIA GROW 11.3% TO 1.2 MILLION IN 2014

YEREVAN, March 12. /ARKA/. Armenia hosted over 1.2 million visitors
in 2014 – 11.3% more than a year earlier, Mekhak Apresyan, chief
of the Armenian economy ministry’s division in charge of tourism,
told journalists on Thursday.

he said.

In his words, the tourist inflow intensified in 2014 thanks the
government and the private sector’s vigorous activity and cooperation
with concerned agencies, which improved the tourist services provided
in the country.

he said.

Apresyan added that tourism in Armenia continues diversifying and that
the government’s policy in this area can be considered accomplished.

he said.

He also stressed that Armenia is becoming better known at the world
tourist market.

he said.

On October 23, 2013, Armenia’s government approved the program of
provision of competitive and sustainable air transportation services
in Armenia.

The program was based on a joint study by McKinsey & Company and the
National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia. Apresyan said that
thanks to the open sky policy in Armenia, the number of flights and
the number of passengers grew. —0—–

NEVADA GOVERNOR ISSUES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE PROCLAMATION

12:59, 12 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, issued a proclamation commemorating the
Armenian Genocide, declaring April 19-26 as the “Day of Remembrance of
The Armenian Genocide,” reported the Armenian Council of America (ACA).

Spearheaded by the ACA Nevada Chapter, the proclamation condemns the
systematic murder and deportations of 1.5 million Armenians in the
Ottoman Empire, highlighting the plight of the Armenian people and the
refuge they sought in the U.S. during that time, Massis Post reports.

The proclamation also honors the Armenian-American community in Nevada,
citing that the “thriving community is a proud reminder of survival
and determination even in the face of extreme injustice.”

Calling upon the House of Representatives and the President of the
U.S. to recognize the atrocities, the proclamation also reiterates
Turkey’s responsibility “to acknowledge the facts of the Armenian
Genocide.”

A full text of the proclamation can be found below.

WHEREAS, on the night of April 24, 1915, more than 200 leaders in
the Armenian community, in the city known today as Istanbul, were
arrested. Sent to prison, most were executed, beginning a horrible,
systemic killing and forced relocation of the Armenian people that
would last until 1923. During these years, the government of the
Ottoman Empire claimed the lives of 1.5 million Armenians and forced
500,000 more from their homeland. The Armenian Genocide was a terrible
breach of human rights and an event that has outraged the world; and

WHEREAS, the atrocities carried out against the Armenian people
were grave and unimaginable, as they were subjected to deportation,
abduction, torture, starvation, and more. And as with any violent
conflict, Armenian women and children suffered the worst abuses. The
bulk of the Armenian population that was displaced from their homes
was forced to escape to neighboring as well as faraway countries. Many
fled to the United States; and

WHEREAS, today Nevada is honored to be home to a vibrant growing
Armenian-American population. This thriving community is a proud
reminder of survival and determination even in the face of extreme
injustice; and

WHEREAS, as Americans and Nevadans, it is our duty to raise awareness
of the Armenian Genocide and to participate in the remembrance and
mourning of the loss of innocent lives a century ago; and

WHEREAS, as Americans and Nevadans, we call upon Congress and the
President of the United States to recognize the atrocities committed
against the Armenian people, and call upon the Republic of Turkey
to acknowledge the facts of the Armenian Genocide and work toward a
just resolution;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BRIAN SANDOVAL, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEVADA,
do hereby proclaim April 19-26, 2015, as

DAYS OF REMEMBRANCE OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

LA COMPAGNIE DES CHEMINS DE FER DU CAUCASE DU SUD VA INVESTIR 6,5 MILLIARDS DE DRAMS DANS LA MISE A NIVEAU DES INSTALLATIONS

ARMENIE

La compagnie des chamins de fer du Caucase du Sud (SCR), une societe
russe gerant les chemins de fer de l’Armenie, va investir 6,5 milliards
de drams en 2015 dans la mise a niveau des installations a annonce
le PDG de SCR Viktor Rebets.

Il a dit que le focus du programme d’investissement sera mis sur la
rehabilitation des infrastructures et que les priorites seront les
voies, les systèmes d’alimentation, la signalisation et les systèmes
de communication.

La societe prevoit que le trafic de fret en 2015 devrait croître de
0,9%, le nombre de passagers transportes localement de 0,6% et le
nombre de passagers voyageant vers la Georgie voisine de 0,1%.

jeudi 12 mars 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com

“TAX AUTHORITIES ARE ABLE TO BRING ANY ENTREPRENEUR’S BUSINESS TO COLLAPSE” (VIDEO)

11:01 | March 12,2015 | Interview

“A1+” interviewed the NA “Heritage” faction lawmaker Tevan Poghosyan.

When it is spoken of the rate race, they remind about Winston
Churchill, he also changed his party: is there any similarity between
Churchill and today’s rate race.

In reality we have to deal with a phenomenon when one quits, people
also leave the party: Tevan Poghosyan thinks that it means that
there weren’t issues of values in the party, but there was cult
of personality.

More in the video

ARMENIA, KUWAIT SIGN TOURISM AND AGRICULTURE COOPERATION PROGRAM FOR 2015-2017

YEREVAN, March 12. /ARKA/. Armenia and Kuwait have signed a tourism
and agriculture cooperation program for 2015-2017, the press office
of the Armenian government reported on Wednesday.

The Armenian premier-headed delegation is in Kuwait, invited by the
head of Kuwaiti government Jaber al-Mubarak al-Hamad al-Sabah.

The agreement was signed by the minister of economy Karen Chshmarityan
and minister of agriculture Sergo Karapetyan from the Armenian side,
and by minister of trade and industry Abdel Muhsin Al-Mudij and the
first vice-premier and foreign minister sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad
Al-Sabah.

The sides stressed the importance of intensified efforts from the
Armenian-Kuwaiti intergovernmental commission. Opportunities for
cooperation other fields, including industry and infrastructures,
were discussed as well.

The delegations considered possible arrangement of direct flights
between the two countries. Armenia’s premier Hovik Abrahamyan invited
his Kuwaiti counterpart to visit Armenia. -0–

COURT OF CASSATION REJECTS APPEAL TO OVERTURN VERDICT OF A DEAD SOLDIER’S CASE

03.12.2015 17:20 epress.am

On March 5, the Court of Cassation rejected Hovsep Muradyan’s appeal,
father of soldier Arman Muradyan who died in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2013,
to overturn the verdict of the Court of First Instance.

Muradyan was notified of the court’s decision yesterday, March 11th.

The basis of the rejection was that the father had prepared the appeal
himself. The Court of Cassation noted that according to the law, the
appeal should have been sent to the Court of Cassation by a lawyer
and not the victim’s successor.

A Stepanakert court issued the verdict to Arman Muradyan’s case without
the presence of and providing information about the verdict to the
defendant’s successors. Hovsep Muradyan stated multiple times that he
does not trust the preliminary investigation’s position of his son
committing suicide, which was also rejected by the military expert
Ruben Martirosyan. According to the verdict, Major Emil Avetisyan
was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment for subjecting his superior
or colleague to violence, injuring or abusing his powers during
his service.

Since Muradyan was informed about the verdict very late, he did not
have the opportunity to meet the 30-day deadline to appeal to the
Court of Appeal. The plaintiffs appealed to extend the deadline,
however that demand was also rejected. Arman Muradyan’s parents
demanded that the proceedings of their son’s case be convened on the
territory of Armenia. This demand was rejected by the Syunik Court of
Universal Jurisdiction. According to the official justification, the
hearings were convened at the Syunik Court of Universal Jurisdiction’s
Stepanakert Division.

NALBANDIAN: ARTSAKH IS WAY AHEAD OF AZERBAIJAN IN TERMS OF FREEDOMS

March 12, 2015 11:38

Photo: Press service of the Armenian President

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said
that according to the Freedom House report on the Freedom in the
World in 2015, Nagorno-Karabakh is way ahead of Azerbaijan in terms
of fundamental freedoms.

He stated it addressing a speech at the special meeting of the OSCE
Permanent Council.

“On May 3, 2015 the people of Nagorno-Karabakh for the sixth time
will exercise their democratic right to elect members to the National
Assembly. The democratic processes in Nagorno-Karabakh are not meant
to influence the peace process or anyhow add to its international
recognition, as was referred by some participating states also here at
one of the last PC meetings. Building of democracy based on fundamental
human rights and freedoms anywhere in the world should only be welcomed
by other democratic members of the international community,” said
the Armenian FM touching upon the upcoming parliamentary elections
in Artsakh.

Recalling the Freedom House report and taking into account the current
human rights situation in Azerbaijan, Edward Nalbandian said that
it “does not come as a surprise when Baku criticizes elections in
Nagorno-Karabakh.”

“However, sometimes a few participating States while declaring about
their support the Minsk Group Co-Chairs at the same time are resorting
to the statements that contradict the spirit and terminology of the
peace process. The Co-Chairs have been clear to note that through the
electoral process “Nagorno-Karabakh tries to organize democratically
the public life of its population,” said the FM.

He called on all on all participating States to follow the Co-Chairs’
wording, not only in the case of elections in Nagorno-Karabakh, but
on other matters related to that issue as well, since “any deviation
from their language may mean taking the sides in this dispute.”