Author: Badalian Vardan

AZERBAIJANI CIVIL SOCIETY REPRESENTATIVES CONDEMN ELDAR NAMAZOV’S SIGNING STATEMENT WITH DAVID SHAHNAZARYAN

APA, Azerbaijan
Nov 4 2014

[ 04 November 2014 18:34 ]

Can’t these persons understand that the Azerbaijani territories are
under occupation?

Baku. Rufat Ahmadzada – APA. “I have never supported such initiatives.

Dialogue between civil societies and public diplomacy initiatives
are favorable for Armenia in the current situation”, Sahib Mammadov,
Chairman of the Citizens’ Labor Rights Protection League told APA
while commenting on a joint statement signed by chairman of the
Public Forum For Azerbaijan, Eldar Namazov, and head of Armenia’s
Center for Political and Legal Studies “Concord”, David Shahnazaryan,
in Helsinki, Finland.

“If the peace process doesn’t yield any results at the presidential
level, then there is no meaning in our dialogues. Of course, we can
not remain enemies forever. But 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories
are under occupation. If Armenia takes a step toward, a peace agreement
with Azerbaijan, starting with the liberation of the adjacent regions
to Nagorno-Karabakh, representatives of civil societies can work for
good neighborhood in peaceful conditions,” he said.

Mammadov is also surprised at the call “not to sell arms to both sides”
that was envisaged in the statement: “I do not understand them.

Increasing the power of self-defense is the right of Azerbaijan, whose
territories are under occupation. Why should our country fall weak
in comparison with Armenia? On the other hand, we need to be careful
while using the expression “right of peoples to self-determination”.

Armenians already have a state and it is illogical to establish a
second, third or fourth Armenian state everywhere Armenians densely
populated in. I think that the territorial integrity should come before
anything else. This important point shouldn’t be forgotten in the
resolution of this conflict as well. If Armenia takes a step towards
peace accepting Azerbaijan’s proposal to grant the highest status,
the conflict can be resolved completely within a few years”, he added.

Chairman of Karabakh Liberation Organization Akif Naghi told APA that
he felt sorry about the names in the list that joined this statement
from the Azerbaijani side. “They take this wrong step either because
of naivety or intentionally. Non-use of force, self-determination
and give up defending… Can’t these persons understand that the
Azerbaijani territories are under occupation? Such statements are
useful not for us, but for Armenians”, he said.

Naghi stressed that the issue of liberating the seven regions is
pending. “No step is taken toward the peace agreement. What else shall
we do to satisfy the co-chairs and the invaders? It is ridiculous that
a handful of Armenians in Karabakh demand independence. As if we speak
about the people under colonial rule. Everyone should understand that
we cannot wait for them returning our lands willingly. The Azerbaijani
people do not need such defeatist dialogue”, Akif Naghi added.

Note that, President of the Public Forum for Azerbaijan Eldar Namazov
and Director of Armenia’s Center for Legal and Political Studies
“Concord”, David Shahnazaryan, have signed a joint statement in
Helsinki, Finland.

In the statement, the sides also mentioned a document they had
signed as part of the Independent Civil Minsk Process (ICMP) on the
settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict on 8 December 2010 and
noted they call on the sides to put an end to military rhetoric and
politically informative campaigns aimed at fueling the conflict and
begin working on a “road map” to resolve the conflict.

The sides signing the document said they regret these calls were
overlooked over the past period.

The statement addresses the leaders of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
and those countries, calls to stop selling offensive weapons to the
region, and calls on the sides’ civil society representatives to be
active in the process of peace.

On the Azerbaijani side, Zardusht Alizadeh, Arzu Abdullayeva, Ali
Abbasov and Leyla Aliyeva joined the statement, and Agasi Enokyan,
Aykak Arshamyan, Karen Ohajanyan and Natalia Martirosyan on the
Armenian side.

DEMOCRAT LOSSES IN SENATE MIGHT BE GOOD NEWS FOR COPING WITH CRISIS IN SYRIA

Daily Sabah, Turkey
Nov 5 2014

Ragıp Soylu

WASHINGTON — Republican party got whatever it wanted from Tuesday’s
election and majority of Senate now consist of red Senators. By
gaining seven new seats GOP now can block any Presidential nominations,
from Ambassadors to Surgeon General, and try to overhaul Obamacare,
although President Obama holds his veto power, and pass new laws
can make Democrat President looks like an obstructionist. Apart from
its echoes related to usual domestic political matters, Republican
victory means opportunities for Turkey’s foreign policy and the
region’s unsolved problems under the American leadership for the last
6 years. Republicans, who are famously known for their pro-active
approach to solve crisis in Middle East, can help Turkey to carve out
a proper strategy against ISIS and Assad regime in Syria. “Republicans
will force Obama administration to implement clearer and stronger
foreign policy. Senators, like John McCain, will increase their role
in Syria. Those senators who also usually called as “hawks” think
likewise with Turkey on the topics such as Assad’s future, creating a
secure zone, carrying out a no-fly zone and training of Free Syrian
Army. In addition to this, they believe without American soldiers
being on the ground, air operations will be inefficient against ISIS.

“Dr. Kadir Ustun, the Research Director at the SETA Foundation at
Washington, D.C, said.

However foreseeing Republican strategy from now might be tricky too.

Some GOP members defended to stay away from military operations in
Middle East to cut spending and create a smaller federal state in
the past. BarıÅ~_ Ornarlı, Washington Representative of Turkish
Industry and Business Association (TUSÄ°AD), believes that conservative
voices in US’ capitol also are bothered by Turkey’s recent foreign
policy moves and Republican Senate might take an anti-Turkey stand
on some issues.

“However leading Senators defend a more engaging and aggressive
approach in Syria. They think, like Turkey, that there must be more
comprehensive strategy regarding ISIS.”

Republicans favor Turkey on Armenian issue

Some changes within the Senate will help Turkey’s distasteful
experiences with the Congress. For example Democrat Senator Robert
Menendez, who is very well-known for his anti-Turkish stance, will hand
over chairmanship of Committee on Foreign Affairs to his Republican
colleague. Menendez passed last April a resolution from the committee
accusing Ottoman Empire of committing genocide against Armenians in
1915 and calling on Turkey to recognize it last. A Turkish diplomat
said that such move was very unexpected and happened very quickly
at that time and it was the first initiative ever trying to pass a
resolution from Senate related to the issue. “We were surprised” the
diplomat added. Menendez’s removal from this post will help Turkey’s
uncomfortable and weak position in the Senate.

Republicans also kept House of Representatives under control with their
majority. It is another good news for Turkey as House Speaker John
Boehner promised not to bring Armenian issue to the executive agenda
of the chamber. “Congress won’t get involved in this issue. We don’t
write history, we are not historians” he reportedly said in his visit
to Ankara in April 2014. Ornarlı says despite Boehner’s resistance,
because of the significance of 2015, 100th anniversary of Armenian
atrocities, some draft bills can still gain ground. Dr. Ustun agreed,
“it is very hard to foresee what will happen in next year. But
Boehner’s existence is a big advantage” he said.

TURKISH AND AZERI ACADEMICS SEEK TO BOOST TIES

Daily Sabah, Turkey
Nov 5 2014

Ali Unal

BAKU — “We aim to strengthen Azerbaijani-Turkish relations in various
fields, which are already strong,” Dr. Farhad Memmedov said at a
press conference, while evaluating the results of an event, “Days of
Turkey in Azerbaijan,” jointly organized by the Turkish Ministry of
Foreign Affairs Center for Strategic Studies (SAM) and the Azerbaijan
Presidency Strategic Studies Center (AzerSAM) on Nov. 5 in Baku. “It
is gratifying for me to say that bilateral cooperation with Turkey has
reached a certain point and we would like to expand this cooperation
level to trilateral cooperation by adding countries in our region,”
he added. AzerSAM Chairman Memmedov also underlined the importance
in expanding cooperation with countries in the region to ensure peace
and stability in the Caucasus.

SAM chairman, Professor Ali Resul Usul, on the other hand, described
the motto “One nation, two states,” as their main vision for bilateral
relations and said, “Azerbaijan’s border is the border of Turkey,
Turkey’s borders is Azerbaijan’s border,” to indicate the solid
relationship between the two countries. Usul also underlined that
from now on they should focus on activities to improve synchronization
between the two countries.

Answering a question regarding Turkey-Armenia relations, Usul stressed
that it is not possible to open the Turkish-Armenian border and
normalize relations as long as Armenia continues to occupy Azerbaijani
lands, which has continued for more than 25 years. “This problem must
be solved in a fair manner, and Armenia’s withdrawal from the occupied
Azeri territories is the only way to do that. Turkey supports the
concluding of political negotiations, but the solution must be fair,
Usul added.

Activities for “Days of Turkey in Azerbaijan” were jointly organized
by SAM and AzerSAM and took place Nov. 3-5. As a part of the event,
a group of Turkish academics along with their Azerbaijani colleagues
paid a visit to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan and then moved on to
two other cities, Qebele and Aghdam.

Participating in panel discussions titled “Political Security
Dimensions of Azerbaijan-Turkey relations” and “Azerbaijan-Turkey
economic relations and economic future of the region,” academicians
from both countries debated issues that are of importance in boosting
bilateral relations. A day after the panel discussions in Baku, a round
table meeting co-moderated by Usul and Memmedov took place in Qebele.

“Days of Turkey in Azerbaijan” came after “Days of Azerbaijan in
Turkey,” which was held last year and a series of academic events
took place in the provinces of Edirne, Yalova, Bursa, Bandırma and
Ankara on Nov. 18-20, 2013.

Turkey and Azerbaijan have a close relationship in various fields, and
since the early 1990s, the relationship between the two countries has
been described as “one nation, two states.” As in the previous event,
this years’ jointly organized event aimed to help the countries to
better understand each other and enhance current cooperation areas.

EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION LIKELY TO REDUCE ARMENIAN TRADE WITH NON-MEMBER STATES, LIMIT CO-OPERATION WITH EU AND NATO

IHS Global Insight
November 4, 2014

by Alex Melikishvili

Accession to the Eurasian Economic Union will increase Armenian
economic vulnerability to Russia’s economic stagnation.

On 17 November 2014, the National Assembly is scheduled to hold an
extraordinary session to ratify the treaty on Armenia’s accession to
the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), which includes Belarus, Kazakhstan
and Russia. For the Russian leadership, Armenia’s EEU accession
primarily represents a political priority. Because Armenia is the only
country that has agreed to join the EEU after successfully negotiating
association and free-trade agreements with the European Union (EU), it
demonstrates that Russia is still capable of preventing its satellites
from leaving Russia’s sphere of “privileged interests”. The development
is being presented by Russia’s state-controlled media to the domestic
Russian audience as a proof of success of President Vladimir Putin’s
integration policy. Armenia’s unquestionable loyalty to Russia means
that Russia practically gets a second vote within the EEU. This is
very useful for Russia as both Belarus and Kazakhstan previously
prevented adoption of some policies Russia wished approved.

EEU accession’s uncertain economic benefits for Armenia

At the parliamentary hearings on 29 October focused on the 2015
budget, Deputy Minister of Finance Pavel Safaryan acknowledged
that the government had not evaluated the probable impact of EEU
accession on the country’s main macroeconomic parameters. In terms
of trade with Georgia and Iran, EEU accession is very likely to
have negative impacts. Armenia has been one of Georgia’s 10 biggest
trade partners, largely due to the re-export of used cars from the
EU. Foreign vehicles re-exported from Georgia constitute about 70%
of Armenia’s car imports. A sharp increase in customs duties applied
on cars imported from Georgia after Armenia joins EEU is very likely
to reduce this trade sharply.

Even more important is the question of how an across-the-board increase
in customs tariffs, which will go into effect after Armenia’s EEU
accession, will affect the cargo transit between Armenia and Russia,
which is transported via Georgia. Although both Armenian and Georgian
officials have been straining in their public statements to assuage
growing concerns over trade disruption, the inherent incompatibility
between Georgia’s integration into the EU through its Association
Agreement and Armenia’s move to join the EEU has yet to be addressed
by the respective governments. Similar to Georgia, Iranian exports to
Armenia are also likely to decline as they will become more expensive
due to EEU-mandated customs tariff increases. In addition, as a result
of EEU accession, Armenia’s growing economic integration with Russia
reduces the likelihood that Iranian offers to build a new gas pipeline
and to supply gas on more favourable conditions than Russia’s Gazprom
will elicit interest in Armenia.

Armenia’s already small consumer market is likely to shrink further.

Price increases will follow EEU-mandated imposition of higher tariffs
on imports from non-member states. The higher degree of economic
integration with Russia post-EEU accession will increase the impacts
from the depreciation of the Russian rouble, declining oil prices
and the impact of Western sanctions.

“Belarusian” model for relations with EU

Armenia’s u-turn with regard to its EU Association Agreement is
likely to lead to a limited co-operation framework similar to the EU’s
current arrangement with Belarus. After EEU accession, the Armenian
government’s relationship with Western structures in general will be
more dependent on Russian guidance. If Russia loses voting rights
in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Moscow is
likely to pressure Armenia to leave that forum in support. Armenia’s
nascent co-operation with NATO is also likely to end, especially if
additional sanctions are imposed on Russia over Ukraine and a NATO
training centre opens in Georgia, as promised in NATO’s “enhanced
co-operation” package for Georgia after its summit in Wales.

Unclear “compromise” over Nagorno-Karabakh issue

Prior to Armenia signing the EEU treaty, Kazakhstan sought
clarification of the customs regime on the de-facto border between
Azerbaijan’s breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia as a
prerequisite of EEU accession. At the signing ceremony Kazakhstan’s
president Nursultan Nazarbayev referred to a “compromise” over the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue, but did not elaborate except to note that
Nagorno-Karabakh must remain outside the EEU. The Armenian government
is likely to resist pressure to establish any type of customs regime
against the Armenian-populated secessionist region which would be
deeply unpopular in Armenia and likely to result in mass protests.

Opposition largely supportive of EEU accession

The driving force behind the opposition movement – the Prosperous
Armenia Party (PAP) and the Armenian National Congress (ANC) – does not
oppose the government’s decision to join the EEU. Even as PAP and ANC
prepare a nationwide campaign to demand the government’s resignation,
EEU accession does not appear in their list of grievances. In ANC EEU
accession is seen as essential for Armenia given the geopolitical
expediency dictated by the strategic dependence on Russia. For
PAP leader and prominent Armenian businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, EEU
accession is likely to bring tangible financial benefits. Tsarukyan’s
holding company Multi Group owns the franchise representing Lada and
other Russian car manufacturers. At present the share of Russian cars
in Armenia’s car imports is only about 5%, but this will increase
considerably after EEU accession as car imports from Georgia will
decrease due to increased customs tariffs. Tsarukyan is also likely
to promote imports of Belarusian textiles, furniture, household
appliances and other goods as Western imports become more expensive.

Anti-EEU forces are few in number and include about half a dozen MPs,
some former government officials now representing political parties
outside the parliament, as well as experts from think tanks and civil
activists from non-governmental organisations, who lack financial
resources and have little media access. A few anti-EEU protests
held in Yerevan were all characterised by low attendance with an
average turnout of only a few hundred participants. In the mainstream
opposition only the leader of the Heritage Party Raffi Hovannisian
openly voiced objections to EEU accession, but his support base is
small and he is very unlikely to galvanise protests relying on that
issue alone.

Outlook and implications

Lower customs duties introduced on fruits and vegetables after EEU
accession are likely to lead to consolidation of farm land in Armenia
as small farmers will be forced out by large agricultural companies
owned by government officials or pro-government oligarchs. Potential
beneficiaries will include Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan, whose
food processing company Artfood is likely to increase its share on
the Russian market, and government-connected Armenian oligarch Samvel
Alexanyan, who controls imports of food products through his company
Alex Grig. However, a handful of people profiting from EEU accession
will not compensate for the far wider economic losses that Armenia
is likely to incur from disrupted trade with Georgia and Iran and the
indirect impact of Western sanctions which are causing a depreciating
rouble and declining remittances from Russia. Entry into the EEU
also will severely curtail Armenia’s relations with EU and NATO,
probably limiting the former and ending the latter.

UN CHERCHEUR TURC RECOIT UNE MEDAILLE EN ARMENIE POUR UNE ETUDE LIEE AU GENOCIDE

ARMENIE

L’ONG le Congrès national armenien occidental a accorde a un chercheur
turc de premier plan, journaliste, sociologue Ismail Besikci la
medaille du “Catholicos Gevorg Surenyants (de Tpghis)” pour sa position
bien connue sur le genocide armenien dans le cadre du projet national
turc de nettoyage ethnique de tous les peuples du Moyen-Orient.

Ismail Besikci a recu une reconnaissance internationale pour son
etude de la question kurde, et est considere comme l’un des experts
les plus connus de la question.

A quatre-vingt-ans Ismail Besikci est l’auteur de dizaines d’ouvrages
scientifiques qui contredisent l’unanimite de la position officielle
turque qui fausse l’histoire. Pour avoir exprimer librement son opinion
fondee sur des faits scientifiques, il a passe 15 ans dans les prisons
turques, et depuis 1970 a commence a ecrire sur le genocide armenien.

A Erevan Ismail Besikci a presente ses deux theories scientifiques
mentionnant que le premier se refère au Kurdistan et la question
kurde dans l’Est.

“Pour le second, c’est en etudiant la question kurde que j’ai rencontre
la question armenienne. Le premier est la suite logique de la question
armenienne, en fait, ces deux questions sont liees les unes aux autres,
si le genocide armenien avait ete puni, la question kurde ne serait
pas si grave maintenant “, a declare l’eminent savant.

Grâce a ses etudes sur le genocide armenien il a fixe deux realites,
la première est que de la concurrence politique kurdo-turque au
debut, a ete basee sur le conflit d’interets pour les proprietes
armeniennes et les terres. Dans les medias turcs, il a publie de
nombreux articles dans lesquels il a souligne que la base de la
richesse de la bourgeoisie turque est la richesse armenienne.

“Toute nation peut commettre un genocide, en 1915 – la Turquie
ottomane, en 1945 – l’Allemagne, ces deux pays sont de grands pays,
mais malheureusement de nos jours, meme les petits Etats peuvent le
faire. Pour eviter cela, l’education et la confrontation democratique
doivent etre a l’ordre du jour, la jeune generation doit etre informee
et consciente de tout cela pour etre en mesure de prevenir que d’autres
genocides se produisent “, a declare Besikci.

Le Congrès national armenien occidental avait egalement invite
d’autres celèbres militants des droits de l’homme sur la question
kurde en Turquie en Armenie. La delegation etait dirigee par l’ancien
maire de Diyarbakir (2004-2014), le celèbre homme politique kurde,
Osman Baydemir, qui est aussi l’avocat d’Abdullah Ocalan depuis 1999.

L’avocat kurde a mentionne que la visite de la delegation au memorial
du genocide a ete particulièrement memorable.

“Etre a Erevan et respirer cet air etait un reve de longue date pour
moi. Cela fait deux jours deja, mais je me sens comme dans un reve –
au-dessus de mes sentiments. Au memorial du genocide, je compris que
toute personne digne doit etre en mesure de faire face a cette realite,
devenir une partie de cette lutte. Ce memorial est le centre de la
conscience universelle “, a declare Osman Baydemir.

Il a mentionne que les Armeniens, les Assyriens, les Kurdes et les
Turcs vivaient dans la meme region geographique, mais tout a coup il
a ete decide que ce territoire ne devait contenir qu’une religion et
qu’une culture sur la base de massacres.

LIMOGEAGE DU MINISTRE PRO-OCCIDENTAL DE LA DEFENSE, CRISE POLITIQUE

GEORGIE

Le Premier ministre georgien Irakli Garibachvili a limoge mardi
soir son ministre de la Defense, le pro-occidental Irakli Alasania,
ce qui a declenche une crise politique qui menace l’existence de la
coalition au pouvoir.

“Afin d’eviter la politisation des forces armees georgiennes et du
ministère de la Defense, et afin d’assurer les conditions appropriees
pour une enquete independante, j’ai decide de limoger le ministre de
la Defense”, a declare M. Garibachvili dans un communique.

Cette mesure inattendue a ete precedee par l’ouverture de poursuites
judiciaires contre plusieurs hauts responsables du ministère de la
Defense accuses de corruption, une accusation rejetee par M. Alasania
comme “sans fondement et ayant des motivations politiques”.

Connu pour etre un fervent partisan de l’entree de la Georgie dans
l’Union europeenne et dans l’Otan, M. Alasania a declare que le
lancement de ces poursuites constituait “une attaque contre le choix
euro-atlantique de la Georgie”.

“Nous sommes confrontes a une attaque deliberee contre le ministère
de la Defense, qui est un maillon dans la relation de notre pays avec
l’Otan et l’Union europeenne”, a-t-il affirme lors d’une conference
de presse. Le secretaire d’Etat georgien a l’Integration europeenne et
euro-atlantique, Alexi Petriachvili, qui est un allie de M. Alasania,
a annonce qu’il demissionnait pour protester contre les decisions du
Premier ministre.

“La dictature est en train d’arriver en Georgie, notre democratie est
en danger”, a affirme ce secretaire d’Etat peu après le limogeage de
M. Alasania. Selon le vice-Premier ministre Kakhi Kaladze, d’autres
ministres membres du parti que dirige M. Alasania devraient egalement
demissionner.

Tbilissi, 5 nov 2014 (AFP) –

mercredi 5 novembre 2014, Ara (c)armenews.com

SESSION EXCEPTIONNELLE AU PARLEMENT CONCERNANT L’ADHESION A L’UEE

Politique

Le traite sur l’adhesion de l’Armenie a l’Union economique eurasiatique
sera examine lors d’une session extraordinaire du Parlement armenien
les 17 et 18 novembre prochain.

Vahram Baghdassarian, leader de la faction parlementaire du Parti
republicain (HHK), a declare que la question sera a l’ordre du jour
de cette session extraordinaire si la Cour constitutionnelle du pays
fournit sa conclusion sur le traite.

Le document a ete signe le 10 octobre et implique l’adhesion de
l’Armenie dans le bloc commercial de la Russie, la Bielorussie et le
Kazakhstan a partir de janvier.

Presque tous les groupes parlementaires, a l’exception du parti
d’opposition du patrimoine, sont globalement favorables a l’adhesion
de l’Armenie a l’UEE. Seul le statut du Haut-Karabagh pose encore
des interrogations.

mercredi 5 novembre 2014, Claire (c)armenews.com

CONSTRUCTION OF ARMENIA-GEORGIA HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC MAIN DUE TO START IN 2015

YEREVAN, November 5. /ARKA/. Construction of 400 kVt electric main
between Armenia and Georgia is planned to be started in 2015, Armenian
deputy minister of energy and natural resources Ara Simonyan said at
the draft budget discussions in the parliament commissions on Tuesday.

A transition power line will be built in the first stage, and two
existing mains will be connected to it.

“This will enable us working with Georgia’s energy system
simultaneously”, the deputy minister said.

The second stage includes construction of the electric main from
Hrazdan to Ayrum where the second module of the transition line will
be built bringing exchange capacities between the countries from 200
up to 700 megawatt, he said.

The third part is linked to construction of the new nuclear power
unit in Armenia and, hence, is due to start in 2026.

Along with this, another 400 kVt power line construction project is
implemented with Iran. Thus, Armenia will get involved in regional
energy integration projects, the deputy minister said.

According to the ministry’s estimates, the total project cost is
330 million euros, of it 300 million will be spent in the Armenian
territory and the remaining part in Georgia. -0–

SHANT’S REVOLUTION: DOCUMENTARY ON AN ARMENIAN POLITICAL PRISONER

11.05.2014 13:39 epress.am

On October 31, 2013, Tseghakron Party leader Shant Harutyunyan
announced the start of his protest movement. According to Harutyunyan,
he was planning to start a revolution against the criminal regime.

Before the rally on November 5 , he stressed that he would not use
combat weapons during his revolution, and that it was open for those
who wanted to join him.

On the way from Liberty Square towards Mashtots Avenue, plainclothes
policemen began to provoke rally participants, which led to a fight
breaking out between the officers and protesters. The police took 20
people into custody, subsequently, 14 of them were to stand trial.

Armenian National Congress (HAK) faction MP Nikol Pashinyan and
human rights defender Artur Sakunts met with Shant Harutyunyan, who
stated that Police Chief Vladimir Gasparyan had beaten him while in
police custody.

On November 7, Epress.am spoke with human rights defender Mikayel
Danielyan, who stated that Shant Harutyunyan was a political prisoner.

Afterwards, the same status was given to Harutyunyan by a line of
Armenian and international human rights organizations and Armenian
political parties.

Harutyunyan and his friends were officially charged with hooliganism,
and some with violence toward a representative of the authorities.

Human rights defenders registered numerous violations during both
the preliminary investigation and trial process. Relatives of the
arrested were not allowed to visit them for a few months, the trial’s
plaintiffs were the police officers, who had been in plainclothes
during the rally.

The Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan often guided police officers giving
testimony and helped them avoid undesirable questions. On July 12th,
the first day of the trial, a man named Hayk Kyureghyan announced
outside the court that he would not let them “judge Shant” and jumped
on a car, firing an airsoft gun toward police officers. Kyureghyan
was arrested and later announced that he had also been beaten at
the police department, while Shant Harutyunyan welcomed Kyureghyan’s
actions in the courtroom.

During the entire trial, Harutyunyan and his friends were announced
that they were politically persecuted and that they did not accept
the charges against them.

On October 17, Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan officially sentenced Shant
Harutyunyan to 6 years imprisonment, Albert Margaryan also received
6 years, Vahe Lazarian 7 years, Liparit Poghosyan 5 years, Vardan
Vardanyan 5 years, Hayk Harutyunyan 4 years 6 months, Alek Poghosyan
4 years, Mkrtich Hovhannisyan 4 years, Armen Hovhannisyan 2 years,
Sevak Mnatsakanyan 1 years 6 months, Tigran Petrosyan 1 year, and
Misak Arakelyan was fined fifty times the minimum salary.

Shant Harutyunyan’s son, Shahen Harutyunyan, was sentenced to 4 years
imprisonment, but the judge determined to conditionally not apply
the sentence, instead he set probation for 4 years.

HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK: ARKADY GHUKASYAN INTENDS TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2017

11:18 05/11/2014 ” DAILY PRESS

Citing its sources, Haykakan Zhamanak writes that ex-President of
Nagorno-Karabakh Arkady Ghukasyan plans to return to his post. He
intends to run in the presidential elections in NKR in 2017. The
newspaper notes that this issue has been agreed with the Armenian
President and the authorities.

Source: Panorama.am