Author: Badalian Vardan

NO FRIENDS IN NEED?: LACK OF OFFICIAL REACTION AS PROMINENT ARMENIAN BUSINESSMAN GETS ARRESTED IN MOSCOW

Analysis | 18.07.14 | 11:44

By Naira Hayrumyan
ArmeniaNow correspondent

Hayrapetyan Victim of Azeri “Order”?: Detention of Karabakh native
leads to public speculation

A court in Moscow on July 17 issued an arrest warrant for the
well-known Armenian businessman, Levon Hayrapetyan, who is charged
with financial machinations connected with the sale of a Russian oil
company in 2007.

The arrest of the entrepreneur and philanthropist who has invested
millions of dollars into Nagorno-Karabakh’s economy, its social
infrastructure and army has caused concerns and sympathy among the
public. However, at the official level, no statement was made, apart
from the nervous answer to a media question by Prime Minister Hovik
Abrahamyan, who said that the Armenian authorities cannot demand
the release of a man who has broken the law just because he is a
philanthropist.

Neither did the Armenian Embassy in Russia or the Union of Armenians
of Russia make any statements. It causes perplexity in society –
in online social networks opinions are already voiced that perhaps
the activities and position of Hayrapetyan was not liked by many
oligarchs in Armenia and abroad.

Hayrapetyan has repeatedly called on wealthy Armenian businessmen
who made big money on the privatization and exploitation of national
wealth to invest in the development of the country. He also spoke
critically about some officials and even called for drawing up a
“list oligarchs” who should “emigrate” from Armenia. Against this
background it is no wonder that President Serzh Sargsyan, who claims
to be the president of not only 3 million citizens of Armenia,
but also a 10-million Armenian people scattered around the world,
does not stand up for Hayrapetyan, at least publicly.

However, it is unlikely that the businessman’s arrest was
connected with his attitude towards the Armenian government. The
official version looks quite realistic against the background of the
continuing redistribution of property in Russia where there is quite
keen competition between the three giants – Rosneft, Gazprom and
AFK Systema. Rosneft is trying to purchase the Bashneft oil company,
which is now part of Systema, and it is not ruled out that Hayrapetyan
has become a victim of this particular ‘redistribution’.

But there is also a version connected with the activities of
Hayrapetyan in Karabakh, where a Suvorov Military School is now being
built with his sponsorship. The connection of this school with the
Armenian and Russian armies has been emphasized from the very start
of the construction project – it has even been named after two Russian
generals of Armenian origin, Suvorov and Madatov.

Armenia refuses to let the Russian peacekeepers into Karabakh and
Hayrapetyan’s close friend – the first commander of the armed forces
of Karabakh Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan (Komandos) recently began to openly
state about the negative role of Russia in the Karabakh settlement
and accuse Moscow of selling weapons to Azerbaijan.

Against this background, there is speculation that the arrest of
Hayrapetyan may be related to the inability of Moscow at this stage
to ensure its military presence in Karabakh and a positive background
for itself in Armenia.

HRAPARAK: AZERBAIJANI SABOTEURS HAD EUROS AND GOLD

11:53 18/07/2014 ” DAILY PRESS

Citing unnamed sources, Hraparak says that the Azerbaijani saboteurs
detained in Karabakh had Euros and gold which were perhaps intended for
bribes. According to some reports, one of the saboteurs had an Armenian
passport which he got at the police department of Stepanakert in 2007.

The press service of Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army denies the reports.

Defense Minister Movses Hakobyan said the rumors are false, but
declined to answer the question about how the saboteurs managed to
penetrate into the Armenian territory.

Source: Panorama.am

AYRAPETYAN’S LAWYERS TO APPEAL AGAINST HIS ARREST

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
July 17 2014

17 July 2014 – 4:42pm

Ruben Markaryan, the lawyer of Armenian businessman Levon Ayrapetyan,
says the defense is going to appeal against the entrepreneur’s arrest,
RIA Novosti reports on Thursday.

The arrest has recently been ordered by Moscow’s Basmanny Court.

According to the Russian Investigative Committee, the Armenian
businessman earned $2 billion from selling the shares and was accused
of money-wasting and legalization of illegal income.

Ayrapetyan, the tenth richest Armenian businessman and one of the
main Nagorno-Karabakh sponsors, was detained at Moscow’s Domodedovo
Airport upon his arrival from Nice on Tuesday.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM LOSES APPEAL

Courthouse News Service
July 17 2014

By JACK BOUBOUSHIAN

(CN) – A historic property in Washington, D.C., must be returned to
its donor because of the failure to open an Armenian Genocide Museum
there, the D.C. Circuit ruled.

Armenian Assembly of America joined several other organizations 20
years ago to create an Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial (AGM&M)
in Washington D.C.

The genocide was carried out by the Ottoman government in modern Turkey
against its Armenian citizens. Beginning in 1915, a genocidal policy
of massacre, forced labor and death marches killed an estimated 1
million to 1.5 million people, and drove the Armenians out of their
historic homeland in eastern Anatolia.

To make their museum a reality, the Armenian Assembly and others
purchased a historic building, the National Bank of Washington building
at 14th and G Streets, just blocks from the White House.

A benefactor, Gerard Cafesjian, also purchased the buildings adjacent
to the Bank Building to expand the museum effort.

After these property purchases, however, the philanthropists made
little progress toward developing the museum.

Eventually irreconcilable differences arose between major donor
Cafesjian and one of the assembly’s founders, Hirair Hovnanian.

This split entered the courts when both parties laid claim to the
museum-related properties Cafesjian purchased, and the assembly
accused Cafesjian of mismanaging the project.

The D.C. Circuit affirmed a ruling for Cafesjian on Tuesday, finding
that the grant agreement provided Cafesjian the right to seek transfer
of the properties granted for the museum’s use because the museum’s
development foundered.

There is no support for the assembly’s view that equity should not
permit Cafesjian to benefit from AGM&M’s failure to meet its deadline
“because Cafesjian’s actions were the very reason AGM&M could not
develop the museum by the end of 2010,” according to the ruling.

“As the District Court interpreted the evidence below, it was the
‘lack of funding’ that caused AGM&M to put the brakes on the museum
project, ‘and the record [did] not clearly show that any actions by
Cafesjian … caused AGM&M to lose donors,'” Judge Robert Wilkins
wrote for the three-judge panel.

The grant agreement provided that, if the museum was not substantially
completed by 2010, Cafesjian could seek either the return of the
grant funds or the transfer of the property, without regard for the
property’s appreciation at the time of reversion.

“With the benefit of hindsight, appellants may now think this deal
improvident, but no sense of buyer’s remorse can empower us to rewrite
the plain terms of the contract to which they agreed,” Wilkins said.

NEW LESLIE AYVAZIAN COMEDY PREMIERS AT DORSET THEATRE FESTIVAL

The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Massachusetts)
July 16, 2014 Wednesday

DORSET – Dorset Theatre presents Leslie Ayvazian’s new comedy,
“Out of the City.”

This is the third world premiere that Dorset has produced in the past
five seasons, continuing a tradition of New Play Development to which
Artistic Director Dina Janis has proven deeply committed.

“Fostering new work is one of the most important things we do here at
Dorset, from our Young Playwrights workshops to our New Play Reading
Series,” said Janis, who directs “Out of the City.”

“Out of the City” tells the story of two couples who head to a Bed and
Breakfast in the Poconos to celebrate a 60th birthday, and find that
unexpected feelings lead to complications. Ayvazian’s play “15/15”
appeared on the Kilroy’s “Best Unproduced Plays by Female Playwrights
of 2014,” and her “Nine Armenians” won the John Gassner/Outer Critics
Circle Award for best new American play. Ayvazian, an actor who has
been seen on and off-Broadway in shows such as “A Naked Girl on the
Appian Way” and “Raised in Captivity,” and has had recurring roles
on Law & Order, will also star in the play.

Alongside Ayvazian, actor John Procaccino makes his Dorset debut.

Procaccino is known for his work on Broadway in shows such as “A Time
to Kill,” “Enemy of the People” and “An American Daughter,” as well as
television credits on “Law & Order,” “NYPD Blue” and “Smash.” Janet
Zarish’sr New York credits include Miss Julie and “An Enemy of the
People” at Roundabout Theatre and The Square at The Public. She has
also appeared in films such as “Object of My Affection” and “Mystic
Pizza.” Rounding out the cast, Mark Blum has appeared on Broadway in
both revivals of Gore Vidal’s “The Best Man” as well as the Primary
Stages’ revival of Donald Margulies’ “The Model Apartment.” His
film and television credits include “Desperately Seeking Susan,”
“The Good Wife,” “The Sopranos” and “The West Wing.”

“I think this production will really resonate with our community,”
Janis said. “It’s rare to see such a sweetly honest and funny play
about people in this age group, and with this stellar cast, I think
it’s something audiences will truly appreciate.”

“Out of the City” runs through July 19 at the Dorset Theatre Festival.

For tickets, visit dorsettheatrefestival.org or call (802) 867-2223

1914-2014: 100 YEARS OF THE GERMAN-ARMENIAN SOCIETY

By Contributor on July 17, 2014
(Armenian+Weekly)

By Muriel Mirak-Weissbach

Johannes Lepsius is known for his work as a pastor and humanitarian who
intervened on behalf of the Ottoman Armenians in the late 19th century.

Johannes Lepsius

When the genocide began, he returned to Constantinople from Berlin
and tried in vain to dissuade the Young Turk leaders from their
extermination project. His report on the systematic elimination of the
Armenians through murder and deportation raised the alarm in Germany.

What is less well known about Lepsius, the “German exception,” is
that he established the German-Armenian Society, an organization that
has just celebrated its 100th jubilee. Together with journalist Paul
Rohrbach and the Armenian writer Avetik Issahakyan, Lepsius founded
the “Deutsch-Armenische Gesellschaft” (DAG) in June 1914, with the aim
of promoting understanding between Germans and Armenians, as well as
catering to the needs of Armenians living in Germany. In addition,
the DAG intervened to protect the interests of Armenian minorities
in Turkey and other countries of the region.

On June 14 of this year, the DAG and the Lepsiushaus (the research and
meeting center located in Lepsius’s family estate in Potsdam) together
celebrated the centenary with a conference and commemorative ceremony,
at a time when events recollecting the outbreak of the catastrophic
First World War are being organized internationally. In addition
to Dr. Rolf Hosfeld, the director of the Lepsiushaus, and Dr. Raffi
Kantian, president of the DAG and publisher of its quarterly journal,
the Armenisch-Deutsche-Korrespondenz, were political, intellectual,
and religious figures in attendance.

Following opening remarks by Hosfeld and Kantian was Prof. Manfred
Aschke, president of the Constitutional Court in Thuringia, as well
as member of the Lepsiushaus board. Aschke, who is the grandson
of Johannes Lepsius, spoke about the period between the Armenian
reforms of 1913 and the genocide, and the corresponding changes in
the tasks of the DAG. Prof. Hacik Gazer, anArmenian from Istanbul,
who is professor of Oriental Church History at Erlangen, illustrated
German-Armenian cultural cooperation during the 19th century, taking
the example of Armenian students.

How Germany has dealt with the genocide became a focus of discussion
in a lecture given by Dr. Christoph Bergner. A member of the German
parliament (Bundestag), Bergner talked about the 2005 resolution on the
massacre and expulsion of the Armenians, which urged the government
to support efforts in Germany towards reconciliation. As he pointed
out, the problems addressed in the initiative have still not been
resolved. Prof. Armenuhi Drost-Abarjan, the leading Armenologist in
Germany, presented the cultural-political collaboration between the
federal state of Saxon-Anhalt and the Republic of Armenia.

A roundtable discussion brought together several political
figures, including Bundestag members. Under Kantian’s moderation,
the participants assessed the current situation of relations among
Armenia, Germany, and Europe, with a view to the future.

The festive celebration in the evening opened with music by tenor Artak
Kirakosyan and baritone Asatur Baljyan. An ecumenical prayer for the
founders of the DAG and those they protectedwas offered by Archbishop
Karekin Bekdjian, Bishop Markus Droge, and Ecumenical Episcopal Vicar
Father Matthias Fenski. This was followed by greetings presented by
Gunter Fritsch, president of the State Parliament of Brandenburg,
Hasmik Poghosian, cultural minister of Armenia, Stephan Dorgerloh,
cultural minister of Saxon-Anhalt, Martin Gorholt from the Brandenburg
State government, and Jann Jakobs, mayor of Potsdam, which is the
capital of Brandenburg.

After another musical interlude by the vocalists, Prof. Jan-Hendrik
Olbertz, president of Humboldt University, delivered the keynote
address. A former cultural minister of Saxon-Anhalt, he spoke about
the cultural cooperation between that federal state and Armenia.

The evening celebration took place in the Brandenburg State Parliament,
housed in a magnificent castle that, torn down in the 1960’s, was
rebuilt and has just recently reopened. Attending the conference and
reception were more than 250 guests.

Excerpts from the speech by Hosfeld follow:

“The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung referred to Johannes Lepsius
recently as a representative of the politics of law in a period
in which international relations were characterized by anything but
principles of law. Implementing such principles of law in the ‘Armenian
question’ served the lobbying of the German-Armenian Society in its
foundation before World War I, and these principles characterize its
successors’ work still today…

Johannes Lepsius was a German exception. This is the title of a
book that we published last year, with the acts of a scientific
conference held at Potsdam University. A free conscience and the
resulting responsibility for human rights for him always stood above
national claims to power, also and especially in times of violence
and war… The Lepsiushaus sees itself in his tradition and in this
spirit as an institution for scientific research and debate as well
as political education and dialogue with civil society aims.

“The common aims and activities of the Lepsiushaus and German-Armenian
Society have come about as an expression of their similar traditions
and tasks. On this occasion, I would like to thank Raffi Kantian,
who has participated in several conferences we have organized at the
Lepsiushaus since its opening, as speaker, podiums discussion member,
and especially through his constructive, stimulating contributions. I
have the impression that we understand each other very well on a
principled level. Like us, he is a promoter of dialogue, impressively
documented in the Berlin lecture series, and a convinced representative
of what, in the spirit of Lepsius, I would like to call a morally
grounded Realpolitik…”

AZERBAIJAN’S INCURSION SHOULD BE APPROPRIATELY ASSESSED BY INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY: NKR PRESIDENT

12:06 17.07.2014

On 16 July Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan met with the
Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador
Andrzej Kasprzyk, NKR President’s press Office reported.

Issues related to the current stage of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh
conflict settlement negotiations and its prospects, as well as the
situation along the line of contact between the NKR and Azerbaijan
armed forces were discussed during the meeting.

The President considered the recent incursion of the Azerbaijani
subversive group into the NKR territory as another provocative
terrorist act of official Baku and a serious blow to the negotiation
process and the efforts of mediator states, adding that it must be
appropriately assessed by the international community.

PROTESTING VARDENIS FARMERS’ PROPERTY FROZEN BECAUSE OF ACCUMULATED DEBTS

07.17.2014 16:51 epress.am

Several dozen farmers from Vardenis held a protest outside the Armenian
government building today, demanding a meeting with RA Prime Minister
Hovik Abrahamyan.

Speaking to Epress.am, they said that, a 2011 government decision led
the Ministry of Agriculture to import substandard seeds, which do not
yield crops, resulting in the property and assets of 150 farmers to
be frozen because of their accumulated debts.

“The wheat didn’t sprout; we’ve repeatedly proven that the the
seed agency deceived us. They were supposed to import the 970 tons
of autumn sowing, high-quality seeds from Seeds of Stavropol, but,
breaching the decision, instead they imported it from [the Russian]
United Grain Company — the Control Chamber recorded the violations
in 2012. They distributed the seeds for us to return them later,
but that year there was a drought, they didn’t grow. The next year
we planted the same [seeds] again, the weather was favorable, but it
turned out the seeds were substandard,” one of the farmers, Vardan
Hayrapetyan, informed Epress.am.

Protesting farmer Gagik Yeghiazaryan said that the Ministry of
Agriculture is not promising any solutions to the issue, keeping
them waiting for years, but today they came to get an answer from
the government.

“What I have [my property] is frozen; I took on expenses, I burned
the field so that I can plant, but I don’t have seeds. I can’t
take out a loan, at least to buy seeds. The field awaits, empty,”
said Yeghiazaryan.

After today’s cabinet meeting, the farmers met with head of the
government’s Department for Reception of Citizens and Discussion of
Petitions Aleksandr Ghazaryan, who informed them that discussions on
the matter are being held.

MONEY VS. VOTES

By Contributor on July 17, 2014

Dear Editor:

Please permit me to use your pages to inform your readers of a very
important matter.

The Republican-controlled legislature of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania voted into law a Genocide Education measure that
specifically ignores the Armenian Genocide.

The law, sadly, goes into effect in the Commonwealth’s high schools
in 2015–the year of the Centenary of the start of the Armenian
Genocide–and is designed to teach the youngsters the evil and the
horrors of genocides.

Reference to the Armenian Genocide was in the original draft, but was
eliminated after a campaign by the Turks. Efforts to get the reference
to the Armenian Genocide back into the bill received promises from
many sides, including the leader of the Republican Party. However,
when it came to the crunch, the reference to the Armenian Genocide
was not included in the final measure, which did include constant
references to “Holocaust” and “other genocides” and which specifically
also included the Rwandan Genocide.

Therefore, I urge all readers to vote against the Republican Party
in the forthcoming elections. This is not to say that the Democrat
Party candidate is the better candidate, but it is to say that the
Republican Party candidate is the inferior.

I urge all your readers who are not residents of Pennsylvania but
who have relatives and friends in the Commonwealth to contact them
and spread this message.

The lesson the politicians must be taught is that the Turks may have
the money but the Armenians have the votes.

Avedis Kevorkian

Philadelphia, Pa.

AZERBAIJANI FORCES KILL KARABAKH FARMER: SEPARATISTS

Agence France Presse
July 15, 2014 Tuesday 3:19 PM GMT

YEREVAN, July 15 2014

Azerbaijani troops killed an Armenian farmer in the latest violent
confrontation along the disputed Nagorny Karabakh region’s volatile
frontline, rebel authorities said on Tuesday.

“On July 14 (Monday), Azerbaijani troops shot dead a resident
of Karabakh’s Askeran district, Arvind Danielyan,” the separatist
region’s prosecutor general said in a statement.

Danielyan “was working the land on a tractor when Azerbaijani forces
opened fire”.

Violence along the frontline between arch-foes Armenia and Azerbaijan
has simmered since the start of the year, with both sides accusing
each other of launching tit-for-tat raids.

On Saturday, a 37-year-old Armenian woman was seriously wounded in
shootout between rebel forces and Azerbaijani troops, which killed
one soldier from either side.

At least 20 soldiers have been killed so far this year, as government
and rebel snipers periodically exchange fire across the flashpoint
frontier.

Armenian-backed separatists seized Nagorny Karabakh from Azerbaijan in
a 1990s war that killed 30,000 people. Despite years of negotiations
since a 1994 ceasefire, the two sides have yet to sign a peace deal.

Azerbaijan has threatened to take back the disputed region by force
if negotiations do not yield results, while Armenia has vowed to
retaliate against any military action.