Author: Badalian Vardan

HERITAGE PARTY LEADER EXPECTS LAUNCH OF “PAN-ARMENIAN MOVEMENT”

July 19, 2013 | 12:51

YEREVAN. – During the first half of summer Raffi Hovannisian traveled
to five regions of Armenia, as well aas Moscow, Washington, Brussels
and Istanbul, he said during the Friday press conference.

He plans to tour Armenia’s region over the weekend and then prepare
for “pan-Armenian movement” slated for fall.

Speaking about the April 9 events, Hovannisian said many people had
ambitious expectations that they could change everything in a day.

“Apparently, there is my guilt as I was very self-confident.

Meanwhile, most people who voted for me on February 18 [the day of
presidential elections] did not appear in demonstrations on April
9 but were following the events online and were expecting immediate
changes,” he said.

Raffi Hovannisian challenged the results of presidential elections,
staging numerous protests up to April 9, the day of inauguration of
Serzh Sargsyan.

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

“THE ORGANIZATION OF SCIENCE AND EDUCATION IS WRONG.” RUZANNA MKRTCHYAN

July 17 2013

“We need to review the human remains kept in YSU. Inside this limit,
we hold seminars, we think about how to better preserve the heritage
of Armenia, human remains collections, as well as plants, animals and
stones,- told Associate Professor of Tulsa University of Anthropology
Miriam Belmaker in an interview with Aravot.am about “The Present and
the Future of Bioarchaeological, Archaeological and Paleontological
Collections at Yerevan State University”. According to her, working
with the Ministry of Culture, Institute of Archeology and Department
of Geology of the State University, they are teaching students new
methods of how to keep the fossils and the collections. “The most
important goal is to establish an informational framework, due to which
these unresolved issues will be maintained and reviewed. This is a
part of the heritage of Armenia, the loss will be of universal.” In
the interview with us, the lecturer of YSU Department of History, a
senior researcher at the RA NAS Institute of Archeology and Ethnography
Ruzanna Lazarian informed that they have worked about 3 weeks with
the American partners in the field of scientific community.

“We would like to maintain, fund, replenish and bring to the condition
of museum the osteologic pieces, which actually is not conducted
in Armenia. Bioarchaeological material has value and contains great
scientific information. The organization of science and education is
wrong; we are not attracting young fellow researchers and students
in these interesting works. Such meetings are given much importance
and well treated at the Institute of Archaeology, but being an
anthropologist, I believe, that, today, the osteologic pieces are
not treated well.” Angela SHAHUMYAN

Read more at:

© 1998 – 2013 Aravot – News from Armenia

Aliyev monument construction halted in Russia’s Volgograd

July 20, 2013 – 14:13 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Volgograd region Prosecutor General’s Office
ruled to halt the construction of the Baku Park and a monument to
Heydar Aliyev.

The earlier inspection discovered that construction on the territory
of the park hasn’t been agreed with the region’s ministry of culture,
and nor was a permission for construction works provided.

Also, requests have been addressed to the state building inspection to
conduct and unscheduled check-out and take necessary measures.

Online petition launched to recognize Yerevan municipality’s decision invalid

July 20, 2013 | 14:18

YEREVAN. – A signature campaign has been launched online to recognize
invalid Yerevan municipality’s decision to increase public transport
fares.

Yerevan municipality decided to raise public fares by 50-100 percent.
The officials gave illogical explanations of the decision, campaign
organizers said in a statement.

The petition has already been signed by 1,000 participants.

Public transport fares in Armenia’s capital rose by 1.5-2 times
starting from July 20. The bus fare made AMD 100 instead of 50, while
minibus fare increased from AMD 100 to 150.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

ZORYAN INSTITUTE
George Shirinian, Executive Director
255 Duncan Mill Rd., Suite 310
Toronto, ON
Canada M3B 3H9
Tel: 416-250-9807
Fax: 416-512-1736

PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT: Deborah Hay
DATE: July 20, 2013
TEL: 416-250-9807

Reflections on Yair Auron’s Banality of Indifference Translation into
Armenian

The Zoryan Institute welcomes the Armenian translation of Prof. Yair Auron’s
book titled The Banality of Indifference: Zionism and the Armenian Genocide,
an important book in the effort to combat denial. The book, published
originally in Hebrew in 1995, is a groundbreaking record of the reaction of
the Jewish community in Palestine before the founding of the State of Israel
to the Armenian Genocide. Seeing the importance of this pioneering work of
comparative history, the Zoryan Institute invited Auron to Yerevan in 1995
to participate in the International Conference on `Problems of Genocide,’
the first on genocide held in independent Armenia.

While the official Jewish reaction to the Genocide was muted and largely
self-interested, Auron documents instances of support. The Nili Group, for
example, an underground intelligence organization, actively sought to aid
the Armenian victims. Chaim Weizmann, a Zionist leader and later the first
President of the State of Israel, and Nahum Sokolov, a Zionist leader and a
pioneer of Hebrew journalism, publicly condemned the killings. Zionist
writers and journalists expressed outraged identification with the Armenians
and tried to arouse the conscience of the world. This book was made
available to the English reading public by a Zoryan sponsoring its
translation, editing and publication.

The Institute commissioned a new study by Auron, which was published in 2003
as The Banality of Denial: Israel and the Armenian Genocide. It dealt with
the official policies of the State of Israel regarding the Armenian
Genocide, which Auron decried as denial. We hope that the Banality of Denial
will also be made available to Armenian readers before the centennial of the
Armenian Genocide.

Prof. Auron, a long-time member of the Zoryan Institute’s Academic Board of
Directors, has been a strong advocate of raising awareness of the Armenian
Genocide in Israel. Auron was an early supporter and participant in Zoryan’s
Genocide and Human Rights University Program and has gone on to be a leading
educator in Israel and abroad on genocide, as well as the Armenian Genocide
in particular. He has developed a curriculum that is used in Israel and has
been adopted in other countries and has published a series of books in
Hebrew and English on the various major cases of genocide, including one on
the Armenian Genocide earlier this year.

Prof. Yair Auron is a scholar of great originality, a strong advocate of
universal human rights, and a soldier in the fight against denial. It is
very gratifying that his work is being acknowledged and appreciated by the
Armenian Writers Union and government officials.

The Zoryan Institute and its subsidiary, the International Institute for
Genocide and Human Rights Studies, is the first non-profit, international
center devoted to the research and documentation of contemporary issues with
a focus on Genocide, Diaspora and Armenia.

For more information please contact the Zoryan Institute by email
[email protected] or telephone 416-250-9807.

LA FRA CRITIQUE UNE ELECTION LOCALE

ARMENIE

La Federation revolutionnaire armenienne (FRA) a denonce mardi la
tenue d’une election locale ce week-end qui a mis fin a presque dix
annees de contrôle d’une importante communaute rurale près d’Erevan.

L’election du maire du village de Prochian a eu lieu trois mois après
l’assassinat de son maire, Hrach Muradian, qui etait affilie a la FRA.

Les resultats officiels du vote ont donne une courte victoire au
candidat du Parti republicain au pouvoir (HHK), qui etait a couteaux
tires avec Muradian.

Dans un communique, l’organe directeur de la FRA en Armenie a declare
que le resultat de l’election a ete decide par l’utilisation de
ressources administratives, l’achat de voix et la ” coercition “. “Un
tel etalage de cynisme politique a mine le processus electoral et a
pprofondit les tensions existantes dans la communaute.”

Le parti d’opposition a en meme temps exhorte ses partisans a Prochian
a ne pas ” ceder a d’eventuelles tentatives de creer de nouvelles
tensions.” Il leur a egalement assure que les dirigeants de la FRA
ne menageront aucun effort pour voir l’assassinat de Muradian resolu.

Les resultats des elections ont egalement ete rejetees comme frauduleux
par Vova Sahakian, le candidat de l’opposition soutenue par la famille
du maire assassine. Sahakian n’a pas ete officiellement approuve par
la FRA en depit d’etre affilie au parti.

La declaration de la FRA est venu peu de temps après un second
depouillement du scrutin mene dans deux enceintes de Prochian. Ils
n’ont pas change le decompte officiel des voix.

Le directeur de campagne du HHK a nie les allegations de truquage de
vote, en disant que durant la campagne Sahakian lui-meme a eu recours
a la fraude.

Pendant ce temps, le frère de Zohrab Muradian a declare mardi que
le resultat des elections a renforce la conviction de sa famille que
l’ancien Prochian maire a ete assassine pour des raisons politiques.

Il a insiste sur le fait que Hrach avait une relation tendue avec
les gouvernements provinciaux et centraux durant son mandat.

” Ils ont atteint leur but. Ils etaient interesses a le liquider et
lui prendre sa place. C’etait un assassinat politique parce qu’il ne
leur a pas obeit ” a declare Zohrab Muradian au service armenien de
RFE / RL, pointant du doigt les autorites.

Galust Sahakian, un vice-president du HHK, a rejete cette allegation,
affirmant que la famille Muradian est trop accable de douleur pour
faire des declarations politiques correctes. “Le parti republicain
n’a eu aucun problème avec ce type”, a-t-il dit.

vendredi 19 juillet 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

L’OPPOSITION EN AZERBAIDJAN NOMME UN CANDIDAT UNIQUE

AZERBAIDJAN

Les groupes politiques de l’opposition en Azerbaïdjan se sont unis
pour designer un candidat unique a l’election presidentielle d’octobre.

Lors d’une session du Conseil National des Forces Democratiques le 2
Juillet, l’eminent scenariste Rustam Ibragimbekov (aka Ibrahimbekov) a
ete choisi pour representer l’opposition dans la course presidentielle.

La session a egalement produit un document decrivant une ” periode
de transition “.

Le document indique que, s’il etait elu, le candidat de l’opposition
resteraient en poste depuis seulement deux ans.

Pendant cette periode, le Conseil national etablirait un “gouvernement
de confiance nationale ” pour mettre en ~uvre les reformes
constitutionnelles et electorales. Les reformes proposees seront de
diminuer les pouvoirs de la presidence, d’elargir les responsabilites
du Parlement et mettre en place un système judiciaire independant.

Le parti Nouvelle Azerbaïdjan a nomme le president sortant Ilham
Aliev comme son candidat a la presidentielle le mois dernier.

Aliyev est au pouvoir depuis 2003, après avoir succede a son père.

vendredi 19 juillet 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

TURKEY WANTS TO PLAY MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT PROCESS

Interfax, Russia
July 17, 2013 Wednesday 2:50 PM MSK

BAKU. July 17

Turkey, which is a member of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group set up in order to mediate
the settlement of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over
Nagorno-Karabakh, is ready to be actively engaged in the settlement
process, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said at a joint press
conference with Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov following
a meeting with him in Baku on Wednesday.

“If the OSCE Minsk Group has failed to achieve any results on this
issue in 20 years, the international community should ask why,”
Davutoglu said.

Baku and Ankara are maintaining active contacts while settling the
Azeri-Armenian conflict, and therefore Turkey should take more active
role in the settlement process, he said.

“I believe the other members of the OSCE Minsk Group should also
be more actively involved in the peace process. It is well known
that Turkey is also a member of the OSCE Minsk Group and is ready
to actively participate in this process. It is important for this
conflict to be resolved in the near future,” he said.

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INCREASE IN TRANSPORT PRICE WAS “A NECESSITY”, MAYOR’S OFFICE CLAIMS

Mediamax, Armenia
July 18 2013

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Advisor to Yerevan Mayor Albert Gevorgyan stated
today that the growth in public transport prices in the capital was
“a necessity”.

According to the advisor, the price growth hasn’t been linked to
increase in gas price and “the issue has been brewing over years”,
Mediamax reports.

Albert Gevorgyan promised that the requirements to drivers and owners
of transport routes will be toughened by the Mayor’s Office and the
service quality will be enhanced.

“After the price growth, our requirements and approaches will be
toughened, the number of drivers will grow and we will be able to
provide more cars”, said Albert Gevorgyan.

Head of the Transport Department of Yerevan Mayor’s Office Henrik
Navasardyan said that under the calculations, the prime cost for
servicing one passenger currently makes AMD144.

>From July 20, the price for Yerevan buses and minibuses will make
AMD150 against former AMD100, the trolleybus price will increase from
AMD50 up to AMD100.

– See more at:

GYUMRI’S GHUKASYAN: OUT OF OFFICE BUT STILL CAUSING TROUBLE

SOCIETY | 18.07.13 | 16:40

Photolure

GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

The former Gyumri mayor’s name is again linked to a scandal, this
time fraught with criminal liability.

Local media report that during the court hearing of former mayor Vardan
Ghukasyan’s son-in-law-to-be Karen Yesayan’s murder case, Ghukasyan,
who had showed up accompanied by a group of 30 of his confidantes,
hurled obscenities in the courtroom.

Chief of Gyumri police Karen Babakekhyan told the press that a
criminal case has been filed against Ghukasyan based on attorney
Lusine Sahakyan’s motion for contempt of court by offending the
persons engaged in the trial.

And besides, Ghukasyan applied violence against the father of the
defendant, who was hospitalized in pre-heart-attack condition to
Gyumri medical center’s department of intensive therapy. Harutyun
Sargsyan, the son of Ani region’s former chief of police, is accused
of the murder committed in April 2012. One possible thesis is that
the motive for the crime was jealousy. Sargsyan says he is not guilty.

This is not the first time Ghukasyan is engaged in such an incident.

His name is linked to many bloody revenge cases. Last year President
Serzh Sargsyan refused to support Ghukasyan’s reelection as mayor. The
new mayor Samvel Balasanyan reported numerous cases of election
violations perpetrated by Ghukasyan, but the former mayor never was
held accountable.

President of Gyumri’s Asparez Journalism Club Levon Barseghyan told
ArmeniaNow that the authorities should not have waited for some
incident to happen to charge Ghukasyan.

“Ghukasyan’s conduct in the court – he was issuing orders to the judge
and using offensive tone with the attorneys – showed that for years
his friends and he had been serving the anti-democratic system, and
the system seems unable to give up on such people,” says Barseghyan.