Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

SLOGAN “MIGHT IS RIGHT AND VIOLENCE IS ALSO A SOLUTION” IS CULTIVATED IN ARMENIA

arminfo
Monday, May 16, 17:34

The cases of violence have increased in Armenia especially sexual
abuse of children, social worker Anna Voskanyan told journalists.

“It is impossible to present the violence statistics at present,
but the number of violence cases has grown, undoubtedly. The key
reason of such developments is the public that created the cult of
a man living by the slogan “Might is right and violence is also a
solution”,” Voskanyan said.

She said that 80% of children are regularly subjected to violence in
Armenia, and part of them suffers sexual abuse.

“Violence attempt is punishable in abroad unlike Armenia. We can
find a variety of erotic magazines in any kiosk, which leads public
to artificial temptation,” she said.

From: Baghdasarian

ATTORNEYS ‘AT WAR’ OVER ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Tert.am
16.05.11

Attorneys who have won tens of millions of dollars for descendants
of Armenian Genocide victims are accusing one another in court of
misusing funds or stalling payments to thousands of their clients.

According to the Glendalenewspress.com, Mark Geragos and Brian
Kabateck, two of the lead attorneys in class-action cases Armenian
Americans have filed in federal court against insurers, accuse
Glendale-based co-counsel Vartkes Yeghiayan and his wife, attorney
Rita Mahdessian, of setting up sham charities and misusing nearly $1
million over the last six years.

Yeghiayan, in turn, is accusing Geragos and Kabateck of misusing
proceeds from the litigation and of allowing compensation requests
from more than 1,000 Armenians to go unanswered.

The imbroglio comes several years after New York Life Insurance Co.

and French insurer Axa S.A. agreed to pay $37.5 million to settle
claims that they failed to compensate descendants of genocide victims
who bought policies between 1875 and 1923.

Other insurers and banks still face accusations that they profited
unfairly from the estates of people who were killed or forced to flee
during the Armenian Genocide by Ottoman Turks, including the violence
from 1915 to 1923 that resulted in the death of 1.5 million Armenians.

The $20-million New York Life settlement from 2004 called for most
of the money to go to families that could prove their losses, with
$3 million to go to charities addressing the needs of the Armenian
community. The 2005 Axa settlement for $17.5 million contained a
similar provision, with $3 million to go to French charities.

In March, Geragos and Kabateck sued Yeghiayan, accusing him of creating
two charities – the Center for Armenian Remembrance and the Paris-based
Conservatoire de la Memoire Armenienne – and then failing to disclose
his and Mahdessian’s roles in the organizations, to which a federal
judge allocated nearly $1 million, according to the lawsuit.

Geragos and Kabateck allege an investigator they hired discovered
the Paris office of the Conservatoire de la Memoire Armenienne
doesn’t exist.

In US District Court filings, they also allege that the Center for
Armenian Remembrance, based in Yeghiayan’s Brand Boulevard law office,
“appears to serve no legitimate purpose [and] has not engaged in any
charitable purposes on behalf of the Armenian community.”

Yeghiayan and Mahdessian did not respond to requests for comment.

But Yeghiayan’s attorney, Roman Silberfeld, refuted the accusations.

“I am reasonably well satisfied that the allegations made are false,
that nothing improper has happened with regard to Mr. Yeghiayan,”
Silberfeld said.

Yeghiayan had made his own claims of misconduct against Geragos and
Kabateck, arguing in court documents that they went to Europe in 2010
and improperly met with the Axa Settlement Board, a group of three
people that writes the claim settlement checks for the thousands of
Armenian plaintiffs.

He also alleged that the administrator of the Axa funds intentionally
stopped responding to inquiries from claimants.

Since February 2010, Yeghiayan claimed in court filings that his
office fielded more than 1,000 complaints and more continue to pour in
“regarding the administration of the trust account and the baseless
denial of claims.”

In their response filed in court, Geragos and Kabateck denied any
wrongdoing. Neither could be reached for comment.

Yeghiayan is also claiming that Geragos and Kabateck have failed
to turn over documents for a full accounting of the use of the Axa
funds for the last five years. Last month, US District Court Judge
Christina Snyder ordered Geragos and Kabateck to provide the records.

On May 6, the warring parties agreed to mediate their dispute before
retired state appellate court Justice Howard Wiener.

Silberfeld said he believes that the conflict arose from the complexity
of administering the settlement funds, and that it can be resolved
“if all the cards are laid on the table, face up, by everyone.”

The attorneys, Silberfeld added, “turned the aggression they ought
to be turning on the bad guys onto one another. That’s what I hope
to be able to diffuse and solve in the next 60 days or so.”

From: Baghdasarian

AZERI EXPERT GUARANTEES ARMENIAN PARTICIPANTS’ SECURITY AT EUROVISION 2012 IN BAKU

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 16, 2011 – 16:35 AMT

Azerbaijani political analyst Rasim Musabekov supposes that Armenia’s
representatives can participate in Eurovision Song Contest 2012 which
will be held in Baku.

Asked whether the victory of Azerbaijan can somehow change Baku’s
military rhetoric, Musabekov presumed that it can be mitigated.

Azerbaijan’s Ell/Nikki duet with Running Scared song won the Eurovision
2011 in Dusseldorf, thus giving Baku the chance to host the contest
next year .

Armenia’s Emmy was knocked out of the May 10 finals. As head of
the Armenian delegation to Eurovision 2011 Gohar Gasparyan told a
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, it will be later announced whether Armenia
will participate in the Baku-hosted contest.

From: Baghdasarian

MIGRATION ISSUES HAVE PRIORITY POSITION ON ARMENIA-EU COOPERATION AGENDA

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 16, 2011 – 17:41 AMT

Armenian Territorial Administration Minister Armen Gevorgyan met
with IOM (International Organization for Migration) delegation led
by regional representative Andreas Halbach.

At the meeting, the Minister gave high assessment to Territorial
Administration Ministry-IOM cooperation. As he noted, migration
issues are in the focus of Armenian government’s attention, and have
a priority position on Armenia-EU cooperation agenda.

Mr. Halbach, in turn, expressed readiness to assist Armenia in the
directions the country is interested in, also offering support in
promoting Armenia-EU cooperation.

From: Baghdasarian

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Monday, May 16, 2011

AGBU’s Nork Children’s Center Troupe Performs in Lebanon

During the week of April 2-8, 2011, 30 youth from AGBU’s Nork Children’s
Center in Yerevan performed in Beirut, Lebanon in connection with the
80th anniversary of the founding of AGBU Armenian Youth Association
(AYA). Five performances, directed by Aida Antreassian, were held at the
Hovhannes Boghosian Auditorium, drawing in a total of 3,000 guests,
which included 1,300 Armenian school students.

The AGBU Children’s Centers performers ranged in age from five to
fourteen. Their performances, which consisted of song, dance, and
gymnastics, followed introductory remarks by their group leader,
Reverend Komitas Hovnanian, a member of the brotherhood of Holy
Etchmiadzin and head of the AGBU Nork Children’s Center. During their
time in Lebanon, the youth from Armenia spent the good part of four days
sightseeing and exploring the countryside. They made visits to
Catholicos Aram I of Cilicia, the museum of the Cilician Catholicosate
in Antelia, Lebanon, the Armenian Genocide Monument in Antelias, the
village of Harissa, the Armenian Catholic monastery of Bzommar, the
Jeita grotto, the Armenian Birds’ Nest orphanage, and the historic
Byblos Fort in Jibeil. Travel expenses were underwritten by the Armenian
company VivaCell.

Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian program, annually touching the
lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.

For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please visit

From: Baghdasarian

LEBANON’S ARMENIAN COMMUNITY ISSUES DISCUSSED AT DIASPORA MINISTRY

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 16, 2011 – 18:59 AMT

On May 16, Armenian Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan met with the
Diaspora Minister’s Councilor in Lebanon’s Armenian community Maro
Nercessian.

At the meeting, the parties discussed Armenia-Diaspora cooperation,
Armenian community issues.

Ms. Hakobyan briefed Ms. Nercessian on programs to be implemented
by the Ministry: young journalists’ school, young leaders’ school,
Return Home, Our Ancestors.

The parties also focused on education, culture, women & children
-related issues, Armenian Diaspora Ministry press service reported.

From: Baghdasarian

Some Progress in Army Cases

ZHANNA ALEXANYAN
Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 10:50:56 – 13/05/2011

On March 14, 2010, Valeri Muradyan, conscript, died in Haykazov
military unit of the NKR. Recall according to the official version
Valeri Muradyan committed suicide through hanging. Now another
conscript of the same military unit has been detained charged in this
case. This is the first person involved in the criminal case after one
year.

This information was confirmed by the RoA Military Prosecutor Gevorg
Kostanyan in a conversation with us. For investigation interests, the
name of the detained soldier is not published.

The detainee has been charged under Art. 359 of the Criminal Code
(Breach of relations, prescribed by field manuals, between servicemen
not subordinated to each other, expressed in humiliation of the
person’s honor and self-esteem, persecution or violence).

The Article supposes for detention up to three months, or service in a
disciplinary battalion up to two years, or imprisonment up to two
years.

After Valeri Muradyan’s death, the Ministry of Defense opened a
criminal case for forcing a person to committ suicide. After one year,
the case was suspended.

Recall Serge Sargsyan ordered the Military Prosecutor’s office to take
under its personal control the cases of soldiers died in peace
conditions, whose relatives hold protests every Thursday in front of
the governmental building.

It is worth mentioning that in a short while after the president’s
instruction, some move has already been noticed in these cases. We
hope these steps of the Military Prosecution will lead to the real
revelation of the cases and the suspicious accusations for suicide
will be changed.

From: Baghdasarian

“Public Service Law” Amendments Worry MP’s
Grisha Balasanyan

hetq
12:26, May 12, 2011

A debate on amendments to the RA `Law Regarding Public Serice’ resumed
today in the National Assembly at which only 13 MP’s were present.

What follows is a summary of what of few of those MP’s had to say.

Prosperous Party MP Samvel Balasanyan, who also serves as the Deputy
President of the National Assembly, expressed his concern that the
draft legislation would prevent civil servants and other top officials
from using their office to promote the interests of their political
parties and civic organizations, including religious groupings.

Justice Minister Hrayr Tovmasyan stated that the law wouldn’t restrict
the rights of MP’s but that they wouldn’t be able to their position to
advance a certain political party’s interests.

MP Balasanyan retorted, `How can I, a member of the Prosperous Party
not mention the party’s name or defend its policies. This parliament
is a political structure, no?’

It could be that MP Balasanyan is concerned that he will meet the same
fate of his predecessor, Arevik Petrosyan, who was removed from the
post by Gagik Tsarukyan, the party’s leader, for being too `passive’
in promoting the party. To which the justice minister responded, `That
will not be prohibited when giving an address; feel free.’

Heghineh Bisharyan, who heads the Rule of Law parliamentary
delegation, minced no words declaring that the draft legislation was
`unjust’.

The MP focused on that part of the draft concerning gifts. It appears
that the new law will require MP’s to declare, as soon as possible, if
they receive gifts amounting to more than 50,000 AMD from the same
person within a calendar year or if the total gifts received exceed
250,000 AMD.

MP Bisharyan also complained about the fact that she would have to
submit an income declaration for her children since they are adults.

She told Hetq that the gifts’ clause would never work in practice
since there were 131 MP’s in the parliament and that such transactions
could never be monitored.

`How will they ever know who visited which MP’s office and what gifts
were exchanged? Do they plan on installing cameras in each office?’

From: Baghdasarian

Akhtala Mayor Still Waiting for Environmental Ministry’s Response
Larisa Paremuzyan

hetq
11:15, May 11, 2011

Even though the tailings dam along the road leading to the Svinets
neighborhood in Akhtakla has been closed for the past two years, the
threat of the toxins washing into the Akhtala River and then into the
Debed River are real.

Due to the snow melt and recent heavy rains, the toxic wastes at the
dam have been moving from their original position.

The dam is not monitored nor is there any fencing around the
perimeter. Neither are there warning signs to ward off local
villagers.

When Hetq contacted Akhtala Mayor Hayk Khachikyan he said that the
problem facing the area wasn’t only the threat posed by the Svinets
tailings dam but the Metal Prince mining company’s tailings dam on the
road leading to the village of Pokr Ayrum.

Mayor Khachikyan said that he had sent a letter to the Ministry of the
Environment on March 15 but has yet to hear back from them.

From: Baghdasarian

arminfo
Thursday, May 12, 14:09

Famous for her books and professional activity in the legal sphere
Fethiye-khanum was calmly sitting at a small chair in the middle of a
big exposition hall. Too much balanced, this woman was actually
shedding out huge flow of will which made me think over my every word
addressed to her.

Having interrupted her thoughts I carefully tried to know if she is
free for a short talk, she replied with a very much admiring smile and
said it will be pleasure for her to talk to me…

Fethiye-khanum, tell me please your story. Nobody but you can present
the relations of people in the mixed reality of today’s Turkey.

Listening to me, she started her story of the fight for justice.

Many people know me in Turkey, but in Armenia I am more known because
of Hrant Dink’s murder, though I had started my fight long before this
sad event…It happened in 2004 when my first book `My grandmother’ was
published. As you know, at the age of reason I learned from my mother,
she is an Armenian. I told my story in the book but just from the
human point of view. I have never criticized the Turkish authorities,
never reminded about the Genocide. I have just told the story of an
unhappy family which was trying to save from death and violence. My
decision was not simple, it came to me as a result of long thought
about this topic, and you know, all those arguments and debates about
the genocide have been more discovering and deepening this topic and
taking it away from resolving. Moreover, the human factor has been
always ignored in the political context, though this global story
consists of separate persons…

By means of this book I tried to open the door from this side. I
wanted to tell and show to everybody that there people in all this,
which we have forgotten about.

The year when the book was published was remarkable for Turkey, as
just since 2004 it has started making the first steps towards the
European integration. For this reason, the nationalistic forces became
more active in the country and the situation was extremely tense. Just
since that year several lawsuits have been filed against Hrant Dink.
Other my friends journalists also were repressed by nationalistic
forces. However, against the background of all this, my book was
distributed without any obstacle.

What was the reason of the tolerance of the authorities to the book?

I think there are two main reasons, why they did not touch me. First,
because of the fact that I did not mention the word `genocide’ in the
book and did not put the main stress on it. In fact, they had no
catch, on the basis of which they could file a lawsuit against me.
Secondly, the authorities know the more actively they react at any
phenomena, the more active the society reacts on them. The aggressive
policy regarding the book would lead to raising of the public interest
to it. Here is the slogan of the authorities: `You are the Turk, You
are Muslim’. However, this book shatters these stereotypes. This is
its force, and if they promoted agitation of this book, the whole
ideological system would be broken. For this reason, they simply shut
their eyes to it.

Does it mean you have found the key to establish the Armenian-Turkish relation?

Yes, it does, she said smiling happily, sometimes there is no need
making big steps, one can reach the top with small steps too. By
connecting small links with each other, we shall create the line of
destinies and no politicians will be able to contradict against it.

Over the last minutes of our talk I felt more and more how exited she
was on the matter. She seemed to say something else but did not dare
to. Finally controlling emotions she said: `Almost 100 years have past
since we managed to get something, but nevertheless, it is a big
attainment. I can assure you that the number of people in Turkey
concerned about recognition of the Genocide is growing. I believe,
that one day gradually raising from the depth of the society this
invisible wave will wash off everything on its way. There is no
obstacle for water’.

After such words I had nothing to reply. I was feeling the confidence
of this strong person, which had many obstacle on her way, comparing
to which, my efforts and failures seemed to me just miserable grains…

Half-Armenian, the writer and lawyer Fethiye Cetin is the Dink’s
family lawyer. Hrant Dink was murdered in January 2007. Her first book
`My grandmother’, which tells the story of her grandmother, which
obtained salvation during the Armenian genocide, was published in
2004. Having gained positives responses, in 2010 Cetin published the
second book `Hrant’s sons’ dedicated to the memory of Hrant Dink,
which tells the stories of the people of the Armenian origin living at
the territory of Turkey.

From: Baghdasarian