Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

AMNESTY IMPORTANT, JUSTICE MORE IMPORTANT – LAWYERS

Both prisoners and their relatives have for a long period been waiting
for the amnesty act, but NGOs and lawyers remain concerned over it,
the lawyer Hayk Yeganyan and Chairman of the International Association
of Lawyers and Psychologists Khachatur Morozyan told journalists
on Monday.

“According to the criminal code, the second objective of ‘punishment’
is to reform the offender, but in our case it is a cause of disunity,”
Yeganyan said.

In his turn, Morozyan said that the government should, first of all,
“cure” the person. “Indeed, they do not reform. Rather, they bring the
‘dust’ from there. With the system of values distorted, the only way
is to a repeated crime,” he said.

Released prisoners can integrate into society, Yeganyan says.

“I do not see our society feels uncomfortable because of their
conviction,” he said.

The lawyer agrees that former convicts encounter difficulties in
finding jobs.

From: Baghdasarian

Heritage Party Faction Leader Responds to Postanjyan’s PACE Question

10.04.2013 21:19 epress.am

Ruben Hakobyan, head of the Heritage Party parliamentary faction,
urged National Assembly President Hovik Abrahamyan to reconsider his
statement on his intention to remove Heritage Party MP Zaruhi
Postanjyan from the Armenian delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe (PACE). This Hakobyan today said at a meeting
with reporters in the parliament, emphasizing that Abrahamyan’s
intention doesn’t prove that Armenia is a democratic country.

According to the MP, Abrahamyan discussed this matter with the
factions, particularly the Heritage Party, but he did not provide the
factions’ views in his statement.

Asked if his faction had discussed replacing Postanjyan, since,
according to the rules of procedure, it is the faction that appoints
the PACE delegation member, Hakobyan said that they have yet to
discuss the matter.

However, Hakobyan, expressing his personal opinion, said that
high-level platforms [such as PACE] should be used to raise political
issues. Recall, Postanjyan in Strasbourg on Wednesday asked Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan whether he recently lost 70 million euros at
a casino in Europe.

From: Baghdasarian

Ruben Mehrabyan about Serzh Sargsyan’s speech. `We should not make a
fool of Europe’

October 5 2013

During his speech in the PACE plenary session in autumn, the RA
President Serzh Sargsyan, referring to the issue of civilization
choice of the European Union’s Eastern Partnership countries,
announced that we are not ready to consider the issue in that
dimension, and detailed, `From the outset of the Eastern Partnership
initiative and even before, we have stated and continue to state that
we aspire to have the closest possible and widest possible relations
with the EU, and to be close to the EU. This policy will not be
terminated. As is known, Armenia has a close allied relationship with
Russia. Armenia is not building new relationships at the expense of
the relationship with her strategic ally; in the same vein, we will
not build relationships with other partner, which might be aimed
against our other partners. We will continue to develop in parallel
relationships and interests with our key partners.’ Aravot.am inquired
from Ruben Mehrabyan, political scientist, expert of `Political and
International Studies’, whether the RA President’s view was convincing
and whether it would be possible to maintain this political line under
this created situation. Mr. Mehrabyan responded, `The words that were
said by Serzh Sargsyan at PACE was within the so-called circumference
of September 3 statement. To wish to have closer relations with
Europe, its scope is a bit abstract, especially when it says that it
should not build relationship with one partner at the expense of the
other. Here, there is a lack of sincerity, too. Armenian-Russian
relations are not only at the expense of the relations of
Armenia-West, but also at the expense of interest of Armenia.
Moreover, everything is called to serve for these relationships in
brackets, these unhealthy relationships.’ To our question whether it
is also possible that Europe has noticed this lack of sincerity, Mr.
Mehrabyan responded, `We should not make fool of the Europe. There are
almost no fools in Europe, and I do not think that Serzh Sargsyan was
unaware of it, and was trying to make fool of the Europeans. Simply,
he said as much as he could tell based on the accident, which took
place on September 3.’

Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
Read more at:

From: Baghdasarian

Zaruhi Postanjyan comes back: Heritage party vice-chairman pleasantly surprised

11:56 – 06.10.13

Tert.am talked to Vice-Chairman of the Heritage party Armen
Martirosyan about the meeting of Zaruhi Postanjyan, a Heritage
parliamentary group member, at the airport.

– Mr Martirosyan, Mrs Postanjyan was met at the airport with flowers
and patriotic songs. Did you expect it or was it a surprise to you?

– First of all, the presence of both civil activists and political
figures, as well as of individual citizens, was a pleasant surprise.
Indeed, more people were present than I had expected. Details are of
secondary importance.

– Raffi Hovannisian was absent though he said in one of his interviews
that he was proud of Mrs Postanjyan. Hovsep Khurshudyan and you were
present. Is there a grain of truth in that Mrs Postanjyan’s words at
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) evoked
varied responses within the Heritage party ranks?

– Nothing but public statements.

– Some said they would not put such a question.

– I do not see any problem. People show different behavior, and they
all are not necessarily expected to hold the same opinion, which we
have always seen the ruling circles do. So you should not expect the
Heritage party to show a stereotyped behavior. The Heritage party
welcomes different opinions.

– Mrs Postanjyan was somewhat excited. So you think those were tears of joy?

– I think Mrs Postanjyan will soon hold a press conference, and you can ask her.

– Can she or her relatives have received threats?

– I think you should ask her, but I have not heard anything like that
from her. I hope the situation is not so bad in our country.

– None of the Armenian delegation members welcomed Mrs Postanjyan’s
question at PACE. Moreover, it was reported to be an unpleasant
surprise to other delegations.

– I have not talked to any member of the Armenian delegation to PACE
about others’ reaction to the question. I think Mrs Postanjyan can
tell about it. Let us not forget that she put that question not to
gain anyone’s favor, but she considered it necessary to ask that
question. The same can be said of our struggle. Many people do not
like it. But we do not think of who likes us or dislikes.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIE
Une association de consommateurs affirme qu’une commission spéciale
permettrait de conjurer les hausses de prix injustifiées

Le président de l’association de défense et d’éducation du
consommateur arménien a fait valoir que la création d’une commission
spéciale aidera à conjurer l’essentiel des hausses de prix
injustifiées.

S’exprimant lors d’une conférence de presse Babken Pipoyan, a déclaré
que l’absence d’un telle commission pose un « problème très grave ».

Selon lui, la commission proposée doit comprendre des représentants de
plusieurs organismes gouvernementaux, y compris le Service de la
sécurité alimentaire et la Commission d’État pour la protection de la
concurrence économique.

Babbken Pipoyan a également souligné le rôle du public dans le
renforcement du contrôle des prix des produits alimentaires et non
alimentaires en signalant les violations et aider ainsi le
gouvernement dans la prévention des abus dans ce domaine.

Babbken Pipoyan a également exhorté les laboratoires à durcir leurs
procédures ce qui, à son avis, contribuera à améliorer la
compétitivité des produits nationaux sur les marchés étrangers.

Selon les données officielles, l’inflation au cours des sept premiers
mois a progressé de 4,7 pour cent par rapport à l’année précédente.

La projection de l’inflation par le gouvernement pour cette année est de 4 %.

dimanche 6 octobre 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

Salaries would rise in January if promise were realistic – opinions

12:32 – 04.10.13

If the Government knew President Serzh Sargsyan’s promise to raise the
salaries is realistic, it would enforce the measure beginning January
instead of July 2014, says an Armenian oppositionist.

`If they have calculated that they cannot keep their promise to ensure
a 100% [salary increase], the said 40% is logical, given especially
that it is planned for July,’ Zoya Tadevosyan, an opposition MP from
the Armenian National Congress, told Tert.am.

In his earlier promise to raise the salaries by 100%, the president
did not specify any timeframes. At a meeting in Armenia’s Ministry of
Education and Science on August 28, Sargsyan said that the minimal
salaries will increase to 90,000 Drams ($220) in 2017. He also
promised a rise in the civil servants’ wages.

A former minister of finance, Vache Gabrielyan, told the Hraparak
newspaper on Wednesday that the salary increase would be consistent
with the promised figures. He said that the measure will first apply
to the security, defense and law enforcement sector. As for the other
government institutions, Gabrielyan said their salaries will increase
beginning July.

Commenting on the former minister’s statement, Tadevosyan noted that
the measure will not essentially impact the society’s social welfare,
as a very small part of the population will actually
benefit from that.

`The salaries of those working in government institutions are going to
rise. The employees of state institutions account for a very small
part of the economically active population, because the majority work
in the private sector where nobody either has the right to raise a
question of salary increase or can oblige the private owner to raise
his or her wages,’ she said.

Vardan Bostanjyan, a former lawmaker of the Prosperous Armenia party,
disagreed to Tadevosyan’s remark that the salary rise would be
insignificant for the population. `But I would like to think anyway
that it [would affect] a small part of the population’, he said.

The salaries in the state institutions have not increased since 2006,
with the Government linking the fact to the 2008-2009 global economic
crisis. The topic was not addressed later.

Bostanjyan noted that an annual inflation of 4.5% since 2006 would
necessitate a 30% salary increase now.

`But that’s the mildest option; the inflation rate is higher, of
course,’ he said, adding that Armenia’s State Budget does not allow
for a more increase.

From: Baghdasarian

Armenia’s Independence Day marked in Washington

14:20, 4 October, 2013

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS: On October 3 an official reception was
held at the Armenian Embassy to the United States of America dedicated
to the 22nd anniversary of the Independence of Armenia. As Armenpress
was reported by the Department for Press, Information and Public
Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of
Armenia, the event was attended by the Ambassador of Armenia to USA
Tatul Margaryan and more than 200 guests. They highly evaluated the
achievements of the Republic of Armenia during the years of the
independence, the high level of the friendly relations of our country
with their countries and the warm ties between them and the diplomatic
representation of Armenia.

The event was attended as well by the representatives of the White
House, the US Department of State, other US agencies, the religious
officials of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the representatives of
the Armenian community in the USA.

© 2009 ARMENPRESS.am

From: Baghdasarian

Interfax, Russia
Oct 4 2013

Insurgents from Syria could start infiltrating Caucasus soon – Russian
drug control chief

YEREVAN/MOSCOW. Oct 4

Viktor Ivanov, the chief of the Russian Federal Drug Control Service,
warns that insurgents from Syria could start infiltrating the Caucasus
region.

“Aside from the obvious process of rapid destabilization of the entire
region, it is necessary to carefully analyze the vector of expected
redeployment of foreign mercenaries from Syria overhanging the
Caucasus, which is only 600 kilometers away,” Ivanov said at a
ceremony of closing Operation Channel Caucasus under the Common
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) auspices in Yerevan on Friday.

“Our experts are predicting that foreign mercenaries in Syria, who
have been structured into paramilitary groups competing with each
other, will be out of the running in the near future and will swarm
toward the Caucasus,” Ivanov said.

Once in the Caucasus, the Syrian fighters will be trying “to harness
the gold-bearing transit of Afghan drugs, which would bring them
radically larger profits than they have now,” he said.

“The number of extremist international mercenaries concentrated in
Syria is extremely large. And our task is to plan systemic measures to
undermine the drug transit infrastructure in the Caucasus so as to
prevent the building of financial, organizational, and logistical
basis for this scum in the Black Sea and Caspian Sea region,” Ivanov
said.

“The greater Caucasus is under strong pressure of huge masses of
Afghan heroin and hashish,” he said.

Over 12 tonnes of drugs, including 10.5 tonnes of Afghan opiates,
among it over 600 kilos of heroin, was seized during Operation Channel
Caucasus, in which 50,000 security officers from Armenia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan took part, Ivanov said.

Ivanov said earlier that up to 100,000 people die in Russia yearly
from drugs. He said also that 8.5 million people in Russia take drugs
regularly or sporadically, and 18.5 million Russians have tried drugs
at least once in their life.

va

From: Baghdasarian

Representatives of Heritage Party and public to welcome Zaruhi
Postanjyan at Zvartnots Airport tonight

by Tatevik Shahunyan

AMINFO
Saturday, October 5, 16:09

Tatevik Shahunyan. Hertiage Party Youth Wing representatives, members
of other political parties and public organizations, as well as
ordinary citizens of Armenia will be welcoming Zaruhi Pastanjyan, MP
from Heritage Party, at Zvartnots Airport in Yerevan at 7:30pm local
time today. Postanjyan will arrive from Strasbourg where she was
attending the PACE Autumn Session.

To recall, Armenian opposition MP Zaruhi Postanjyan asked Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan at PACE on Wednesday how he paid the 70mln
EUR he recently lost in a casino in Europe. Sargsyan said that he has
never been in a casino and does not play gambling games. The question
aroused a wave of criticism in Armenia. Along with other ‘deadly
sins,’ representatives of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia slam
Postanjyan for ties with the Turkish-Azerbaijani lobby.

Representatives of the Youth Wing of RPA were going to meet Postanjan
at the airport with eggs and tomatoes. However, President’s
Spokesperson Arman Saghatelyan called such intention inadmissible and
inexpedient, which has calmed down the young Republicans.

Nevertheless, Heritage Party told ArmInfo representatives of the Party
will welcome Postanjyan at the airport amid safety concerns. At the
Party they did not specify if Leader of Heritage Party Raffi
Hovannisian will also be welcoming Zaruhi Postanjyan at the airport.

Earlier today, representatives of the civic society of Armenia
expressed their support to Postanjyan and called inadmissible any
possible pressure on her upon her return to Armenia.

From: Baghdasarian

Haykakan Zhamanak: No one released yet under amnesty

10:20 05/10/2013 » DAILY PRESS

The Armenian Justice Ministry has not yet received the decision on the
declaration of amnesty, a spokesman for the Justice Ministry’s
Penitentiary Department, Gor Ghlechyan, has told Haykakan Zhamanak.

So, no convict has been released yet under the amnesty, according to
Ghlechyan. The process will begin next week, he added.

However, Gevorg Serobyan, 17, and his two friends who were charged
with hooliganism were released from the court hall yesterday under the
amnesty, according to their defense lawyer Tigran Atanesyan.

Source: Panorama.am

From: Baghdasarian