Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

SARGSYAN’S SON-IN-LAW APPOINTED AMBASSADOR TO VATICAN

NEWS | 11.03.13 | 10:42

Photolure

By a presidential decree, Mikael Minasyan has been appointed Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to
the Vatican.

Minasyan is President Serzh Sargsyan’s son-in-law and deputy chief
of the President’s office.

On March 7, the Armenian Government approved the President’s draft
decree on establishing an Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in the
Vatican. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that deepening
relations with the Vatican is crucial for Armenia not only because
of the spiritual but also political influence of this state.

Armenia and the Vatican established diplomatic relations in 1992. The
Holy See recognized the Armenian Genocide in 2000.

From: Baghdasarian

PRESIDENT REJECTED SINGLE MOTHER’S REQUEST

12:12 PM | TODAY | SOCIAL

Alvard Tsarukyan, a single mother of ten children, lives in miserable
social conditions in a temporary shack in Armenia’s Gyumri city. She
has addressed a letter to Serzh Sargsyan with a request to be allowed
to privatize the shelter. However, she has received a negative reply.

The family is not included in the list of people waiting for their
turn to receive apartments by the state. Social benefit is the only
source of income for the family.

For more details watch the video of Gyumri’s Shraik Center NGO.

From: Baghdasarian

LES AVOCATS DE LA FAMILLE DINK DEMANDENT DES DOCUMENTS

Les avocats de la famille de Hrant Dink ont demande au bureau du
Procureur d’Ankara de a demander des informations sur une enquete
dans les archives top-secrètes de l’armee a Ankara, surnomme la
” chambre cosmique “, sur l’assassinat après qu’un ” surprenant ”
temoin ait emerge.

Cem Halavurt, l’un des avocats de la famille Dink, a declare
au quotidien Hurriyet qu’ils avaient appris par les medias que
dossiers examines par la Commission d’enquete de mobilisation,
appelee la ” chambre cosmique “, liee a une tentative d’assassinat du
vice-premier ministre Bulent Arinc etait jumele a un rapport envoye
par l’Organisation nationale de renseignement (MIT) au Parlement sur
la question.

” Dans le dernier procès, nous avons demande au tribunal demander a
la Commission d’enquete de fournir des documents sur l’assassinat de
Hrant Dink “, a declare Cem Halavurt.

La demande des avocats est intervenu alors qu’un detenu qui pretend
avoir des informations sur les tueurs de Hrant Dink a envoye une
lettre aux procureurs.

L’informateur, qui est, dit-on purge actuellement une peine de prison
dans la province septentrionale de Tokat, a offert de la documentation
relative a l’assassinat de Hrant Dink dans sa lettre et a accepte
de cooperer a l’enquete, la protection de sa famille etant garantie
par les autorites, selon une information de l’agence de presse Doðan
en date du 13 fevrier. Dans cette lettre, l’informateur a revele
que l’assassinat avait ete planifie par un groupe dont il avait ete
membre de long date avec Erhan Tuncel, un ancien informateur de la
police et suspect, qui a ete relâche après le procès. Le quotidien
Radikal a fournit les details de la lettre dans lequel l’informateur
a aussi affirme qu’il avait des informations sur d’autres crimes,
tels que l’assassinat du père Andrea Santoro a Trabzon en 2006.

Un an plus tard, Hrant Dink, redacteur en chef du journal Agos
armeno-turques, a ete assassine a Istanbul le 19 janvier.

L’informateur a revendique qu’Erhan Tuncel lui a dit ” nous avons
enterre le père Santoro ” lors d’une de leurs conversations.

L’informateur a aussi dit que lui et Tuncel avaient prevu d’assassiner
le cure de Sainte-Yorgi a Buyukada, la plus grande île des îles
des Princes.

Cem Halavurt a declare que les procureurs evaluer les affirmations
de l’informateur et qu’ils esperaient que les revendications de
l’informateur pourraient faire la lumière sur l’assassinat de Hrant
Dink.

Il a egalement critique la fuite de la lettre aux medias, en disant
cela pourrait endommager l’enquete et pourrait dissuader l’informateur
de faire plus de confessions.

lundi 11 mars 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

TWO ARMENIANS INJURED IN MINE BLAST IN SYRIA’S DAMASCUS

TERT.AM
13:01 ~U 12.03.13

The situation in downtown Damascus is comparatively calm while
fierce clashes continue in Syria’s capital’s suburbs, Lebanese Azdak
newspaper reports.

The paper’s correspondent says on March 11 about ten mines exploded
in Bab Sharqi district killing few people and injuring more than
20, including two Armenians. They were transported to hospital with
light injuries.

From: Baghdasarian

AZERBAIJANI COMMUNITY TO HOLD PROTEST ACTION IN WASHINGTON

APA, Azerbaijan
March 11 2013

Washington. N.Kazimova-APA. On Wednesday, March 13, the protest
action of Azerbaijani community activists will be held against
the celebration of the event “25 years from the beginning of the
struggle for freedom of Nagorno-Karabakh” by Armenian organizations
and pro-Armenian congressmen from the “Armenian Caucus in one of the
Cannon House Office Buildings of the US Congress” in Washington. A few
dozen participants from New York including president of the Society
of Azerbaijan-America Tomris Azeri are expected to join the protest
rally, APA’s Washington correspondent reports.

The event of Armenians is expected to attend representatives of the
Embassy of Armenia in the U.S. and the so-called “NKR representation”
in Washington, as well as the “Minister of Youth Affairs of NKR,”
who will address at the event. .

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN MP ARGUES FOR DEEPER DISCUSSIONS ABOUT EURASIAN UNION IDEA

YEREVAN, March 11. / ARKA /. An Armenian parliament member argued today
in favor of deeper discussions about Armenia’s possible membership in
the Eurasian Union that is to be built on Russia-Kazakhstan-Belarus
customs union.

Speaking at a news conference at Novosti international press center,
Artak Davtian, chairman of a parliamentary committee on science,
education, culture, youth and sports affairs from the governing
Republican Party of Armenia, said, “We need serious discussions. We
ourselves need to understand what the idea of the Eurasian Union is,
what specific benefits can Armenia get from it if it joins it, and
what we may lose. Nothing can be ruled out, but I think that these
discussions will expand the circle of questions, answers to which we
have to get..”

According to him, ‘if we imagine that future member countries of
the Eurasian Union preserved Soviet-era enterprise which used to
cooperate with Soviet Armenia, and which would make investments,
then the proposed union may recover Armenia’s potential, including
its scientific potential.” “I think that from a purely economic point
of view, it can give significant results to our country,” he said.

However, he said clear wordings are necessary. “There should be no
concern that the Eurasian Union is an attempt to revive the former
Soviet Union. I’m naturally against it. But if it is a system of
independent states in which the membership does not result in loss of
sovereignty, why not. Any union that pursues certain positive goals,
and we see the mechanisms to achieve them is welcome,” he said.

However, according to him, these mechanisms and goals need to be
realized and a clear statement is needed that this is a cooperation
of independent states. -0-

From: Baghdasarian

AZERBAIJAN HAS ARRESTED PARTICIPANTS OF EVENT ORGANIZED BY OSCE

17:40 11/03/2013 ” SOCIETY

On Saturday, police of Binagadi district of Baku burst into “AF Hotel”
in Novkhani village and began to arrest young activists, participants
of the training conducted by the OSCE Baku office.

Police accused the participants of being oppositionists and of getting
prepared for the rally in Baku, the public relations secretary of
European Movement Azerbaijan Parviz Azimov told Turan News Agency.

In the youth leaders training representatives of both opposition
and ruling party “Yeni Azerbaijan” attended. Police placed the
participants of the training, about 20 people, including members of
the ruling party, into the car with flashing lights, and drove to
Binagadi Police Department. At the same time, the foreign trainers
were also almost arrested, and were released at the last moment.

Only after the intervention of the OSCE Baku office management,
who contacted with the Interior Ministry, young people returned to
the hotel.

On February 12, in Khachmas, activists of Election Monitoring Center
and democracy training and Institute of Reporters Freedom and Safety
(IRFS) Javid Nabiyev and Gunay Ismayilov were detained. The reason for
the detention was the training held by Election Monitoring Center at
Sahil hotel. Under the pressure of the police the owner of the hotel
refused to provide a place for the event.

When the organizers tried to hold the event in the office of the
American organization IREX, the police appeared there as well and
kicked the participants out. Ismailova was involved in the project
as a trainer, and the police told her that they were accused of
disobeying the police and of invasion of premises of other people.

According to the civil society, the police fabricate the evidence of
the “witnesses”, including the owner of an office rented by IREX.

Source: Panorama.am

From: Baghdasarian

ACTION TO SUPPORT RAFFI HOVANNISIAN IN BRUSSELS

ARMINFO
Monday, March 11, 14:02

The action to support the leader of the Heritage party, Raffi
Hovannisian, who was running for president and started hunger strike on
10 March, is being held in Brussels near the building of the European
Parliament, Raffi Hovannisian’s headquarters reported.

The purpose of the action is fighting election fraud of the
presidential election on 18 February in Armenia, and protection of
democratic values. The organizers of the rally said that the time
has come for the Armenian people to choose their own destiny, and
like a fully-fledged member of the world community, to declare Raffi
Hovannisian’s victory.

To note, the leader of Heritage Party Raffi K.Hovannisian, who took the
second place in the Feb 18 presidential election in Armenia and did not
recognized the voting result, declared hunger strike starting March 10.

Before thousands at Liberty Square Raffi K. Hovannisian declared a
hunger strike until Serzh Sargsyan resigns and formally concedes the
Armenian people’s victory in the February 18 presidential election.

“If on April 9, the Archbishop puts Serzh Sargsyan’s hand on the
Bible and in the name and breath of God swears in a false president,
he will do so over my dead body,” Hovannisian said.

From: Baghdasarian

DEMONSTRATION STAGED ACROSS ARMENIAN CONSTITUTIONAL COURT (PHOTO)

March 11, 2013 | 12:39

YEREVAN. – The Constitutional Court (CC) of Armenia is continuing its
deliberations on the petitions which ex-presidential candidates,
specifically-opposition Heritage Party Chairman, former
FM-Raffi Hovannisian and-“Radio Hay” Company Manager, political
scientist-Andreas Ghukasyan had submitted to CC, Armenian News-NEWS.am
reporter informs from the Court.

At the same time, however, numerous people have gathered across the CC
building, and they are staging a protest and holding banners that read:
“30 silvers, or the homeland?”

The police officers did not allow the picketers to approach the
building and asked them to protest from a further distance, so as
not to obstruct the court activities.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, on March 4, Hovannisian
and Ghukasyan formally petitioned to the Constitutional Court and
contested the Central Electoral Commission’s February 25 decision,
“On the Election of the President of the Republic of Armenia.”

The Court must make a ruling within ten days following the submission
of a petition and, in this case, the deadline for rendering a decision
is Thursday.

From: Baghdasarian

CIS MINISTERIAL COUNCIL TO MEET IN TASHKENT ON APRIL 5

ARMINFO
Monday, March 11, 12:19

The CIS Ministerial Council will meet in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) on
April 5 to discuss problems of politics, security, education, physical
fitness, sports and tourism, the CIS Executive Committee reports.

The CIS ministers will consider cooperation documents for security,
combating illegal use of information technologies. The ministers
will discuss the action plan for 2013-2015 for physical education
and sports. 2014 is expected to become the Tourism Year in the CIS.

The ministers will discuss formation of groups of specialists for
rapid reaction at frontiers.

Foreign ministers will consider amendments to the regulations on the
coordination council of tax authorities, develop a plan of multi-level
consultations between their Foreign Ministries and discuss rules on
consulate council.

From: Baghdasarian