Author: Chavushian

YOU MAY CHRIS THE BRIDE
Ben Spencer

The Daily Record
Published: Aug 16, 2007

Chris Evans made sure of a pucker wedding celebration yesterday by
planting a big smacker on new wife Natasha Shishmanian.

The Radio 2 DJ pulled faces as he laughed and joked at a bash attended
by 200 guests, including ex-wife Billie Piper, in Portugal.

Chris, 41, and golfer and parttime model Natasha, 27, tied the knot
at a registry office in Guildford on Saturday.

But they wanted to have their vows blessed at a Catholic church at
Santa Barbara, in the Algarve.

Natasha, who is half-Armenian, yesterday wore a stunning white
floor-length dress and a garland of white flowers in her hair.

Her husband, who is worth an estimated pounds 44million, wore a white
suit for the ceremony.

The couple then travelled in a 1950s Pontiac to the Alambique
restaurant near Vale Do Lobo for their reception.

The venue has a special significance for the couple.

It is the spot where Chris proposed to Natasha and the restaurant
owner, Adelino Santos, is a good friend of Evans. Natasha is the DJ’s
third wife.

He wed Billie in 2001, when the former Dr Who star was just 18,
in a pounds 200 ceremony at the Little Church of the West in Las Vegas.

They divorced on May 31 but remain good friends.

His first marriage to television presenter Carol McGiffen ended
in 1998.

Golf fan Chris met Natasha last August during ITV’s celebrity golf
tournament The All Star Cup in Newport, south Wales.

The pair became inseparable and in June Chris sought the blessing of
Natasha’s wealthy parents, Sarah and Aram, for the wedding.

CONVICTED ‘COUP PLOTTER’ CLAIMS ‘POLITICAL REVENGE’
By Ruzanna Stepanian

Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
Aug 14 2007

A Karabakh war veteran convicted for pushing for a violent regime
change claims the authorities have been using the penal code as a
tool for taking revenge on politicians with opposition views.

Vartan Malkhasian, a senior member of the Alliance of Armenian
Volunteers, was sentenced to two years in prison by a Yerevan lower
court last week for calling for a "violent overthrow of constitutional
order."

In an interview with RFE/RL, Malkhasian, a lawyer by training, disputed
the fairness of the application of the criminal charge against him.

Article 301 of Armenia’s criminal code envisages a fine or up to
three years in prison for such an offense. Malkhasian says it is
difficult to measure the gravity of the ‘public call’ to pass a
commensurate sentence.

"It turns out that some calls are less dangerous than others. There
is no explanation to this. My speech did not contain any calls for
violence at all," Malkhasian said. "I addressed my speech to those
who defile the country and the criminal gangs. Neither of them can
be considered as a state or constitutional order."

Prosecutors had charged Malkhasian and group leader Zhirayr Sefilian
with calling for a violent regime change in their speeches last
December during the founding congress of their pressure group. The
National Security Service claimed the two had planned to mount an
armed uprising against the government ahead of the May elections to
the National Assembly.

Sefilian, a Lebanese citizen who was a field commander during the
1991-1994 war with Azerbaijan, was later acquitted by court, but
was found guilty of a lesser charge of illegal arms possession and
sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Malkhasian is convinced that he was imprisoned for his opposition views
and for his activities as part of the movement opposing territorial
concessions to Azerbaijan.

"They have been looking for an occasion to take revenge on me, and
that occasion suited them well," Malkhasian told RFE/RL. "But we
become even more adamant under this pressure."

Malkhasian, who was once expelled from the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) for dissidence, says the party whose two
senior members were prosecuted on similar charges under the previous
administration, should have raised their voice of protest against
the persecutions.

"We hoped Dashnaktsutyun would struggle for justice, but when they
came to power it turned out they were acting against their program,"
Malkhasian said.

And Sefilian added: "I think all governments deny the presence of
political prisoners. Dashnaktsutyun is part of this government and
it is natural that they should deny it."

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

THOUSAND OF BELIEVERS ATTEND THE FEAST OF
ASSUMPTION OF SAINT MARY IN BIKFAYA

The feast of Assumption of Saint Mary was marked on the evening of August 11
by a Holy Mass in the yard of the Saint Mary’s Monastery in Bikfaya.
Catholicos Aram I presided over the service.

The Pontiff carried out the traditional blessing of sheep and grape and
delivered a sermon. Talking about the inspiring character of the feast, he
said: "The feast of Saint Mary is an invitation to us to be with God through
the Holy Virgin. Let us not forget that God chose Saint Mary to be the Holy
Mother. Saint Mary is a mediator between God and us. Today she invites us to
turn to God and be with God. Without the presence of God, our life looses
its meaning; it looses its true path and purpose."

"Saint Mary has been a permanent presence in the life of the Armenian
Church. Saint Mary has become an enduring presence in our Theology, our
Rituals, and our church’s life. Our church marks the feast of Saint Mary on
several occasions throughout the year. For us, she has been a source of
holiness, motherhood, integrity and all sorts of virtues," the Pontiff
remarked.

Speaking about the atmosphere created by the by-elections in the Metn area
as well as the high respect shown for the Armenian Church and Community by
several government officials, political and community leaders who visited
him in the wake of the elections, the Catholicos summarized his thoughts
into four points:

a) The Armenian community of Lebanon is a single indivisible entity.
b) The Armenian community of Lebanon is an inseparable part of the
large family of the Lebanese homeland.
c) The Armenian community will continue to safeguard its community
rights, harmonizing them with the supreme interests of Lebanon.
d) Our predecessors accumulated great capital through their hard work,
loyalty and position in all fields. It is our duty not to only use that
capital, but to strengthen it.

The Pontiff concluded by calling among Armenians to strengthen their unity
and participate in the efforts to rebuild Lebanon.

The celebrant was Archbishop Gomidas Ohanian.

Holy Mass was also held in the Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in
Antelias on August 12. The Mass was followed by the blessing of grape.

##
View the photos here:
c/Photos/Photos22.htm
http://www.armenianorthodoxc hurch.org/v04/doc/Photos/Photos23.htm
http://www.a rmenianorthodoxchurch.org/v04/doc/Photos/Photos24. htm
Photos/Photos25.htm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

CONSTRUCTION STARTS ON BAKU-TBILISI-KARS, TBILISI OPENING CEREMONY SLATED FOR SEPTEMBER

The Messenger, Georgia
Aug 13 2007

A ceremony marking the start of construction on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars
railroad will take place September 20 in Tbilisi, reports the news
agency Regnum. Heads of state from Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey
will attend.

100 kilometers of new rail will be laid to complete the project,
and extensive repairs on existing lines will be made.

Yerevan opposes the project, which would see a rail system connecting
the Azerbaijani capital and the eastern Turkish town via Georgia,
bypassing Armenia. The Armenian government instead pushes for the
repair of the Kars-Giumri line, which once connected Turkey to South
Caucasus rail networks via Armenia.

Armenia was sidelined in the new project due to a closed Turkish
border and a deep rift in relations with Azerbaijan over the war
for Nagorno-Karabakh.

The 68 kilometer-long Turkish part of the railroad will be built and
paid for by Turkey itself. The Georgian part totals 30 kilometers
and is being funded by a USD 200 million loan from Azerbaijan; it’s
to be paid back over 25 years at a one percent annual interest rate.

The first installment of USD 40 million is now due to be transferred
to Georgia. This money will mainly go towards constructing a wheel
adjustment point on the Georgian-Turkish border. Railroads built in
Russia in the nineteenth century were deliberately made with a wider
gauge than railroads in the rest of Europe, Regnum adds, forcing
wheel adjustments for railroad carriages leaving or entering Georgia.

The total cost of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad is estimated to be
USD 400 million.

Russia’s Supreme Court sends case against former senator back for
corrections

NTV, Moscow
10 Aug 07

The case against the former senator for Kalmykia accused of embezzling
1.5m dollars, Levon Chakhmakhchyan, has been returned to the
Prosecutor-General’s Office so that errors in the accusatory
conclusions can be put right. This decision was made today by the
Supreme Court at the request of Chakhmakhchyan’s lawyer.

Chakhmakhchyan was arrested in February this year. He is accused of
using his position of authority to make an offer to the management of
[the airline] Transaero, saying he would remove documents relating to
the airline’s tax and customs violations from an Audit Chamber report
in exchange for a 1.5m-dollar-bribe.

The former senator’s son-in-law and aide to an auditor at the Audit
Chamber [Armen Oganesyan] also figures in the case, along with the
Russian-Armenian [business] cooperation association’s chief accountant
[Igor Arushanov].

ARMENIA FEST HAS BEST NAMES

DetNews.com, MI
The Oud Newsboys’ Goodfellow Fund.
?AID=/20070808/OPINION03/708080398
Aug 8 2007

You may well hear singing at Armenia Fest 2007, and at the very least,
you’ll hear lyrical names.

The annual celebration of all things Armenian runs from 6 to 10
p.m. today at Shain Park in Birmingham. My contact in the Armenian
entertainment world, Ara Topouzian, promises dancing by the Hamazkayin
Arax Armenian Dance Group of Detroit.

Fest-goers will also hear from the Ara Topouzian Ensemble, featuring
Kirk Kuchukian on oud, Mal Barsamian on clarinet, Jay Baronian on
dumbeg, Topouzian himself on kanun and Tom Zakarian on something
called a "guitar."

I should stress that I’m not making fun of names, culture, instruments,
cuisine or anything else Armenian. To the contrary, if I were a public
address announcer, these are the names I would love to let roll off
my tongue. Or to put it another way, if this were the annual Guys
Named Bob Smith Festival, I’d probably let it alone.

Instead, we get great introductions, a good time and no charge. Plus,
I’ve come up with a name in case the Armenian musicians ever decide
to start delivering Christmas baskets:

ARAZ AZIMOV: AZERBAIJAN WANTS NIZAMI BAHMANOV’S VISIT TO THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug 7 2007

One more meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian intellectuals can not be
arranged at present, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov
said, APA reports.

He said because the situation is tense now.

"Azerbaijani side wants arrangement of the visit of head of
Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno Karabakh Nizami Bahmanov to the
occupied Azerbaijani territories, but Armenians did not agree. We do
not know what Armenians fear for," the Deputy Minister said.

"AS A CITIZEN I PLEAD GUILTY, AS A FIDAYI I DON’T"
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir, Armenia
Aug 3 2007

"I plead guilty as a citizen. As a fidayi [freedom fighter] I don’t."

Vahan Aroyan who was involved in the case of Jirair Sefilyan and
Vardan Malkhasyan on charges of keeping illegal weapon offered this
plea of guilt at the court of law. I would like to note immediately
I have no doubt that Sefilyan, Malkhasyan and Aroyan are political
prisoners. Aroyan’s weapons would never be found if there was no need
to concoct Sefilyan’s and Malkhasyan’s case. Or nobody would ever try
to "reveal" Jirair Sefilyan’s revolver which is allegedly illegal,
according to Sefilyan and his friends, an absolutely legal gift
from the commander of the NKR army Samvel Babayan. This is not the
problem. The case is obviously political. Perhaps it is worthwhile to
focus on the civil aspect of the problem. Therefore, Vahan Aroyan’s
pronouncement seems rather interesting, which is much deeper than
just a plea of guilt or self-criticism.

"As a citizen I plead guilty, as a fidayi I don’t." It appears from
this pronouncement that a fidayi is not a citizen. And the question
occurs right away how many people in Armenia and Karabakh who fought
in the war in Karabakh consider themselves as fidayis and consequently
they think they can do things a citizen cannot. Assuming that Vahan
Aroyan is the victim of the political situation, we must nevertheless
admit that the current political situation is the consequence of the
thinking Vahan Aroyan shares. In other words, over the past 15 years of
independence of Armenia the factor of the fighters has constantly been
manipulated to stand above the society and the citizens. For instance,
when Robert Kocharyan was running for presidency in 1998 and 2003, his
campaign involved a lot of military clothing, guns, his participation
in the war in Karabakh was mentioned often as an advantage over his
opponents, first the father than the son Demirchyans.

Apart from the division of political influence, the factor of war
underlay the economic distribution. All the field commanders, even
the generals of "tarmac" who wore the military clothing for at least
ten days running in the years of war became owners of some sector of
the economy. "As a citizen I plead guilty, as a fidayi I don’t." Any
general can assert this who owns, for instance, all the fixed-route
bus lines to the region of Armavir. He can say as a citizen he does
not have the right to monopolize all the fixed-route bus lines but as
a fidayi he earned that right. Or as a citizen, the government does
not have the right to forgive General Manvel’s son, but as the son of
a fidayi he earned the right to teach lessons to the public. This is a
highly dangerous way of thinking which might very often push people to
commit illegal actions because they are convinced that they have rights
others do not have because they participated in the liberation war.

The participants of the liberation war certainly deserve attention,
social allowances. But regarding civic rights and duties, nobody can
have advantages over the other citizens. In this case, the phenomenon
is concerned rather than Vahan Aroyan. Vahan Aroyan is just another
victim of this phenomenon, the victim of the reality that stems from
this thinking, who is neither the first nor the last.

FIRST ANNUAL YCAP COMMUNITY CONFERENCE IN TSAGHKADZOR

armradio.am
03.08.2007 12:42

180 participants from all over Armenia are attending the First Annual
YCAP Community Conference for three days at the Writer’s House in the
tourist town of Tsaghkadzor, Armenia. The Youth and Community Action
Program (YCAP) is a 5 year USAID-funded program implemented by the
Academy for Educational Development Armenia Office which began in
October 2004.

The participants represent 60 YCAP community civic groups, either Youth
Action Clubs or Community Action Committees, established within the
program and are participating in workshops in three tracks: Leadership,
Community Relations and Civic Advocacy. Included in the conference
is a "Community Expo" where the participants highlight their group’s
accomplishments over the past years and months as well as their future
plans for civic action. In addition to formal workshops lead by civil
society development experts from Armenia they are participating in
an informal workshop called "Open Space", where the participants
determine the agenda and lead the discussions. The general theme of
the Open Space workshop is "Collaboration", in other words, in what
areas can the community groups increase collaboration and how?

The conference will conclude on 3 August with a summary of the Open
Space discussions by the participants starting at 9:30 AM. This
summary will be followed by closing remarks by USAID Democracy and
Governance Office Director, George Zarycky and the YCAP Chief of Party,
Nicholas Bruno.

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
August 3, 2007
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]

ADMINISTRATION & CONGRESSIONAL SOURCES CONFIRM THE WITHDRAWAL OF
AMBASSADOR RICHARD HOAGLAND’S NOMINATION

Washington, DC – Earlier today, sources within both the Administration
and Congress confirmed the withdrawal of Richard Hoagland’s nomination
as America’s next Ambassador to Armenia.

Should this withdrawal indicate that the next nominee to serve as U.S.
Ambassador to Armenia shall properly acknowledge and characterize the
Armenian Genocide, then this is a positive development.

Hoagland was nominated by the Administration to replace Ambassador John
M. Evans, who was rebuked by State Department officials, but commended
by the Assembly for having publicly affirmed the Armenian Genocide.

The Armenian Assembly will continue to work towards the full and
universal affirmation of the Armenian Genocide.

The Armenian Assembly is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

###

NR#2007-091