Author: Jagharian Tania

IRANIAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS CALL FOR DEATH SENTENCE FOR DEMONSTRATION ORGANIZERS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
27.06.2009 13:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iranian religious leaders call for death penalty
for leaders of the popular demonstrations.

At his five-day prayers sermon, hard line cleric Ahmad Khatami (who
is close to the hard line faction of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad)
called for capital punishment for leaders of the popular demonstrations
against the outcome of the election, "I demand that the country’s legal
system launched decisive confrontation with demonstration organizers. I
demand that they all be indiscriminately sentenced to death penalty,"
MIGnews.com quotes religious leader as saying.

Capital punishment against organizers of disorders is consistent with
the norms of Islamic legislation, Khatami said. Iranian government-run
media report that 8 Basij militia members and 17 demonstrators died
while dispersing demonstration.

June 26, 2009
Press Release
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

PRELATE TO PRESIDE OVER DIVINE LITURGY
AND PONTIFICAL THANKSGIVING PRAYERS
AT ST. GARABED CHURCH IN HOLLYWOOD

On Sunday, June 28th, the 14th anniversary of the election and
consecration of H.H. Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, will
be observed in all Prelacy churches. By the ordinance of H.E. Archbishop
Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, Pontifical thanksgiving prayers
(Hayrabedagan Maghtank) will be offered on this occasion in our churches.
The Prelate will preside over Divine Liturgy and Pontifical prayers
at St. Garabed Church in Hollywood, and will also deliver the sermon. The
Liturgy will be celebrated by Archpriest Fr. Vicken Vassilian.
Her Excellency Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, who is currently in Los
Angeles to meet with the Armenian community, will be in attendance.

PRELACY "LOUSAVORICH" YOUTH CHOIR PERFORMS
TO GREAT ACCLAIM

In response to the proclamation of 2009 as the Year of the Youth by
H.H. Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, events dedicated to
our youth have taken place and will be taking place throughout the year
within the Prelacy.
One such event was the first performance of the newly formed
"Lousavorich" youth choir, which took place on the evening of Thursday, June
25th, at Glendale Presbyterian Church.
The choir, comprised of forty-five youth, was led by Very Rev. Fr.
Barthev Gulumian.
The evening began with welcoming remarks by choir members Suren
Hazarian and Merry Melkonian. The choir presented a repertoire of songs
from a variety of musical genres including spiritual, folk, patriotic,
traditional, and anthems.
The evening came to a close with the Prelate’s remarks and
blessings, and benediction.
Detailed press release to follow.
PRELATE TO ATTEND 34TH NAVASARTIAN VICTORY BALL

The 34th Navasartian Victory Ball, organized by Homenetmen Regional
Executive, will take place on the evening of Saturday, June 27th, at CBS
Studio Center in Studio City.
The Prelate will attend and convey his blessings.
The 34th Navasartian festival will begin on Thursday, July 2nd, and
culminate with the closing ceremony on Sunday, July 5th, at Birmingham High
School.

PRELACY YOUTH PARTICIPATE IN THIRD ANNUAL ORIENTAL ORTHODOX CHURCHES YOUTH
GATHERING

On Saturday, June 20th, 2009, youth from the Armenian, Coptic, and
Syriac Orthodox Churches gathered at St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church
in Pasadena for the third annual Oriental Orthodox Churches (OOC) Youth
Gathering. The event is organized each year by the OOC Youth Delegates
Committee to bring together youth from sister churches to participate in a
day of prayer and fellowship.
The gathering took place under the auspices of the Council of
Oriental Orthodox Bishops which is comprised of H.E. Archbishop Moushegh
Mardirossian, Prelate, H.E. Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate, H.E.
Archbishop Mor Clemis Eugene Kaplan (Syriac Orthodox Church), and H.G.
Bishop Serapion (Coptic Orthodox Church).
The gathering began with morning prayers from the Book of Hours led
by the Archbishops Mardirossian, Derderian, and Kaplan, and with the
participation of clergy members and youth. The sermon was delivered by
Archbishop Derderian.
Clergy and youth then headed to the church hall where welcoming
remarks were delivered by Sophia Allaf, Chairlady of the OOC Youth Delegates
Committee, followed by welcoming remarks by H.E. Archbishop Kaplan who
conveyed his blessings to the youth.
In his message to the youth, H.E. Archbishop Mardirossian addressed
and acknowledged the difficulties they face growing up in the 21st century,
and offered his advice and guidance.
Prior to lunch, an ice breaker took place to bring the youth closer
together through a fun and educational activity, where participants chose a
character from the Bible and explained how they relate to that particular
figure in today’s times.
After lunch, the youth were split into four groups to participate in
a discussion session led by one clergy member from each of the churches.
Very Rev. Fr. Muron Aznikian led the discussion for the Prelacy.
The discussions related to the theme of the gathering "Me, Myself,
and Christ", and focused on how youth in the 21st century can lose their
selfishness and concentrate on building and strengthening their relationship
with our Lord Jesus Christ. Youth then had the opportunity to share with
each other what they had learned from the discussion sessions.
The gathering officially came to a close at 3:30 p.m., after which
youth were invited to participate in games and social hour.

Armenian Assembly of America
1334 G Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE

June 26, 2009
Contact: Michael A Zachariades
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 393-3434

NEWLY INTRODUCED LEGISLATION MAKES CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY A VIOLATION
OF U.S. LAW

Armenian Assembly Signs Letter Urging Passage of Act

Washington, DC – The Crimes Against Humanity Act, legislation that would
make it a violation of U.S. law to commit a crime against humanity was
introduced this week by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patrick Leahy
(D-VT) and Russ Feingold (D-WI), reported the Armenian Assembly of
America (Assembly). The intent of the legislation is to prevent
perpetrators of the worst human rights violations from finding safe
haven in the United States.

Senator Durbin, Assistant Senate Majority Leader and Chairman of the
Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law, commented, "The
United States led the first prosecutions for crimes against humanity in
the Nuremberg trials, following the Second World War. These horrible
crimes, however, are still taking place. Our promise to hold accountable
those who commit the most unspeakable crimes will ring hollow unless we
lead the world in punishing those responsible for the gravest human
rights violations."

"The Armenian Assembly commends Senators Durbin, Leahy and Feingold for
introducing this important legislation," said Assembly Executive
Director Bryan Ardouny. "It was Henry Morgenthau, Ambassador to the
Ottoman Empire, who alerted the world to the horrors of the Armenian
Genocide setting in motion America’s first international humanitarian
intervention to help save the survivors. America’s response at that time
was unprecedented. Chairman Durbin’s legislation represents another step
forward in the cause of genocide prevention by ensuring that the
perpetrators of such heinous acts cannot find refuge in the United
States."

A broad coalition of advocacy organizations, including the Assembly,
signed a letter sent to Chairman Durbin, urging passage of this
legislation, which "has not existed before today, despite the U.S.
government’s sustained efforts to ensure accountability for crimes
against humanity elsewhere." The letter went on to read, "though U.S.
law prohibits grave human rights violations such as genocide and
torture, alleged perpetrators of crimes against humanity may escape
accountability due not to their innocence of unforgivable acts but to
loopholes in the U.S. criminal code. The Crimes Against Humanity Act of
2009 would close this illogical gap in U.S. law."

Last year, Ardouny submitted written testimony to a Subcommittee hearing
entitled, "From Nuremberg to Darfur: Accountability for Crimes Against
Humanity," which read, "The U.S. can and must utilize the resources at
its disposal to stem the loss of life and end the cycle of genocidal
violence… We urge this Subcommittee to continue to actively generate
and introduce new mechanisms to better protect potential victims from
future genocides and the consequences of genocide denial."

In 2007, Durbin authored of the Genocide Accountability Act, which the
Assembly supported and was signed into law. Durbin has also taken the
lead in spearheading legislation to reaffirm the Armenian Genocide,
which despite incontrovertible evidence, Turkey continues to deny.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c) (3)
tax-exempt membership organization.

###

NR#2009-057

IT’S TURKEY THAT HAS TAKEN TIME-OUT IN NEGOTIATIONS, NOT ARMENIA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
26.06.2009 16:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "It’s Turkey that has taken time-out in negotiations,
not Armenia," Head of Hay Dat office Kiro Manoyan told today a
news conference. "As soon as Ankara renounces its preconditions,
negotiations will continue," he stressed.

"Armenia should demonstrate the firmness of its position," the
speaker said, adding that the world is already aware of our country’s
willingness to continue talks. Turkey’s pressures with regard to
Karabakh issue may lead to negative consequences, he added.

PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA VISITS ARMENIA

armradio.am
25.06.2009 11:02

At the invitation of President Serzh Sargsyan President of Georgia
Mikhail Sahakashvili and Mrs. Sandra Roelofs arrived to Armenia on
June 24 for a two day official visit.

The official ceremony of welcoming the President of Georgia took
place at the Presidential Palace and was followed by the private
meeting of the two Presidents, President’s Press Office reported.

The meeting of Serzh Sargsyan and Mikhail Sahakashvili was followed
by the meeting of the delegations in the extended format with.

Noting that few nations in the world can take pride in such
long-lasting and good-neighborly relations as those of the Armenian
and Georgian people, President Sargsyan said "We have inherited these
relations from our predecessors and we must develop them further."

Presidents Sargsyan and Sahakashvili noted that frequent contacts
and negotiations benefit allow to swiftly define issues of mutual
interest as well as to decide on the best avenues for their resolution.

During the negotiations discussed were issues related to the
cargo transportation through the territory of Georgia, transport
connection between Armenia and Georgia, tourism development, as
well as issues related to cooperation in the area of education and
culture. The parties also discussed the issue of demarcation of the
Armenian-Georgian border.

Implementation of joint projects in different are as and making
them traditional was viewed by President Sargsyan as an important
means for intensifying the interaction between the two peoples. As
an example of such a joint project he proposed, in particular, to
organize annual Olympiad for schoolchildren on different subjects as
well as sport events. The parties reached the agreement to conduct
the first Olympiad in the fall of this year.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the President of Armenia Serzh
Sargsyan awarded the President of Georgia Mikhail Sahakashvili with
the Medal of Honor, which is the highest state decoration awarded to
foreign citizens.

The medal was awarded in accordance with the June 24 decree of the
President of Armenia for President Sahakashvili’s contribution to the
strengthening of the centuries-long friendship of the two peoples and
for the activities directed at the deepening of the Armenian-Georgian
cooperation.

COMPETITORS OF FOOTBALL TEAMS OF ARMENIA AT EUROPEAN TOURNAMENTS KNOWN

Noyan Tapan
June 25, 2009

NYON, JUNE 25, NOYAN TAPAN. The sortition of the football tournaments
of the 2009-2010 European tournament season took place in the city
of Nyon, Switzerland, on June 22.

77 teams from 52 countries will participate in the champions’ league
cup tournament. Pyunik will compete here with Serbian Dinamo. The
first matches are scheduled for June 30 and July 1.

193 teams from 53 EUFA member countries will participate in the
European cup tournaments. The competitor of the Armenian Banants
is Siroki Brijeg of Bosnia, Mika will compete with Helsing Borg of
Sweden. The first meeting will take place on July 2 and 9. Gandzasar of
Kapan will start its competition in the tournament from the 2nd stage.

IMF: ARMENIA’S GDP UNLIKELY TO EXCEED 10% IN 2009

ARKA
June 24, 2009

YEREVAN, June 24. /ARKA/. Armenia’s GDP is unlikely to exceed 10%,
IMF Resident Representative in Armenia Nienke Oomes said on Wednesday.

She said that economic decline in Armenia would be 9.5% at the best.

Oomes said that there is some uncertainty in forecasts for 2009.

GDP can rise or decline, but will never decline twice.

The IMF resident representative said 15.7% decline in recent five
months prompts International Monetary Fund’s concern.

She thinks this decline is mainly caused by Armenian economy’s small
scale that makes the economy heavily dependent on construction sector,
which has borne the brunt of the crisis.

Oomes said that the precipitous GDP decline, compared with the same
period of 2008 was due to 56% reduction in construction for first
five months of 2009.

Reduction in private transfers from Russia drove GDP down as well.

At the same time, the IMF resident representative pointed out the
recent increase in copper and oil prices as a positive factor able
to have favorable impact on Russia and then Armenia and intensify
the inflow of transfers and investments in construction sector.

Taking into account this factor, International Monetary Fund is quite
optimistic about 2009, Oomes said.

RA MINISTER OF DIASPORA CONVINCED THAT ALL ARMENIAN CONFERENCES TO GIVE POSITIVE RESULTS FAVORABLE FOR NATION

Noyan Tapan
June 23, 2009

YEREVAN, JUNE 23, NOYAN TAPAN. An All Armenian Association of
Architects and Builders was created as a result of the All Armenian
Conference of Architects held on April 21-24 in Yerevan. RA Minister of
Diaspora Hranush Hakobian reported at the June 23 press conference. In
her words, at present Armenian architects work at the elaboration
of the creative project City of the World proposed by the RA Prime
Minister.

H. Hakobian added that another two conferences will be held this year:
a conference of lawyers will be held in September and of bankers,
financiers and businessmen in November. The Minister expressed the
hope that those conferences will also give as much positive results
favorable for the nation. She said that an attempt is made to create
professional networks, through which all international tendencies
and processes will be moved to the homeland and will contribute to
Armenia’s development and strengthening.

Passports of well-known organizations of Armenian communities of
Diaspora, America, Europe, CIS, Near East and Middle East are made and
periodically updated at Ministry’s respective departments. There are
nearly 30 thousand Armenian organizations worldwide, and collection
of complete information about them and making up their passports is
one of Ministry’s primary tasks.

H. Hakobian said that in the first half of 2009 the Ministry introduced
a number of legislative initiatives. In particular, RA bill On Making
Amendments and Addenda to the RA Law On Foreigners was submitted
to the RA National Assembly. Besides, RA bill On Making Amendments
and Addenda to the RA Law On Citizens not Doing Compulsory Military
Service with Violation of Established Order was worked out jointly with
the RA Defence Ministry, which has been already passed and come into
force. Another draft decision passed on Ministry’s initiative gave a
possibility to 21 young people currently studying at the Mechitarist
Educational Complex of Mechitarist Congregation to receive a deferment
from compulsory military service.

NKR PRESIDENT MEETS ARMENIA PM

armradio.am
20.06.2009 19:06

On 20 June President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan
met the government delegation of the Republic of Armenia led by Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsyan. The delegation arrived in Artsakh on the
same day to partake at "Bridge Artsakh" economic forum.

The interlocutors stressed the importance of holding such an events
in Artsakh and enlarging cooperation within these framework.

Issues related to the socioeconomic situation in NKR and prospects
of its development were discussed.

NKR Prime Minister Ara Haroutyunyan and Finance Minister Spartak
Tevosyan participated at the meeting.

IRANIAN AIR FORCE TO START EXERCISES IN GULF ON MONDAY

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
22.06.2009 11:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iran’s air force will start exercises on Monday in
the Gulf and the Sea of Oman in order to raise "its operational and
support capability", the official news agency IRNA said on Sunday.

"In this manoeuvre there will be long-distance flights of around
3,600 km (2,237 miles) along with aerial refueling from tanker to
fighter jet and from fighter jet to fighter jet.

"There will also be low altitude flights over the waters of the Gulf
and the Sea of Oman by Iranian fighter jets over distances of 700 km,"
it said.

The plans for the military exercises were already announced some
time ago. The IRNA report made no mention of protests in Iran over
its disputed election.