Author: Kajoyan Gevork

ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS PERPETRATOR WILL BE PUNISHED STRICTLY

Tert.am
16.12.11

Armenia’s Defense Minsiter Seyran Ohanyan has said that the person
responsible for the incident at the Nagorno Karabakh military unit
will be punished strictly.

“A criminal case has been filed, and the person who committed the
crime will be punished strictly in accordance with law,” Seyran
Ohanyan told Tert.am.

The case involves Narek Avetisyan, a conscript at the military unit
in Karabakh known as Yeghnikner (Deers), and Armen Tovmasyan, an
officer at the same army unit.

Tovmasyan is said to have puniched the soldier in the face for refusing
to do his orders. Tovmasyan also heat him with a metal chain he had
at hand at that moment.

The blow damaged the soldier’s right eye and doctors had to remove it.

An investigation is underway.

DERSHOWITZ : DES EXCUSES A LA TURQUIE NE FERAIENT PAS AVANCER LES CHOSES
Stephane

armenews.com
samedi 17 decembre 2011

Le professeur emerite de Droit International et specialiste des
affaires Proche-orientales Alan Dershowitz, connu comme l’avocat
d’Israël et defenseur de l’Etat Juif aux Etats-Unis, a attaque la
presse israelienne d’aujourd’hui en affirmant que les commentateurs
dits “specialises” ne semblent rien connaître a la geopolitique s’ils
pensent que des excuses suffiraient a faire de la Turquie l’amie
d’antan. Il a aussi affirme que “les critiques non-constructives sur
le gouvernement Netanyahu ne font pas avancer les choses.”

pour lire la suite cliquer sur cet excellent lien

FRANCE GUILTY OF ‘MIDDLE AGES’ MINDSET OVER ARMENIA: TURKEY

Al-Ahram Online

Dec 15 2011
Egypt

The French National Assembly will debate a proposed law to criminalise
Ankara’s denial of the Armenian genocide amid Turkish criticisms of
France’s ‘Middle Ages’ mentality

Turkey’s foreign minister has blasted France for promulgating a
“Middle Ages” mentality ahead of a French parliament debate on a
proposal to criminalise the denial of the “genocide” of Armenians.

“If this proposal is legislated, France will pioneer the return of
a Middle Ages mindset to Europe,” Ahmet Davutoglu told the Turkish
parliament late Wednesday, Anatolia news agency reported.

France’s move would “create a new dogma about understanding history,
to forbid alternative thoughts. This is the mentality of the Middle
Ages. The adoption of this mindset in France is the greatest danger
for Europe,” Davutoglu said.

Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their people were killed during
World War I by forces belonging to Turkey’s erstwhile Ottoman Empire.

Turkey refuses to call the 1915-16 killings a genocide and says 300,000
to 500,000 Armenians, and at least as many Turks, died when Armenians
rose up and sided with invading Russian forces.

The French National Assembly will on Thursday next week debate a
proposed law that would punish the denial of genocide with penalties
of a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros ($58,000).

Ahead of the debate, Turkey’s parliament will send a delegation,
led by its foreign affairs committee chief Volkan Bozkir, to Paris
from Monday to Wednesday, to explain the damage the law would cause
for bilateral ties, said a Turkish parliamentary source.

Davutoglu told Turkish lawmakers it was “out of the question to leave
unanswered an attempt by any country leader, government or parliament
to dishonour our country and nation.”

The French National Assembly will on Thursday next week debate a
proposed law that would punish the denial of genocide with penalties
of a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros ($58,000).

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called on Turkey to recognise
the killings as genocide and in the past promised his country’s
large Armenian community to support a law criminalising the denial
of a genocide.

BARONESS COX HOPES AZERBAIJAN WILL ONCE ADOPT A MORE RATIONAL APPROACH

armradio.am
15.12.2011 18:06

“I respect the opinion of the people of Nagorno Karabakh, their right
for free expression of will. I think they must become participants
of the peace process,” member of the UK House of Lords Caroline Cox
declared in Yerevan today.

The Baroness positively assesses Artsakh’s approach to the settlement
process. “I regret that Azerbaijan has responded from time to time
in a very aggressive way and is talking about the buildup of its
military arsenal, and I hope very much that Azerbaijan will adopt a
more civilized and more rational approach and will put it into action,
because it has often said one thing and done another thing,” Baroness
Cox said.

BARONESS COX HOPES FOR BAKU TO ADOPT CONSTRUCTIVE APPROACH ON KARABAKH

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 15, 2011 – 17:20 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Member of the British House of Lords, Baroness
Caroline Cox slammed Azerbaijan’s aggressiveness towards Armenia and
its military potential boosting policy.

“Hopefully Azerbaijan will soon adopt a more rational and constructive
approach on Karabakh,” British Baroness said on December 15.

Meanwhile, she hailed Armenian’s position and readiness to hold talks
to settle the issue.

Baroness further expressed respect for Artsakh nation’s will and
right to be involved in the negotiation process.

EXPERT: GEORGIA-NATO COOPERATION TURNS INTO TURKISH EXPANSION TO GEORGIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 15, 2011 – 15:23 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Military cooperation with Turkey is viewed as
Georgian attempt to promote ties with NATO, according to Armenian
military expert.

“Apparently Georgia-NATO cooperation is turning into Turkish expansion
to Georgia,” Artsrun Hovhannisyan said dwelling on recent USD 1.7
mln worth ammunition that Turkey gifted Georgia.

The expert further criticized Georgia’s choice of Turkey in the
capacity of a country to bring it in line with NATO standards.

ARMENIA: IMPRINT OF CIVILIZATION EXHIBIT OPENS IN VENICE

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 15, 2011 – 11:29 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – An exhibition dedicated to the 500th anniversary
of the Armenian book printing opened in Correr Museum of Venice on
December 14.

The opening ceremony of the exhibition titled Armenia: Imprint
of Civilization, was attended by Italian officials as well as
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, who thanked the organizers for
the initiative.

A dinner with participation of well known experts in Armenian studies
and art workers as well as representatives of the Armenian community
of Italy followed.

‘THEY WANT TO SEIZE MY PROPERTIES,’ INSISTS DIASPORA ARMENIAN ENTREPRENEUR CHARGED WITH TAX EVASION

epress.am
12.15.2011

The injustice of what happened to me is a consequence of some people’s
greed and insatiability, said founder of the Naregatsi Art Institutes
in Yerevan and Shushi and GH Storage Enterprises LLC Director Nareg
Haroutunian today at a press conference in the Armenian capital.

Recall, on Dec. 9, Haroutunian was arrested on tax evasion charges.

Within the course of a day, he was indicted, tried and found guilty
without proper due process. He was later released, but made to pay
a fine of 110 million drams (approx. $287,800 USD).

“We’ve never seen any profit in Armenia; there have been only
investments and this was all done on patriotic grounds. We’ve trusted
people who today not only are not standing beside us, but also
gave false testimonies and wrote unfounded deeds against us. It’s
been about a year that I, GH Storage Enterprises Deputy Director Ani
Mnatsakanyan and chief accountant Artur Galstyan have been constantly
dealing with red tape. In the last 5 days, the investigators engaged
in such barbaric, inhumane activities against us that it was simply
unacceptable,” he said.

According to Haroutunian, one who invests millions of dollars into
the homeland could not have evaded taxes.

“A fine of 110 million drams was absurd. Beginning from the
investigators to the judges, if they judge fairly, if they determine
that we have tax debts, we won’t avoid responsibility,” he said.

The diaspora Armenian entrepreneur was insulted by the fact that he
was detained on the 40th day since his father’s death (a day marked
by Orthodox Christians which sometimes includes a memorial service
to commemorate the deceased person).

“Isn’t it perhaps unjust that they’re took me to the investigations
division where I spend an entire day then they drag me to court,
issue an unfounded and unjust ruling and they put Ani, Artur and I in
prison? All this was ordered from the upper echelons. Those sitting
on high positions also have to realize that you can’t misuse your
authority and live with lies, because we all know that those days
are numbered. This is a problem for all of us – we together have to
fight against all injustice,” he said.

Haroutunian is convinced that there is one purpose behind all the
instances of persecution and defamation – to seize all that he has
and claim it for themselves. As to who wants to do this, Haroutunian
didn’t say.

SILVA TO PURSUE GOVERNOR

>From now on, Silva Hambardzumyan will be pursuing Governor of Syunik
province Suren Khachatryan, and that will be apparent during the
upcoming elections for the National Assembly.

“I will go wherever he goes,” businesswoman Silva Hambardzumyan told
journalists today.

Hambardzumyan mentioned that she is still afraid of a casual meeting
with the governor.

The businesswoman is frustrated with the fact that Armenian police
officers haven’t punished the official that hit a woman, and she has
her notion of why they haven’t. “I think it is due to the upcoming
elections,” Hambardzumyan said.

Hambardzumyan says she still has to receive her 102 million dram
equipment from the governor of Syunik province before the upcoming
parliamentary elections and has the “documents of confiscation”.

Silva Hambardzumyan says she wants to strip the governor of Syunik
province since nobody wants to do that. “He is capable of deceiving
people,” Hambardzumyan declared.

The businesswoman warns the authorities that it is people like the
governor that shape Armenia’s reputation. “I think Armenia has not
had an image abroad for a long time.”

Hambardzumyan says she isn’t too concerned about the governor’s
repentence.

“It means that the Special Investigative Service doesn’t have anything
to do,” Hambardzumyan said.

4-MONTH SALARIES OF NAIRIT EMPLOYEES NOT PAID YET

ARMENPRESS
December 15, 2011
YEREVAN

About the 50% or 1500 employees of the Yerevan “Nairit” plant producing
artificial rubber are in obligatory stoppage. Spokesperson of the plant
Anush Harutyunyan said 4-month salaries of the employees still remain
unpaid. She said no new developments have been registered toward the
settlement of the issue.

Only German Chemieanlagenbau Chemnitz GmbH company presented
an application for the implementation of the development and
reconstruction program of Nairit for 2011-2019. The ministry is
waiting for the package of proposals of the German company. The
program envisages 400-500 million USD investments. With 145.8 million
the debts of the plant must be paid.