Author: Kajoyan Gevork

Vardan Petrosyan Case: Armenian actor sentenced to jail in vehicular
manslaughter trial

News | 29.01.15 | 17:50

Popular Armenian actor Vardan Petrosyan has been sentenced to five
years in prison after being convicted on manslaughter charges by a
lower court in the Kotayk province on Thursday.

Petrosyan, 55, was taken into custody in November 2013 after two
teenagers were killed in a road accident involving him as a driver.

In a late-night collision on the Yeghvard-Yerevan highway on October
20, 2013, the BMW driven by the actor hit a Niva from behind, killing
two passengers and injuring three in that car.

During the trial defense attorneys argued that Petrosyan, who was
badly injured in the accident himself, was driving at normal speed and
was not under the influence of alcohol. They insisted that the BMW hit
the Niva not while the latter pulled over to the hard shoulder – as
was argued by the prosecution – but while it was in a highway lane
actually moving back without signal lights.

While not admitting his guilt, Petrosyan, who holds a dual Armenian
and French citizenship, still covered the expenses of the family that
lost two children in the tragic accident, also paying for some of the
medical needs of the survivors.

(The court also ruled that Petrosyan should pay compensation to the
family and stripped him of the driving right for two years).

Numerous activists on Facebook as well as a number of prominent public
figures, including world-renowned French-Armenian crooner Charles
Aznavour, had joined the petition for the release of Petrosyan pending
the investigation and trial in late 2013.

Some of the numerous fans and supporters of the comedian also known
for his political satire said the decision to keep him in jail was
retribution for his participation in 2013 post-election protests of
the opposition.

The prosecutor had demanded 6.5-year imprisonment for the defendant.

PRESS RELEASE
The Paros Foundation
918 Parker Street, Suite A14
Berkeley, CA 94710
Contact: Peter Abajian
Tel: 310.400.9061
Email: [email protected]
web:

APPLICATIONS FOR SERVICE ARMENIA 2015 NOW AVAILABLE

BERKELEY, CA–Applications are now available for The Paros Foundation’s
SERVICE Armenia 2015 Program. The Program will run from June 22 to July
23, 2015 and enables young people to travel and tour Armenia and Artsakh,
while engaging in meaningful service projects benefiting Armenia and her
people.

“I am looking forward to a fun and successful SERVICE Armenia 2015 program
this summer.” Said Peter Abajian, Executive Director of The Paros
Foundation. “It is quite exciting to see students from throughout the
country develop friendships with one another while working on meaningful
service projects in Armenia.”

Throughout the Program, participants will tour historic, religious and
cultural sites in Armenia and Artsakh with experienced, English speaking
staff and guides. Safe and well located accommodations and transportation
combined with interesting cultural and educational activities will ensure
all will have an engaging and memorable experience. The program is open to
both Armenian and American young people wishing to participate in this once
in a lifetime opportunity. Knowledge of the Armenian language is not
required. Join us and create a lifetime of great memories and friends.
The deadline to submit the completed application is April 1, 2015.

“I had such an amazing experience and made so many friends with SERVICE
Armenia, that I cannot wait to go back to back!” Said Vanna Kizirian,
SERVICE Armenia 2014 Participant.

More information including photos, video and the application form can be
found at For more
information, please contact Peter Abajian (310) 400-9061 or via E-mail
[email protected]

Genocide centennial commission opens fifth session (photos)

17:00 * 29.01.15

The state commission coordinating the events dedicated to the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide opened Thursday its fifth session
chaired by President Serzh Sargsyan.

Apart from the Commission’s members, the meeting is also attended by
representatives of regional committees, experts, diplomats and
prelates of different dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Addressing the participants, President Sargsyan (who is also the
Commission’s chairperson), thanked them all for accepting the
invitation to attend the event, which he described as a very important
initiative allowing for an effective discussion of pan-national issues
and joint decision-making.

The president said that the recent meetings held between the chief
coordinator and
representatives of regional committees and other commission members
focused on the arrangement of centennial events in different
countries.

The session will continue on Friday to discuss plans and activities of
the April 22-24 program.

In his speech, the president spoke of the committee’s accomplishments
and future work. and the important questions to be raised as part of
the session’s agenda.

The participants are expected to discuss the political context of the
centennial commemoration and the possibility of adopting a
pan-Armenian agenda. They will further consider a package proposing
legal demands aimed at overcoming the big tragedy’s aftermaths.

A website devoted to the Armenian Genocide Centenary will be also
presented to the attendees.

Azerbaijan says it shot down Armenian drone: Yereven denies report

17:38, 29 Jan 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Azerbaijan said on Thursday it had shot down an Armenian drone near
Nagorno-Karabakh, a report dismissed by Armenia as “absurd.”

The Azeri Defense Ministry said the drone had been shot down over
Azeri territory but Artsrun Hovhannisyan, Spokesman for the Armenian
Defense Ministry, denied the report.

“Nagorno-Karabakh officially refutes this information. It is absurd,” he said.

“It is clear that after heacy losses, the Azerbaijani side wishes to
present achievements as big as possible. But even lies should be
reasonable. I will not be surprised if tomorrow they down an Armenian
nuclear submarine in the air or catch an intercontinental ballistic
missile,” Artsrun Hovhannisyan said in a Facebook post.

Uruguayan President Jose Mujica Sympathizes with the Victims of the Holocaust and Recalls the Armenian Genocide

Agencia Prensa Armenia’

The President of Uruguay, José Mujica, delivered a speech in a
national radio and TV chain on January 27 to commemorate the
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust,
which he described as “a real affront to humanity,” and used the
occasion to remember the Armenian Genocide.

“We reaffirm our solidarity with the Jewish people. This people
composed an important part in the building of our nation. We do it
with the same respect and bonhomie that deserves every smaller and
larger communities, which form the genesis of our construction,” said
the president. “We should not forget the genocide, not yet recognized,
of the Armenian people. Uruguay maintains that characteristic of
respect and solidarity towards all,” said Mujica.

At the end of his speech he said “only a fierce and strong education
and training in tolerance can ensure a peaceful coexistence in this
world.”

Last week ( Link -> ) , Mujica
received a delegation of representatives of the Armenian community and
accepted an invitation to join the Committee to Commemorate the
Centennial of the Armenian Genocide as a member of honor when he
leaves the presidency in March this year. Uruguay, which has a large
Armenian community, was the first country to recognize, in 1965, the
genocide against the Armenians perpetrated by the Turkish state.

( Link -> )
Agencia de Noticias Prensa Armenia
Armenia 1366, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Tel. (5411) 4775-7595
[email protected]
twitter.com/PrensaArmenia

Sayat Nova Dance Company of Boston brings Armenian history and culture
to life in South Florida

10:12, 29 Jan 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

What does it mean to be an Armenian? What have the Armenian people
been through in 3,000 years? How have we flourished as a people and as
a nation? These are some of the questions that Sayat Nova Dance
Company of Boston’s (SNDC) production A Journey Through Time answered
during their powerful performance on Saturday, January 24 at Florida
Atlantic University, in Boca Raton, the website of Florida Armenians
reports.

The event was held in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the
1915 Armenian Genocide, in which 1.5 million Armenians were brutally
tortured and killed by Turkish nationalists. The show took the
audience on a magical and heartfelt journey through Armenian history,
in which the adoption of Christianity, the genocide, and the creation
of a free and independent Armenia were portrayed.

The program was organized into two parts. Part one, consisted of a
travel through time, in which the audience met famed Armenian hero’s
Saint Gregory the Illuminator in Khor Virab and Vartan Mamigonian in
the Battle of Avarayr, among many others. Yet, the most agonizing
encounter was with the twenty brides of Adana in 1909, where the
audience saw the gruesome execution of twenty, innocent, young women.
Part two, on the other hand, celebrated the many cultural and melodic
dances of the Armenian culture, including crowd favorites, Kochari*
and Nare Nare.* This part of the production showed that, even amid
tragedy, Armenians have always managed to stay connected to their
roots and the essence of being Armenian; in addition to finding both
peace and courage through the art of music and dancing.

This event would not have been possible without the Armenian Genocide
Commemoration, Inc. (AGC) and their efforts to raise awareness of the
Armenian Genocide in Florida. Their mission is to educate Armenian and
non-Armenians in the local community on a very dark time in world
history. “I felt proud, relieved, wired,” stated Arsine Kaloustian,
the Public Affairs Director of Florida Armenians and Chairman of AGC.
“A lot of people and a lot of work went into bringing Sayat Nova to
Florida. There were a lot of moving parts to this and to watch it come
together so seamlessly was energizing. To know that it was the first
official event in the USA that was commemorating the centennial was
very emotional for me,” Kaloustian said.

With over 700 tickets sold, Sayat Nova’s A Journey Through Time was a
great success for the Armenian community of Florida, and encouraged
all of us to help raise awareness and seek justice towards the
atrocities that occurred in 1915. As the Armenian proverb states, “If
the village stands, it can break a trunk (strength increases unity).”

GEORGIE
Les Géorgiens solidaires de l’Arménie

Les résidents de la capitale géorgienne de Tbilissi ont exprimé leur
solidarité avec l’Arménie, qui est sous le choc après le massacre de
sept membres d’une même famille par un militaire russe dans la ville
de Gyumri.

Des Géorgiens et des membres de la communauté arménienne locale ont
rendu hommage aux morts en posant des fleurs et des bougies en dehors
de l’ambassade d’Arménie dans le centre de Tbilissi.

La capitale géorgienne abrite environ 80 000 Arméniens selon les
données du recensement de 2002. Il y a aussi une importante population
arménienne dans la région sud du Samtskhe-Javakheti, où ils
constituent la majorit̩ des habitants de deux villes РAkhalkalaki et
Ninotsminda.

jeudi 29 janvier 2015,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

FRANCE
France-Arménie à l’Allianz Riviera de Nice le 8 octobre

L’Allianz Riviera de Nice accueillera le match amical de football
entre la France et l’Arménie le vendredi 8 octobre prochain.

C’est Christian Estrosi, le député-maire de Nice et président de la
Métropole NCA, qui en a fait l’annonce via un communiqué.

Ce match est organisé dans le cadre du parcours préparatoire de
l’équipe de France pour l’Euro 2016.

“Après le match amical au mois de juin dernier contre le Paraguay,
cette deuxième visite de l’équipe de France confirme que Nice est une
grande terre de football et que son stade est désormais une référence
qui en fait une destination incontournable pour des rencontres
prestigieuses. Un stade magnifique dans lequel les gens aiment se
rendre car l’atmosphère y est fantastique.”, a déclaré Christian
Estrosi qui s’est dit très fier et honoré d’accueillir cet événement.

jeudi 29 janvier 2015,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

Interfax, Russia
Jan 27 2015

Three Azeri soldiers killed, two wounded in a day – Nagorno-Karabakh
defense ministry

YEREVAN. Jan 27

The defense ministry of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
said on Monday that the Azeri armed forces violated the ceasefire
about 800 times on January 24 and 25.

The Azeri forces used weapons of various caliber, including mortars
and grenade launchers, firing over 14,000 shots at Armenian positions
on these days, the defense ministry’s press service told Interfax.

“The forward combat units of the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh
retaliated, inflicting losses on the enemy: three servicemen were
killed and two others wounded. The Armenian side did not sustain
losses,” the defense ministry said.

No comments on this report from the Azeri side are available to Interfax.

Interfax, Russia
Jan 27 2015

Yerevan not to seek CSTO aid despite tensions on border – Armenian
defense minister

YEREVAN. Jan 27

Yerevan sees no need to request assistance from the Collective
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) following a recent escalation of
tensions on the Armenian-Azeri border.

“I do not think that recent incidents, these small forms of tension
should prompt us to address the CSTO. What is the Armenian army for if
it is unable to fulfill its tasks during such minor escalations,”
Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan said at a press conference.

The military and political leadership of Armenia will take all
necessary measures to prevent the current tensions on the border with
Azerbaijan “from escalating into a full-blown war”, Ohanyan said.

“We do not see such a tendency today,” he added.