Author: Kajoyan Gevork

YEREVAN CANCELS ‘OLD NEW YEAR’ CONCERT OVER GYUMRI FAMILY MASSACRE

NEWS | 13.01.15 | 15:58

RELATED NEWS

Shock and Questions: Gyumri mourns murders as it looks for reasons

Municipal authorities in Yerevan have cancelled a concert planned
in Republic Square tonight over the tragedy in Gyumri where a large
family was killed in what appeared to be a shooting rampage.

The event was to have marked the so-called Old New Year traditionally
observed in Armenia and other former Soviet republic on January 13.

In a message posted by the municipality website Mayor Taron Margaryan
also offered his condolences to the relatives of the Avetisyans,
the family of six that were found shot dead in their house on Monday
morning.

A soldier of the Russian military base stationed in Gyumri, who
was arrested last night near the border with Turkey, has reportedly
admitted to committing the crime. The motives behind the mass murder
yet remain unclear.

IS THE CRIME COMMITTED IN GYUMRI CAUSED BY PERMISSIVENESS IN THE RUSSIAN MILITARY BASE?

January 13 2015

The crime occurred in Gyumri yesterday, in the middle of the night,
received all kinds of estimates by the population of this city.

Although no formal charges are brought against Valerie Permyakov, a
military servant of Number 102 military base suspected in the crime
and being in search, it is yet not evident whether he has committed
the crime or someone else with his machine gun, however, it reached
the point that the Russians are being criticized in this city with
once Russian traditions, saying, “Is this how you defend Armenians’
security?” As to what could be the reason for the murder of 6 person
is still unknown. As told by the neighbors of Avetisyan family, they
were smart, humble people with modest income and sometimes with debts.

The father and married son were going abroad to work to earn the
daily bread for the family. There are even doubts that the Russian
soldier was implementing the order of the enemy country. “Aravot”
talked to Gagik Hambaryan on this matter, according to whom, Russians
do absolutely nothing to protect the security of Armenians. “A strange
coincidence. Yesterday, Azerbaijanis fired on Tavush Marz, it is not
Artsakh, it is the territory of the Republic of Armenia, and according
to the agreement signed between Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin
in 2010, Russia is committed not only to protect the security of the
Armenian-Turkish and Armenian-Iranian, but also the Armenian-Georgian
and Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Interestingly, up to this point,
Putin-created CSTO has not respond to these events, and today, we
received a response from the Russian side for the Permyakov case, who
has attacked a small house in Gyumri, not even sparing the newborn
child,” says Gagik Hambaryan. According to the political scientist,
this is the picture of infamous atmosphere in the Russian army, because
Russians bring anyone whom they want to Armenia. “I had information
long ago that a great part of military servants in the Russian base
are the youth from poor and hardship families, whom Russia sends to
Armenia like an exile. Our government authorities should have thought
about this long ago, and I hope that after this incident, they would
be demanding that the serviceman in Armenia should come from normal
families,” says Gagik Hambaryan. According to him, the problem is that
the Russian servicemen who commit crimes in Armenia always remain
unpunished and the case is so concealed that the Armenians do not
know what happened next. As an example, Gagik Hambaryan cited the
brutal murder of 1999 in Gyumri, when two or three Russian soldiers
in drunk opened an irregular fire in the city center.

As a result, one person was killed and 7 were seriously injured,
and this case was concealed by the efforts of Number 102 military
base leadership. According to political scientist, Gyumri people did
not know what punishment their assaulters got. Gagik Hambaryan also
recalled a case happened not too long ago in Vahramaberd village,
when innocent children were killed by a mine explosion. “They were
left absolutely unpunished as if they were privileged, often it leaves
the impression that not they but we are guests in their country.

Interestingly, how should the Armenian authorities treat the Russian
murderer in this case, when Russian authorities deliberately decried
and humiliated unintentionally crime acted Hrachya Harutyunyan making
him dressed in a robe?” asks the political scientist. To the point,
the Gyumri people are outraged by the police work. They are angry
that the perpetrator was released even a day after the violent crime
and is a threat to the innocent population of the city.

NUNE AREVSHATYAN Yesterday, in the middle of the night, it became
known that the suspect was caught when crossing the border with
Turkish. Shirak Marz prosecutor Raffi Aslanyan informed us that he
was caught by Russian border guards and orally noted that he is the
very serviceman in search.

Read more at:

‘THIS IS NOT AN EXTRAORDINARY SITUATION’ – ALVINA GYULUMYAN

15:32 * 13.01.15

It is not the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)
that put off the selection of the Armenian judge at the European
Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

Rather, it is the Republic of Armenia that decided not to submit a list
of the winners of the national competition to PACE, Alvina Gyulumyan,
former Armenian judge at the ECHR and Judge of the Constitutional
Court of Armenia, told Tert.am.

“This is not an extraordinary situation. According to the new
procedures established by the CE in 2010, about ten states – Ukraine
and Azerbaijan among them – submitted new lists, which included one or
two candidates that were on the previous list as well. Armenia has a
right to submit different lists of candidates to the CE, especially
since the order approved by the Armenian president envisages the
possibility of a new national competition for candidates for the post
of Armenian judge at the ECHR.

“Before a new Armenian judge is selected, Armenia can submit a list
of ad hoc candidates, and the ECHR president may invite any of them.”

FIRST EVER PAN-ASIAN ARMENIAN COMMUNITY GATHERING TAKES PLACE IN BANGKOK

15:43, 13 Jan 2015

In a historic event for the diaspora, Armenian communities across
Far East gathered in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday January 10th to
celebrate the Armenian Christmas.

His Grace Bishop Haygazoun Najarian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese
of Australia and New Zealand and Pontifical Legate to the Far East
travelled to Thailand to celebrated Holy Badarak with the crowd.

“It is touching to see such a vibrant community come together and
to see that their faith remains as strong as the faith of their
forefathers,” said His Grace Bishop Najarian.

Following mass, which was held in a local Anglican Church, the
approximately 80 attendees headed to the Grand Hyatt Erawan in Bangkok
where they enjoyed an evening of celebration.

“Our communities in Asia are growing and it is important to continue
to maintain our Armenian culture, traditions, and language despite
being so far from our roots.” said His Excellency Arto Artinian,
Honorary Consul of the Republic of Armenia to the Kingdom of Thailand.

He served as the host of the evening, welcoming guests that included
His Excellency Mr. Gegham Gharibjanian, Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the United Arab Emirates.

Armenian communities have been growing across Far East in recent years,
with active communities in China, India, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore,
Thailand and Vietnam. These communities have also been active in
preserving the old Armenian Churches and heritage buildings in the
region, particularly in Myanmar and Bangladesh.

His Holiness Karekin II visited Myanmar in November 2014; a month
later the Armenian Community of China celebrated its first mass in
Mainland China in many decades. The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation also
recently awarded two academic fellowships to research and document
the history of old Armenian communities in China, which date back to
the 17th century.

Henri Arslanian, President of the Armenian Community of China, updated
the attendees on the various regional initiatives taking place. “Our
communities in Asia are growing very quickly with smart, ambitious
and driven individuals from all around the world. It is our moral duty
to ensure the preservation of our old heritage in the region,” he said.

SEYRAN OHANYAN: COMMANDERS WILL BE GIVEN FREEDOM OF ACTION

18:58 12/01/2015 >> IN THE WORLD

In the wake of the past days’ subversive border attacks by the
Azerbaijani armed forces, Armenia’s Ministry of Defense has elaborated
procedures to strengthen border control, Tert.amreports.

The document, a seven-clause order calling for a higher vigilance,
was introduced by Minister Seyran Ohanyan at a working meeting in
Yerevan on Monday.

“It is necessary to ensure an enhanced military vigilance and to
improve the monitoring system; we have to fight against subversive
intelligence operations and to conduct trainings to raise the
efficiency of all the subdivisions. We have to enforce punishment
against the adversary and sometimes be the first to initiate attack,
without waiting for the adversary to take any measures. We must
have the abilities to react regularly and to always have all the
counteractions and punitive measures in our hands,” he noted.

The minister said he thinks that the commanders of battalions and
companies will be able to take independent action to avert aggression
after studying the adversary’s strengths and weaknesses and the
directions of possible attacks.

“I call for giving that freedom to commanders,” Mr Ohanyan added.

FRANCE REPUBLICAN: ARMENIANS CONDEMN THE PARTICIPATION OF TURKISH PRIME MINISTER

January 11, 2015 By administrator

(Belga) The coordination of several Armenian organizations in France
on Saturday condemned the announced participation of Turkish Prime
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to the “republican march” organized in Paris
on Sunday after the deadly attack against Charlie Hebdo.

“Participation in this event of representatives of a State which
holds the record number of journalists in prison is a disgrace and
an insult to the spirit of Charlie Hebdo,” said the National Office
of Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France , in a
statement. “All the more so with Turkey to the jihadist movement (Al
Qaeda and Daech) which exported terror in Paris is now an open secret,”
also accuses the organization. Organizations defending human rights
regularly denounce arrests of journalists in Turkey. Turkish police
launched during December 1st punch operation against supporters of
the Islamist imam Fehtullah Gullen, a former ally of power, especially
to the Zaman newspaper, one of the major Turkish dailies.

Thirty people, mostly journalists, were arrested. The European Union
has denounced these operations, saying they violated “European values”
that Turkey, which aspires to join the EU, is supposed to follow.

(Belga)

With 97 imprisoned journalists, Turkey was designated “biggest prison
for journalists ahead of Iran, Eritrea and China,” the Committee to
Protect Journalists for (CPJ).According to Le Monde Diplomatique,
“the power (Turkish) does not hesitate to use the entire arsenal of
repression: arrests, seizure of equipment and hard drives ….

Journalists are then locked in medieval conditions. “And the Prime
Minister Davutoglu dare come to Paris defend freedom of the press!

On the other hand, the Turkish government has decided to support
the jihadists from Syria, even those who spread terror in northern
Iraq practicing a true ethnic cleansing in August, including summary
executions and mass systematically kidnapping against minorities,
including Christians, Shia Turkmen, Yazidis …. They raise the same
racist and obscurantist ideology that those who committed the crime
against Charlie or against Jewish shop Porte de Vincennes.

MRAP also condemns the presence of Avigdor Lieberman, founder and
leader of the far-right party “Israel Beiteinu.” Customary racist
remarks of unprecedented violence and incitement to racial hatred,
Avigdor Lieberman called “bombing the Gaza Strip as the United States
did with the Japanese.” In addition, it displays ultra-nationalistic
and fascist, advocated the expulsion of Israeli Arab citizens, and
openly rejects international law and the principle of a Palestinian
state within the 1967 borders.

No, gentlemen Davutoglu and Lieberman, Netanyahu, Naftali Bennet
who “has no problem killing Arabs,” Sergei Lavrov, Petro Poroshenko
(and others), your place is not in the Marche citizen of Paris but
before international courts. This participation guaranteed by the
French government, is an insult to Charlie journalists who have always
fought all fascism whether nationalist or religious. We do not defend
freedom with the enemies of freedom! “Sometimes laughter is choking
but it’s our only weapon,” said Cabu today our laughter chokes face
this diversion of citizen momentum.

Sunday, January 11, 2015, Stephane (c) armenews.com

ARMENIAN MP WARNS OF THREATS BEHIND PARIS TERROR ACT

13:25 * 12.01.15

The terrorist attack against the French satirical newspaper Charlie
Hebdo was a clear message that ISIS recognizes no more borders after
penetrating into Europe, says an Armenian opposition MP.

“There is a radical question as to what they wanted to say by this and
why especially now. They thus want to say ‘you will no longer live
in peace; we have our goals as we are present saround the world,’
” Tevan Poghosyan of the Heritage parliamentary faction told a news
conference on Monday.

According to him, the civilized world, including both Christians and
Muslims, proved with subsequent peaceful marches that they are against
any homicide. Poghosyan said he thinks that in a country like France,
Muslims could have sought a legal remedy and a press coverage over
the mocking cartoon. “If they had sought a court proceeding, it would
have again kicked up a great fuss, but they chose this way as they had
a message to deliver. Their goal was not to fight for their rights or
[against] the insult to their feelings, but rather make their message
reach its target,” the opposition MP noted.

He further stressed the need of learning two important lessons:
respecting others’ religion and protecting one’s own rights, choosing
the right wording to characterize an evil.

Isfahan bishop hails peace, tranquility in Iran
Political Desk

On Line: 11 January 2015 18:51
In Print: Monday 12 January 2015

TEHRAN – The priest of Armenian Church of Isfahan, Babken Charian, has
praised the prevalent peace, tranquility, and friendship in Iran.

In a meeting with members of the City Council of Isfahan on Saturday,
Bishop Charian said that the city of Isfahan could be regarded as a
symbol of peaceful coexistence of followers of different divine
religions, IRNA reported.

About 25 thousand Armenians are living in Isfahan whose ancestors had
moved to the city four centuries ago, he noted.

MT/PA

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
A Columbia sells a picture of the Armenian Genocide in Genocide Museum
in Yerevan, and then returns the money in solidarity with the pain of
the Armenians …

A British collector who sold a picture on the Armenian genocide,
learning that she was destined to Genocide Museum in Yerevan, returned
the amount of the purchase. Magnificent gesture Armenpress reported
today by the agency following statements from Hayk Demoyan, director
of the Genocide Museum.The photo shows Armenians fleeing genocide. On
the back of the photo is written “Baghdad is one of the centers of
Armenian survivors escaped the massacres perpetrated by the Turks,
where the service and food are provided by the British government. The
Turks are enemies of the Armenians because they are Christians and
them not. ” Haig Demoyan says “having bought and paid for the photo, I
was surprised to receive a letter from the vendor who wrote” I sent
you a photo you bought . When I was writing your address, I understood
where she was to arrive, so I send you your payment. I do this out of
respect to your dead and in friendship ” .

In this year of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the
words of the British collector towards Armenians of particular
meaning.

Krikor Amirzayan

Sunday, January 11, 2015,
Krikor Amirzayan © armenews.com

LIBAN
Sa Sainteté Aram I présente ses condoléances au Président François Hollande

Dans sa lettre de condoléances adressée au Président François Hollande
au nom du Catholicossat arménien de Cilicie, Sa Sainteté Aram Ier a
condamné les récents actes terroristes à Paris, et a déclaré :
“L’Eglise arménienne croit fermement à la compréhension mutuelle, au
respect et à la tolérance entre les religions et s’est engagée à la
justice et à la résolution pacifique des conflits enracinés dans les
principes des droits humains. Sur la base de ces convictions notre
Église nourrit le dialogue interreligieux”.

Le Catholicos a conclu sa lettre en demandant au président de
transmettre ses condoléances aux familles des victimes et au peuple
français.

dimanche 11 janvier 2015,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com