Author: Kajoyan Gevork

Armenian civic groups call for annulling gender legislation

13:34 – 17.08.13

Armenian civil groups are calling upon wide circles of the society to
join their campaign against the controversial gender equality law
which received the parliament’s approval earlier this year.

The public initiative No to Gender Perversion and the Pan-Armenian
Parental Committee ask the intellectual circles, NGOs, the media and
individuals to take joint action to prevent what they call a
perversive legislation.

At a news conference on Saturday, publicist Lia Avetisyan
characterized the authors of the law as `cheaters’ who elaborated the
measure with political motives. `With this law, our National Assembly
demonstrated its low level,’ she said, stressing the need of urgent
measures to annul the controversial legal act.

`The definition goes beyond the traditional approach to the equality
of rights between a men and woman, with the state committing itself to
protect – at the expense of the budget – the rights and interests of
citizens with a gender behavior,’ Avetisyan added.

She said that the bill poses a threat to both the present and future
generations.

The civil groups also call for making necessary amendments to any laws
and decisions that contain propaganda of non-traditional sexual
orientation. They propose instead organizing public debates over
education reforms to address the more specific needs of the younger
generation.

Armenian News – Tert.am

HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER. “ARMENIAN SOLDIER WAS USED IN AZERBAIJAN…”

August 15 2013

The statement of Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesman Eldar
Sabiroglu, as assessed by the human rights defender Artur Sakunts,
speaks about their weak behavior. ” However, I do not recall a case
that we have made an Azerbaijani captive to speak, forcing him to
express his opinion. It had happened that Ministry of Defense of
Armenia has spread the information that an Azerbaijani was taken
prisoner, noting that he had escaped from there in the result of poor
conditions…. even if such a thing was done, it does not mean that
Azerbaijan would behave that way. Both sides have a responsibility
before the Geneva Convention to protect the life and safety of
the prisoner, to refrain from committing acts of violence against
him, respect his right to express his opinion, as well as they are
obligated to take measures to immediately hand in the prisoner. If the
Azerbaijani Defense Ministry interprets their behavior as such, we do
so because the Armenian side did so: this is a very weak behavior,”-
said Mr. Sakunts, referring to Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesman’s
statement that the Azerbaijani prisoners were repeatedly interviewed
in Armenia and shown by Yerevan TV companies. Mr. Sakunts also said
that it is not up to Azerbaijan what the appearance of the soldier
was in the status of captive. “What was the appearance of the soldier
in captive, should not become a matter of discussion. It is not the
matter how the captive looked like rather than how he was treated. The
cases of other prisoners show that violence was used against military
and civilian prisoners. Captive soldier was used for their political
objectives, instead of maintaining the norms of humanitarian law, the
captive was used for political purposes and as a tool for propaganda
to slander the other party to show the condition worse.” The fact that
Baku office of the “Red Cross” International Committee has failed
to meet the prisoner Hacob Injighulyan, according to Mr. Sakunts’s
assessment: “It is a flagrant violation of obligations of Azerbaijani
side assumed by the international humanitarian law, because they
should have informed the international “Red Cross” regarding the
prisoner from the very moment of captivation, and provided their
representatives to meet the prisoner.”

So far, the human rights defender does not want to talk about what
the circumstances were, or why the soldier appeared in the status
of captive: he is still waiting for the steps from the Armenia
Ministry of Defense. “The Armenian side should carry out an official
investigation to determine the circumstances and the reasons which
result in the soldier appeared on the other side in the status of
captive. When Armenia Defense Ministry announces the results of
the official investigation, then I will present my conclusions
and questions.” Whether President of Russia Vladimir Putin will
interfere in the issue of returning the prisoner, Mr. Sakunts has no
expectations. “I always have a reservation to Putin, because from
the point of view of international law, he must stand before the
Hague tribunal for organizing genocide of Chechens. I do not have any
expectation by such dictator. How can you expect a humane treatment
from a man, who does not display humane treatment for its citizens?”

Note that a day before, the relatives of captivated soldier Hacob
Injighulyan appealed to RA authorities to introduce their request to
RF President Putin in Azerbaijan to assist in the return of Hakob.

Arpine SIMONYAN

Read more at:

DEFENSE MINISTRY: ARMENIA READY TO EXCHANGE POWS

by Tatevik Shahunyan

ARMINFO
Friday, August 16, 12:18

Armenia offered to free an Azerbaijani prisoner of war on Thursday as
it continued trying to secure the release of an Armenian soldier who
was captured by Azerbaijani troops near Nagorno-Karabakh last week,
RFE/RL’s Armenian service said. Armenia offered to free an Azerbaijani
prisoner of war on Thursday as it continued trying to secure the
release of an Armenian soldier who was captured by Azerbaijani troops
near Nagorno-Karabakh last week.

Deputy Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan said that Firuz Farajev,
an Azerbaijani soldier who crossed into Armenia a year ago, has
“changed his mind and expressed a desire to return to Azerbaijan.”

To that end, Farajev has requested an “urgent meeting” with
representatives of international humanitarian agencies, Tonoyan told
the head of the Yerevan office of the International Committee of the
Red Cross (ICRC), Dragana Rankovic. He said the Armenian Defense
Ministry therefore hopes that ICRC representatives will visit the
POW in custody, according to a ministry statement.

Farajev was detained by Armenian troops at a western section of
Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan in July 2012. The Armenian Defense
Ministry said at the time that the 20-year-old deliberately surrendered
to its forces.

The ministry spokesman, Artsrun Hovannisian, admitted that Tonoyan’s
statement amounted to an offer to exchange Farajev for Hakob
Injighulian, an Armenian soldier who crossed the “line of contact”
east of Karabakh in still unclear circumstances last week. “The
Armenian side is ready to bring back its citizen at any cost,”
Hovannisian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am).

The Defense Ministry statement quoted Rankovic as assuring Tonoyan
that ICRC representatives in Baku believe that they will soon be
given access to the Armenian soldier. Injighulyan got lost and was
captured on Aug 7-8 night.

AZERBAIDJAN : LE RIDICULE DE LA ” LISTE NOIRE ”

Publie le : 16-08-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – ” Le ministère des Affaires
etrangères de l’Azerbaïdjan a recemment publie une ” liste noire “,
revelant les noms de 335 personnes provenant de 41 pays, qui sont
allees au Karabagh (Artsakh) depuis 2005, ” sans l’autorisation
de Bakou. ” La liste des persona non grata interdites de sejour en
Azerbaïdjan comprend des parlementaires, des hommes d’affaires, des
journalistes, des artistes et autres celebrites. Ils sont tous accuses
d’avoir viole les frontières de l’Azerbaïdjan et porte atteinte a
” la souverainete nationale et a l’unite territoriale ” du pays. ”
Rappelons que 22 Francais figurent sur cette liste, dont Valerie Boyer,
Philippe Marini et Francois Rochebloine, tandis que Thierry Mariani,
president du groupe France- Azerbaïdjan a l’Assemblee nationale, trouve
cette liste ” malhabile, mais comprehensible ” ! Le Collectif VAN vous
propose la traduction de l’editorial du journaliste armeno-americain
Harut Sassounian, paru dans The California Courier le 15 août 2013.

La liste noire de Bakou des personnes visitant l’Artsakh aide l’Armenie
et nuit a l’Azerbaïdjan

De : Harut Sassounian Editeur de : The California Courier Editorial
de Sassounian du 15 août 2013

Les dirigeants de l’Azerbaïdjan ne sont peut-etre pas conscients
du fait que certains de leurs sous-fifres incompetents nuisent
grandement aux interets et a la reputation de leur propre pays. Le
president Aliyev qui emet des menaces quotidiennes envers l’Armenie
devrait faire une petite pause et accorder une attention accrue aux
” ennemis ” au sein de son propre gouvernement.

Pour commencer, les responsables azeris ne savent pas compter ! Le
ministère des Affaires etrangères de l’Azerbaïdjan a recemment publie
une ” liste noire “, revelant les noms de 335 personnes provenant
de 41 pays, qui sont allees au Karabagh (Artsakh) depuis 2005,
” sans l’autorisation de Bakou. ” La liste des persona non grata
interdites de sejour en Azerbaïdjan comprend des parlementaires,
des hommes d’affaires, des journalistes, des artistes et autres
celebrites. Ils sont tous accuses d’avoir viole les frontières de
l’Azerbaïdjan et porte atteinte a ” la souverainete nationale et a
l’unite territoriale ” du pays. Le site Internet du ministère des
Affaires etrangères de l’Azerbaïdjan reconnaît d’un air penaud que le
” Nagorno Karabagh ” est ” temporairement en dehors du contrôle de
la Republique d’Azerbaïdjan. ”

Voici le nombre de visiteurs de chacun des 41 pays, qui se sont rendus
en Artsakh ” illegalement “, selon le site du ministère des Affaires
etrangères :

Argentine (6), Australie (12), Autriche (8), Bielorussie (1), Belgique
(6), Bulgarie (5), Canada (6), Chypre (3), Republique Tchèque (2),
Danemark (2), Estonie (1), France (22), Georgie (11), Allemagne (22),
Grèce (2), Hongrie (1), Iran (3), Irlande (2), Israël (1), Italie
(24), Japon (1), Jordanie (1), Lettonie (2), Liban (1), Lituanie
(6), Moldavie (3), Pays-Bas (4), Pologne (6), Russie (91), Roumanie
(3), Serbie (2), Singapour (1), Slovaquie (2) Espagne (1) Suède (1),
Suisse (7), Turquie (1), Ukraine (8), Royaume-Uni (13), Uruguay (5),
Etats-Unis (36).

Le calcul azeri de 335 visiteurs en Artsakh depuis 2005 est
complètement errone ! Plus de 16°000 touristes de 86 pays se sont
rendus en Artsakh dans la seule annee 2012. Non seulement les
bureaucrates azeris qui ont prepare la ” liste noire ” ne savent
pas compter, mais ils sont egalement incapables de trouver des
informations accessibles a tout un chacun. Si le nom de chaque
touriste entrant en Artsakh n’est pas connu, alors les agents du
renseignement azerbaidjanais doivent dormir au travail. Etonnamment,
pas un seul des dirigeants de l’Armenie n’apparaît sur la ” liste noire
” de l’Azerbaïdjan, bien qu’ils ne fassent aucun mystère de leurs
visites regulières en Artsakh. Serait-ce que les officiels azeris
considèrent que l’Artsakh fait partie de l’Armenie et serait-ce la
raison pour laquelle ils n’incluent pas sur la ” liste noire ” les
citoyens armeniens qui s’y rendent ?

Des calculs errones et une intelligence mediocre creent des problèmes
supplementaires a l’Azerbaïdjan. Dans la liste des 335 noms, il y a
des gens qui ne sont jamais alles en Artsakh, tandis que d’autres, a
l’instar de Jonas Hollander, d’Allemagne, s’y sont rendus et pourtant,
leurs noms ne sont pas sur la ” liste noire “. Hollander a poste le
message sarcastique suivant, sur sa page Facebook, avec la photocopie
de son visa d’entree pour ” la Republique du Haut-Karabagh ” : ” Cher
Azerbaïdjan, vous avez recemment publie une liste de personnes qui
ne sont pas autorisees a entrer dans votre pays. Je suis totalement
offense et frustre de ne pas voir mon nom dans votre liste. Veuillez
trouver ci-joint la preuve de mon sejour au Karabagh et merci de
corriger l’erreur au plus vite. [Signe] Jonas Hollander, qui se sent
triste et peu important. ”

Pour jeter le ridicule sur l’interdiction de futures visite en
Azerbaïdjan, les Armeniens ont cree une page Facebook intitulee
“Je suis alle en Artsakh sans autorisation. ”

Voici quelques reponses critiques de personnes importantes qui ont
ete injustement mises sur la liste noire :

— Marcelo Catelmi, editeur en chef de International Policy repondant
au grand journal argentin Clarin : ” Publier une liste noire est un
acte meprisable et barbare. C’est une methode discriminatoire utilisee
historiquement par des dictateurs et des tyrans dont l’intention
etait de punir les opinions divergentes d’une manière brutale. ”

— E. Wayne Merry, attache superieur de recherches pour l’Europe
et l’Eurasie au American Foreign Policy Council, Washington, D.C :
” L’Azerbaïdjan ne fait du tort qu’a lui-meme avec sa ” liste noire ”
de personnes qui ont visite le Karabagh. Une politique intelligente
pour Bakou serait d’inviter en Azerbaïdjan, immediatement, toute
personne d’un pays tiers qui se rend au Karabagh. ”

Après qu’il a ete revele que la liste noire avait omis par inadvertance
les noms de dizaines de milliers de visiteurs en Artsakh au fil des
annees, Elman Abdullayev, le responsable du service de presse du
ministère des Affaires etrangères de l’Azerbaïdjan, a annonce avec
gene que la liste serait mise a jour et augmentee.

J’espère qu’il n’oubliera pas d’ajouter mon nom a la ” liste noire
“, car j’ai notamment ecrit un article decrivant ma visite memorable
en Artsakh.

Les responsables armeniens devraient aider les Azeris en rendant
public les noms de ceux qui ont eu la chance de se rendre en Artsakh
au cours de ces 20 dernières annees, afin qu’il leur soit interdit
d’entrer en Azerbaïdjan. Le pays aurait encore moins de visiteurs,
l’isolant ainsi du reste du monde civilise !

©Traduction de l’anglais C.Gardon pour le Collectif VAN – 16 août
2013 –

Retour a la rubrique

MAN ARRESTED IN AZERBAIJAN FOR POSTING CRITICISM IN FACEBOOK

19:12 15/08/2013 ” LAW

The court of Astara region in Azerbaijan sentenced the resident of
the same region, Mikayil Talibov to correctional labor for a year
with retention of 20% salary, reports Azerbaijani news agency Turan.

“The verdict of Astara regional court became the first case of
implementation of the recent legislative amendments, which imply
criminal punishment for libel and insult in the Internet,” writes
the agency.

The article reads that the Media Rights Institute (MRI) strongly
condemns the harsh verdict related to the freedom of expression
in Internet discussions. “The verdict is alien to democratic
principles, contradicts the Constitution, which provides the freedom
of expression,” reads the MRI announcement.

According to Turan, the reason for Talibov’s sentence was the
criticism against AccessBank, where he used to work. He considered
the termination of his contract illegal and created a Facebook page
called “Accessbank- Haqsızbank” (“Accessbank-Unfair bank”).

The bank sued Talibov in its turn, the court acknowledged the phrases
“Accessbank-Unfair bank,” “Money earned in Azerbaijan is against
Azerbaijan,” “Accessbank builds up political pressure on Azerbaijan,
fosters discontent among the population,” “the bank takes 5000 manat
bribe for 50 000 manat loan” as libel.

The court forced Talibov to post rebuttal in Facebook social network.

“IPM views the verdict as a serious threat to the freedom of expression
in the Internet and calls on the government of Azerbaijan to pass a
law cancelling the criminal penalty for defamation,” reads the article.

Turan reminds that the representatives of the government and parliament
claimed during the parliamentary discussions of the given document
that the penalties won’t be implied to expressions in social networks,
they’ll only cover online media.

The President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a bill in June,
which referred to the amendments by the parliament of the state to the
Criminal code on May 14. The amendments expanded the criminal penalties
to the expressions in the Internet as well. The given decision of
the President of Azerbaijan was condemned by the Commissioner for
Human Rights of the Council of Europe Nils Muižnieks and the OSCE
Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja MijatoviÄ~G.

Source: Panorama.am

IN BAKU, PUTIN BRINGS GUNBOATS ALONG WITH DIPLOMACY

AzeriReport, Azerbaijan
Aug 15 2013

By Joshua Kucera, Eurasianet.org

BAKU. August 15, 2013: Russian President Vladimir Putin led a
high-powered delegation to Baku this week, and security issues seemed
to be high on the agenda, leading to renewed speculation about whether
the traditional geopolitical allegiances in the South Caucasus may
or may not be shifting.

The fact that the delegation included such a large number of
heavyweights spoke to the significance of the visit. In addition to
Putin, it included Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister
Sergey Shoigu, Energy Minister Alexander Novak and the heads of
Russia’s biggest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil. Also along for
the visit were some ships from Russia’s Caspian Flotilla and the
fleet’s commander, Vice Admiral Sergey Alekminsky. Putin’s remarks
after his meeting with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev focused
mainly on economics and business ties, but also touched on security:

During our talks we paid a great deal of attention to resolving
problems in the Caspian region. We are interested in seeing this region
become one in which peace and cooperation reign. There are still many
unresolved issues here, relating to security, border delimitation,
conserving biological diversity in the Caspian Sea and so on. We have
a vested interest in resolving all these problems, naturally taking
into account the interests of all littoral states.

It is symbolic that our talks coincide with a friendly visit of a
detachment of the Russian Caspian Flotilla to Baku. The Dagestan
missile ship and the Volgodonsk small artillery ship are among the
vessels. At the end of 2013 Azerbaijani sailors plan to make a return
visit to Astrakhan.

Naturally, during our talks we touched on current international issues,
including the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. I would like to emphasise that
Russia is actively facilitating the conflict’s accelerated settlement,
which is only possible through political means.

For his part, Aliyev noted that the “defense industry collaboration”
between Azerbaijan and Russia totals $4 billion and continues to grow,
though it’s not clear what that figure represents and Azerbaijan
has been known to exaggerate the scale of its military activity for
PR purposes.

But what the two men discussed when the cameras were off was the
subject of much curiosity in Moscow, Baku and of course Yerevan,
as Armenians wondered what all this meant for them. While Armenia is
a close ally of Russia, hosting a Russian military base and being a
loyal member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, there
has been some concern between the two partners, as Armenia is being
wooed by the European Union and Russia has been selling some big-ticket
military hardware to Azerbaijan, which would likely use the equipment
against Armenia.

Naturally, much speculation about the visit centered around
Azerbaijan’s upcoming presidential elections, since the main opposition
candidate, Rustam Ibraghimbekov, lives in Russia and will depend on
Russian governmental help to get his paperwork in order to run. Might
Russia be dangling Ibraghimbekov’s fate in front of Baku for some
sort of concession in foreign policy? It certainly seems possible.

While Russia billed its naval deployment to Baku as a “friendly visit,”
it’s not clear that Aliyev saw it that way. Azerbaijan is developing
its navy in large part because it fears Russia’s ability to bully
it militarily. So Azerbaijan is caught in the same dilemma as many
post-Soviet states, where military “cooperation” with Russia serves
to bind those countries’ foreign policies closer to the Kremlin’s.

Rasim Musabekov, a member of parliament and political analyst, told
reporters that one aim of Putin’s visit was to give Baku a warning not
to cooperate too closely with the U.S. Baku has become a significant
logistics center for the U.S. shipping military equipment in and out
of Afghanistan, a situation that apparently makes Russia uncomfortable,
Musabekov said:

As for the inclusion of the Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu in the
delegation, according to the analyst, “there are questions in the
military sphere which should be discussed.

“This is not just military-technical cooperation. It’s very important
to discuss questions which can affect Azerbaijan. For example, the
situation in the Caspian, where military activity is increasing, there
is the context of Iran, developing events in the Middle East, plus
the most important — settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict,”
Musabekov told journalists.

According to him, Russia cannot but have a certain wariness toward
Baku becoming an important logistics center, through which Afghanistan
transit is conducted. For that reason, Moscow needs a strong guarantee
that American armed forces will not appear here [in Baku] tomorrow.

As for Armenia, the consensus was that the Kremlin seemed to be giving
Yerevan a warning about its growing closeness with the European Union.

But it could also have been the same warning to Baku, for its military
cooperation with the U.S., noted Tom de Waal:

There was no mention of the Gabala radar station, which the Russians
were forced to abandon last year. The very fact of the Putin visit
meant that Russia considered that episode closed. Putin uttered
only a one-line reference to resolution of the Karabakh conflict,
which for a while was the Number One foreign policy initiative of
his predecessor, Dmitry Medvedev-making it obvious once again that
this is an issue that does not especially interest him….

A few other important words did not get uttered in the meetings.

One was “America.” The very fact of a Russian head of state arriving
in Baku with half a dozen ministers in tow reminded the Azerbaijanis
where they should put their priorities. A second was “Armenia.” One
reason for the visit, with all its talk of Azerbaijani-Russian
military cooperation, was to make the Armenians nervous and think more
seriously about joining Putin’s Customs Union. (One prominent face
in the Russian delegation was the head of Russia’s defense export
company Rosoboronexport, Anatoly Isaykin. Aliev said publicly that
military cooperation with Russia is worth four billion dollars.)

So to sum up, it’s hard to know what to make of all this. It remains
unclear whether we are seeing a tectonic shift underway in the
geopolitics of the South Caucasus, or (excuse the mixed metaphor)
whether this choppiness on the surface hides a deep, stable sea
underneath. -0-

ELMAR MAMMADYAROV: “AGGRESSIVE SEPARATISM, NATIONAL AND ETHNIC CONFLICTS IMPEDE REGIONAL COOPERATION”

APA, Azerbaijan
Aug 15 2013

[ 15 August 2013 12:16 ]

Baku-APA. “While speaking about regional cooperation, it is impossible
not to speak about the factors impeding this cooperation.

Aggressive separatism, national and ethnic conflicts, steps
aiming to forcedly change the territorial integrity and the
internationally-recognized borders of our states should be regarded
as serious threats,” Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov
said addressing Gabala meeting of Foreign Ministers Council of the
Cooperation Council of the Turkic-Speaking States, APA reports.

According to the Minister, Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict caused by
Armenia’s military aggression lasting for more than 20 years and
groundless territorial claims prove this.

“As a result of ethnic cleansing policy pursued by Armenia, 20 percent
of Azerbaijan’s territory is under occupation, one in every nine is
a refugee, or IDP. We want Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict to be solved
basing on the norms and principles of the international law, especially
four resolutions of the UN Security Council demanding immediate and
unconditional withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the occupied
territories. I would like to express my gratitude to the member states
supporting Azerbaijan’s efforts towards fair solution of the conflict
within Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” he said.

SUSPECT ‘DOES NOT REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED’ IN ARMENIAN MURDER CASE

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Aug 15 2013

Pınar Ogunc ISTANBUL – Radikal

The only suspect in the murder of Turkish-Armenian woman Maritsa Kucuk
has denied the allegations against him, saying he does not remember
what happened, in contrast to initial testimony in which he said
“he might have murdered her.”

Suspect Murat Nazaryan, 38, said during the case’s second hearing on
Aug. 14 that he did not remember any events, adding that the initial
testimony in the police station was taken under “psychological
oppression.”

Kucuk, 84, was stabbed seven times before her throat was slit at her
home in Istanbul’s Samatya neighborhood on Dec. 28, 2012.

Two other attacks were carried out in the same month against elderly
Armenian women in the Samatya and Bakırköy districts as well.

An Istanbul court decided to arrest Nazaryan on charges of “intended
murder,” after police detained him in Istanbul’s Fatih district on
assault charges in connection with the attacks on Armenian women.

Nazaryan, also a Turkish citizen of Armenian origin, was ultimately
detained as a suspect in five attacks on March 2 when one of the
victims identified him.

Blood on an envelope found on Kucuk’s bag allegedly belongs to
Nazaryan, while another woman who survived an attack in Samatya
identified him as the assailant, earlier reports said.

After the suspect’s blood samples matched the blood found on Kucuk’s
bag, he was questioned again. In his second questioning, he gave a
detailed testimony about the incidents.

Kucuk’s family members, including daughter Bayzar Midilli, sons
YaÅ~_ar Kucuk and Zadik Kucuk, were also present at the courtroom.

Nazaryan’s family has also denied the accusations. “We are also victims
in this case. We want everything to come to light for our name to be
absolved,” a family member said.

Nazaryan has a criminal history of selling drugs and robbery.

The case was postponed until Nov. 14 to allow the investigation
to expand.

August/15/2013

GLENDALE COULD PURCHASE PROPERTY NEAR CRESCENTA VALLEY PARK

Glendale News Press, CA
Aug 15 2013

Part of the 40-acre Mountain Oaks site is on the City Council radar

By Brittany Levine, [email protected]

August 15, 2013 | 5:12 p.m.

A plot of ground that in 2006 was the proposed site of an Armenian
high school and condominium project has caught the interest of the
City Council. In a closed-door meeting this week, council members
discussed purchasing the land, which is near Crescenta Valley Park.

Since the high school / condo plan fell through, the area, which is
part of a larger 40-acre site known as Mountain Oaks, has sat vacant
and previous city plans to snap up the land to preserve open space
have lingered.

City officials would not comment on their discussions about the site.

While the founder of the Newport Beach investment firm that now owns
the land also didn’t share details about the meeting, she said she
was eager to unload the land.

“I want to get done with it,” said Rita Carp, owner of Surfside
Funding Corp. “If it’s not going to be the city, it’s going to be
somebody else.”

But it’s been more than five years, and Surfside hasn’t been able to
sell the property. Surfside took it over to recoup a failed loan it
had made to the developer behind the aborted high school project.

In addition to expansive views of Crescenta Valley, the site offers
access to Verdugo Mountain trails. Between the 1930s and 1960s,
Mountain Oaks was home to a picnic and recreation site.

Despite the attractive location, the property was illegally subdivided
and many of its lots are not up to city code. And it’s been fiercely
protected from development by a group of residents who have long
lobbied to preserve it as open space.

Though council members tried to buy the land about five years ago,
the plan fizzled due to tight finances. Glendale’s financial situation
subsequently worsened and it was only this year that the city finally
unburdened itself of multi-million dollar budget gaps.

According to the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office, the portion of
the land the city is interested in is valued at roughly $1.2 million.

Meanwhile, a consortium of state and local park agencies known as the
Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority has expressed interest
in buying the separate hillside portion of Mountain Oaks.

But discussions so far, including an appraisal of the hillside portion,
are just the beginning of a potentially lengthy acquisition process,
said the agency’s chief counsel, Jeff Maloney. Even after the hillside
property is analyzed for title, access and other issues, the agency
would have to apply for governmental grants to pay for the property
and the owners would have to be open to selling to a public agency,
which may not fork over as much as a private developer.

“As a public agency we’re bound to acquire at the assessed value,”
Maloney said, adding that the most recent appraisal was confidential.

Rick Percell, who is a liaison for the pension fund that owns the
mountainous portion, said he’s put a lot of effort into working with
the public agency.

“The opportunity [to sell to the agency to the conservation authority]
came up. It made sense,” Percell said.

,0,4348571.story

ADL ENDORSES PETER KOUTOUJIAN FOR CONGRESS

ADL, MASS., NATIONAL NEWS | AUGUST 15, 2013 1:12 PM

The Armenian Democratic Liberal Party is announcing its endorsement
of Peter Koutoujian in his bid to become the newest member of the
Massachusetts delegation to the US House of Representatives. He
seeks the 5th Middlesex District seat vacated by Edward Markey, who
has now become a US senator, replacing John Kerry, who in turn has
become Secretary of State.

Koutoujian is currently the sheriff of Middlesex County, the latest in
the string of public positions he has held, to great acclaim, including
prosecutor at the Middlesex Country District Attorney’s office.

He was formerly a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives,
where he represented his constituents in parts of Waltham and Newton
honorably. He has worked for the rights of victims of domestic
violence, greater access to healthcare and women’s rights.

Koutoujian, a Democrat, was a catalyst for the creation of the Armenian
Heritage Park in Boston, located near some of the city’s main tourist
attractions. It has become a landmark not only noted for its beauty,
but for the public-private collaboration that helped create it.

As sheriff, he has taken an office that was once known for cronyism
and corruption, and brought trust and dignity back to it. In fact,
he was handpicked by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to take the
helm, after the resignation of the former sheriff. He has brought
his compassionate approach to the prisoners he oversees, among other
things, converting an unused room in the county jail to a chapel
where the inmates can pray or meditate.

Within the Armenian community, he has been a member of the Knights of
Vartan for many years and is a regular presence in Armenian cultural
and social programs. He stands out – often literally because of his
height – at many Armenian programs around the state, including the
annual commemoration of the Armenian Genocide at the Massachusetts
State House in April.

He faces stiff opposition for the October 15 primary, ahead of the
December 10 special election and needs the support of all Armenians.

For all these reasons, we wholeheartedly endorse his candidacy. He
is the right choice for Armenian-Americans and he is the right choice
for Massachusetts.

– ADL District Committee of the US and Canada

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