Author: Kajoyan Gevork

ARMENIAN ACTIVISTS AGAIN ORGANIZED ACTION IN SUPPORT OF HRACHYA HARUTYUNYAN

18:10, 17 July, 2013

YEREVAN, JULY 17, ARMENPRESS: It is already the second day public
activists in Armenia wait somebody from Russian embassy fro giving a
letter. “Armenpress” reports that they had brought with them the second
bathrobe announcing that it is possibly not the last one. Nobody came
from embassy and the activists put the letter on the announcement
board of the embassy. Citizens explained their participation by the
fact that they demand from Russian side to respect their compatriot as
he is not murderer and criminal although had caused death of 18 people.

One of the activists mentioned that in letter they express their
condolences to the families of dead people and demand Russian law
enforcement bodies respect truck driver Hrachya Harutyunyan.

They also condemn the step of Russian side of taking Harutyunyan from
hospital to court giving him a women’s bathrobe.

In July 17 action took part activists of public organizations who had
come with flags and posters. This time members of Hrachya Harutyunyan’s
family did not take part.

On July 13 at 13:00 in New Moscow, nearby the Podolsk Village, Kamaz
truck came out of the second line and crashed into a bus driving from
Podolsk to Kurilovo, sharing it into two parts. In the result of the
car accident 18 people died and more than 60 were wounded. The driver
of the truck Hrachya Harutyunyan was accused of the violation of the
traffic security rules, causing the death of two or more people.

Two-month detention was imposed to the Armenian. He was taken to the
court in a woman’s bathrobe.

Earlier the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia Karen
Andreasyan sent an official letter to his Russian counterpart Vladimir
Lukin requesting for the protection of the dignity and other rights
of Hrachya Harutyunyan.

Hrachya Harutyunyan has been provided with two experienced lawyers
and a translator.

WESTS EFFORTS TO DAMAGE IRAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM FAILED: RUSSIAN ANALYST
News Code : 80730762(0)

Date : 7/9/2013 11:26:53 AM

Moscow, July 9, IRNA – A senior Russian political analyst has said
West failed in its efforts to damage Irans peaceful nuclear program.

Speaking to IRNA exclusively, Director General of the Institute
for Foreign Policy Research and Initiatives in Moscow Veronika
Krasheninnikova said Iran has made great breakthroughs in all fields
of technology including nuclear energy.

It is impossible to stop a great country such as Iran with its numerous
capabilities, she stressed.

Krasheninnikova noted that Iran, in recent years, has repeatedly
proved its good-will to the International Atomic Energy Agency by
transparent peaceful nuclear activities.

Rejecting claims by West, especially the US, that Irans peaceful
nuclear program is a threat against non-proliferation of atomic
weapons, the analyst said those claims were hypocritical and far
from reality.

No one can develop an atomic bomb only with the 20-percent enriched
uranium, Krasheninnikova stressed.

She added, unlike Wests anti-Iran propaganda, the countrys present
uranium enrichment activities have posed no threat to international
community.

Those who made such claims were making a blame game, said the Russian
analyst.

Krasheninnikova believed that Wests policy of mounting pressures
against Iran was wrong and futile.

She stressed that the only way to settle the existing nuclear dispute
with Iran was negotiation.

She suggested that the anti-Iran sanctions should be lifted during
the next round of talks between Iran and representatives of the
International Atomic Energy Agency.

West has to accept that holding peaceful talks with Iran would be
the only way out of the present nuclear crisis, Krasheninnikova said
in conclusion.

1394**1422

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN THANKS ISRAELI HISTORIAN YAIR AURON FOR GENOCIDE RECOGNITION WORK

15:23, July 17, 2013

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan today received Jewish historian Yair
Auron, now visiting Yerevan for the launch of the Armenian translation
of his work Banality of Indifference.

In his book, Auron states that the Genocide of Armenians was a
prelude to the Jewish Holocaust and bemoans the behaviour of the
Israeli government in not recognizing the 1915 Genocide.

President Sargsyan thanked Auron on the occasion of the publication
of the Armenian version of his work and for his efforts towards the
international recognition of the Genocide

At a press conference in Yerevan, Auron said, “By failing to recognize
the genocides inflicted on other nations, we demean the Holocaust. We
are obliged to respect the memories of other peoples and must discuss
the Armenian Genocide on the parliamentary level,” Yair Auron told
a press conference in Yerevan.

Auron has been joined in his trip to Armenia by ex-Israeli
parliamentarian Yair Tzaban.

Zori Balayan has written the introduction to the book which has
been released due to the assistance of Moscow-based businessman
Karen Baghdasaryan.

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION ALLOCATES 157,724 EUR TO BRING RELIEF TO THE VICTIMS OF THE HAIL STORM IN ARMENIA’S ARMAVIR REGION

16:16, July 17, 2013

Between 12 and 17 May 2013, Armenia’s Armavir region has been hit
by a hail storm damaging almost all crops of more than half of the
communities in the region. Among the 46 communities and 12,800
households affected by the disaster, 7,131 households in the 14
hardest hit communities have lost 100% of their harvest.

The European Commission is providing ~@ 157,724 to bring relief to
4,000 people. This aid will be used for distributions of basic food
and hygiene parcels to the most vulnerable victims. It is channelled
through the Armenian Red Cross Society from the Disaster Relief
Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Background

The European Commission has signed a ~@ 3 million humanitarian
contribution agreement with the International Federation of Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Federation’s Disaster
Relief Emergency Fund (DREF). Funds from the DREF are mainly allocated
to “small-scale” disasters – those that do not give rise to a formal
international appeal.

The Disaster Relief Emergency Fund was established in 1985 and is
supported by contributions from donors. Each time a National Red Cross
or Red Crescent Society needs immediate financial support to respond
to a disaster, it can request funds from the DREF. For small-scale
disasters, the IFRC allocates grants from the Fund, which can then
be replenished by the donors. The contribution agreement between the
IFRC and the European Commission enables the latter to replenish the
DREF for agreed operations (that fit in with its humanitarian mandate)
up to a total of ~@ 3 million.

HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN CONDEMNED INHUMAN ATTITUDE TOWARDS HRACHYA HARUTYUNYAN

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

tude-towards-hrachya-harutyunyan.html
12:40, 17 July, 2013

YEREVAN, JULY 17, ARMENPRESS: The President of the National Assembly
of the Republic of Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan, again expressing his
condolences to the family members of the victims fell in the result
of the car accident nearby Podolsk, condemns the unacceptable and
inhuman attitude towards the driver of the truck, the citizen of the
Republic of Armenia Hrachya Harutyunyan displayed at the court. As
Armenpress was reported by the Department for Mass Media and Public
Relations of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, Hovik
Abrahamyan expressed his hope that the law enforcement agencies and
the corresponding bodies of the Russian Federation will carry out
the necessary investigation and will give a proper evaluation to the
people, who offended the human dignity of the citizen of the Republic
of Armenia Hrachya Harutyunyan and will bring them to corresponding
account, as well as will clarify the real circumstances of the car
accident.

On July 13 at 13:00 in New Moscow, nearby the Podolsk Village, Kamaz
truck came out of the second line and crashed into a bus driving from
Podolsk to Kurilovo, sharing it into two parts. In the result of the
car accident 18 people died and more than 60 were wounded.

The driver of the truck Hrachya Harutyunyan was accused of the
violation of the traffic security rules, causing the death of two or
more people. Two-month detention was imposed to the Armenian. He was
taken to the court in a woman’s bathrobe.

Earlier the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia Karen
Andreasyan sent an official letter to his Russian counterpart Vladimir
Lukin requesting for the protection of the dignity and other rights of
Hrachya Harutyunyan. As Armenpress was reported by the office of the
Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, the message of Karen
Andreasyan says in particular: “Please, accept my deep condolences
on the occasion of the awful road incident, taken place on July 13,
taking the lives of 18 innocent victims. The citizen of the Republic of
Armenia Hrachya Harutyunyan, accused of the violation of the traffic
security rules, causing the death of two or more people, on July
15, was brought to court in quite a humiliating state, in a woman’s
bathrobe in particular. The Constitution of the Russian Federation
ensures that the dignity of a person should be respected and protected
by the state and nothing could serve a base for humiliating it. The
21st article of the Russia’s Constitution guarantees that the dignity
right of every person is his/her own right, which is not restrained by
anything. Taking into account the fact that the incident took place
on the territory under your jurisdiction, I kindly ask you to study
the reasons for the humiliating attitude towards Hrachya Harutyunyan,
as well as initiate actions in the framework of your duties to assist
the citizen of the Republic of Armenia Hrachya Harutyunyan and let
me know about the results. Highly evaluating the close and effective
cooperation between the Human Rights Defenders of the Republic of
Armenia and the Russian Federation, I thank you in advance for the
assistance”.

HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK: ARCHBISHOP NAVASARD KCHOYAN SLIPS AWAY FROM MEETING WITH JOURNALISTS

10:50 17.07.13

Ararat union members of the Ararat diocese of the Armenian Apostolic
Church once more tried to meet with Archbishop Navasard Kchoyan, who
suddenly defrocked the priest Hakob Khachatryan, Ararat union chairman.

Naira Poghosyan, head of the union’s journalist group, informed the
newspaper that Archbishop Kchoyan slipped away.

Poghosyan informed the newspaper that the group demands the
reinstatement of Hakob Khachatryan. Otherwise, they will apply to
Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II.

IS MAFIA IMMORTAL? ALIBI OF “TERRIBLE SECRETS”

Ex-mayor of Gyumri Vardan Ghukasyan appeared in court accompanied by a
group of 30 people. Then he ordered the judge to send out journalists
from the courtroom and beat the defendant’s father, former chief of
police of Ani Samvel Harutiunyan.

The court immediately fulfilled Vardan Ghukasyan’s order, asking
journalists out of the room. Then the judge of the Republic of Armenia
quietly watched as Vardanik beat up the father of the accused, who
then was taken to an intensive care unit.

By the way, a few days ago the mother of the accused told the court
that Vardan Ghukasyan’s son-in-law was killed by Ghukasyan’s son,
Spartak. Since Vardanik “is not a man who beats a woman”, he beat
her husband so the latter will “shut his wife’s mouth”. Vardanik
also refused to answer questions of the female advocate. By the way,
none of the “proud” men of Gyumri would dare to defend the accused.

But this is only one side of the mood, the “dignity” of Gyumri people.

The “proud” Gyumri judge will deny everything. At the hospital they
will deny that Samvel Harutiunyan was taken there after having been
beaten. Vardanik himself will deny everything in order to remain
“clear” in the face of formal law.

In fact, Vardan Ghukasyan just wanted to show that he was and is
the owner of everything in Gyumri, that Armenia’s courts and the
police are his marionettes, and there is nothing they can do. And
the higher authority is his “hostage” in the face of Serzh Sargsyan
whose skeleton is hidden in Vardanik’s cupboard.

By the way, a few days ago when his people featured in the next
scandal, Vardan Ghukasyan made a statement hinting at a “terrible
secret” related to the attempt on his life. He warned that he does
not want to be affected in any way. Vardan Ghukasyan has ensured
a long-term alibi and immunity for himself and his acts. And it
will definitely work because in Armenia everything is based on
some “terrible secret” that cements the balance and unity of the
criminal-oligarchic system.

In Gyumri, as in Syunik, rivers of blood continue to be shed. It is
impossible to stop these processes by legal methods because everyone
is interlinked with “terrible secrets.”

Haik Aramyan 11:44 17/07/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

SOMMET ARMENO-AZERI TOUJOURS SUR L’AGENDA

DIPLOMATIE

L’Armenie et l’Azerbaïdjan sont d’accord sur l’importance des
reunions renouvelee entre leurs presidents pour resoudre le conflit du
Haut-Karabakh en depit de leur incapacite a organiser un tel sommet
le mois dernier, a declare lundi le ministre des Affaires Etrangères
Edouard Nalbandian.

Nalbandian a indiquee que c’etait un element cle de ses derniers
entretiens avec son homologue azerbaïdjanais Elmar Mammadyarov qui
ont eu lieu vendredi a Vienne.

Les diplomates americains russes et francais qui co-dirigent le Groupe
de Minsk de l’OSCE ont egalement participe aux pourparlers. Dans une
declaration commune publiee ce week-end, les mediateurs ont dit avoir
discute des moyens de “creer les conditions d’une rencontre au plus
haut niveau plus tard cette annee.” “Les copresidents demeurent en
etroite coordination avec les parties pour developper les prochaines
etapes “, a ajoute le declaration.

“Nous avons discute d’un calendrier pour d’autres reunions prevues dans
les prochains mois, y compris la possibilite d’organiser un sommet a la
fin de cette annee”, a declare a Nalbandian lors d’une conference de
presse commune avec Leonid Kozhara, ministre des Affaires etrangères
de l’Ukraine en visite a Erevan, qui est aussi le President en du
bureau actuel de l’OSCE.

“Comme vous le savez, le dernier sommet prevu n’a pas eu lieu du
fait de l’Azerbaïdjan “, a-t-il dit. “Il semble maintenant exister
une comprehension et un accord, en principe, sur la necessite d’une
telle reunion, et nous avons besoin de travailler sur sa tenue d’ici
la fin de cette annee.”

L’ambassadeur francais a Bakou, Pascal Meunier, avait declare plus
tôt ce mois-ci que les presidents Ilham Aliyev de l’Azerbaïdjan et
Serge Sarkissian de l’Armenie devaient se reunir en juin. Meunier
n’a pas precise pourquoi la reunion n’a pas eu lieu.

Le ministère azerbaïdjanais des Affaires etrangères n’a pas mentionne
la possibilite d’une rencontre Aliyev-Sarkissian dans ses declarations
officielles sur les negociations de Vienne. Le porte-parole du
ministère, Elman Abdullayev, a seulement affirme que les progrès dans
le processus de paix au Karabakh sont subordonnes a la liberation des
” territoires occupes de l’Azerbaïdjan “.

L’Azerbaïdjan a prevu d’organiser une election presidentielle en
octobre, dans laquelle Aliyev briguera un troisième mandat.

Les mediateurs font pression pour la tenue d’un sommet
armeno-azerbaïdjanais depuis le debut de cette annee dans l’espoir
de faire revivre la longue recherche de la paix au Karabakh.

Aliev et Sarkissian s’etaient rencontres pour la dernière fois dans
la ville russe de Sotchi en janvier 2012. Ils s’etaient engages a
l’epoque a intensifier leurs efforts pour s’entendre sur les principes
fondamentaux d’un règlement du conflit propose par les mediateurs. Le
processus de negociation est reste essentiellement dans l’impasse
depuis lors, cependant.

mercredi 17 juillet 2013, Ara ©armenews.com

LE PRESIDENT SARKISSIAN SALUE LES PROGRES EN MATIERE DE RECOUVREMENT FISCAL

ECONOMIE

L’administration des impôts en Armenie s’est considerablement
amelioree au cours des dernières annees, meme s’il y a encore
“un travail serieux” qui reste a faire par les autorites fiscales,
a declare mardi le president Serge Sarkissian.

Sarkissian a fait valoir que le Comite national des impôts (SRC)
a double les revenus budgetaires du gouvernement armenien au cours
des dernières annees, tandis qu’on ete simplifiees des procedures
fiscales pour les entreprises locales.

” Les gens peuvent voir maintenant le gain de temps qu’ils ont
obtenu dans l’elaboration de leurs rapports financiers, en general,
avec les organismes fiscaux “, a-t-il dit lors d’une reunion avec
la direction de la SRC. “C’est un fait. Naturellement, nous devons
continuer dans cette tendance. Je voudrais voir des progrès similaires
dans le domaine des organes douaniers. ”

Sarkissian a ajoute que son gouvernement reste determine a mener a
bien les ” reformes de grande envergure ” de l’administration fiscale.

Le ministère armenien des Finances a signale une forte augmentation de
plus de 20% des recettes fiscales au cours des cinq premiers mois de
cette annee. Les recettes proviennent essentiellement des taxes sur
des marchandises importees et les droits de douane. Les importations
nettes de l’Armenie ont augmente a un rythme beaucoup plus faible
durant cette periode.

La collecte des impôts en Armenie a longtemps ete aussi arbitraire
qu’insuffisante, comme en temoigne le faible ratio des recettes
fiscales eu egard au produit interieur brut. Les entrepreneurs locaux
accusent encore la SRC de les harceler pour atteindre ses objectifs
budgetaires a tout prix.

La corruption parmi les fonctionnaires des impôts et des douanes est
egalement un grave problème. Beaucoup d’entre eux se sont enrichis
et se retrouvent en possession de vastes interets commerciaux.

Les institutions occidentales ont fait pression sur Erevan pour
ameliorer l’administration fiscale et l’environnement global des
affaires , ce qui constitue une exigence pour le developpement
economique durable de l’Armenie. Dans un article publie en mai, deux
hauts fonctionnaires du Fonds monetaire international ont exhorte
l’administration Sarkissian a accelerer ses reformes fiscales.

“Il est encore frequent que des phenomènes comme avoir des positions
privilegiees sur le marche, ou des profits injustement perdus
soient lies a des problèmes de bonnes ou de mauvaises relations
“, ecrivent-ils.

Sarkissian a admis mardi que certains hommes d’affaires armeniens
jouissent d’un traitement privilegie. La plupart d’entre eux ont des
liens solides avec le gouvernement.

Le president a souligne que la SRC doit creer des conditions egales
pour tous les contribuables. ” Si l’un d’eux travaille dans le secteur
de l’economie de l’ombre tandis que l’autre le fait dans le domaine
de la fiscalite juridique, ces deux entites economiques n’auront
certainement pas avoir les memes possibilites de developpement “,
a-t-il dit.

L’Armenie est classee 108e sur 184 pays en termes de la qualite de
l’administration fiscale dans la plus recente enquete ” Doing Business
” de la Banque mondiale. Un sondage publie octobre dernier a reconnu
les progrès realises dans les efforts de reforme du gouvernement
armenien.

mercredi 17 juillet 2013, Ara ©armenews.com

ARMY SEIZES LARGE ARMS SHIPMENT IN NORTHERN SYRIA

Tue Jul 16, 2013 1:3

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian army units discovered and seized a large
convoy of weapons shipments for terrorists in Northern Syria.

The army seized the convoy which comprised of several trucks and
vehicles which belonged to armed rebels in al-Ays village of Reef
(outskirts of) Aleppo in Northern Syria.

The army also killed many terrorists in clashes in al-Ays village of
Reef Aleppo.

Meantime, the army discovered and seized an arms cache in Bani Zayd
district of Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city.

The army destroyed the depot and killed all the terrorists in the
area in heavy clashes.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized
attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border
guards being reported across the country.

Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have
been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes.

The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups
for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated
from abroad.

In October 2011, calm was almost restored in the Arab state after
President Assad started a reform initiative in the country, but Israel,
the US and its Arab allies sought hard to bring the country into chaos
through any possible means. Tel Aviv, Washington and some Arab capitals
have been staging various plots to topple President Bashar al-Assad,
who is well known in the world for his anti-Israeli stances.