Author: Kajoyan Gevork

PUBLIC FIGURE PLEDGES TO DIVULGE NAME OF SECTARIAN EX-CANDIDATE

February 28, 2013 – 15:24 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Rumors have recently been afloat suggesting new sects
have been formed in Armenia, director of the center of rehabilitation
and aid for the victims of destructive cults said.

“In fact, some of them have been renamed. “Brides of God” sect is not
a recently formed sect. It was set up during the Orange Revolution
in Ukraine in 2003. It was part of the “Embassy of God” spiritual
organization, with the Armenian branch called “Live Meeting” later
becoming a separate sect,” Alexander Amaryan said.

He further conditioned reports on sects during the presidential
elections by one of the candidate’s being a sectarian.

“I won’t give any names due to the ongoing post-election developments.

I will divulge his name later,” Mr Amaryan said, adding that religious
sects play a major role in any country’s policy.

He further noted Evangelical Church as part of a non-governmental
organization, with leaders appointed abroad.

“People become sectarians due to the foreign funding. Sect members
get 10% of the funds,” Mr Amaryan said, warning of the psychological
problems sects may cause.

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V. ELBAKYAN: HARUTYUN SARGSYAN BEING PRIVILEGED COULD NOT BE TORTURED

Thu, 02/28/2013 – 13:59
Trending topic

No resurrection methods, oppression and violence could have been
used against Harutyun Sargsyan the defendant in the case of the
murder of the Gyumri former-mayor’s daughter’s fiance. The victim’s
legal representative, advocate Varduhi Elbakyan told the reporter of
“Pastinfo.am” and noted the proof is that no evidence was given that
could damage him.

He noted that it’s hard to imagine a defendant in more favorable
conditions. After the examination of the case it becomes evident
that the defendant is under the high patronage and benefits from
the privileges. In particular, even thought he was brought to Police
with the accuse of murder and his mobile phone was confiscated, but
from the testimonies and the receipts of the phone calls it became
obvious that after the confiscation of the phone he was able to call
his relatives and friends with his our phone.

The fact that the searches of the apartment and the car, allowed by the
permit of the Shirak court of first instance, were implemented solely
in the apartment and only in 3 days in the car also come to prove that
he is privileged. And during the whole process the keys of the car
where at his father, the former chief of the police in Ani territory.

Another fact proves that he is privileged: contrary to the
investigator’s decision prohibiting the visits with relatives,
according to the publication, the chief of police, taking into account
Samvel Sargsyan’s long-term work in the area, allowed him to meet
her son.

According to the indictment, on September 13, 2012, S. Sargsyan
entered the police department intervening in the activities of the
investigator, called on and demanded his relative, witness A.

Grigoryan to reject giving testimony, answering the questions of the
investigator, signing the document, as a result A. Grigoryan without
answering the questions of the investigator and signing the minutes
of the interrogation, left the investigator’s office.

Varduhi Elbakyan also said that the position of the victim side is
unchanged: there are a number of issues that could be found during
the investigation, but that wasn’t done. The materials of the case
show that Harutyun Sargsyan “had a supporter”, which the other side
intends to prove during the trial.

Author: Factinfo – See more at:

GYUMRI STUDENTS JOIN THE STUDENTS’ STRIKE

Today – 13:14

Students of Gyumri universities started protests today. The rally
will start at the State Pedagogical Institute then will be led to
State Economical University, galatv.am informs.

At the same time the students of “Progress”, “Anania Shirakatsi”,
State Engineering, European, “Haybusak” universities will move to
consulate of Russia in Gyumri. The students will meet in front of
consulate where they will hold the protest with anti-Russian mottos.

The protest letter will be given to the consul of Russia
then protesters will move to the consulate of Italy. The final
demonstration will be hold at the Gyumri drama theatre,near the
Theatrical Square. The students will have a flash mob.

Decision 2013: Opposition candidate sets new deadline for `power handover’

VOTE 2013 | 02.03.13 | 19:30

Photolure

Raffi Hovannisian, the official runner-up in last week’s presidential
election, has extended his `deadline’ to top Armenian officials to
start `handing over power to the people’ by challenging them to accept
his invitation and attend his next rally in Yerevan early next week.

In addressing thousands of supporters in Yerevan’s Liberty Square on
Saturday, Hovannisian said he would send formal letters to President
Serzh Sargsyan, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan (no relation to the
head of state) and Yerevan mayor Taron Margaryan to come to the next
opposition gathering scheduled for March 5 and `answer’ for all the
`unlawfulness and injustices’.

Enlarge Photo

At the same time, he indicated that he would not mind meeting any of
these officials in their own offices, as, he stressed, these offices
already belong to the people.

Hovannisian, who, according to the Central Election Commission, polled
close to 37 percent of the vote in the February 18 presidential
election, is disputing the reelection of incumbent President Sargsyan,
who officially garnered nearly 59 percent of the vote.

He, however, has not yet decided whether he should seek the annulment
of the election outcome at the Constitutional Court.

Addressing his supporters at the rally the opposition leader said
specialists of his team will consider the matter over the weekend and
he will announce his decision on Monday.

`If we do decide to turn to the Constitutional Court, however, it will
be the last chance for its members to exercise constitution law and
come clean before the people,’ stressed the politician.

Earlier on Saturday, Hovannisian met with Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini,
the head of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission, which gave a
mostly positive early evaluation to the election, reportedly to
discuss matters concerning the elections and the post-election
situation in Armenia.

OSCE/ODIHR has now published its third intermediate report, which
contains much more critical assessments regarding the authorities’
handling of the election and the post-election period than its two
previous reports.

According to OSCE/ODIHR observers, in particular, an analysis of
official results shows a correlation between a very high turnout and
the number of votes for the incumbent. `This raises concerns regarding
the confidence over the integrity of the electoral process,’ said the
mission in its report.

OSCE/ODIHR also noted that `since 20 February, Mr. Hovannisian has
staged a series of protest rallies in Yerevan and several regions,
which were joined by some opposition parties and politicians. The
gatherings were peaceful and the authorities did not interfere, but
the police stated that they are illegal and could lead to
administrative liability.’ It also criticized some broadcast media for
showing a `selective approach’ in their post-election coverage of
political events, with a noticeable tendency to limit views critical
of the conduct of the election.

SPORTS
Armen Nazarian menace de faire une grève de la faim si la lutte est
exclue des disciplines olympiques en 2020

Armen Nazarian, le premier champion olympique sous les couleurs de
l’Arménie (Atlanta 1996, lutte gréco-romaine) Armen Nazarian,
aujourd’hui entraîneur national de l’équipe de lutte de Bulgarie
menace de faire la grève de la faim si en 2020 le Comité Olympique
International décide de sortir la lutte de la liste des sports
olympiques. Tout comme Lévon Djoulfalakian l’entraîneur national
arménien, Armen Nazarian estime que la lutte est une discipline
sportive historique et elle est à l’origine même des Jeux Olympiques
de l’Antiquité. « Si le Comité Olympique Internationale décide
d’écarter la lutte de ses disciplines olympiques, nous ferons non
seulement une grève de la faim mais nous utiliserons tous les autres
moyens pour leur faire changer d’avis » a affirmé Lévon Djoulfalakian
qui avait conquis un titre olympique à Séoul en 1988. Avec
l’haltérophilie, la lutte est la discipline préférée de l’Arménie dont
les sportifs, sous les couleurs l’Union soviétique et la République
d’Arménie, conquis de nombreux titres olympiques.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 2 mars 2013,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

Armenia Is Burying The Soviet Man

Friday, March 1st, 2013

Armenian Central Election Commission issues the official results of
Armenia’s presidential elections

BY SETO BOYADJIAN, ESQ.

While the Central Electoral Commission made its announcement last
Monday on the bogus results of the February 18 presidential election
in Armenia, the people on Yerevan’s Freedom Square dictated the real
outcome of the presidential elections.

Acting at the behest of the ruling regime, the Commission declared
incumbent Serge Sarkisian as the victor with utmost disregard of the
consequences to the country and the people. In fact, it rubber stamped
the ongoing usurpation of power by fraud and deceit that began back in
1990’s during the heydays of former President Levon Ter Peterossian.

The irony in declaring Serge Sarkisian the winner is that the ruling
clique is totally disconnected with the political reality expressed
and exercised by the people of Armenia. The Commission’s declaration
constitutes a last ditch effort to officialize Sarkisian’s second
term, irrespective of its devastating cost to Armenia and the nation.

Sarkisian and his people fail to realize the outbreak of a real
people’s revolution on Freedom Square.

The people in Armenia have broken their bonds with the old Soviet
mold. For decades the centrally dictated Soviet style of politics is
over. The era of thinking and acting as a subservient is over. Today,
the citizens of Armenia are shedding aside the Soviet political
culture. They have entered the era of a political culture that is
inspired and bred by the ideals of a free and independent Armenia.

The `audacity’ of the forty percent of the people voting against
Sarkisian and the popular movement spreading throughout the country
provide a manifest testimony to the rise of the new democratic
political culture in Armenia.

The people do not fear anymore Armenia’s all-powerful oligarchs and
their tentacles spread all over the levers of the government. In
townships and villages, even in major cities, they dared the threats
and duress of the ruling regime as they entered the polling booths to
vote for president.

The people have acquired the civic wisdom of distinguishing between a
self-serving candidate and the person dedicated to serve the people
and the country. They have now learned to appreciate and support
leaders who truly believe in public service as opposed to those in
pursuit of selfish exploitations.

The people have developed an utter distrust of the successive rulers
who have hoarded wealth in their personal coffers and contributed
indiscriminate benefits to their oligarchic clans. In the past, these
rules were tolerated and even supported because they were `native’
Armenians. Today, the people of Armenia seek, trust and support honest
and dedicated leaders whether they are natives of Armenia or are from
the Diaspora. A taboo is broken. The test is trustworthiness and not
the geographic origin of the leader.

The popular movement today that is taking over Armenia from village to
townships, from major cities to counties, is indicative of the new
newly acquired political culture. Such movements in the past were
focused on the acquisition and accumulation of power by one group for
another. That approach was a legacy of the Soviet upbringing. The
people’s movement today does not seek the replacement of one clan by
another. Its objective is to restore law, order and justice in the
country. Its target is to return the reins of power to the people –
the lawful owners of the country and the state.

Serzh Sarkisian and his ruling clique are under siege by the new
political culture. They have no recourse. The Soviet man is dead.

Seto Boyadjian is an attorney and serves on the national board of ANCA.

– See more at:

Another strong condemnation of provocations implemented in National
Assembly of France by Azerbaijani students

01:21 02/03/2013 » REGION

French media published a statement by the MP of the French Parliament,
the president of the parliamentary friendship group “France-Armenia”
René Rouquet in connection with the conference titled `25 years after
the Sumgait events: present situation and future prospects for the
people of Nagorno-Karabakh’.

The statement says,

“The conference, which was attended by numerous French
parliamentarians, was held in very good conditions. A documentary
film, which tells about the events that took place on the 26th, 27th
and 28th of February in Sumgait, was presented. After that, I made a
speech, chairman of the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations
of France Mourad Papazian, the representatives of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Hovhannes Grigoryan, Armenian Ambassador to France Vigen Chitchyan too
made speeches. After the conference, when the leaders were asked to
honor the victims of the massacre with a moment of silence, the two
people started to make noise and announced anti-Armenian slogans.
Because of this shameful behavior, and after physical threats towards
one of the organizers, the passions rose and the crush began.

It is clear that questions arise about the real motives of the two
personalities, who most probably, have not come to honor the victims,
but to escalate nationalistic passions. I condemn with the utmost
rigor such a low and unacceptable act which brings respect neither to
its performers, nor to the organizers. I have always spoken about the
Nagorno-Karabakh from the standpoint of peace and dialogue, and such
incidents should not distract us from the real goals of this
conference which is to give the people of Artsakh satisfactory
prospects for the future.’

Earlier, the member of parliament of France, Henri Gibrail and deputy
chairman of the Department Council of the Bouches du Rhone Christoph
Mass also issued a joint statement regarding the recent provocations.

The statement said in particular: `The incident that took place in the
Supreme Court in the Republic of France is provocation and disrespect,
which the two so-called Azerbaijani students showed. This is an
encroachment on freedom of speech. These unacceptable actions prove
once again that the activists feel absolutely unpunished being fed by
anti-Armenian propaganda of Azerbaijan and President Ilham Aliyev.
Republic of France cannot allow the outside forces to penetrate into
our country and manipulate it and introduce here the anti-Armenian,
racist moods. At the threshold of the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide it has become necessity for France to reassert its
sovereign authority and defended trampled memory of the Armenian
community of France. President F. Hollande took over this
responsibility in his campaign. Adoption of a law criminalizing denial
of the Armenian Genocide will be just that powerful action that will
allow both to defend the memory of Armenians and preserve civil peace
in our country. ”

On December 22, 2011 bill criminalizing Armenian Genocide denial in
France was unanimously approved by French Parliament in 2-hour-long
discussions (including the Armenian Genocide including in the Ottoman
Empire in 1915.). Bill introduced by MP Valerie Boyer (UMP) envisaged
a 45000 euro fine and a one-year imprisonment in case of denial of the
Armenian Genocide. Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero noted
that the bill is a parliamentary initiative, which fits into the
context of “punishment and nihilistic racist statements.” On 23
January 2012 the upper house of the French parliament (Senate)
accepted the bill with 127 votes “for” and 86 “against.” Later,
complaint was lodged against this bill to the Constitutional Council
of France, which was later recognized as unconstitutional.

On 26 February, in 2013, in one of the halls of the National Assembly
of France a conference titled `25 years after the Sumgait events:
present situation and future prospects for the people of
Nagorno-Karabakh’ was held. The conference was marred by the
Azerbaijani provocation.

At the end, the attendees stood to honor the memory of the victims
killed during Sumgait pogroms and kept a minute’s silence. Two
Azerbaijani provocateurs, a girl and a young man, refused to stand up
and to honor the Armenian victims in Azerbaijan and started to shout
anti-Armenian slogans. On the photos, published in `Nouvelles
d’Armenie’, it is obvious how the Azerbaijani tries to provoke a fight
and attacks the audience. Azeri press disseminated false information
about beating and causing serious injuries, right up to fracturing, to
provocateurs. In the photos, published in the same Azerbaijani media,
it is clearly visible that there is no serious damage caused to both.
Moreover, participants of the provocation give contradicting evidence
about the incident: at first they say the girl was beaten together
with the guy, then they say she managed to leave the room.

On 26-29 February 1988 in terms of actual complicity of local
authorities and inaction of the USSR government mass pogroms of
civilians were organized in Sumgait city of Azerbaijani SSR,
accompanied with unprecedented brutal murders, violence and pillaging
against the Armenian population of the city. Armenian pogroms in
Sumgait were carefully organized. At the meetings, which began on
February 26 in the central square, city leaders openly called for
violence against the Armenians.

On February 27 protests which were attended by hundreds of rioters
turned into violence. Armed with axes, knives, specially sharpened
rebar, rocks and cans of gasoline and with the pre-compiled lists of
apartments where Armenians lived the rioters broke into the houses,
turning everything upside down there and killing the owners. In the
same time, people were often taken out to the streets or to the
courtyard for jeering at them publicly. After painful humiliations and
torture the victims were doused with gasoline and burnt alive.

On February 29 army troops entered Sumgait but without an order to
intervene. Only in the evening, when the mad crowd began to attack the
soldiers the military units took up decisive steps.

The exact number of victims of Sumgait pogroms is still unknown.
According to official data, 32 people were killed; however there is
ample evidence that several hundred Armenians have been killed in the
city in three days. There is also evidence that the riots were
coordinated by KGB in Azerbaijan. Executioners of Sumgait were
subsequently declared as national heroes of Azerbaijan.

Documentary `Ordinary Genocide: Sumgait 1988′

Source: Panorama.a

Heritage leader opens first spring day with vow of silence

TERT.AM
13:28 – 01.03.13

The opposition Heritage party’s leader has announced a vow of silence
in Yerevan’s Liberty Square, remembering that March 1 marks the tragic
anniversary of the 2008 post-electoral turmoil and the birthday of
Vazgen Sargsyan (a former Armenian premier killed in parliament in the
1999 terror attack).

Speaking to reporters in the square, Raffi Hovhannisian recalled the
names of the ten people who were killed in the violent protests in
2008.

`We must take an oath to never again have an Armenian’s blood flow on
the Armenian land,’ he said.

A crowd of people will head to Myasnikyan Square later on Friday to
commemorate the 10 people killed during the violent clashes five years
ago today.

`Everyone has to analyze this tragedy deep inside to try and find his
own guilt,’ Hovhannisian said.

The Vow of Silence will end at a Myasnikyan Square rally on Friday.

`My heart, soul and essence share the grief with the families of
victims. And I have to say that who organized it must be held
responsible,’ he said.

Yerevan’s St. Sargis Church will host today a liturgy in commemoration
of the ten victims.

Zhoghovurd: Armenian revolutionary MPs reject invitation to US

TERT.AM
09:54 – 01.03.13

Several revolutionary parliament members have reportedly rejected an
invitation to the United States in order to stay in Armenia for
following the post-electoral developments.

Citing its sources, the paper says that Elinar Vardanyan of the
Prosperous Armenia party faction, Artak Zakaryan and Nikol Pashinyan
of the opposition Armenian National Congress and Zaruhi Postanjyan of
the opposition Heritage party were invited to the US in the frameworks
of a special program launched by the US Embassy to Armenia. Though
Pashinyan and Postanjyan were granted visas, they said later they are
staying in Armenia, says the paper adding that only two of the MPs –
Vardanyan and Zakaryan – will depart to the US.

Armenia, Germany ink double taxation avoidance deal

March 1, 2013 – 18:58 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A preliminary agreement was inked today, March 1 on
avoidance of double taxation and prevention of tax evasion between
Armenia and Germany.
The document aims to contribute to activation of Armenian-German trade
and economic relations, promote investments, improve the business
environment and boost cooperation between the two countries, press
service of RA finance ministry reported.

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