Author: Kajoyan Gevork

FOCUS ON HAYRAPETYAN: AVETYAN TRIAL BEGINS TODAY WITH SPOTLIGHT ON MP
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan

ArmeniaNow
Society | 13.09.12 | 14:41

Hearings begin today in the murder case of Vahe Avetyan, who was
beaten to death June 17 by security guards at a restaurant belonging
to the family of National Assembly member Ruben Hayrapetyan.

The high-profile case drew public outrage and calls from civic
organizations to hold Hayrapetyan responsible. Though no charges were
filed against the MP, he submitted his resignation to Parliament and
has until September 21 to withdraw it.

Avetyan, 33, was a military doctor who, along with friends went to
Hayrapetyan’s Harsnakar restaurant complex in Yerevan. Two other
doctors were injured when an argument ensued with the security guards.

The argument is believed to have erupted into a fight over whether
Avetyan’s party met dress-code standards.

Six members of the Harsnakar staff will be on trial.

Meanwhile Hayrapetyan has draw more attention and outrage, after
giving a lengthy interview to Les Nouvelles d’Armenie periodical,
in which the MP threatened the civic activists who had picketed his
home and other places. Hayrapetyan vowed that such people should be
“scared to death of me”.

In the interview Hayrapetyan – a member of the ruling Republican
Party of Armenia — claims that he is being targeted for criticism by
political opponents including Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) leader
Gagik Tsarukyan and Armenia’s second president Robert Kocharyan,
in an attempt to weaken President Serzh Sargsyan’s (also of RPA)
chances of re-election next February.

The Republican law-maker called one of the activists “Kocharyan’s
puppy”. Hayrapetyan never personally refuted the interview. Instead,
PAP representatives stated that Tsarukyan and Hayrapetyan allegedly
had a phone conversation during which Hayrapetyan assured he had
never brought up Tsarukyan’s name.

Ex-president Kocharyan’s office manager Viktor Soghomonyan made a
harsh statement on Wednesday, addressed to Hayrapetyan:

“It is the first time ever I have come across such a diversity of
absurdities within one interview. So much that even responding feels
improper. It would seem that over the past 3-4 days Hayrapetyan would
have understood it himself – or somebody should have explained it
to him, and come up with an appropriate explanation. Unfortunately,
it didn’t happen. For almost a decade he did not say a word from
the parliamentary rostrum, and all of a sudden this waterfall of
‘thoughts’, and with an air of political conspiracy at that,” said
Soghomonyan.

DEFENSE MINISTER GIVE MEDALS TO ARMENIAN CHESS PLAYERS

07:51 pm | Today | Official

Armenia’s Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan received on Thursday the
Armenian national chess team led by Head Coach Arshak Petrosyan.

Seyran Ohanyan congratulated the Armenian chess players on their third
victory at the 2012 World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul and awarded them
with medals.

Levon Aronyan, Vladimir Hakobyan, Tigran Petrosyan, Gabriel Sargsyan
and Arshak Petrosyan received “Andranik Ozanyan” medals. Sergey
Movsisyan was awarded “Garegin Nzhdeh” medal.

LITHUANIAN PARLIAMENTARY GROUP DEPLORES AZERBAIJANI AUTHORITIES’ MOVE

news.am
September 13, 2012 | 11:35

YEREVAN. – Armenian National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker and
Lithuania-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group’s Armenian Co-Chair
Eduard Sharmazanov had a telephonic conversation with the Group’s
Lithuanian Co-Chair Algis Kaseta.

Sharmazanov appreciated several Lithuanian Seimas (Parliament) MPs’
statement addressed to the international community, and with respect
to the Azerbaijani president’s granting pardon to Ramil Safarov.

The statement’s undersigned MPs have expressed their deep concern in
this connection, NA Public and Media Relations Department informs.

Also, the Seimas’ member group expressed a conviction that Safarov’s
pardon could result in the repeat of such crimes, it contradicts
with international norms, and could hamper the Nagorno-Karabakh peace
talks being conducted between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

During the telephone conversation, NA Deputy Speaker noted that
Armenia’s parliament highly appreciates its Lithuanian colleagues’
equivalent response, whereby they join that international community
which condemned the Azerbaijani authorities’ unlawful actions.

Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier that Ramil Safarov, a lieutenant
in the Azerbaijani military, was extradited on August 31 from Hungary,
where he was serving a life sentence-and with no expression of
either regret or remorse-for the premeditated axe murder of Armenian
lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan, in his sleep, during a NATO Partnership
for Peace program in Budapest back in 2004.

As expected, Ramil Safarov’s return to Baku was welcomed, as was
his act of murder, by the officials of president Ilham Aliyev’s
government and much of Azerbaijani society, and the Azerbaijani
president immediately granted him a pardon.

And Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan announced on August 31 that
Armenia is suspending its diplomatic ties with Hungary.

Ramil Safarov’s pardoning is condemned by virtually all international
organizations.

SYRIAN GOVERNMENT CALLS ON ARMENIANS NOT TO ABANDON THEIR HOMES

news.am
September 13, 2012 | 18:14

ALEPPO. – The Armenian community of Syria categorically rejected
reports that the Syrian government had allegedly called on the
Armenians to abandon their homes and settle down elsewhere.

“I categorically reject such reports. On the contrary, the Syrian
government calls the Armenians not to abandon their homes,” Armenian
community representative in Aleppo Zhirayr Reisian told Armenian
News-NEWS.am.

As it was earlier informed, vehicles of Armenians who were returning
from the airport to Aleppo were caught in a shooting. Four Armenians
died, while fifteen were injured. As doctors claimed, their life
is not in danger. As a whole, the situation in Aleppo is getting
escalated with electricity, food and water running out and incessant
clashes in the city. Some Syrian-Armenians were moved temporary to
neighboring countries or came to Armenia.

ARMENIAN DEPUTY PARLIAMENT SPEAKER REACTS TO TURKISH PM’S STATEMENT ON KARABAKH

Karabakh | 12.09.12 | 16:33

Deputy Chairman of the Armenian National Assembly Eduard Sharmazanov
reacted to the announcement made by the Prime Minister of Turkey
Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The latter spoke on the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict settlement at a press conference jointly with the President
of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Baku, saying in particular that in the
Karabakh issue Ankara would continue assisting Azerbaijan.

In his remarks, Sharmazanov said that while the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chair countries – the United States, Russia, France – and other
international authoritative organizations condemn and criticize
the inhuman and immoral step of the Azerbaijani authorities, Recep
Tayyip Erdogan stands in support of Azerbaijan and publicly announces
about it.

“This announcement of the Prime Minister of Turkey, a country aspiring
to the European Union, proves that the international community deals
with a country, which openly sponsors anti-Armenianism and racism. It
becomes clear why the perpetrator Ramil Safarov learned to kill people
with different kinds of instruments in the North Cyprus military bases,
occupied by Turkey,” he said.

“I think that Turkey and Azerbaijan have not forgotten that despite
the fact that Turkey provided Azerbaijan with serious military
and financial assistance during the years of the Artsakh War,
the Artsakh Armenians won the battle, proving their determination
to live independently and rule the destiny of their own people,”
Sharmazanov underscored.

HUNGARY GOT ENTANGLED IN ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI CONFLICT BY SAFAROV TRANSFER: HUNGARY FM

ARMENPRESS
13 September, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS: The decision to transfer Ramil
Safarov back to his home country, Azerbaijan, was a collective
government one and all involved bear responsibility for it, Foreign
Minister Janos Martonyi told lawmakers. As Armenpress reports citing
Politics.hu, Martonyi, briefing the foreign affairs committee about
repatriation of Safarov, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for
killing an Armenian in Budapest in 2004, said Hungary “willingly or
unwillingly” had got entangled in the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict
on that date. Safarov, a soldier, had served eight years of a life
sentence for killing the Armenian officer during a NATO language
course. He was transferred from Hungary to Azerbaijan on August 31. On
arrival in Baku, he was pardoned by Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and
released. Armenia suspended diplomatic relations with Hungary later
that day. Martonyi firmly rejected allegations that there had been
any backdoor agreement concluded between Hungary and Azerbaijan. He
said this would become apparent in the course of time. He said the
Azeri authorities had made a clear commitment to continuing the
murderer’s prison sentence and the Hungarian government had taken
its assurances at face value. “Complete proof is impossible,” he
said. Rather, cooperation works on the basis of good faith, he said,
adding that the Azeri side had reneged on the agreement. The Hungarian
government’s decision to repatriate Safarov had been “painful” and
“not easy”, he said, referring to long-standing good relations with
Armenia and its minority community living in Hungary.

NO STATEMENT MADE ABOUT THE EVACUATION OF THE POPULATION: JIRAYR REISYAN

ARMENPRESS
13 September, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS: Armenian populated New Village
(Midan) district is endangered. The clashes orchestrated in Midan are
continuing, Aleppo National Primacy press secretary Jirayr Reisyan
informed Armenpress. In the words of the interlocutor, many of the
residents, including Armenians and Arabs, are moving to safer districts
afraid of disorder situation. Nobody presses the people right to move
to new places.

Reisyan denied the news on Government calls about Midan residents
evacuation.Press secretary informs a bomb blasted in the nearby
territory of Grigor Lusavorich church, which caused material casualties
to the construction. Other Armenian institutions and buildings also
suffered by the bomb blast.

Aleppo based Facebook users told Armenpress, the clashes are being held
in Gyulbenkyan hospital and mosque nearby areas. Aleppo Armenians
state, New Viiage district is safer than Telefon Hauaye, which
currently hosts clashes. Over 20 thousand people became the victim
of the launched clashes lasting about 18 months. Syrian Armenians
recover more than two dozen victims.

ARMENIA’S ETCHMIADZIN TO HOST ORGANIZATION OF WORLD HERITAGE CITIES SESSION

news.am
September 13, 2012 | 11:51

ETCHMIADZIN. – UNESCO Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC)
Board of Directors session will be convened in Armenia’s Etchmiadzin
city on October 7-9, and ten mayors will attend the event, Etchmiadzin
Mayor Karen Grigoryan stated during a press conference on Thursday.

In his words, OWHC is an international non-profit organization and
includes 238 cities. Armenia is a full Organization member since 2011.

“With this, we also solve the matter of neutralizing Azerbaijan and
Turkey. They have expanded far too much within the Organization and
they politicize the raised issues. Also, we are making huge investments
in the form of grants, which will be directed toward the restoration
and preservation of historical and cultural heritage,” Grigoryan noted,
and added that this, too, will contribute to tourism development.

The press conference’s other speaker, International Informatization
Academy President Azat Vartanian, noted that this is an international
organization.

“I have always underscored the cooperation with Armenia and the correct
disseminating of information about Armenia. It is a great honor that
the session will be held in Armenia for the first time. In addition,
it is a very good opportunity to present Armenia and to build bridges
for cooperation,” Vartanian added.

To note, Armenia’s capital city Yerevan as well as Goris city likewise
are members in the UNESCO Organization of World Heritage Cities Board
of Directors.

USA IS STILL UNAWARE OF ARMENIA BEING A CHRISTIAN COUNTRY

11:19 – 13.09.2012

US Embassies of Burundi, Kuwait, Sudan, Tunis, Zambia, Egypt were
warned against possible protest and danger.

The reason is the movie “Insanity of Islam”, which has recently
appeared in the internet, insulting Muhammad Prophet. Yesterday in
Libya’s Benghazi city, US ambassador was killed, during the protest
and another citizen.

Mentioning Armenia in the list of Muslin countries is amusing. This
is not the first time USA is warning this country against different
dangers. Interesting to know why. Doesn’t USA know that Armenia is
not just a Christian country, but it is the first Christian country
in the world and the number of Muslims living in Armenia does not go
beyond 500.

Yerkir.am has sent a request to US embassy and is expecting an answer.

DOLLAR “PLUMMETS” IN ARMENIA

news.am
September 13, 2012 | 16:14

YEREVAN. – The US dollar’s average exchange rate, against the Armenian
dram (AMD), comprised AMD 408.29/$1, at NASDAQ OMX Armenia stock
exchange on Thursday, and this is a 0.35-percent-or an AMD 1.41-drop
from Wednesday. The American currency has lost ground by approximately
3 points in the past three days.

Thursday’s sales totaled $4.65 million at the stock exchange.

And the dollar’s buying exchange rate fell all the way to AMD 407/$1
in Armenia’s cash foreign currency market. The US currency can now
be purchased at AMD 409/$1, but AMD 410/$1 is the more common selling
exchange rate.