Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ARMENIA’S POLITICO-MILITARY SECURITY TOP PRIORITY – GAGIK HARUTYUNYAN

15:42 * 16.01.15

Director of the Noravank research and education fund Gagik Harutyunyan
believes that Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU)
was a necessity because Armenia cannot lose support by an important
strategic partner.

“Some people believed the former format could be preserved without
accession to the EEU. However, it was unacceptable to the EEU
member-states. It means that Armenia, as a member of the Collective
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and of the EEU, would, first of
all, get a nuclear shield status, which would considerably raise our
security level,” Mr Harutyunyan said.

With respect to Turkey’s nuclear project, he said:

“Turkey is a genocidal country and has no any serious psychological
barriers in pressing the red button against a country.”

According to him, Armenia is at “semi-war” with Turkey, and such
threats must get an adequate response.

HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS: LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS PROVOKED CLASHES IN GYUMRI

12:57 | January 16,2015 | Politics

Law enforcement officers yesterday provoked and angered protesters
who were holding solidarity rallies in Armenia, says Artak Zeynalyan,
Chairman of the Rule of Law NGO.

“The brutal murder of six people that occurred in Gyumri on January
12 has shocked people,” said Chairman of the Helsinki Committee of
Armenia Avetik Ishkanyan, who was detained on Thursday evening during
the clashes between the protesters and riot police in Gyumri.

“Residents of Gyumri doubt that Valery Permyakov, who is being kept at
the local Russian military base, will ever stand trial for the murder
of the Avetisyan family. The tragedy questionsArmenia’s sovereignty
and judicial system.” He said.

A series of protests took place in Gyumri and Yerevan on January 15,
with protesters demanding to hand over tRussian serviceman Valery
Permyakov, who is charged with murdering Avetisyan famil in Gyumri
to Armenian law-enforcement authorities. Many in Armenia think this
is a test for the sovereignty of Armenia, which has recently joined
the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union.

Russian soldier Valery Permyakov, 19, who was serving at Russian
Military base N 102 in Gyumri, was detained by Russian border guards
on Monday after alleging killing six members of the Avetisyan
family in Gyumri and wounding a six-month-old infant on the same
day. The Avetisyans – two grandparents, their son and daughter,
a daughter-in-law, and young Hamsik – were found killed, when
a relative-neighbor came to the house for morning coffee. The
six-month-old infant, the only survivor of the brutal murder,
was hospitalized with severe stab wounds in his chest. Permyakov
reportedly confessed to the mass murder. He is now kept under arrest
at the Russian military base in Gyumri and has been charged with
murder and desertion.

ARMENIA’S SOCIETY MUST BE ON ALERT – AHOT MANUCHARYAN

14:34 * 16.01.15

Public and political figure Ashot Manucharyan told reporters on Friday
that “it is symbolic that such a tragedy has inaugurated the new year
in Armenia.”

He warns of the need to be “extremely cautious in this global situation
because, in a moment, someone may make use of the tragedy for other
purposes.”

“The Gyumri tragedy is an appalling thing, especially for our people.

But strong groups are launching their activities – both inside and
outside – to cash in on the tragedy. So we must be on the alert,”
Mr Manucharyan said.

He points out the importance of the church’s call for peace, which,
however, is not enough to resolve the situation.

“The church is trying to play its role, which can be welcomed. But
since gaining independence Armenian has had mechanisms of dealing
with such incidents. It would be perfect if the government played this
role. But it is not actually doing so, and an all-Armenian structure
needs to be formed immediately because the internal potential is
not sufficient. We have different serious figures outside Armenia,
who are greatly influential and willing to serve the homeland.”

According to Manucharyan, the Gyumri atrocity may escalate the
situation in two possible ways. First, the crime was committed by an
insane person. Second, it was a premeditated crime.

“In peaceful time we could have waited until the end, but now that
a global war is on, if we consider the worst version – it had been
a planned crime – the tragedy will be used for other purposes the
next moment.”

Mr Manucharyan points out a problem of lack of confidence. Each side
fears lest the tragedy be used against it. Confidence is of paramount
importance.

AFFRONTEMENTS DEVANT LES REPRESENTATIONS RUSSE A GUMRI

FAMILLE ASSASSINEE

Des centaines de personnes en colère ont affronte la police anti-emeute
a l’exterieur du consulat russe dans la ville armenienne de Gumri jeudi
soir lors de la deuxième journee de protestations contre l’assassinat
d’une famille locale qui auraient ete commis par un soldat russe. Les
manifestants se sont rassembles devant la mission diplomatique pour
continuer a exiger que le suspect garde dans la base militaire russe
de Gyumri soit remis aux autorites de justice armenienne.

Les forces de securite en tenue antiemeutes ont tire des gaz
lacrymogènes et des grenades assourdissantes et utilise des matraques
pour les empecher de s’approcher du consulat. Les manifestants ont
repondu avec une grele de pierres lancees sur plusieurs rangees
de policiers anti-emeute. Une deputee de l’opposition armenienne,
Zaruhi Postanjian, leur a demande de s’eloigner et d’eviter de
nouvelles violences.

Un correspondant de RFE / RL a vu plusieurs personnes blessees dans
la melee. Des ambulances ont emporte certaines d’entre elles. Les
medecins de l’hôpital local ont informe le service armenien de RFE
/ RL (Azatutyun.am) que huit manifestants et trois policiers ont
ete hospitalises pour des blessures graves subies au cours des
affrontements. Plus d’une douzaine d’autres residents de Gyumri
auraient ete arretes sur place.

La grande majorite des manifestants, pour la plupart des jeunes,
a decide de marcher vers le centre-ville après s’etre adressee a un
depute, Martun Grigorian, qui represente la circonscription Gyumri
au Parlement armenien. “Ce est une impasse, mon cher peuple,” leur
dit-il. “Calmez-vous, et passez votre chemin . >>

La foule en colère a defile vers le consulat pour exiger que Valery
Permyakov, le soldat detenu qui a avoue les meurtres, soit remis aux
autorites armeniennes ou au moins jugees par un tribunal armenien.

Le Procureur general de l’Armenie Gevorg Kostanian a tente de rassurer
les manifestants : “Comme procureur general et etre humain, je vous
dis que je lancerai un appel au procureur de la Russie en ce sens >>,
a-t-il declare.

Environ 100 personnes se sont rassemblees egalement a l’exterieur du
bâtiment de l’ambassade de Russie dans le centre d’Erevan jeudi. La
police a arrete deux militants dont l’un avait tente de brûler un
drapeau russe.

Un autre rassemblement spontane a eclate dans place de la Liberte
a Erevan tard dans la soiree, peu de temps après de nouveaux
affrontements Gyumri. Plus de deux douzaines de manifestants ont ete
arretees au hasard par des policiers en civil. Ces derniers ont refuse
d’expliquer clairement les raisons de ces arrestations.

vendredi 16 janvier 2015, Ara (c)armenews.com

ANALYSIS: GYUMRI TRAGEDY RAISES QUESTIONS OVER ARMENIAN SOVEREIGNTY

Analysis | 16.01.15 | 11:16

By Naira Hayrumyan
ArmeniaNow correspondent

A series of protests took place in Armenia on January 15, with
some experts trying to characterize them as “anti-Russian”. But the
protesters in Armenia and Gyumri put forward only one demand – to hand
over the Russian serviceman who is charged with butchering an Armenian
family in Gyumri to Armenian law-enforcement authorities. Many in
Armenia feel this is an acid test for the sovereignty of the country
which officially became a member of the Russian-led trade bloc at
the beginning of this year.

Russian online media are actively discussing the protests in Gyumri and
Yerevan, which resulted in late-night clashes between demonstrators and
the police. But the main subject of the Russian media is the question
on whether Armenia will demand the withdrawal of the 102nd Russian
military base from the country. The suspect, Valery Permyakov, is a
serviceman at this base and it is there that he is now being kept in
custody – under Russian law.

However, in Armenia the demands for the withdrawal of the base
are voiced only at the level of social media. As for the political
leadership of the country, no one has yet given a political assessment
of what has happened. The reaction was limited to President Serzh
Sargsyan’s convening a closed meeting, the government at its meeting
observed a minute’s silence in memory of the innocent killed people,
and Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said that the case
should be investigated by Armenian and Russian law-enforcement
agencies, but only in Armenia.

Both in Yerevan and Moscow politicians have warned against politicizing
the issue. But there was no politicization immediately after the
brutal murder. Some activists began to make political demands only
after the Russian side effectively refused to hand over the suspected
criminal to Armenian justice. Immediately the question arose as to what
territory the jurisdiction of Russia in Armenia spreads and whether
the Armenian state has the possibility of administering justice in
its own sovereign territory.

The debate about Armenia’s sovereignty became topical after September
3, 2013 when President Sargsyan unexpectedly announced that Armenia
intends to join the Eurasian Union, a Russian-led economic grouping of
several former Soviet nations, and therefore, Armenia would submit in
certain matters to supranational bodies. Then some political forces in
Armenia raised questions over that decision that they said challenged
the nation’s sovereignty.

Proponents of Eurasian integration justified the partial waiver
of sovereignty by security considerations. Now, after the tragedy
in Gyumri, it became clear to many that security has become more
vulnerable, and a Russian soldier can shoot people peacefully sleeping
at their home and Armenia cannot even try him by its laws.

Whether the tragedy in Gyumri will stir a wave of protests against
the surrender of sovereignty is a matter of interest not only to the
citizens of Armenia and Russia. NATO’s special representative to the
South Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai made a surprise visit
to Armenia and on January 15 met with the leadership of the country,
expressing hope that Armenia will take the right decision over the
tragedy in Gyumri.

It is difficult to predict the further turn of events, but some
conclusions can already be drawn – in Armenia the stereotype of
Russians’ ‘inviolability’ has been cultivated for years is now broken.

Russian flags have been torn off the Consulate of Russia in Gyumri
and thousands of people were ready to break into the Russian base. An
attempt to burn a Russian flag was made at Russia’s embassy in Yerevan
and the slogan “We are the masters of our country” was put forward.

KARABAKH PRESIDENT: AGGRESSOR SHOULD ALWAYS KNOW THAT WE ARE STRONGER

12:43 16/01/2015 ” POLITICS

Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan on Friday attended a meeting
of the Defense Army’s Military Council dedicated to summing up the
activities carried out in 2014 and the 2015 action plan.

In his speech, the President touched upon the process of army building,
emphasized the achievements and existing problems. The President
assessed the activities carried out in 2014 as satisfactory.

Bako Sahakyan underlined that the tasks the Defense Army is solving
have always been among the most significant and pivotal directions
for the state.

Speaking about the action plan for this year, the President put
a special emphasis on the saturation of the 2015 political agenda
with important nationwide and state events that require additional
alertness and readiness also on the part of the armed forces, noting
that in such time periods rude ceasefire violations and attempts to
destabilize the situation had become among the basic foundations of
the enemy’s policy. According to President Sahakyan, the aggressor
should always know that we are stronger, more courageous and will
give a worthy counter back to any encroachment on our independence,
security and dignity.

The President gave instructions to the Defense Minister and the supreme
command staff of the Defense Army to solve the existing problems on
a proper level.

Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan and other officials
participated in the consultation, the presidential press service
reported.

Source: Panorama.am

TURKISH FM: HAMAS WAS READY TO RECOGNIZE ISRAEL

Cihan News Agency (CNA), Turkey
January 12, 2015 Monday

Ä°STANBUL (CÄ°HAN)- Hamas, a Palestinian group governing Gaza, had
reached a point of recognizing Israel but reconciliation efforts
failed after Turkey’s relations with Israel broken down, Foreign
Minister Mevlut CavuÃ…~_oglu said on Monday.

CavuÃ…~_oglu, in remarks published on the website of the state Anadolu
news agency, defended the Turkish government’s dialogue with Hamas,
despite US criticism, insisting that even the opponents of Hamas
agree that it should be part of any talks on the resolution of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“Then why are you opposing Turkey’s dialogue with Hamas in this
regard? If our relations [with Israel] had not deteriorated, Hamas was
going to recognize Israel in the event of a two-state solution,” he
said at a meeting with Anadolu editors. “Unfortunately, the settlement
process failed.”

Turkey expelled the Israeli ambassador and suspended military ties
after Israeli commandos killed eight Turks and one Turkish American on
an aid ship destined to blockaded Gaza in May 2010. In 2013, Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to then Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a US-brokered deal, but relations have not
normalized since then.

The US has expressed concerns over Turkish ties with Hamas, designated
by Washington as a terrorist organization, after Hamas leader Khaled
Mashaal paid a surprise visit to Turkey and attended a congress of
the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on Dec. 27. News
reports earlier this month said Mashaal had left Qatar and was on
his way to Turkey, although Hamas denied such reports.

‘Parallel structure cooperating with anti-Turkey circles on Armenian
issue’

CavuÃ…~_oglu also repeated accusations by President Erdogan and
the government against the “parallel structure,” a term invented by
Erdogan to first refer to alleged followers of Turkish-Islamic scholar
Fethullah Gulen in the state bureaucracy but then later expanded to
describe Gulen’s Hizmet movement.

CavuÃ…~_oglu this time alleged that the “parallel structure” has been
mobilized to “defame and humiliate” Turkey at every opportunity,
including when it comes to Armenian claims of genocide at the hands
of the late Ottoman Empire, which constitute a foreign policy headache
for Turkey.

“The parallel structure is working against Turkey even on the Armenian
issue. They cooperate with all elements who work against Turkey,”
he said.

Turkey categorically denies claims that the mass killings of Armenians
amount to genocide, saying both the death toll given by Armenians —
1.5 million Armenians — is inflated and that people from both sides
were killed because Armenians revolted against the Ottoman army in
collaboration with the Russian forces then invading eastern Anatolia.

MARSEILLE: CENT HEURES DE TRAVAUX D’INTERET GENERAL POUR LES PROFANATEURS DE LA STELE DE MISSAK MANOUCHIAN

20 Minutes, France
10 janv 2015

Cent heures de travaux d’interet general. Le tribunal correctionnel de
Marseille a condamne vendredi deux Marseillais qualifies de militants
d’extreme droite par le parquet, a des travaux d’interet general pour
la profanation de la stèle erigee a la memoire du resistant francais
d’origine armenienne Missak Manouchian. S’ils ne les font pas dans
un delai de 18 mois, une peine de deux mois de prison sera appliquee.

Le 6 septembre, le groupuscule d’extreme droite Mouvement populaire
nouvelle aurore (MPNA) poste sur le web une video montrant des gens
autour du buste de Manouchian. Ils ecoutent un discours revisionniste
et recouvrent la stèle d’un drap blanc.

Les deux condamnes sont identifies par la police sur la video mais ils
refutent leur appartenance au MPNA. >, lance-t-elle aux deux hommes. Elle demande des
heures de travaux d’interet general, requisitions bientôt suivies par
le tribunal.

UNE ENTREPRISE PRIVEE VA INVESTIR 165 MILLIONS DE DRAMS DANS LA CONSTRUCTION DE LA CANTINE DU MINISTERE DES FINANCES

ARMENIE

Une societe privee appelee > s’est engage a investir 165
millions de drams dans la construction d’une cantine pour le ministère
des Finances a annonce le chef du departement de gestion des biens
d’Etat Arman Sahakian.

Arman Sahakian a declare la societe beneficiera d’un espace d’environ
600 mètres carres dans le sous-sol du ministère pour construire la
cantine et la faire fonctionner pendant 15 ans.

Il a dit que selon l’accord en question la societe devrait construire
la cantine en quatre mois.

jeudi 15 janvier 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com

LES REPORTERS DE RFE / RL A BAKOU ONT EU LEURS EMAILS HACKES

AZERBAIDJAN

Les employes du bureau de RFE / RL a Bakou dont les ordinateurs ont
ete saisis dans un raid recent par les autorites azerbaïdjanaises
ont dit que leurs comptes e-mail ont ete pirates depuis le raid.

L’incident est le dernier developpement lie a une repression du
gouvernement contre le service azerbaïdjanais de RFE / RL, connu
localement comme Radio Azadliq.

Les enqueteurs du bureau du procureur de la Republique qui ont
perquisitionne le bureau de Bakou de RFE / RL le 26 Decembre avaient
saisis des ordinateurs, des disques durs, et autre equipement avant
de sceller les locaux.

Les correspondants de RFE / RL n’ont pas pu se connecter sur leurs
ordinateurs avant la crise disent que des messages sont maintenant
envoyes a partir de leurs comptes e-mail par une personne inconnue
ou plusieurs personnes.

Plus de 20 employes RFE / RL actuels et anciens ont ete arretes ou
convoques pour interrogatoire par les procureurs depuis le raid.

Le 7 Janvier, le procureur regional d’Imishli a ordonne au
correspondant de RFE / RL dans la region de comparaître pour
interrogatoire le 8 Janvier.

L’accent mis par le gouvernement sur Radio Azadliq vient au milieu
d’une repression plus large qu’il a lance contre les journalistes
independants, les militants et les organisations non gouvernementales
qui ont critique les autorites dans le pays de la mer Caspienne riche
en petrole.

jeudi 15 janvier 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com