Author: Kalantarian Kevo

‘MONEY LAUNDERING’: $123,000 ALLOCATED FOR COLLECTING INFORMATION ON REFUGEES IN ARMENIA

‘Money Laundering’: $123,000 Allocated for Collecting Information on
Refugees in Armenia The State Migration Service of the RA Ministry of
Territorial Administration has allocated 50 million 146 thousand AMD
(about $123 thousand USD) in 2013 for the development and exchange
of information on refugees, reports local daily Zhoghovurd.

According to documents in the newspaper’s possession, this amount has
been given to the state non-profit organization Computer Center, tasked
with collecting, processing, and archiving information on refugees.

“That money laundering occurs mainly through such programs is known
to many. However, another fact is noteworthy here: the migration
service has allocated about 14 million AMD to the state non-profit
organization Dormitories for maintenance work in the buildings housing
refugees. That is, almost 3.5 times more money is spent on collecting
information on refugees than on meeting the needs of [those] refugees,”
reports the paper.

10.02.2013 15:13 epress.am

FREEDOM OF THE NET REPORT 2013 RANKS ARMENIA AMONG “FREE” COUNTRIES

13:56 03.10.2013

Armenia is rated high in the Freedom of the Net 2013 report released
today by the Freedom House.

The report includes Armenia in the list of 17 countries rated as
“Free” topped by Iceland, Estonia and Germany. Georgia is another
country in the region ranked as “Free.”

As for Armenia’s neighbors, Azerbaijan and Turkey are rated as Partly
Free, while Iran is at the very bottom. Russia is also classified as
“Partly Free.”

According to the report, the access to internet in Armenia has
significantly improved over the past few years, with the internet
penetration rate increasing from approximately 6 percent in 2007 to
39 percent in 2012.

“At the same time, however, there have been minimal efforts to improve
community access to the internet and digital literacy remains somewhat
low, with television remaining the predominant source by which people
receive news and information,” the report reads.

Freedom on the Net 2013 is the fourth report in a series of
comprehensive studies of internet freedom around the globe and covers
developments in 60 countries that occurred between May 2012 and April
2013. The countries were chosen to provide a representative sample
with regards to geographical diversity and economic development,
as well as varying levels of political and media freedom.

Over 60 researchers, nearly all based in the countries they analyzed,
contributed to the project by researching laws and practices relevant
to the digital media, testing the accessibility of select websites, and
interviewing a wide range of sources, among other research activities.

ARMENIA’S GOVERNMENT MUST SHOW HUMANISTIC APPROACH TO LIFE-TERMERS, LAWYERS SAY

13:25 03.10.13

Members of the Chamber of Advocates of Armenia believe that
the government should show a humanistic approach to some of the
life-termers without necessarily doing so by means of amnesties,
the lawyers Tigran Atanesyan, Kromvel Grigoryan, Yervand Varosyan,
Tigran Ter-Yesayan, as well as Chairwoman of the Armenian Innocence
Program NGO Zaruhi Mezhlumyan, told Tert.am.

Ms Mezhlumyan noted that the government should show a selective
approach to certain groups of prisoners, namely, the life-termers with
the first conviction sentenced for murdering one person, as well as
the life-termers who were aged 18 to 21 in committing the crimes.

“We have gathered numerous signatures in favor of pardon acts rather
than amnesty acts because the former applies to felons, while the
latter to misdemeanants. But we have not so far received any response,”
Ms Mezhlumyan said.

Lawyer Tigran Atanesyan objects to an indiscriminate approach to
prisoners. “A selective approach should be shown, with each case
thoroughly reviewed because some the people in question have no
right to be released. For example, the murderer of a child must die
in prison. But we must have a policy because punishment is supposed
to reform people. Therefore, they must be given a chance to petition
for pardon in 20-25 years because some people committed crimes in
certain circumstances,” he said.

Lawyer Kromvel Grigoryan shares this opinion. “The problem does exist
and it should be solved by means of pardon as well. In examining
criminal cases we see our impression can change,” he said.

Lawyer Yervan Varosyan notes that amnesty is not a solution. The only
way to mitigate the punishment is to replace the life sentence with a
specific prison term. “The government must show an individual approach,
but it fails to perform its duty,” he said.

This is a full-scale amnesty in Armenia. It will be applied to some
felons. However, Chairman of the Standing Committee on State and
Legal Affairs, Parliament of Armenia, Koryun Arakelyan was harshly
critical of the government for its intention to apply the amnesty
in some first-degree murder cases and refuse to apply it in drug
trafficking cases.

Ms Mezhlumyan welcomes the fact that some felons have been amnestied
since 1992. “We should realize the fact that prisoners are under stress
every time, waiting for amnesty though they are well aware they will
not be freed under it. But their relatives, parents call us in the
hope their sons will be included in the amnesty this time,” she said.

In world legal practice amnesty is sometimes applied to felons. Such
a revolutionary approach was first shown in Iran. As to minor crimes,
Iran and Georgia practice “sweeping amnesties” after each religious
holiday, Mezhlumyan said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

OPPOSITION MP TO BE REMOVED FROM ARMENIA’S DELEGATION TO PACE

October 03, 2013 | 12:16

YEREVAN. – Zaruhi Postanjyan, who is opposition Heritage Party National
Assembly (NA) Faction Secretary and member Armenia’s delegation to
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), will be
removed from the delegation.

NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan made a respective statement during
Thursday’s parliamentary session.

“The expression of a political view is not an absolute right. The
Constitution of Armenia envisions that an MP’s right to freely express
his or her opinion is limited by the impermissibility of insult or
libel. Also, the PACE Regulation contains a ban on using expressions
that violate human dignity.

“Given NA MP Zaruhi Postanjyan’s demeanor yesterday during the
PACE session and based on Armenia’s law, I [hereby] declare that I
have consulted with the National Assembly factions and I intend to
make a change in Armenia’s delegation to PACE,” Abrahamyan stated,
in particular.

To note, during the question and answer session at Wednesday’s PACE
plenary session in Strasbourg, France, Zaruhi Postanjyan had asked
Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan the following question:

“You have appeared here [in the PACE session] not by the will of
the people, but [rather] as a consequence of organized crime, the
theft of the Armenian people’s vote. Therefore you cannot de jure
represent the will and right of the Armenian people. [So,] I’ll give
you another question. Have you been to a casino in Europe and lost
70 million euros there, and who paid that amount in your stead?”

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

IRAN CALLS FOR ENHANCEMENT OF TIES WITH ARMENIA

11:19 03.10.2013

Armenia, Iran
Iranian First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri has urged closer
cooperation between Tehran and Yerevan on all fronts, Press TV reports.

In a message to Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, the Iranian
vice president called for the expansion of Tehran-Yerevan relations
in political, economic and cultural fields.

He also expressed optimism that the enhancement of mutual ties between
Iran and Armenia will help promote peace in the region and across
the globe.

Jahangiri also congratulated the Armenian nation and government on
the anniversary of the country’s independence day.

In line with their existing bilateral relations, Tehran and Yerevan
have established growing energy ties over the recent years. Iran has
bartered more than 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas with Armenia’s
electricity over the past six years.

Last year, Iran exchanged some 481 million cubic meters of gas for
the neighboring country’s electricity, the largest amount of bartering
between Iran and Armenia in six years.

VAHAGN LALAYAN TROUVE QU’IL EST DIFFICILE DE PREDIRE LES REPERCUSSIONS DE L’ADHESION DE L’ARMENIE DANS L’UNION DOUANIERE

ARMENIE

Il est difficile aujourd’hui de predire ce quel impact aura l’adhesion
de l’Armenie dans l’Union douanière sur le climat d’investissement
dans le pays a declare Vahagn Lalayan, chef de la division en charge
de la politique d’investissement a u ministère de l’economie.

” Il n’y a pas de reponse solide et rapide ici – Si les entreprises
auront un accès aux marches de la Russie et des pays de la CEI alors
bien sûr, l’adhesion de l’Armenie dans l’Union douanière pourra
favoriser ce processus, et si la cible des exportations est l’Union
europeenne, alors l’accord d’association incitera ces entreprises
” a dit Vahagn Lalayan. ” Mais ce n’est pas un axiome, et alors que
notre pays n’est ni dans l’union douanière, ni membre de l’Association,
nous avons des entreprises qui travaillent dans les deux sens “.

En terme d’avantage economique, a-t-il dit, l’adhesion de l’Armenie
dans l’Union douanière n’empechera pas les investissements europeens.

” C’est plutôt une question politique et car les affaires visent
toujours pour les profits, les affiliations d’un pays ne sont pas
importantes ” a declare Vahagn Lalayan.

Il a souligne qu’une etude très complète est necessaire afin de dire
precisement ce qu’exactement l’Armenie beneficiera grâce a son adhesion
a l’Union douanière.

” Le plus difficile sera d’etudier la politique d’investissement
car les investisseurs ne sont pas toujours en lien avec les aspects
politiques et les developpements ” a dit l’expert. ” Dans de nombreux
pays problematiques, des investissements importants sont toujours
faits. Meme certains pays dont les relations sont entraves par des
problèmes politiques soutiennent la cooperation d’investissement
avec d’autre. Il est difficile de dire avec precision, mais les deux
impacts favorables et defavorables sont possibles “.

jeudi 3 octobre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

CEREMONIE DE LANCEMENT DES TIMBRES DEDIES AU 100E ANNIVERSAIRE DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN

ARMENIE

La ceremonie de lancement des timbres dedies au 100e anniversaire
du genocide armenien a eu lieu le 24 Septembre a l’Institut-Musee du
Genocide armenien.

Cette annee, HayPost a sorti trois timbres consacres au missionnaire
protestant allemand et ami du peuple armenien Johannes Lepsius,
au diplomate britannique James Bryce et a la survivante du genocide
Aurora Mardiganian, qui plus tard a joue dans le premier long metrage
sur le genocide armenien “Auction of Souls” en 1918. Le cinema muet,
produit a Hollywood, a ete montre dans de nombreux pays a travers le
monde pour recolter des fonds.

L’evenement a ete suivi par le vice-ministre des Transports et
de la Communication Andranik Aleksanyan, le president de l’Union
des philatelistes d’Armenie Hovik Musaelyan, le directeur de
l’Institut-Musee du genocide armenien Hayk Demoyan, les representants
de ” HayPost “.

jeudi 3 octobre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

TENNIS: ARGENTINE-ARMENIAN PLAYER DAVID NALBANDIAN DECIDES TO CALL IT A CAREER

Tennis | 02.10.13 | 09:14

Argentina’s 2002 Wimbledon finalist David Nalbandian announced on
Tuesday that he will quit tennis next month citing physical problems
that have sidelined him for most of the year.

“It’s not easy what’s happening to me now, my shoulder is not helping
me to train as I should for the circuit,” the 32-year-old player with
Armenian roots told a news conference, reports Buenos Aires Herald.

“It’s a tough day to (have to) announce my retirement today,” said
Nalbandian, winner of 11 ATP Tour titles including the season-ending
ATP Championship in Shanghai in 2005.

The former world number three, who had shoulder surgery in May,
said he would quit tennis after playing an exhibition match against
Spanish world number two Rafael Nadal in November.

Nalbandian has repeatedly mentioned in media interviews and been
proud of his Armenian origin, saying that he has always received huge
support from Armenians around the world at every tournament he played.

At the peak of his career in 2008 Nalbandian visited Armenia where
he played an exhibition match against the nation’s number one player
Harutyun Sofyan and give a master class to local junior players.

NIKOL PASHINYAN RAISED IN PARLIAMENT INCIDENT WITH RUSSIAN BORDER TROOPS

09.30.2013 16:37 epress.am

Armenian National Congress MP Nikol Pashinyan today at the start
of the fourth sitting of the National Assembly raised the issue of
theincident that occurred in Syunik marz last week. Recall, during
Heritage Party MP candidate Samvel Hayrapetyan’s campaign in the
region, Russian border guards near Lichk village Wednesday evening
stopped vehicles carrying Heritage Party members. When MP Zaruhi
Postanjyan asked the guards to explain why they were being stopped,
one of the guards broke a Heritage Party member’s video camera.

Pashinyan today asked whether National Assembly President Hovik
Abrahamyan took steps to find out based on what right did Russian
border guards inspect Postanjyan.

“I expected that I would find out that you would’ve asked and received
an explanation on what right FSB [Federal Security Service] officers
have to take [such] action. I myself have appealed in writing to NSS
[National Security Service] Director Gorik Hakobyan, expecting that
he will provide an explanation,” said Pashinyan.

“I received a letter from the commander of the Russian border troops,
the contents of which I have not yet become familiar with. I will read
it during the break and will deal with it within the boundaries of
the law. I definitely agree with your view, that [such] inspections
are the exclusive authority of Armenian law enforcement bodies,”
said Abrahamyan.

TO OVERCOME THE NEED TO CHOOSE “EITHER THE EURASIAN UNION OR THE EU”–THEY CAN BE MADE COMPATIBLE

Posted by: Akio Kawato
Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Out of the blue in early September, Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan
announced his intention to have Armenia accede to theEurasian Union,
a Russian project to keep hold on the CIS as its sphere of interest.

Sargsyan might prefer the association pact with the EU, but he could
not resist Russia’s woo, as the latter had made moves to strengthen its
ties with Azerbaijan, the arch-enemy of Armenia. Thus, a tug-of-war
between Russia and the EU have been intensifying in the run-up to
the summit meeting of the EU Eastern Partnership nations scheduled in
late November in Vilnius. There the EU is poised to sign association
agreements with the neighboring countries (Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova,
Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia).

Now huge economic blocs are emerging in the world: the EU-U.S. Free
Trade Agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP,
effectively an economic union between Japan, the United States, the
ASEAN, and the Oceania), and possibly the Eurasian Union. The odds
are in favor of the first two, as the total economic size (GDP-wise)
of the Eurasian Union is no more than one tenth of that of the EU,
U.S./FTA, or the TPP. This strongly reminds us of the situation in
1989, when the political and economic strength of the newly integrated
EU lured Eastern Europe away from the Soviet camp.

In a longer historical perspective this is a matter of a new
demarcation of the spheres of influence after the collapse of an
empire, as the association agreements between the “eastern partners”
and the EU may well lead to the accession of the former to the NATO.

It is understandable that Russia is eager to prevent this.

Thus the three parties–Russia, the Eastern Partnership countries,
and the EU–find themselves in a standoff. In the eyes of the Eastern
Partnership nations, Russia can only offer discount prices for oil and
gas as well as employment for these countries’ redundant work force.

Russia does not have the capacity to provide the former Soviet
republics with investment, technology, and management, which they badly
need for their autonomous development. But if the Eastern Partnership
countries opt for the partnership with the EU, they will have to pay
far more for the Russian oil and gas.

This barren stalemate should be broken. A special arrangement may
be devised for the Eastern Partnership countries so that they can
associate with both Russia and the EU. It would effectively serve to
form a loose economic alliance between the EU and the Eurasian Union
tied together by the common denominator: the Eastern Partnership
nations.

Such an arrangement has pros and cons for Russia and the EU alike.

Negative repercussions should be preempted. For example, visa
requirements for Russians’ entry into the EU may be softened, but not
to a degree of total freedom. Products of the EU and Russia will be
accorded a better access to each other’s market, but not a totally
free one. And the discount on oil and gas prices will be gradually
reduced to avoid an unfairly large burden for Russia.

A break-up of an empire always entails pain–material and spiritual.

But for the former Soviet Union we had better contrive a more civilized
and painless process, in which Russia would be able to maintain its
political and economic stakes in the former Soviet republics. Probably
the Commonwealth of Nations (former British Commonwealth) may serve
as a useful example for Russia. The only snag, however, is that Russia
does not have a queen as symbol of unity.

Akio Kawato is former Ambassador of Japan in Uzbekistan.

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