Author: Kalantarian Kevo

MY FATHER AND GRANDFATHER ARE ARMENIANS – ARTYOM KHACHATUROV EXPLAINS WHY HE WANTS TO PLAY FOR ARMENIAN TEAM (VIDEO)

05.12.12

FC Sheriff Tiraspol defender Artyom Khachaturov’s decision to play in
Armenia’s national team continues be a topic for discussion in Moldova.

The local TV channels are periodically referring to the issue, with
Khachaturov explaining to Moldovan reporters why he has decided to
play in Armenia’s team.

“The reasons vary. The main reason though is that my father and
grandfather are Armenians. They will be very happy if I play in my
historic homeland. It is their wish,” he said.

Khachaturov is the senior of Moldova’s youth team.

“I do not want to stumble at one place. The step forward for me will
be to play for Armenian team, that is why I have made such a decision,”
he said, speaking to the reporters.

Being the senior of Moldova’s youth team and having played ten matches
scoring one goal, Sheriff’s defender has not been invited to play
for Moldova’s national team.

Chief coach of the team Ioan Karas said it is not a first such case,
mentioning the case with Igor Lambarschi. “Of course he [Khachaturov]
is a promising football player, one of the best in the youth team. In
the nearest future he could have been invited to play in the national
team,” Karas told the reporters. While Khachaturov claims if the
national team of Moldova needed him they would have invited him to
play long ago. “So if they have not invited me till now, they do not
need me. Now I have decided to play for Armenia,” Khachaturov said,
adding that only after his decision everybody started talking about it.

President of Moldova’s Football Association Pavel Chebanu, commenting
on the news said, “He is ethnic Armenian. Here everything depends on
his upbringing. There is nothing we can do. If he is forced to play
for Moldova, he will not play at his best.”

In FIFA rating Armenia’s team is ahead of Moldovan with 50 points.

EXPERT: SLIGHTEST TENSION MAY CAUSE RUSSIAN-TURKISH CONFLICT

December 5, 2012 – 19:10 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Though Arab Spring and Syria conflict were discussed
during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Turkey, no final
decisions were taken, Armenian political expert said.

“Russian and Turkish presidents are “turning a blind eye” to the
current developments, despite the discussion of strategic problems
and economic cooperation plans,” Levon Hovsepyan said, adding that
the slightest tension may bring about Russian-Turkish open conflict.

Putin departed for Istanbul Dec 3 to attend third meeting of High-Level
Russian-Turkish Cooperation Council.

AGRICULTURE MINISTER MEETS WITH SYRIAN ARMENIANS

December 5, 2012 – 18:09 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – RA Ministry of Diaspora organized a meeting Dec 5
between Syrian Armenians and Agriculture Minister Sergo Karapetyan.

Minister Karapetyan briefed those present on Armenia’s agriculture,
hailing introduction of the international expertise with an aim to
boost the level of crop yield.

He further expressed Armenian government’s readiness to assist Syrian
Armenians willing to engage in agriculture with registration of a
company, search of areas and provision of consultation, press service
of RA Diaspora Ministry reported.

YOUNG MAN TRIES TO COMMIT SUICIDE BY JUMPING FROM DAVITASHEN BRIDGE

tert.am
05.12.12

Armenian Emergency Ministry reports it has received an alarm today
at about 6 p.m. about an attempt of suicide.

It said a young man is trying to jump from Yerevan’s Davitashen bridge.

The press service of the ministry reports that the operative response
squad has been dispatched to the site. Additional information will
be provided later.

PAP SPOKESPERSON DESCRIBES VIDEO WITH NOISY REVELATIONS RELATING TO PARTY’S MP AS “HUNT” (VIDEO)

05.12.12

Panorama.am has issued today a video, where Prosperous Armenia party
MP Michael Melkumyan dismisses claims about having big property but
the phone conversation presented in the same video proves the opporite.

In particular, asked by a reporter what state property he managed to
acquire while dealing with state property alienation issues, the MP
says ‘nothing’, while in a recording of this telephone conversation
with a third person (presented in the video as well) asked whether
he is a broker, the MP says, “No, my friend, I am a big owner,”
and asks in which of his territories the person is interested in.

It becomes clear from the video that high-storeyed buildings on Koryun,
Nairi Zaryan, Komitas streets belong to him. In the phone conversation
Melkumyan invites the person for a meeting to discuss the details of
the deal, saying he has “a lot of territories.”

Asked by a reporter whether he has a property in former state
buildings, Melkumyan gives a negative answer.

In 2000-2003 Melkumyan was Armenia’s state property administration
deputy minister, in 2003-2004 he worked as deputy head of
government-affiliated state property management department. In
2009-2012 he has become head of Economics University’s Micro-Economy
and Entrepreneurial Activity chair. In parliamentary elections in May,
he was elected an MP by the Prosperous Armenia party’s proportional
list.

Tert.am phoned Melkumyan to get comments on the materials, but after
hearing the question Melkumyan turned off the phone and did not answer
the calls any more.

Speaking to Tert.am, PAP spokesperson Tigran Urikhanyan said, “What
can I comment on individuals? Secondly, does anybody have right to
establish a control over a person’s, including MP’s, private property?

And thirdly, what does it mean the successive hunt of person’s private
life, property and all the fundamental freedoms stemming from them.”

Before commenting, though, Urikhanyan said he is not aware of the
video.

Michael Melkumyan, who was in the NA today, avoided the meeting with
reporters and managed to flee from the parliament building.

DEPUTY POLICE CHIEF’S SON COLLIDED SHEEP FLOCK ON HIS CAR. ONLY SHEEP INJURED

2012-12-03 01:08:51

Today December 2nd there was an accident in Armavir region. At about
17.30pm the inhabitant of 38a Vazgen, Echmiadzin town, Armavir region,
Vardan Khmelyan 21 years old, driving Mercedes-Benz C180 model car with
91 QO 001 license plate number, on 33km of Yerevan-Armavir highway,
on the road between the “Arshaluys” restaurant complex belonging the
MP of NA and the head of “Erkrapah Volunteers” Manvel Grigoryan and
hippodrome collided the car of the same model with 32 Õ~MÕ~U 041
license plate number belonging to the inhabitant of 14Avan str.,
Yerevan Grigor hHakobyan 22 years old.

As shamshan.com informs after the accident V. Khlemyan crushed the
sheep flock passing the road as a result 8 sheep died. There is no
human losses or injured.

The crowed at the place of the accident told that before the arrival
of the employees of the 1st platoon of the 2nd officer battalion of
Traffic Police leaded by Captain Grigor Grigoryan, some young man that
came to scene of the accident for V. Khlemyan tried to take away car
license plate number, later they tried to convince the TP officers
that arrived at the scene that the driver was someone else. But they
didn’t succeed.

Media reports that V. Khlemyan’s father is the Deputy Police Chief
of Armavir regional department.

In connection with this materials are to be prepared by the
investigator of 1st platoon of the 2nd officer battalion of Traffic
Police Edgar Nazaryan.

PAPER: PERSECUTION OF OSKANIAN SUPPORTERS GAINING MOMENTUM

December 5, 2012 – 16:31 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – According to Chorrord Ishkhanutyun daily, law
enforcement agencies in Armenian provinces have recently targeted
organizers of signature campaign in support of Civilitas Foundation
founder and former foreign minister Vartan Oskanian.

“The persecution of Oskanian supporters has recently gained momentum in
the town of Hrazdan, with lawmen there still collecting new arguments
against the ex-minister and clarifying the reasons behind the city
residents’ decision to join the signature campaign,” the paper says.

NATIONAL TRAGEDY: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE NEEDS STATE ATTENTION

HUMAN RIGHTS | 05.12.12 | 15:51

By GAYANE ABRAHAMYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

The scandalous case of Mariam Gevorgyan, who was tortured by her
husband and mother-in-law, reached the court only after civil
society’s protests and demands, and finally got resolved last week
opening a new page in the often-closed history of domestic violence in
Armenia.

Vayots Dzor province’s general jurisdiction court sentenced Haykanush
Mikaelyan, who repeatedly tortured her daughter-in-law for almost a
year, to four years of imprisonment, but since her case falls under
the amnesty related to the declaration of independence of Armenia, the
sentence got reduced.

Enlarge Photo
So the mother-in-law, who burnt her daughter-in-law with an iron and a
cigarette lighter, pierced different parts of her body with a fork and
beat her regularly, will most likely spend only a year or less in a
penitentiary.

Gevorgyan, 23, believes the punishment is too mild.

“They have disgraced my entire life, and only one year? At night I
jump awake and remember that hell, for half a year I was forced to
sleep standing, they wouldn’t let me lie down in bed, so that even now
at times I can’t believe I am in bed… You know, when I recall it all,
I don’t even know how I have survived,” Gevorgyan told ArmeniaNow,
reflecting with horror on the ten months of “marriage in hell” she
spent in Saint Petersburg, away from her family.

Gevorgyan’s husband, 28-year-old David Ziroyan and Haykanush
Mikaelyan’s sisters attended the trial and threatened that Mariam
would have to pay for the slander.

“It’s all a lie. Those traces were from dermatological problems. Here,
we have all the facts, we will prove everything,” said Ziroyan.

The husband, too, is convicted of “deliberate moderate damage to
somebody’s health”, but as the maximum punishment is three years of
imprisonment, he was pardoned during amnesty, so he will not bear any
legal responsibility for his crime.

Surveys show that every third woman in Armenia is subjected to
domestic violence, however, this, as Laurence Broers, expert at
Amnesty International, says is “the visible tip of the iceberg”.

The pan-republican survey by the UN Population Fund in 2010 revealed
that women are still silent, despite the fact that domestic violence
was the case with 80 percent of interviewees, however only 15 percent
agreed to voice it.

The mother-in-law’s trial started a new stage in the fight against
domestic violence in Armenia.

Yet in 2006, surveys by Sociometer sociological center showed that in
25 percent of cases of domestic violence it is implemented or
instigated by mothers-in-law, nonetheless not a single case had been
filed against them before.

The mother-in-law’s role was big in the 2010 case, too, when
20-year-old Zaruhi Petrosyan was beaten to death, but only the
husband, Yunis Sarkisov, got a 10 year sentence. This case would
likely have been covered up, too, if not for public pressure and
protests.

Petrosyan’s murder became a turning point in the perception of the
issue of domestic violence in Armenia. If before law-makers and
government members often denied the existence of such and claimed that
“NGOs are exaggerating to get grants”, the death of the young woman,
mother of an 18 months old child, proved that the issue does exist and
needs measures.

While a 16-day campaign is held in Yerevan against gender
discrimination and violence (it launched on November 25 –
International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women, and will
last till December 10, International Day of Human Rights), another
case of a husband killing his wife was completed in Vayots Dzor
province.

Resident of Aghavnadzor village Yurik Babayan, who killed his wife
Anahit Babayan, got sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment. Twenty seven
years of marriage for the mother of three sons ended with a cruel
death. According to testimony, the husband first physically abused
her, then dragged her to the courtyard of the house, as he testified
“not to mar up the house”, and beat her to death with pieces of
concrete and a bludgeon.

Human and women’s rights activists have a hope that these tragic cases
will sober officials and make them finally adopt laws against domestic
violence.

“These are regrettable facts, which might have been possible to
prevent, if there was a law on domestic violence obliging the state to
create a developed network of shelters for women who have found
themselves in such predicaments. They would be escorted to a shelter
by special-trained police officers,” says director of Women’s Resource
Centre Lara Aharonyan.

The passing of the law on domestic violence has been postponed since
2007, promises are voiced almost annually, but “the ice is not
moving”.

“I believe by December 10 the complete legislative package will be
submitted to the government, and we will solve the issues by law in
the nearest future having the most effective levers of preventing
tragic consequences of domestic violence,” Lala Ghazaryan, head of the
department for Family, Women and Child Affairs at the ministry of
labour and social affairs, told ArmeniaNow.

A Nitwit Again

DECEMBER 4, 2012 13:06

Electoral mechanisms don’t work in Armenia; they have been destroyed,
eliminated since 1995. No intellectual giant, no president, no MP,
no oppositionist, even if they are completely comprised of goodwill
can restore those in one or two elections. Perhaps, my comparison goes
too far, but I recalled a story – when a child from a children’s home
is adopted, at first, he gets surprised that he is not beaten, and
then he starts to behave so badly that the family wants him to return
to the children’s home as soon as possible. How much patience, how
much delicacy, in the end, how much love is needed to integrate that
child into that family and eventually into society! Representatives of
our political elite don’t have that patience and delicacy – they are
for easy solutions. The government that has been making our citizens
degenerate for 17 years continues to do that on a larger scale. The
current opposition that actively participated in that degeneration
in the 1990s pretends that “the immediate change of the regime”
will solve all problems, including the problem of legitimacy.

All this notwithstanding, although fair elections are not possible
in Armenia in the near future, in some cases government behaves more
impudently and sometimes more restrained. The second type of behavior
manifested itself in nominating Arman Sahakyan in Gyumri. Firstly, he
knows residents of Gyumri as an owner of a football club, secondly,
he gave a lot of interviews during the election campaign, had a lot
of meetings with voters, which were attended by the mass media. Even
if they hadn’t attended, those meetings were put on the candidate’s
Facebook page. In a nutshell, he tried to convince voters that he
could work in the parliament.

In Avan, the government decided to arrange an unknown person’s
election using stiff methods, knowing quite well that the unknown
“Brother-in-law” can in no way compete with Stepan Safaryan, and if
the latter becomes an MP, it will be quite useful for our country. No
one saw the “Brother-in-law” anywhere during the election campaign,
there is no ordinary voter with whom he communicated. Not to mention
journalists. The Republican Party probably did it just for fun, just
to arrange a virtual figure’s election using administrative leverage,
voter registration lists and money. Naturally, I am not against that
man personally, and perhaps, he really is a very modest and decent
person, as his fellow party members claim, but our citizens no nothing
about him, except for his being the “Brother-in-law.”

On the night of Sunday-Monday, fireworks were set off in Avan in
honor of the “Brother-in-law’s” victory, also at 11:30 p.m., when
fireworks are forbidden. What was the city hall doing?

ARAM ABRAHAMYAN

THE INCLUSION OF SASUNTSI DAVIT EPOS IN UNESCO’S LIST OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE TO BE A NEW WAY OF PRESENTING TO THE WORLD

10:16, 5 December, 2012

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS: UNESCO Commission’s Intergovernmental
Committee dealing with Intangible cultural heritage protection issues
is scheduled to discuss the inclusion of Sasuntsi Davit epos in the
list of Intangible cultural heritage(ICH). The coverage and recognition
of the epos as a universal cultural value is of great significance and
importance for us. Artur Poghosyan, Armenian Deputy Minister of Culture
stated in the briefing with Armenpress, the possible inclusion of epos
is of great importance regarding political and cultural point of view.

UNESCO Intangible cultural heritage convention has already paved away
for a political platform. Morning session discussion will further
show what developments will be performed then. Candidate of Philology,
specialist on epos, Hayk Hambardzumyan also highlights the importance
of inclusion Sasuntsi Davit epos in the list of Intangible cultural
heritage (ICH).

“Very few nations have such a full, deep, multilayered epic work,which
unites primeval ideas of our people saturated with epic diverse
motives, as well as Christian worldview, faith in God, faith in the
victory of justice and a good future” the specialist noted. According
to Hayrapetyan the success of the initiative is of great importance.

Hayk Hambardzumyan considers besides the epos is well recognized in
the world, yet always is in need for new and fresh representation,
new interpretation. Over 60 applications are included in Commission’s
Intergovernmental Committee’s session dealing with Intangible cultural
heritage protection issues.

The seventh session of the Committee is set to be launched on December
3-7, in UNESCO Headquarters.