Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ARMENIAN PATRIARCH DEPLORES DESECRATION OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD

Tasnim News Agency, Iran
Jan 26 2015

January 25, 2015 – 20:30

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church
censured France for the publication of sacrilegious cartoons of Islam’s
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), saying these moves indicate that the European
country has strayed far from the principles of Christianity.

“The European countries do not live according to the principles of
Christianity,” Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni said in a meeting with
Head of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO) Abouzar
Ebrahimi Torkaman on Saturday.

He made the remarks in a reference to recent sacrilegious cartoons
published by the French weekly, Charlie Hebdo, depicting Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH).

The Armenian patriarch went on to say that sometime in the past,
France was one of the countries with deep-rooted Christian faith,
but the desecration of the Prophet Muhammad has showed that today
the country has moved far away from the principles of Christianity.

The Iranian official, for his part, said interfaith dialogue can result
in mutual understanding among faiths, and the dialogue can also play
a major role in decreasing the existing violence and extremism in
the world.

He also described relations between ICRO’s Center for Interfaith
Dialogue and the Catholic Church as “close”, and said the two sides
are in constant interaction with each other.

KARABAKH FOREIGN MINISTER BLAMES LACK OF PROGRESS IN PEACE PROCESS ON DESTRUCTIVE POLICY OF AZERBAIJAN

YEREVAN, January 26. / ARKA /. Nagorno-Karabakh foreign minister
Karen Babayan blamed the lack of progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh
peace process last year on Azerbaijan’s destructive position,
denouncing also Azerbaijani authorities ‘for choosing the path of
an unprecedented escalation of tension in the conflict zone, openly
ignoring the international peace brokers from the OSCE Minsk Group
in particular and the international community in general.

Karen Babayan recalled that the parliament of the Basque Country
adopted a resolution last year supporting Nagorno-Karabakh’s right
to self-determination. It was the first such resolution, he added.

He also noted that in 2014 Nagorno-Karabakh signed declarations of
friendship with various communities in France, the US and Spain.

Karen Babayan expressed confidence that in 2015 Nagorno-Karabakh will
make new achievements, adding that the focus of the authorities will
be on the peaceful settlement of the conflict and the international
recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict erupted into armed clashes after the
collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s as the predominantly
Armenian-populated enclave of Azerbaijan, sought to secede from
Azerbaijan and declared its independence backed by succeeding
referendum. A truce was brokered by Russia in 1994, although no
permanent peace agreement has been signed.

Since then, Nagorno-Karabakh and several adjacent regions have been
under the control of Armenian forces of Karabakh. Nagorno-Karabakh
is the longest-running post-Soviet era conflict and has continued
to simmer despite the relative peace of the past two decades, with
snipers causing tens of deaths a year. -0-

MARCHERS DEMAND HANDOVER OF RUSSIAN SOLDIER TO ARMENIAN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES

20:37 | January 26,2015 | Politics

An initiative group demanding the handover Valery Permyakov, the
Russian soldier suspected of murdering seven people in Armenia’s Gyumri
city, is holding a march in Yerevan. The marchers are carrying posters
that read, “We are the lawful masters of our country,” “Permyakov
must be handed over to the Republic of Armenia,” “You are not alone,
Gyumri,” “Our demand is fair.”

The group demands that the Russian side implement its obligations
under interstate legal acts signed between Russia and Armenia and
handover the Russian soldier accused of murdering the seven members
of the Avetisyan family to Armenian law enforcement authorities.

The march started from Cascade, aravot.am reports.

PIDEN SUSPENDER “LAS MIL Y UNA NOCHES”

Asteriscos, Argentina
26 de enero de 2015

Lo solicitan integrantes de la comunidad armenia. La telenovela es de
origen turco y este año se cumple el centenario del genocidio armenio

La emision de la exitosa telenovela “Las Mil y Una Noches” por El
Trece genero una polemica de proporciones al quedar en medio de una
campaña de firmas dirigida a Adrian Suar y Canal Trece, para pedir
que levanten su emision.

La novela de origen turco data del 2006 y se emite en Argentina y
Uruguay en este 2015, justamente el año en que la comunidad armenia
conmemora el centenario del Genocidio Armenio perpetrado por el Estado
Turco, donde perdieron la vida 1.500.000 de armenios.

Sus sobrevivientes se expresan en las redes sociales y otros ambitos,
y han comenzado una campaña para que El Trece suspenda la emision,
sosteniendo que hiere a la comunidad armenia.

Dicen que en un país donde se ha reconocido el Genocidio Armenio se
acepte la emision de esta novela que, sostienen, es “producto del
lobby que Turquía esta realizando para desacreditar la conmemoracion
del centenario del Genocidio Armenio”.

El proximo 24 de abril de 2015 se cumplen 100 años del Genocidio contra
los Armenios, perpetrado por el estado turco, en el cual 1.500.000
de armenios fueron masacrados, torturados, sus mujeres violadas y
sus niños asesinados.

ARMENIAN INVESTIGATORS TO CHECK IF PERMYAKOV HAD ACCOMPLICES

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Jan 26 2015

26 January 2015 – 4:26pm

Armenian Deputy Police Chief Unan Pogosyan said that investigators
will check if Russian soldier Valery Permyakov had any accomplices
in his murder plot, Interfax reports.

Valery Permyakov murdered an Armenian family of six, including
their two-year-old child, in Gyumri on January 12. 6-month-old Sergey
Avetisyan was hospitalized with stab wounds. Despite doctors’ efforts,
he died in hospital on January 19.

Permyakov has already admitted responsibility for the murder.

MADAME CLOONEY A STRASBOURG MERCREDI

DNA – Dernières Nouvelles d’Alsace, France
26 janv 2015

L’avocate internationale Amal Alamuddin, qui a epouse l’acteur George
Clooney en septembre dernier, sera a Strasbourg mercredi matin pour
defendre l’Armenie devant la Cour europeenne des droits de l’homme.

L’avocate internationale Amal Alamuddin, qui a epouse l’acteur George
Clooney en septembre dernier, sera a Strasbourg mercredi matin pour
defendre l’Armenie devant la Cour europeenne des droits de l’homme.

Sa venue etait attendue depuis que le gouvernement armenien l’a
choisie, en decembre, pour faire partie de ses avocats dans une
affaire concernant la negation du genocide armenien (DNA du 3 janvier).

La Cour europeenne des droits de l’homme vient de nous confirmer
qu’Amal Clooney etait bien inscrite sur la liste des juristes qui
prendront la parole pendant l’audience >
ce mercredi matin.

Amal Alamuddin a deja notamment defendu Ioulia Timochenko et Julian
Assange.

La Suisse va tenter mercredi de convaincre la justice europeenne du
bien-fonde de la condamnation d’un homme niant le genocide armenien,
dans un contexte de vifs debats dans le monde autour des limites de
la liberte d’expression.

Il s’agit du reexamen d’une affaire deja tranchee en 2013 par la Cour
europeenne des droits de l’Homme (CEDH) : elle avait alors estime
que la justice suisse avait viole la liberte d’expression de Dogu
Perincek, un homme politique turc, en le condamnant en 2007 a une
amende pour discrimination raciale.

La justice helvetique avait sanctionne des propos tenus lors de
conferences en Suisse en 2005. Le requerant y avait qualifie de
l’idee d’un genocide armenien et avait
soutenu, a propos des massacres et deportations d’Armeniens en 1915,
que l’Empire ottoman n’avait pas eu de volonte genocidaire. Mais pour
les juges de Strasbourg, les motifs avances par les autorites suisses
pour justifier cette condamnation penale etaient ,
selon l’arret de chambre rendu par la CEDH en decembre 2013.

La Cour, avaient-ils rappele, n’interdit pas de poser des limites a
la liberte d’expression, mais elles doivent etre solidement justifiees.

Dans le cas d’espèce, la Suisse a depasse sa marge d’appreciation
necessairement reduite, , selon la CEDH.

Après cet arret, la Suisse avait demande et obtenu un nouvel examen
de l’affaire. L’audience de mercredi va ainsi permettre aux juges
de la Grande chambre de la CEDH d’entendre une nouvelle fois les
arguments des uns et des autres, dont la Turquie et l’Armenie, tiers
intervenants dans la procedure.

ARMENIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY: WHERE ARE ABOUT 15 AZERBAIJANI SERVICEMEN?

19:59 | January 26,2015 | Politics

While offering my condolences to the families of fallen Azerbaijani
soldiers, who fell victim to the adventure of the Azerbaijani
leadership, I would also like to give some clarification, Spokesman
for the Armenian Defence Ministry Artsrun Hovhannnisyan wrote on
his Facebook.

“Yes, we do not hide the fact that we took preventative measures
[to repulse the Azerbaijani forces]. The relatives of the killed
soldiers can ask the command of their Armed Forces what happened to
their 15 soldiers serving at the Infantry Brigade N812 stationed
in the direction of Gyoal-Getabek, Mountain Infantry Brigade N191
stationed in the direction of Zivlian-Dashkesan, Motor Rifle Brigade
N 707 stationed in Kemerli and Kiyamaddinli.

P.S. By the way, I would advise Azerbaijani Defence Ministry to
differentiate between mortars and grenade launchers as the losses
and destruction would have been different if they used mortars.”

GROUND BROKEN ON PASADENA ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MEMORIAL

17:47 * 26.01.15

Pasadena’s Armenian Genocide Memorial took a major step on the
road from concept to reality Sunday when officials gathered for a
ground-breaking ceremony at the construction site at Memorial Park.

Designer and recent Art Center College of Design graduate Catherine
Menard, Pasadena Armenian Genocide Committee board members, city
officials, and representatives from area Armenian churches and schools
took part in the ceremony, the Pasadena Star News reports.

“It’s been such a journey,” Menard said, adding that she was excited
to see her design beginning to take shape. Menard unveiled her design
in April 2013 after it was selected by the memorial committee over
16 other entries. Menard, who was a student at Art Center College of
Design at the time, has since graduated with a degree in Environment
Design.

The completed monument, which will take the form of a 16-foot-tall
tripod surrounded by a 26-foot wide ring of stonework with water drops
dripping into a basin to represent each of the 1.5 million lives cut
short by the Ottoman Turks in the Armenian Genocide of 1915 to 1923,
Menard explained. The droplets, which will be illuminated, will fall
every 21 seconds, so that 1.5 million drops will fall annually.

The tripod represents similarly-shaped structures which Armenian
leaders were hanged from during the Armenian Genocide, Menard said.

Surrounding the tripod and stonework will be 12 pomegranate trees,
representing each of the 12 “lost provinces” of Armenia.

Menard said she was grateful to all the people who have donated their
time and efforts to bring the project this far.

“We have a team that’s unified, with so many people giving their
time and so much love,” she said. “That’s what this project is about:
love, forgiveness, truth.”

A dedication ceremony is planned at 3 p.m. April 18, ahead of the
100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on April 24, Pasadena
Armenian Genocide Committee Board Member Levon Filian said.

OVER 20 MEMBERS OF ARFD BREAK AWAY FROM THE PARTY

by Nana Martirosyan

Monday, January 26, 10:47

Over 20 members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsuyun
from Lori region have broken away from the party.

In their statement on Monday they blamed the party’s leaders for having
deviated from their primary mission and having become an off-national
inefficient force. “They care for their own interests only and are
even cooperating with the ruling criminal regime – people who are
betraying Artsakh and our sovereignty,” the breakaways say.

They say that they are joining the Constituting Meeting force and
urge their colleagues all over Armenia to follow them.

ALERTES SUR LES PRIX

ARMENIE

Bien que pendant la première moitie de 2014 les prix ont principalement
diminue en Armenie, l’annee 2014 s’est terminee par une inflation
importante conditionne, notamment, par l’augmentation des prix des
biens de consommation au cours des deux derniers mois.

Par exemple, l’inflation de 4,6% a ete cause par une augmentation
de 6,2% des prix liees aux biens de consommation a annonce Gurgen
Martirosyan, du Service national de la statistique soulignant que
l’inflation etait dans le cadre de la prevision de 4% prevue par la
Banque centrale (CB).

Les legumes et les fruits, le sucre, le cafe et le the, poisson,
l’huile et le pain sont devenus plus chers en Novembre et Decembre.