Author: Kanayan Tamar

French Kurds condemn European Court judgment on Perincek case

February 08, 2014 | 03:21

The Federation of Kurdish Associations of France condemns the inroad
against the memory and dignity of the Armenians.

The Federation issued a statement with such content, in connection
with the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgment on the Dogu
Perincek case, Nouvelles d’Arménie reports.

“Pursuant to the decision of the European Court of Human Rights, the
denial of the Armenian Genocide is not a violation of human rights.
The ECtHR considered that Perincek’s denial of the genocide was within
the framework of the freedom of speech.

“The decision is shocking and impermissible for the Armenians as well
as other people who fell victims to mass killings and genocide in
Turkey,” the statement specifically reads.

The ECtHR recently ruled in favor of Armenian Genocide-denying Turkish
politician Dogu Perincek’s lawsuit that was filed against Switzerland.
The said judgment by European Court of Human Rights was made on the
grounds of freedom of speech. In 2008, a Swiss court had convicted
Perincek for denying the Armenian Genocide. Dogu Perincek is Chairman
of the socialist Workers’ Party of Turkey. In addition, he heads the
Talat Pasha organization, which actively fights against the Armenian
Genocide’s recognition in Europe.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Karabakh deputy PM awards certificates to English training course participants

February 08, 2014 | 15:10

Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), or Artsakh, Deputy Prime Minister
Arthur Aghabekyan on Friday awarded certificates to a group of
participants in the ongoing English language courses.

The aforementioned courses are conducted for the third year, and they
are organized at the initiative of the NKR Government Staff.

The deputy PM noted that a deep knowledge of foreign languages is an
important prerequisite for Artsakh’s integration into the global
processes. He expressed the hope that the participants in these
language courses will want to continue these trainings until their
final phase.

Aghabekyan also thanked the moderators of these courses, for assisting
in the implementation of this government-launched project.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Armenia to introduce strategic planning system for environmental issues

February 08, 2014 | 16:18

YEREVAN. – The Government of Armenia approved the draft decision On
the Approval of the Concept of Strategic Planning for Environmental
Issues.

The objective of this concept is to come up with measures that secure
the introduction of a strategic planning system for the environmental
issues in Armenia.

The aforesaid measures must target the fulfillment of the Armenian
government’s most important objectives in the environmental domain.

The Nature Protection Ministry of Armenia has developed this concept,
and on the basis of studying the respective track-record by the
European Union, Russia, Estonia, Malta, and Kazakhstan.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Turkey’s EU effortss vain without Genocide recognition – French politician

14:39 * 08.02.14

Anne Hidalgo, a socialist candidate in Paris mayoral elections, said
Turkey may join the European Union only after it recognizes the
Armenian Genocide.

Citing Haber3, the Cihan new agency reports the French politician as
saying that the country will raise its reputation by acknowledging the
historical fact. “For me, it is a precondition without which Turkey
cannot accede to the EU,” she said.

Hidalgo also expressed support to the French parliament’s Genocide
denial criminalization bill and referred to an earlier promise by
President Francois Holland on “adopting a legal measure that will not
meet the Constitutional Council’s ban”.

“The dramatic and tragic story’s denial will never help build anything
new,” she said.

The mayoral candidate promised to annually organize April 24 Genocide
commemoration events in the French capital in case of being elected.
She also pledged the French municipality’s financial support to the
Genocide centennial observance events.

Armenian News – Tert.am

ILL Defendant Forced to Wait in Court Till End of the Day

02.07.2014 23:08 epress.am

The next hearing in the Court of General Jurisdiction of Ajapnyak and
Davtashen Administrative Districts in the case of Hrachya Gevorgyan
was postponed.

Gevorgyan, who is accused of hostage-taking, was brought to the
courtroom already having a serious health condition. An ambulance was
summoned. As told to Epress.am by Helsinki Association for Human
Rights observer Arman Veziryan, in the defendant had a fever in the
last 10 days. He appealed to the Nubarashen penitentiary management to
provide medical assistance but received no answer. Gevorgyan said he
also has problems with his eyes, saying he is becoming blind and needs
surgery. Furthermore, he asked that a nail he swallowed earlier in
protest be surgically removed, but these pleas also went unanswered.

The court session was postponed indefinitely, but after the defendant
received medical assistance, he was left in the courtroom, forced to
wait till the cases of all the other Nubarashen prisoners were heard.
All the prisoners were to be taken back to the penitentiary after 6
pm.

According to the indictment, Hrachya Gevorgyan and Garik Harutyunyan
held hostage Gevorgyan’s wife, Naira Harutyunyan, and her son, a
minor, asking for ransom from Naira’s father. After they received the
money, they released Naira and her son.

The defense, however, insists that Naira is trying to frame her
husband in order to avoid repayment of their debts.

Earlier, Gevorgyan’s mother, dissatisfied with her son’s case being
delayed, staged a protest, attempting to self-immolate outside the
Armenian president’s residence.

CINEMA
Un film russe sur Chavarche Garabédian le nageur qui avait sauvé 20
personnes dans le lac d’Erévan en 1976

La société russe Logos Film Company réalise les premières prises de
vues pour un film consacré à Chavarche Garabédian. Ce dernier est
devenu en Arménie et dans l’Union soviétique une véritable légende en
sauvant de nombreuses vies. En septembre 1976 un trolleybus bondé de
passagers tombait dans le lac d’Erévan. Chavarche Garabédian, un
champion de natation se jetait aussitôt à l’eau et sauvait une
vingtaine de personnes de la noyade. Une action courageuse qui devait
mettre fin à sa carrière sportive suite aux problèmes de santé
survenus après son exploit. Le film qui aura pour titre >
sera réalisé par Svetlana Dalin et Olga Sineltchikova.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 8 février 2014,
Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

ARMENIE
Les gagnants d’un concours alimentaire nommée

Une association de consommateurs arméniens a annoncé les lauréats du
premier Concours des aliments >.

Le chef de l’ONG du Centre de soutien des consommateurs Ashot
Mirzoyan, a déclaré que le but du concours était de promouvoir les
producteurs locaux et d’identifier leurs meilleurs produits
alimentaires. Les gagnants dans dix catégories ont été décidés par un
vote du 10 octobre au 31 octobre via internet.

Les produits qui ont reçu le plus de votes dans chaque catégorie ont
été soumis de façon anonyme à un examen de laboratoire par le Service
national de sécurité sanitaire des aliments pour savoir si elles
étaient conformes aux normes ISO.

Le prix est un logo unique avec l’intitulé > que les gagnants peuvent utiliser dans la publicité de leur produit
ou apposé sur les emballages pour une période de 2 ans.

Les vins Alco Vedi ont été reconnus comme les meilleurs vins. Le
meilleur fromage était Kalinino et la meilleure crème aigre était
Ashtarak Kat. Bzhni a été reconnue comme la meilleure eau minérale et
Ararat comme le meilleur brandy.

Artfood a été reconnue comme la meilleure société de production de
nourriture en conserve.

samedi 8 février 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

Temple Medical Student Goes for Olympic Gold

Temple University Health System (Philadelphia, PA)
News & Announcements
Date Published: Wednesday, February 05, 2014

He skied his first slope at age two. And now, Arman Serebrakian, a
second-year Temple medical student and world-class alpine skier, is
headed to Sochi to compete in the 2014 World Olympic Games.

“Thank you for your support,” said Arman to Kathleen Reeves, MD,
Associate Dean for Student Affairs, and Gerald Sterling, PhD, Senior
Associate Dean for Education, when the Olympic teams were announced.
“This is truly one of the best moments of my life — and I am happy to
share it with my Temple family.”

Arman has been the world’s top-ranked Armenian alpine ski racer for
the past seven years. During his undergraduate days at the University
of Colorado, he accrued four top-10 NCAA finishes.

A dual citizen, Arman plans on going into surgery.

Congratulations, Arman! We are rooting for you.

Images courtesy of Arman Serebrakian.

VANADZOR: NO ELECTRICITY, LACK OF ADEQUATE HEATING, AND BREAD PRICES DOUBLED

02.06.2014 13:40 epress.am

The situation in Armenia’s third-largest city, Vanadzor, is dire,
reports local daily Haykakan Zhamanak. There is no gas in most parts
of the city, electricity often shuts down, drinking water is frozen,
schools have stopped classes, hospitals are admitting only patients
with urgent problems, the maternity wards are cold, and there are
problems with the bread supply.

Vanadzor residents told the newspaper’s correspondent that after
a gas pipe supplying gas to a part of the city exploded on Feb. 3,
residents have been heating their homes with electrical energy, as a
result of which the system became overloaded and soon shut down. Due to
the interruption in the supply of electricity, the water supply soon
stopped as well. Only after enormous efforts on the part of residents
were they able to ensure a temperature of 10-12ºC in their homes.

The situation in hospitals and maternity centers is particularly dire.

The cold weather is also a problem: at night the temperature drops
to -25ºC, while in the day it doesn’t go above 12-14ºC.

The necessary amount of bread is not being produced. As a result of
the bakery’s incomplete work, bread costing 150 AMD is being sold at
300 AMD in the evening. People, panic-stricken, have begun to empty
the shops.

The newspaper notes that the authorities till today have not taken
any action at least in securing heating for hospitals.

GOAL SUPPORTING ARMENIA

(FIFA.com) Thursday 6 February 2014

In 1999, FIFA introduced the Goal Programme, which enables beneficiary
member associations to implement projects designed to develop football
in their respective countries. One of these countries isArmenia.

The former Soviet Union may have set great store by its sporting
infrastructure during the 1960s and1970s, but since the country
became independent in 1991, the Armenian Football Association has
been plagued by financial difficulties which have also affected the
quality of football development.

The existing infrastructure and the quality of coaching have proved
to be the major obstacles, with the development of young talent
being the biggest casualty. For the Armenian Football Association,
and indeed for every club, youth development is a fundamental aspect
and one that lays the groundwork for a successful national team.

You can see how FIFA has contributed towards a brighter future for
Armenian football in the Video of the Week.