Author: Kanayan Tamar

TURKISH FM CONCERNED BY CONSTRUCTION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MONUMENT IN SWITZERLAND

October 11, 2013 | 13:36

YEREVAN. – On the day of the fourth anniversary of the signing of the
Armenian-Turkish protocols in Zurich, Switzerland, Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Thursday met with his Swiss counterpart
in Bern.

During the talk, the Turkish FM reflected on the monument devoted to
the victims of the Armenian Genocide, which is under construction in
Geneva, Switzerland, reports Dogan news agency of Turkey.

Davutoglu informed that Turkey is concerned by the construction of
such monument ahead of 2015; that is, the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide.

To note, during the meeting Ahmet Davutoglu proved yet again that
Turkey is not a reliable partner. He stated that the Armenian-Turkish
protocols will be ratified solely after the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict, even though the protocols were signed without preconditions.

Armenia in Brazil? Not one miracle but five

by Emil Sanamyan
Published: Friday October 11, 2013

Movsisyan beats the Bulgarians. Photolure

Armenia with Baba Vanga prophesy in background . ArmFootball.com

Washington – Armenia’s national football team finally delivered on its
home field, beating Bulgaria 2-1 in an intense match played in Yerevan
on October 11 and thus maintained a slim chance of qualification for
the 2014 World Cup to be played in Brazil.

Like two years ago in its Euro 2012 campaign, Armenia’s qualification
chances hinge on a win in its final match played away – but this time
instead of Ireland it will be Italy, currently ranked fourth in the
world and third in Europe. That match be played next Tuesday, October
14 in Naples.

If that was not a steep enough mountain to conquer, Armenia would also
need its Group competitors to lose points: unless Denmark doesn’t draw
or lose to Malta, and the Bulgarians and the Czechs don’t draw among
themselves, Armenia will be left out of the second spot, with Italy
already guaranteed the first.

But even taking the second spot will not be enough. Of the nine second
spot finishers only eight best group performers will be going into
playoffs. Here Armenia’s qualification would depend on both Turkey’s
failure to beat the Netherlands and Romania’s failure to beast Estonia
or, alternatively, on Croatia losing to Scotland.

And then there are the playoffs, where Armenia would have to contend
with teams such as Croatia (no. 10 in the world), Portugal (no. 11),
Greece (no. 12), Bosnia (no. 18) or, if Armenians get really lucky,
Sweden (no. 22).

So, as things stand, on its way to Brazil, Armenia will need not one
but five full miracles.

Revenge in Yerevan

Armenia would not be facing such long odds had it enjoyed greater
stability in play and a longer bench of quality substitutes.

The home losses to Malta (0-1) and Denmark (0-1) were particularly
costly and they both came in the absence of forward Yura Movsisyan –
for the first half in the Malta match and over yellow card
disqualification vs. Denmark. When Movsisyan played Armenia dominated
Denmark 0-4 in an way match last June and snatched a last-minute 1-2
victory from the Czechs last September.

But the first sign of a troubled campaign came already a year ago
after the 0-1 away loss to Bulgaria. In that match Armenia also lost
two players to red cards and one to a long-term injury in what
Armenians universally considered a “dirty” performance by the hosts
bent on stifling Armenia’s offensive prowess by all means possible.
The pitch antiques came after an unusual performance at the airport,
where the Armenian team was met by a scantily clad model handing out
candy.

When it came time for the Bulgarian team to arrive in Yerevan, it was
met at the airport by angry taunts from Armenian fans. At the stadium,
a huge banner unfurled by fans announced that “Justice will be
restored in Yerevan.” To make sure prophesy would hit home, the banner
carried a likeness of the late celebrity Bulgarian fortune teller Baba
Vanga. The trick appears to have worked.

Just before the half, a fine play by Aras Ozbilis got one of the
Bulgarian players red-carded and the Istanbul-born midfielder then
beautifully converted a free kick. Man down, Bulgaria equalized from a
free kick it took at one-hour mark, but then lost a second player to
another red card some minutes later. On 87th minute Henrikh
Mkhitaryan’s pass found Movsisyan, who beat Bulgarian defense and
threw Armenia fans into wild jubilation.

Armenia Beat Bulgaria 2-1 in FIFA World Cup Qualifier

By MassisPost
Updated: October 11, 2013

YEREVAN – Armenia boosted their hopes of clinching Group B’s second
place in 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil’ qualifying with a dramatic 2-1
victory over nine-man Bulgaria in Yerevan, denting their opponents’
ambitions in the process.

The hosts took the lead just before half-time, Aras Ozbiliz
despatching a free-kick into the top corner after Bulgaria defender
Nikolay Bodurov had been sent off for a foul on him.

Ivelin Popov got Bulgaria back on level terms with a free-kick of his
own just after the hour, but the visitors’ cause was hindered by the
dismissal of midfielder Svetoslav Dyakov moments later and Yura
Movsisyan pressed home Armenia’s numerical advantage by netting an
87th-minute winner.

The result lifted Armenia to within one point of Bulgaria as the
battle to finish runners-up behind Italy intensified ahead of the
final round of matches.

Armenia complete their group campaign in Naples against Italy on
Tuesday, while Bulgaria take on Czech Republic in Sofia.

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Mkhitaryan: Let Bulgarians learn how to behave

21:53 AMT, October 11, 2013
By Shushanik Hakobyan

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan said his team did not resort
to provocatios during the qualifier against Bulgaria.

`It may seem that it was an easy victory, but it is not so. It was a
tough victory. The main thing is that the guys were able to complete
their task,’ he said after Armenia defeated Bulgaria 2-1 in Yerevan.

`Let Bulgarians see where they came and realize that we have human
qualities unlike them. Let them learn how to behave. The guys wanted
to show the fans that despite our failures in home matches, they are
capable of gaining victory.’

The Armenian midfielder thanked all fans for support, adding that they
are going to Italy in a good mood.

The Armenian national defeated Bulgaria 2-1 in the home qualifying match.

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am Sport

Tigran Araqelyan: Getting an Acquittal is a Matter of Principle

10.11.2013 22:03 epress.am

The prosecuting attorney at the Court of Appeal continues to argue
that the Armenian National Congress (HAK) activists are guilty. Tigran
Araqelyan gave presiding Judge Eva Darbinyan a copy of the Criminal
Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia.

Recall, Araqelyan has been sentenced to six years in prison (two of
which he has already served in pre-trial detention) for allegedly
attacking officers near Swan Lake in central Yerevan in August 2011.
Three other HAK activists – Artak Karapetyan, Sargis Gevorgyan, and
David Kiramijyan – were also charged; however, they were released
pending trial.

Closing remarks were heard in court today. The last person to speak
were the defendants, their attorney Stepan Voskanyan, and prosecuting
attorney Hakob Martirosyan.

The activists and their attorney demanded a fair ruling, since,
according to them, it was proven during the appeals stage that the
charges were fabricated.

The defense attorney noted that although there were violations also in
the appeals court proceedings, the evidence heard is enough to prove
the lack of corpus delicti and that the defendents must be absolved of
guilt.

The defendant David Kiramijyan also demanded to launch criminal
proceedings against police officer Shahen Harutyunyan, named as a
victim in the case, for lying in court.

The prosecuting attorney, Martirosyan, in his closing remarks noted
that he was opposed to appealing the case and believes that the
defendants’ guilt is proven. In his remarks he cited accused Artak
Karapetyan’s testimony in which he said that on the day of the
incident they approached the police and a citizen, which Karapetyan
asked to be recorded as a witness. Referring to the law, the attorney
noted that witnesses are not recorded on a volunteer basis; such
requests must be submitted to the police.

The prosecutor opined that one of the causes of the altercation
between activists and the police was that the latter called the HAK
activists “Levonakan” [a term given to supporters of HAK, whose leader
is Levon Ter-Petrossian], but, he said, there was nothing offensive in
the term. Martirosyan petitioned to release Karapetyan under amnesty,
while asking for probation for Kiramijyan. Recall, the prosecutor
asked for probation for Kiramijyan also in the lower court, but Judge
Gagik Poghosyan assigned a heavier penalty – two years in prison.

In his closing remarks Tigran Araqelyan said being acquitted (instead
of being released under amnesty) is a matter of principle. “I will
find freedom only in a fair ruling,” he said, before presenting the
judge with the Criminal Procedure Code.

The verdict will be made public on Monday.

‘PROVINCIAL’ POLITICIANS?: LEVEL OF ARMENIAN PM’S MOSCOW MEETINGS RAISES QUESTIONS IN YEREVAN

ANALYSIS | 11.10.13 | 09:40

Photolure

By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan is visiting Moscow where
instead of meeting with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev he is
scheduled to meet only with his deputy Igor Shuvalov and Chairman of
the Eurasian Economic Commission Viktor Khristenko. Although originally
Sargsyan was scheduled to fly to the United States today, at the last
moment that visit was canceled – because of the government shutdown
in the States or maybe for some other reasons.

After Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan announced last month the
decision to join the Customs Union Moscow has markedly reduced the
level of relations with Armenia, demonstrating in every way that it
does not regard it as a sovereign state, but rather treats it like
one of its provinces. And the fact that the Armenian prime minister
will meet only with the deputy prime minister and not his counterpart
is more evidence of this.

But the most interesting thing is that information again appeared
in the Armenia press — and this time it looks more credible —
that Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to visit Armenia next week.

This visit has been expected for several years now, but against the
background of Yerevan’s “European policy” that would have looked like
Russia’s ‘capitulation’. But now that Armenia has been ‘re-conquered’,
Putin, apparently counts on a ‘triumphal’ reception in Yerevan.

Especially that Armenia is the only “friend” of Russia in the South
Caucasus. Georgia leaves no doubt about its choice of the European
path, and Putin’s visit to Azerbaijan in August ended in confusion –
the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry “accidentally” was insulted.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has elected its “new” president this week.

Predictably, Ilham Aliyev will stay in the post for the third
consecutive five-year term. But Aliyev will still have to thank
Putin for not allowing Russian citizen Rustam Ibragimbekov to run for
president in Azerbaijan. The renowned film director could have become
a formidable competitor to Aliyev, but Putin did not deprive him of
Russian citizenship “in time”, and Ibragimbekov was disqualified from
a presidential run in Azerbaijan.

It is obvious that Russia will try again to make friends with
Azerbaijan and even engage it in the Eurasian Union, especially
that Baku does not show any particular activity in the EU’s Eastern
Partnership program. Moscow has repeatedly hinted that the best
solution to the problem between Armenia and Azerbaijan would be joining
a single union. Although both countries even today are members of
the CIS.

It is noteworthy that the resounding victory of Aliyev, with 85
percent of the vote, was called into question by European observers,
in particular, the OSCE/ODIHR. It is clear, at the same time, that
Azerbaijan will remain in international politics as an undemocratic
‘oil barrel’, which will be safeguarded from danger. In particular,
this applies to the Karabakh conflict that Aliyev has not been allowed
to use for improving his ratings. It is obvious that the West will
not allow Baku to use Karabakh for such purposes in the future as well.

AHMET DAVUTOGLU: “WHEN RELATIONS BETWEEN TURKEY AND ARMENIA ARE NORMALIZED, MOST OF THE ISSUES BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA WILL ALSO BE WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF A SOLUTION”

by Marianna Lazarian

ARMINFO
Friday, October 11, 12:28

Turkey is looking for “creative ideas” to develop relations with
Armenia, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told media in Bern, adding
that Ankara was giving a lot of importance to the normalization of
ties, Hurriyet Daily News reports citing Anadolu. Coincidentally
speaking in Switzerland where both countries signed a landmark
protocol four years ago to the day, Davutoglu said Turkey would
increase efforts on the issue in the coming months.

“We made serious efforts to put the protocol into effect four
years ago. However, it was not possible to implement it because of
the decision of the Armenian Constitutional Court,” Davutoglu said
during a joint press conference in Bern with his Swiss counterpart,
Didier Burkhalter.

“Now we are looking to develop it and advance with creative ideas and
new ways of thinking. We will increase our works in the coming period.

When relations between Turkey and Armenia are normalized, most of
the issues between Azerbaijan and Armenia will also be within the
framework of a solution,” Davutoglu said.

The 2009 protocol aimed to boost ties between Ankara and Yerevan
with a series of measures, including the opening of the countries’
border, a move that Azerbaijan has repeatedly said must not happen
until there is an agreement on the status of Nagorno-Karabakh.

ZHAMANAK: SAMVEL ALEXANYAN WATCHED PROTEST FROM CAFE

11:12 11/10/2013 ” DAILY PRESS

A group of activists of civic movement “Let’s Free the Monument
from the Oligarch” gathered yesterday at Mashtots Park, then marched
towards the Covered Market, Zhamanak daily says.

Owner of the Covered Market, Republican MP Samvel Alexanyan was at
Malibu Cafe, near Mashtots Park, at the time. Zhamanak’s correspondent
failed to find out what the MP was doing there.

“After speaking at Mashtots Park and making appeals to Alexanyan, the
protesters moved to the Covered Market, where Alexanyan’s “supporters”
were waiting for them,” the paper says.

PRESIDENTIELLE EN AZERBAIJAN : ALIEV REELU, L’EUROPE SOUPCONNE DES FRAUDES

AZERBAIDJAN

L’Organisation pour la securite et la cooperation en Europe a observe
“d’importants problèmes” dans l’election presidentielle en Azerbaïdjan,
remportee mercredi par le president sortant Ilham Aliev, et notamment
des “manipulations” de listes et un “mauvais depouillement”.

Des soupcons de fraude pèsent sur l’election presidentielle en
Azerbaïdjan remportee mercredi par le president sortant Ilham Aliev.

“D’importants problèmes ont ete observes a toutes les etapes de
l’election, ils ont souligne le caractère grave des manquements qui
doivent etre regles pour permettre a l’Azerbaïdjan de respecter
entièrement ses engagements devant l’OSCE sur de veritables
elections democratiques”, a estime jeudi la mission d’observateurs
de l’Organisation pour la securite et la cooperation en Europe (OSCE)
dans un communique.

L’OSCE a notamment fait etat de “manipulations avec des listes
electorales”, en qualifiant de “mauvais ou très mauvais” le
depouillement des bulletins de vote dans “58% des bureaux de vote
observes”. L’organisation a egalement denonce l’inegalite des
conditions dans lesquelles les candidats avaient mene campagne,
en soulignant que le scrutin avait mine par des “restrictions de la
liberte d’expression et de rassemblement”.

Des memes electeurs dans differents bureaux de vote

M. Aliev a recueilli environ 84,6% des voix, après le depouillement
de 98% des bulletins, selon les derniers resultats partiels annonces
par la Commission electorale centrale. Son principal adversaire de
l’opposition, Jamil Hasanli, ne totalisait que 5,5% des voix, selon
ces resultats. Le candidat de l’opposition a d’ores et deja denonce des
fraudes “massives” et a averti qu’il ne reconnaîtrait pas les resultats
du scrutin. La participation a atteint 72% des 5 millions d’electeurs,
a indique la Commission electorale centrale a la clôture du scrutin.

Dix candidats etaient en lice pour la presidence de cette ex-republique
sovietique du Caucase du Sud riche en hydrocarbures, meme si personne
n’avait d’illusions sur l’issue du scrutin. Les opposants ont fait
etat de nombreuses irregularites mercredi, affirmant que les memes
electeurs votaient plusieurs fois dans differents bureaux de vote.

M. Aliev, 51 ans, a succede a son père en 2003 et a ete reelu en 2008
pour un deuxième quinquennat, avant d’obtenir par referendum en 2009
la levee de la limitation a deux mandats presidentiels consecutifs.

Son père Heydar Aliev, ancien du KGB, avait dirige ce pays regorgeant
d’hydrocarbures presque sans interruption de 1969 a 2003.

vendredi 11 octobre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

GENOCIDE DES ARMENIENS : LA COUR D’APPEL D’AIX-EN-PROVENCE REJETTE LA REQUETE KRIKORIAN

Justice

Dans son edition en ligne, le journal La Provence rapporte le rejet de
la requete de maître Philippe Krikorian En reclamant devant la cour
d’appel d’Aix que le Premier ministre Jean-Marc Ayrault et le prefet
des Bouches-du-Rhône prennent des mesures qui pourraient aboutir
a la penalisation specifique de la negation du genocide armenien,
une dizaine de personnes representees par Me Philippe Krikorian
s’attaquaient a forte partie. D’autant qu’elles ne faisaient pas dans
la demi-mesure, allant jusqu’a demander que soit enjoint au chef du
gouvernement une astreinte de 10 000 euros par jour de retard ! Sans
surprise, la justice a retoque aujourd’hui cette demande. Qui plus
est, la cour d’appel a estime que meme si les points de droit souleves
par les requerants avaient fonctionne, cela n’aurait eu “aucun effet
utile sur la solution du litige”…

Avocat de Jean-Marc Ayrault et du prefet, Me Bruno Lombard
s’est felicite de cette decision de la cour d’appel, qu’il
qualifie de “normale” : “Ils tentent de contraindre le Premier
ministre judiciairement, or ce n’est pas de la competence de la
justice. S’ils obtenaient raison, cela bouleverserait l’ordre public
constitutionnel”. L’avocat de l’Etat rappelle qu’une première decision
de justice considerait comme “radicalement irrecevable” la demande
portee par Me Krikorian.

Philippe Krikorian commentera l’Arret rendu par la Cour d’Appel
d’Aix-en-Provence lors de la conference qui aura lieu Lundi 14 Octobre
2013 prochain a 19h30, a Marseille, Salle de la Cathedrale apostolique
armenienne du Prado. Il devrait se pourvoir en cassation.

Arret QPC de la Cour d’appel d’Aix-en-Provence

Communique de presse de Maître Krikorian

vendredi 11 octobre 2013, Jean Eckian ©armenews.com