Author: Kanayan Tamar

ARMENIA’S PM IS SATISFIED WITH IT SPHERE DEVELOPMENT TRENDS

18:33, 27 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS: “Mentor Graphics” which is involved
in program and electronic security solutions and recording great
achievements is favorable for development of Information Technologies
sphere and positioning of our country as a state having relative
advantage in this sphere. Such estimation gave Prime Minister of the
Republic of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan during the visit to the company.

“It is obvious that in qualitative changes of the sphere world famous
companies also have their role which have productive activity in
Armenia. Today we are here in order to record one of the achievements
of “Mentor Graphics”, particularly during five years the company
increased several times the volume of its work, could recruit
high-quality specialist,” said the Prime Minister.

Head of Armenian government congratulated all participants of IT sphere
on occasion of successes achieved during the last five years in our
country. He mentioned that during the last years in IT sphere which
is one of government’s priorities take place qualitative changes. “Of
course it is early to rest recording these successes as we have much
to do,” mentioned Tigran Sargsyan. In his words Armenia has need for
involvement of leading companies which bring with them new culture,
give opportunity to form new institutions and relations in Armenia. In
words of the president of “Mentor Graphics” cooperation Gregory Hinkle
in sphere of electronic design automation Armenia secures five percent
of world production. “We see great tendency of development in Armenia
and will continue implementing successfully our tasks,” he said.

Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of United States of
America to the Republic of Armenia John Heffern also stressed the
involvement of such authoritative companies like “Mentor Graphics”
in Armenia and welcomed the policy of Armenian government in that
direction.

Mentor Graphics, Inc is a US-based multinational corporation dealing
in electronic design automation (EDA) for electrical engineering and
electronics. In 2004 it was ranked third in the EDA industry it helped
create. Founded in 1981, the company is headquartered in Wilsonville,
Oregon and employs roughly 4,400 people worldwide with annual revenues
of around $1 billion.

Mentor Graphics is a global company with product development taking
place in the USA, Europe, Japan, Pakistan, India and Egypt. In
keeping with global trends in software development, the company has
a substantial labor force in lower cost locations such as Pakistan,
India, Poland, Hungary and Egypt. James “Jim” Ready, one of the more
colorful people in embedded systems, left Mentor in 1999 to form
the embedded Linux company MontaVista. Neil Henderson, a pioneer
in the royalty-free, source provided market space, joined Mentor
Graphics in 2002 with the acquisition of Accelerated Technology
Inc. Stephen Mellor, a leader in the UML space and co-originator of
the Shlaer-Mellor design methodology, joined Mentor Graphics in 2004
following the acquisition of Project Technology.

© 2009 ARMENPRESS.am

FINANCE MINISTER: ARMENIA TO USE MONEY EARNED FROM FIRST ISSUE OF EUROBONDS FOR REPAYING RUSSIAN BAILOUT

YEREVAN, September 27. /ARKA/. Armenia’s government will use the
money earned from the first issue of dollar-denominated Eurobonds
for repaying the $500-million bailout loan taken on from Russia,
Armenian Finance Minister David Sargsyan said in an interview with
the Armenian Public Television.

On September 19, the Armenian finance ministry sold $750 million
seven-year bond to price at a yield of 6.25%, attracting $3.25 billion
in orders. The underwriters are Deutsche Bank AG, HSBC Bank plc and
JPMorgan Securities plc.

Sargsyan said that $460 million will go to repayment of the Russian
loan extended at LIBOR plus 3 interest rate, and the remaining money
will be spent on development of the national economy.

He added that a more detailed spending plan will be unveiled after
the government’s decision.

The minister also said that the issue of Eurobonds will diversify
financing sources and ensure economic growth. He finds this issue
well-timed.

Sargsyan expressed hope that the private sector, too, will start
issuing such bonds.

Earlier the Armenia’s parliament approved in the final reading a bill,
exempting nonresidents’ income earned from investing in theArmenian
government foreign-currency denominated bonds from income tax.

Armenian finance ministry says demand for the first dollar-denominated
bonds in Armenia has exceeded $3 billion. M.V.—-0—

18:20 27.09.2013

ACTIVISTS GATHER NEAR MUNICIPALITY WHERE TRANSPORTATION FARES RISE IS DISCUSSED

September 27, 2013 | 17:13

YEREVAN. – The first meeting of the committee discussing increase in
public transportation fares commenced at 5pm on Friday.

The civic activists struggling against transportation fares rise had
gathered near the municipality building at 4pm. They demand thatMayor’s
decision on setting up a committee must be canceled and public debates
with the participation of all interested parties must be held.

The police officers do not allow the activist to approach the building.

POLITICAL SCIENTIST SPEAKS ABOUT ARMENIA’S POLICY TOWARDS AZERBAIJAN AND GEORGIA

18:12, 27 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS: After the announcement of the
President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan in Sochi the
country must be ready for tough political answers both for Georgia
and Azerbaijan. Such opinion expressed political scientist Sergey
Shakaryanc during press conference on September 27. “We are not tough
it will be considered in the region as not consistent behavior. The
answer of questions given by Armenia and Russia of course we will get
demanding all CSTO members to perform with agreed announcements in
part of various issues especially relating to Artsakh. We should not
participate in Customs Union in a format where military cooperation of
CSTO states is not taken into consideration, said Sergey Shakaryanc,
reports “Armenpress”.

He is sure that societies of Armenia and Artsakh will receive clear
answers for certain issues. It speaks about the fact that after the
meeting in Sochi it was finally announced that Armenia buys necessary
weapons from Russia in prices lower the market places. “It means that
we almost do not have expenses. We receive everything in affordable
prices and problems with Russia are solved in framework of mutual
cooperation,” he mentioned.

Reverberating to coming presidential elections in Azerbaijan Shakaryanc
mentioned that that when in neighbor countries take place huge
political events from both sides happen various provocations. “As a
rule in Georgia they provoke regions populated with Armenians and
Azerbaijan does not stop provocations on the border. But Armenia
several months before 2014 was able to achieve reassuring situation.

We should only wait to see our authorities and society are able to
use the beneficial atmosphere for their interests,” stressed the
political scientist.

On September 3 in Moscow President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh
Sargsyan announced aboutArmenia’s decision to join Customs Union
and implementation of steps necessary for that aim and in future
participating in formation of Eurasian economic union. At the same
time Armenian President mentioned that the decision to join Customs
Union is not a refusal from dialogue with European organizations.

Chief of staff of President’s office Vigen Sargsyan on September
4 announced that pre-signing of Association agreement remains in
Armenia’s agenda.

© 2009 ARMENPRESS.am

WHO PAYS ICG FOR FORECASTING NEW WAR IN KARABAKH?

September 27, 2013 – 15:32 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A well known International Crisis Group issued yet
another analysis on the Karabakh conflict. As usual, the pessimistic
ICG forecasts resumption of a war, escalation of tensions, however,
being untruthful in an attempt to preserve the appearance of
objectivity.

In its overview titled Armenia and Azerbaijan: A Season of Risks,
the group predicts that “should a full-scale conflict between Armenia
and Azerbaijan break out again, some or all of the regional powers –
Russia, Turkey and Iran – could be drawn in, directly.”

“Vigorous international engagement is needed to lessen chances of
violent escalation during coming weeks and months,” the Group believes,
setting hopes on Russia: “Russia, which is highly influential in
all aspects of the conflict and would be the most directly affected
of the Minsk co-chairs by a new war, should act more decisively to
broker an agreement. It could advance this by announcing a suspension
of arms supplies to both sides.”

Now, about being untruthful. In its analysis, the Group says. “Peace
talks on Nagorno-Karabakh bogged down in 2011, accelerating an arms
race and intensifying strident rhetoric. Terms like “Blitzkrieg’~R,
“pre-emptive strike’~R and ‘~Qtotal war” have gained currency with
both sides’ planners.”

The truth is, Armenian side does not engage in military rhetoric, the
latter being Azerbaijan’s “privilege,” with the country’s leadership
missing no chance to express their aggressive moods. Armenia’s
“strident rhetoric” is limited to mere expressions of readiness to
resist Azeri attacks.

Same with “accelerating an arms race.” Baku is the one overtly
purchasing and manufacturing inordinate amounts of weaponry, in
violation of all international quotas to compensate for lack of
expertise in its army, which has already been defeated once.

But back to the analysis. “An immediate concern is military
miscalculation, with implications that could far exceed those of
a localized post-Soviet frozen conflict, as the South Caucasus, a
region where big powers meet and compete, is now also a major energy
corridor. Clashes increasingly occur along the Azerbaijani-Armenian
frontier far from Nagorno Karabakh, the conflict’s original focus,”
the analysis says.

Now what the analysis dubs as “clashes” are incessant Azeri-staged
provocations, with Baku sinking as low as shelling Armenian villages
or preventing a doctor from aiding a person blown up on a mine who
later bled to death, as they did only recently.

As the analysis notes, “the possibility of internal political unrest
in both countries increases the uncertainty. Unrest at home might
tempt leaders to deflect attention by raising military tensions or to
embark on risky attempts to capitalize on their adversary’s troubles.”

Last year, Sabine Freizer, Director of the European Programs in the
International Crisis Group gave yet another prediction of an oncoming
war in Karabakh.

“Armenian -Azerbaijani clashes may grow into a war in the region,
where BP Company and its partners invested USD 35 billion in energy
projects. Both parties to the conflict maintain weak control of the
line of contact. Large-scale hostilities may soon erupt by accident,
as a consequence of retaliatory measures taken,” she said.

Probably reluctant to seem Cassandra-like and be slammed by Yerevan
or Baku, Sabine Freizer hurried to add, “Neither Azerbaijan, nor
Armenia intend to wage large-scale offensive in short terms. In
case of renewal of hostilities, the war will by protracted due to
militarily parity of the sides. Besides, the security guarantees
issued by Russia and Turkey may get them involved,” she said, adding
that Russia’s military base in Gyumri may extend Armenia assistance,
with both countries being CSTO member-states and Azerbaijan having
close ethnic, political and economic ties with Turkey.

Luckily, Freizer’s predictions failed to come true, similarly to
previous analysis-based forecasts of the ICG. The question is, who pays
the Group to issue somber predictions and escalate the tension over
the issue? Because the only thing the ICG managed to achieve throughout
the years is become resented – both in Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Marina Ananikyan/ PanARMENIAN.Net

PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN’S STATEMENT AT THE OPENING OF THE BISHOPS’ SYNOD OF THE HOLY ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH

24.09.2013

“Your Holiness Garegin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, Your Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of
Cilicia, Your Eminences,

I am glad to be here, at the Armenian spiritual center, at the Holy See
of Mother Etchmiadzin which is precious to us all. I cordially welcome
you all, all Bishops of the Armenian Church and particularly spiritual
leaders who have arrived to the blessed soil of our Motherland from
the remote Armenian communities spread all over the world. Taking
this opportunity, I would like to say that I am well aware of your
patriotic undertakings aimed at the preservation of the national
identity and I thank you for them.

I am thankful to the Catholicos of All Armenian for extending
invitation to me and for the opportunity to address you with welcoming
remarks. As any son of our nation, being present here I deem it
necessary to once again express my filial affection, devotion and
support to the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church.

People who are familiar with the ups and downs of our history can
duly appreciate the vital mission which the Armenian Church has been
performing and continues to perform today. This spiritual institution,
which had been established through the efforts of the Apostles, for
the stateless and world-spread Armenian nation never lost its ties
with the uppermost values which bond together the Armenian identity.

The lamp ignited by Saint Gregory the Illuminator today too continues
to spread light among us, while the servants of the Armenian Church
continue their devoted services, faithful to the behests of Saint
Sahak Partev, Mesrop Mashtots, Nerses Shorhali, Grigor Tatevatsi and
brilliant Patriarchs Nerses Ashtaraktsi, Khrimian Hayrik, Vazgen I
and our other spiritual fathers.

It’s been twenty-two years since we have restored our independent
Armenian statehood; however in the Armenian national life the national
preservation role of our Church continues to be important just as
much. Today, more than ever we have to strengthen spiritual values
which link us together and make us one united Armenian nation.

Through the power enshrined in our Constitution, the Republic of
Armenia recognizes the exceptional mission of the Holy Armenian
Apostolic Church in the spiritual life of the Armenian nation,
development of our national culture and preservation of the national
identity. It is with great pleasure that I state close cooperation
between the State and the Church and our ability to complement each
other in the resolution of our national issues.

Eminent Spiritual Fathers,

Motherland Armenia is home to all Armenians while the Mother Church
is the cornerstone and pillar for Armenia and Armenian nation. For
centuries, the glance of the devout Armenian nation has been directed
to Holy Etchmiadzin. Right here the heart of our Mother Church is
throbbing, nourished with the love and prayers of the millions of
our faithful brothers and sisters.

Now, we are witnessing the epoch-making event indeed. For centuries,
due to different circumstances, and particularly in the last six
centuries, it was not possible to invite a bishops’ synod of the
Armenian Church. I am glad to state that currently it has become
possible to overcome that problem and to convene the Bishops’ Synod
at the Holy See of Saint Etchmidzin, on our native land.

This event is a major signal to our devotees and is called upon to
prove the Mother Church’s dedication to the mission of uniting the
world-spread Armenian nation. I am confident that this conclave will
manifest new process in the Armenian spiritual life and will allow the
entire Armenian nation to take upon the realization of all-Armenian
issues with new vigor and energy.

With the convocation of this meeting, the Holy Armenian Apostolic
Church is ushering a new era of its history. It gets the opportunity
to find answers to multiple questions of our spiritual and moral life,
to streamline its reforms and modernize its work according to the
current challenges.

I know that the agenda of your works is rather exhaustive. I believe
one of the issues under discussion deserves special attention: it
pertains to the important initiative of canonization of the victims
of the Armenian Genocide.

On the eve of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, our entire
nations continues to say “No” to the crimes against humanity. It is
our duty to our forefathers, to our innocent victims and to the entire
human kind so that new genocides may be prevented in the future. With
this regard, the anticipation of our entire nation from the Armenian
Church and its Bishops is great.

Devastating civil war in Syria is going on; it has become a grave
challenge for the Armenian-Syrian community. Situation in Syria is our
greatest pain and our number one concern every day. At the direst for
our nation times, the people of Syria received with open arms those who
narrowly escaped the Genocide and shared with us whatever they had. We
wish that the situation is resolved through the political means as
soon as possible and the bloodshed is stopped in this friendly state.

The responsibility to preserve the Christian faith, love and morals,
our devotion as the apple of our eyes is a blessing for us all. I
am deeply convinced that all this for centuries has been embodied
and fulfilled in the life of our nation by the Armenian Church with
all its dioceses, parishes, communities and structures. This is an
institution which is to be loved, cherished and preserved by every
Armenian as the guarantor of our nation’s unending journey to eternity.

Asserting once again my joy on the Bishops’ Synod of the Holy Armenian
Apostolic Church, I remain hopeful that it will be convened regularly
in the same spirit of unity for the glory of our faithful believers. I
wish you all success and fruitful work.

God bless and preserve the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church and our
Armenian world.

Thank you.

Supporters of `Pre-Parliament’ Initiative Attacked in Yerevan

09.27.2013 12:52 epress.am

Two prominent supporters of the Nakhakhorhrdaran (“pre-parliament”)
initiative living in Yerevan’s Arabkir administrative district, Suren
Gevorgyan and Sahak Poghosyan, were attacked yesterday evening in
their courtyard, according to the initiative’s Facebook page.

The initiative claims that assailant, whose name was not reported,
said it was their political activity that led to his actions. “You
want to send our people to the dogs?” he reportedly said before
throwing a vodka bottle at Gevorgyan, who sustained an injury.
Gevorgyan and his attacker later went to the Arabkir police station to
testify, after which Gevorgyan was taken to the hospital.

As reported by Nakhakhorhrdaran member Syuzan Simonyan on her Facebook
page, doctors diagnosed Gevorgyan with cerebral hematoma. He has to
remain in intensive care for 3 days.

The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK)
September 27, 2013 Friday

Ara’s era top notch at ND

by Berry Tramel
SOUTH BEND, Ind.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame alums Steve Sullivan and Wayne Micek,
class of 1968, walked through the Morris Inn this week and recognized
a familiar face.

Walking with a cane, slightly hunched, his once-coal black hair having
long turned silver, was the hero of these 60somethings who arrived in
South Bend in 1964.

They just had to shake hands with Ara Parseghian.

“He started a tradition that is comparable to Rockne and Leahy and
Holtz,” said Micek of Glen Ellyn, Ill. “The spirit he created, just
one hell of a guy.”

We sometimes forget Parseghian in the pantheon of great coaches. He
became a major college head coach in 1951, became Notre Dame’s coach
in 1964 and won two national championships before stepping away from
the game in 1975 at age 51.

Parseghian played for Paul Brown and Sid Gillman. Coached with Woody
Hayes. Went head-to-head with Bud Wilkinson and Bear Bryant and
Darrell Royal and John McKay.

Parseghian was 4-0 against Oklahoma, which tries to reverse 60 years
of Irish frustration Saturday, when the teams play at Notre Dame
Stadium. Parseghian even beat the Sooners twice when he coached
Northwestern, 1959 and 1960.

And he’s with us still. At 90 years old, 39 years after his final
Irish game, Parseghian remains a Notre Dame institution.

* * *

Notre Dame hired Parseghian in 1964. And he heard the same things you
hear today.

The landscape has changed. The Fighting Irish no longer can compete at
the top of college football. Notre Dame no longer has the advantages
it once had but still has the same disadvantages.

Schedule too difficult. Academics too tough. Can’t recruit the top
talent. Same old song.

“Every time a coach has been dismissed from here, go back and read the
papers,” Parseghian said. “It’s exactly the same. Almost word for
word.

“Then somebody comes in, knows what they’re doing or experienced … I
think as long as Brian Kelly stays, their program is going to stay at
a high level.”

Knute Rockne and Frank Leahy are dead. Holtz has turned cartoon
character on ESPN. But here’s Ara Parseghian, as distinguished as
ever, still living in South Bend. Still holding the candle for Notre
Dame, and he’s not even Catholic.

Parseghian’s father, an immigrant from Armenia, despised Catholics,
blaming them for the World War I genocide in his native country. But
Parseghian took the job anyway.

“I’m still here,” Parseghian said with a shrug. “I used to kid around.
Everybody says, did they try to convert you. I said, I don’t think
they wanted me, because they never did try.”

South Bend can be tough on coaches. A coach as great as Leahy was
fired. Dan Devine won a national championship but lasted just six
seasons. Rockne coached 13 years before dying in a 1931 plane crash,
but Leahy, Holtz and Parseghian each coached only 11 years. Four OU
coaches have gone longer – Bennie Owen (22), Bud Wilkinson (17), Barry
Switzer (16) and Bob Stoops (15 and counting).

But most Notre Dame coaches move on after the gridiron. To another
job, or another part of the country.

Not Parseghian.

“I had pretty good footings here,” Parseghian said. “We had been here
11 years. My kids grew up here. My son and daughter both went to Notre
Dame. My other daughter went to St. Mary’s (across the street).

“Then I got involved with an insurance agency, had some of my former
coaches that were with me. We had reasons to stay. It was a good
environment to be in. Just the right-sized town. One of the reasons I
never went into pro football was because I wanted my kids to grow up
around an academic environment. And that’s exactly what we did.”

* * *

The Bob Stoops Story is the Ara Parseghian Story. Both took over
storied programs that had gone five straight years without a winning
season.

Both won immediately, in part by putting players in the right
position. Stoops moved Frank Romero from defensive line to offensive
line and found an all-Big 12 tackle. J.T. Thatcher was moved from
tailback to free safety and made All-American.

Parseghian in 1964 inherited three massive running backs – Jim
Snowden, Pete Duranko and Paul Costa were called the Elephant
backfield. Parseghian moved them to the line, and all became stars.

Senior John Huarte, who had yet to even letter, was named the starting
quarterback. He won the Heisman Trophy.

Notre Dame won its first nine games before a season-ending loss to Southern Cal.

“It created an electricity that I don’t know that this university has
ever seen since then,” said Sullivan, the ’68 grad from Cordova, Tenn.

After Notre Dame won its opener at Wisconsin, the team returned to
South Bend via bus around midnight in the rain, only to discover Notre
Dame Avenue lined and packed with students.

“That excitement carried on all year,” Sullivan said.

And Parseghian’s teams never slumped. His worst record was 8-3 in
1972; the Irish were 95-17-4 overall under Parseghian.

“He gave you every opportunity to succeed,” said Terry Hanratty,
Parseghian’s great quarterback from 1966-68. “We never went into a
game where we were surprised at anything.

“Great communicator. Great in-game coach. If we ever recovered a
fumble or intercepted a pass, better put your secondary on the 10-yard
line, because we were coming at you.”

Parseghian had a great saying: “We must find the other team’s breaking
point. We do not have a breaking point.” It’s the inscription on his
statue just outside Notre Dame Stadium.

* * *

But Parseghian did have a breaking point. He stepped down after the
1974 season, worn out.

“I was old as a football coach,” Parseghian said. “I became a head
football coach when I was 27 years old at Miami of Ohio. The burdens
of being a head coach are different from being an assistant. If I had
been an assistant coach for awhile, then become a head coach, I
probably would have lasted longer.

“I coached for 25 years. I was here 11 years. You do the head coaching
responsibilities at major universities for 25 years, it’s going to
wear and tear on you. Very demanding. It finally catches up with you.
Demands on your time, you’re on a treadmill almost. Season to season
going through all that.”

Parseghian promised his wife he would sit out a season. So far, he’s sat out 39.

Hanratty believes Notre Dame erred, that the university should have
named an interim coach, and Parseghian would have returned, batteries
charged, in 1976.

But Parseghian found other life interests. He was an ABC or CBS
analyst for 14 years.

One of his daughters was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Three of
his grandchildren died from the rare genetic disorder Niemann-Pick
disease, and Parseghian’s family founded the Ara Parseghian Medical
Research Foundation in 1994.

On Jan. 1, 1975, Notre Dame beat Alabama 13-11 in the Orange Bowl.
Parseghian’s players carried him off the field. He never coached
another game.

“I assured my wife I’d stay out for a year,” Parseghian said. “After a
year was over, I had opportunities. But I decided not to. I knew what
it was going to take out of me physically. I wanted to accrue some
longevity in my life. The quickest way to shorten it was to be back on
the hot seat again.”

Parseghian was right. He’s lived a long life. And still touching
people, with his foundation and with his strolls through the Morris
Inn.

Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at (405) 760-8080 or at
[email protected] He can be heard Monday through Friday from
4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1.
You can also view his personality page at newsok.com/berrytramel.

ARA PARSEGHIAN

Born: May 21, 1923, Akron, Ohio

High school: Akron South

Alma mater: Miami-Ohio

Coaching jobs: Miami-Ohio assistant (1950), Miami-Ohio head coach
(1951-55), Northwestern head coach (1956-63), Notre Dame head coach
(1964-74).

Record: Miami 39-6-1, Northwestern 36-35-1, Notre Dame 95-17-4,
overall 170-58-6.

Coaching influences: Played for Paul Brown (Naval Station Great Lakes
during World War II and Cleveland Browns of the NFL), played for Sid
Gillman (Miami-Ohio) and coached for Woody Hayes (Miami-Ohio).

Naharnet, Lebanon
Sept 26 2013

Lebanon’s military chief condemns church attacks in Syria

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea strongly condemned the attack on
two churches in Syria on Thursday evening, calling on the Free Syrian
Army to “deter extremist groups.”

“These extremists harm Christians and Muslims alike and are offensive
to the values on which the Syrian revolution was based,” Geagea said
in a released statement.

He explained: “These attacks are against the principles of freedom,
pluralism, equality, democracy and tolerance.”

The LF leader warned that extremist groups are a danger to the Syrian
revolution.

“We strongly urge the Syrian National Coalition and the FSA to draw an
end to their dangers and stop their abuses against the revolution,
Christians, Muslims and all the freemen of Syria.”

Jihadist fighters linked to Al-Qaidah set fire to statues and crosses
inside churches in northern Syria Thursday and destroyed a cross atop
the clock tower of one of them.

Fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) entered
the Greek Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation in the
northern city of Raqa and torched the religious furnishings inside.

They did the same thing at the Armenian Catholic Church of the
Martyrs, and also destroyed a cross atop its clock tower, replacing it
with the ISIL flag.

Protestors Plan to Appeal to International Bodies in Case of Detained
Opposition Activist

09.27.2013 18:09 epress.am

Joining the weekly protest outside the general prosecutor’s office
demanding opposition activist Tigran Araqelyan’s release today were
war veterans, protesting unfair conditions since May, who also signed
the petition to release the political prisoner Araqelyan. Armenian
National Congress (HAK) vice-chair Aram Manukyan welcomed the move,
emphasizing that their various issues – improved conditions for war
veterans, exposing non-combat deaths in the army, and countering
automated paid parking spots – cannot be resolved separately until the
public comes together and the current authorities do not resign.

Circulated during the demonstration was a petition to release the
activist on bail (rather than keeping him in prison, where he has
remained for the past two years pending a verdict), which will then be
submitted to the Court of Appeals for its next session. Recall, an
appeal signed by more than 100 prominent public figures, promising to
post bail and ensure the activist does not flee the country, was
earlier rejected by the court, which refused for the third time to
change its earlier decision.

Demonstraters have said their next move will be bringing international
attention to the case. HAK will appeal to international bodies, asking
various countries’ ambassadors stationed in Armenia to monitor the
case and ask the Armenian authorities to release the prisoner.
During today’s demonstration, Manukyan also mentioned nomination of
the candidate for general prosecutor, saying they don’t have great
expectations that Gevorg Kostanyan will change anything in the system.

Manukyan said that during its meeting with Kostanyan, the HAK
parliamentary faction raised the following issues: the cases of March
1 victims, political prisoners, and Tigran Araqelyan, a review of the
issue of the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party, eliminating the
practice of remand or pre-trial detention instead of bail in 95% of
cases, and the fight against corruption.

“In any case, we have no hope that he will resolve these issues. We
have no illusion that in this country there could be a prosecutor who
can solve these matters. We raised those issues as a matter of
courtesy, and we’ve agreed to get the answers to those questions in a
short period of time,” said Manukyan.