Tuesday, More Corruption Charges Brought Against Armenian Judge . Naira Bulghadarian Armenia - A courtroom in Yerevan, 8Jun2017. An Armenian law-enforcement agency has brought more charges of corruption against a senior judge who was arrested two months ago, it emerged on Tuesday State prosecutors said in early June that Aghvan Petrosian, the chairman of a court in Armenia's Gegharkunik province, was paid $23,000 to give a suspended prison sentence to a young man prosecuted for a 2014 violent assault. The lenient sentence was subsequently struck down by the Court of Appeals in Yerevan and sent back to the Gegharkunik court. The 45-year-old Petrosian and another judge, Vanik Vartanian, were also charged in June with accepting $2,500 in exchange for an "illegal verdict" in a property dispute involving Gegharkunik residents. The ruling was handed down by Vartanian. Both judges were taken into custody. The Special Investigative Service (SIS), which is conducting the corruption probe, now claims that Petrosian was also paid another kickback worth $30,000. Petrosian's lawyer, Armen Melkonian, told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) that his client is denying the bribery charges and refusing to cooperate with SIS investigators. He declined to comment further. Vartanian, the other arrested judge, has also denied any wrongdoing. "We believe that the criminal case was opened without legal grounds," said his lawyer, Ruben Hakobian. Hakobian said that the main piece of evidence in the corruption case is audio of a secretly recorded conversation that took place in Petrosian's office. He insisted that the recording does not prove the bribery alleged by the SIS. At least two other Armenian judges have been prosecuted on similar charges recently. One of them, Ishkhan Barseghian, was allegedly caught red-handed in October while being paid $1,000 by a citizen. Barseghian, who served in a district court in Yerevan for 20 years, pleaded not guilty when he went on trial in April. Another judge was charged with taking a $600 bribe in May. He worked in the court of general jurisdiction of the Ararat and Vayots Dzor provinces. Corruption within Armenia's judicial system, which has undergone frequent structural changes over the past two decades, is widely believed to be endemic. The country's former human rights ombudsman, Karen Andreasian, highlighted the problem in a 2013 report that accused judges of routinely taking bribes. The report based on confidential interviews with lawyers, judges and prosecutors singled out the Court of Cassation, the highest body of criminal justice. Both the court and an Armenian government body monitoring the judiciary denied the allegations. Yerevan Seeks Russian Recognition Of Armenian Driving Licenses . Aza Babayan Kazakhstan - Prime Ministers Dmitry Medvedev (L) of Russia, Andrey Kobyakov (C) of Belarus and Karen Karapetian of Armenia arrive for a meeting with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarabyev in Astana, 14Aug2017. Prime Minister Karen Karapetian has reportedly objected to Russia's controversial decision to stop recognizing the validity of driving licenses issued by Armenia at a meeting with his counterparts from other Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) member states. A Russian law which took effect on June 1 banned foreign nationals with driving licenses issued by their home countries from working as drivers in Russia. The Russian parliament subsequently waived the restriction for citizens of those countries, including EEU members Kyrgyzstan and Belarus, where the Russian language has an official legal status. Armenia is not one of those countries, meaning that a large number of its migrant workers driving trucks, taxis and other vehicles in Russia now risk losing their jobs. The Armenian parliament speaker, Ara Babloyan, discussed the matter with his Russian counterpart, Vyacheslav Volodin, when they met in Moscow in July. Volodin suggested that Armenia adopt Russian as its second official language in order to circumvent the ban. Volodin's remark caused outrage in Yerevan, with local opposition politicians, media commentators and intellectuals accusing Moscow of meddling in Armenia's internal affairs. According to Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Bakitzhan Sagintayev, Karapetian raised the issue at Monday's meeting in Astana of the prime ministers of the five EEU member states, including Russia's Dmitry Medvedev. Sagintayev reportedly hinted that Moscow will address Yerevan's concerns. A statement released by the Armenian government listed "mutual recognition of national and international driving licenses" among issues on the agenda of the Astana meeting. It did not elaborate. Medvedev also held separate talks with Karapetian in the Kazakh capital. The Armenian premier said at the meeting that Medvedev will visit Yerevan later this year. Russian Plane Joins Firefighting Efforts In Armenia . Artak Hambardzumian Armenia - A wildfire in the Khosrov Forest State Reserve, 14Aug2017. A Russian firefighting plane dropped on Tuesday more than 200 tons of water on a nature reserve in Armenia engulfed by one of the country's worst wildfires in decades. The Russian government dispatched the Ilyushin-72 heavy aircraft at the request of Armenian authorities struggling to contain the blaze that broke out in the Khosrov Forest State Reserve on Saturday. The special plane capable of carrying 42 tons of water at a time carried out six flights from an airbase in Yerevan to the mountainous area southeast of the Armenian capital throughout the day. The Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations said the water dropped by it had a "considerable" impact on its continuing efforts to contain the fire. It said the aerial firefighting operation will resume on Wednesday morning. As the Russian plane flew over burning trees, bushes and other vegetation dozens of Armenian firefighters, joined by over a hundred army soldiers and 55 forestry workers, waited on the ground for the resumption of their firefighting efforts. Armenia - A Russian firefighting plane is filled with water at the Erebuni airbase in Yerevan, 14Aug2017. "Nobody is allowed to enter the reserve until the plane finishes its work," Mushegh Ghazarian, the chief of the national Rescue Service, explained at the scene. He cited safety reasons. Ghazarian coordinated the ground operation and communicated with Minister for Emergency Situations Davit Tonoyan through a radio in the presence of reporters. "Black smoke has turned white," he told Tonoyan when asked about the first results of the Ilyushin-72 flights. "Mr. Minister, if they continue like this we will finish the job." Earlier in the day, President Serzh Sarkisian held an emergency meeting with Tonoyan and other officials involved in the effort. "I want to thank those people and structures that are battling the fire," he said at the meeting. "And special thanks to our Russian partners who quickly responded to our request and are now actively involved in this important work." Armenia - Trees in the Khosrov Forest State Reserve burned by a wildfire, 14Aug2017. The Khosrov reserve encompasses roughly 25,000 hectares of land, around 9,000 of which is covered with forests originally planted by a 4th century Armenian king, Khosrov III. Officials said on Tuesday that the fire has already destroyed about 400 hectares of woodland. Some environment protection groups have blamed the Rescue Service and other divisions of Tonoyan's ministry for the scale of the damage, saying that the authorities were not prepared for coping with such a calamity. Ministry officials reject the criticism. They argue that the mountainous terrain makes is practically impossible for them to deploy fire engines near the blaze. The Khosrov reserve is also a major wild animal sanctuary. Ghazarian insisted that brown bears, wild boars, foxes, vultures and hundreds of other species inhabiting the area not in danger. "Animals are smarter than us," the Rescue Service chief told journalists. "They left the burning area long ago. We just need to save the trees." Press Review "Zhoghovurd" reports and comments on continuing wildfires in two Armenian forests. "As a result, quite serious damage has been inflicted on nature," writes the paper. "Decades will be needed to reverse the damage to the Khosrov Forest Reserve caused in the last few days. These wildfires have demonstrated that contrary to [emergency situations] ministry claims, the system is not prepared for emergencies # It is scary to even imagine what will happen if there is a real emergency in our country." "Environmentalists are bringing the Ministry for Emergency Situations to task," writes "Haykakan Zhamanak." "They criticize it for not taking preventing measures and lacking the equipment to deal with the continuing fires." Ministry officials counter, the paper says, that there have been no such massive wildfires in Armenia for the last 14 years, that the Khosrov forest terrain is extremely rugged and that the fire is fanned by strong winds. "The ministry's justifications are understandable," comments the paper. "Still, some questions do arise." In particular, it points to vague ministry warnings to citizens regarding how to prevent and cope with fires. Meanwhile, a ministry spokeswoman, Nana Gndoyan, assures "Aravot" that firefighters and other ministry divisions have "done everything" to contain the fires. She disagrees with claims that the ministry's decision to ask Russia to send a water-dropping plane to Armenia proves the opposite. Gndoyan argues that Russian emergency services themselves needed months to end wildfires across Russia. "A natural disaster is such that you can be properly prepared for coping with it but will struggle at some point," she goes on. "Hraparak" reports that the governing body of President Serzh Sarkisian's Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) will hold its first meeting after a summer recess. Sarkisian returned from vacation, reportedly spent in Germany, at the weekend. (Artur Papian) Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL Copyright (c) 2017 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
Author: Karapet Navasardian
Karabakh MOD: Azerbaijan fired more than 2,200 shots within one week
News.am, Armenia
Aug 12 2017
Karabakh MOD: Azerbaijan fired more than 2,200 shots within one week
14:46, 12.08.2017
STEPANAKERT. – The adversary violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between the Karabakh and Azerbaijani opposing forces around 200 times, from August 6 to 12.
"Stabilization Fund" will allow current tariffs for electricity in Armenia until 2036
ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia Thursday "Stabilization Fund" will allow current tariffs for electricity in Armenia until 2036 Yerevan August 10 Naira Badalyan. Armenia strives to maintain the current tariffs for electricity until 2036. "The Armenian government at this stage is discussing the prospect of creating a "stabilization fund", which will neutralize the impact of external risks on the tariff policy of the energy sector," Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of Armenia Ashot Manukyan stated at the Governmental meeting on August 10. According to the minister, this is a very ambitious project and is included in the development program for the development of Armenia's energy sector until 2036. However, in all likelihood, it will be approved in the form of a separate normative act. "We are trying to find a way to implement this project, which will allow us to implement this project in the next 15 years. According to him, the long-term concept for the development of the energy sector to the government will be presented until September this year. "We must take into account our hydropower potential, the potential of the Meghri hydropower plant, the solar and wind energy in the country, and understand what steps we need to take to ensure energy security," Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan said.
Our yoga power to take us to Baku
Aravot, Armenia
Aug 11 2017
“We won the war against Azerbaijan inasmuch as we are like yogis. Yogis are not different from common people, it is the same DNA, blood, skin, but they have such a powerful inner energy, they can control themselves, do things that common people cannot. Armenian nation, in this position, in this geopolitical situation should have this kind of energy”, told the Press Secretary of the President of the Republic of Artsakh, Davit Babayan.
According to him, if we get disappointed, we will lose: “This is why our adversary continually tries to make us get disappointed by different mechanisms – both by scaring us and leaving us hopeless and inner splits, forasmuch as it understands – we have been living here for 10.000 years, have fought against manifold enemies, nations and empires that have completely disappeared, now they are not in place, but we have remained and all that is due to our yoga power. If we have a look at our map and position, no one can survive in our situation, but we do, inasmuch as we have a kind of unceasing and ununderstandable power and that power will take us to Baku when necessary.”
“Aravot”
10.07.2017
‘We also have petitions against Azerbaijan in the ECHR regarding brutal behavior’, Hayk Alumyan
Aravot, Armenia
As reported earlier, according to the ECHR data, Armenia is the absolute leader among the 47-member states of the Council of Europe, with about 70 applications filed in the ECHR, per 100,000 residents. “This means that our lawyers work quite well. I was glad when I heard about that number. Of course, I am not delighted with our judicial system and law enforcement, but I am sure that the human rights situation in Azerbaijan is worse than it is here. If we have lodged more complaints than they have, it proves that our lawyers are active”, said lawyer Hayk Alumyan, referring to the data.
Unlike our country, in the case of Azerbaijan, the number of applications per 100,000 population is 20. And the number of protests against Armenia submitted to the ECHR is 1817, more than 40% of which are applications from Azerbaijan (complaints of Azerbaijani refugees of the 1992-1994 war and compensation for property damage during the April 2016 war).
According to the lawyer, this does not imply the Armenian side’s failure. “We cannot prohibit them from submitting applications against the RA, there are no such levers. We also have petitions against Azerbaijan, regarding cruel and brutal behavior during the April war”, noted Hayk Alumyan.
Luiza SUKIASYAN
Religion: Solemn ceremonies dedicated to the 777th anniversary of dedication of the St. John the Baptist Cathedral of Gandzasar held in Artsakh
Panorama, Armenia
On July 23 Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan partook in the Divine Liturgy and solemn ceremonies dedicated to the 777th anniversary of dedication of the St. John the Baptist Cathedral of the Gandzasar monastic complex in the Vank village of the Martakert region.
As information department sat the President’s Office reported, for substantial contribution to the realization of a number of philanthropic programs in the Artsakh Republic and in connection with the 777th anniversary of dedication of the St. John the Baptist Cathedral of the Gandzasar monastic complex President Sahakyan awarded vice primate of the Artsakh diocese archimandrite Sahak Shaqaryan, philanthropists Varouzhan Baghramyan and Aram Frankyan with the “Gratitude” medal.
NKR National Assembly chairman Ashot Ghoulyan, foreign minister of the Republic of Armenia Edward Nalbandyan, other officials, representatives from Armenia and the Diaspora, as well as guests from abroad were present at the event.
Film: Why This Administration and Its Opponents Need to See Our Movie
The Armenian Mirror-Spectator
Oscar Isaac in “The Promise”
By Dr. Eric Esrailian
The world has been fighting for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide for years. At a time when some global politicians are once again stoking the flames of populist nationalism, as a direct descendent of survivors, my fight to Keep the Promise and never stay silent has made me a canary in this coal mine.
For the last seven years, thanks to the support and encouragement of my late friend and mentor Kirk Kerkorian, I have been inspired to tell our story of the Armenian Genocide. Our greatest challenge was how to make this film relevant to my fellow Americans. Now, with the effects of the rising nationalism — not just in this country but around the world as well — our story couldn’t be more timely as it awaits its release. “The Promise” is not just a tale of tragedy. It also demonstrates love, hope, the plight of refugees, and the kindness of brave individuals helping those in danger. It is inspired by the testimonies of those who survived the horrific Genocide of Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.
In fact, the term “genocide” was created by Polish lawyer Raphael Lemkin in 1944, in referencing the Armenian experience and the Holocaust. However, denialists and human rights abusers have created revisionist arguments to throw up a smokescreen and deny the application of the word to the very events that defined it. Let that sink in for a moment…or 102 years worth of moments. However, the narrative of the Armenian Genocide is not only about its 1.5 million victims or the hundreds of thousands of Greeks and Assyrians who were murdered. Just as important are the Genocide’s nearly half a million survivors, whose cautionary tales of targeted raids, suppressed rights, mass deportations, starvation, concentration and slave labor camps, and mass killings reverberated in places such as Germany, Bosnia, and Rwanda, and continue to echo today within the refugee camps of those now fleeing South Sudan, Myanmar, and Syria.
There are currently more than 65 million displaced people worldwide. Eleven million of these refugees are Syrian, making the Syrian Civil War the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II. The world is now descending into fear of diversity. In many ways, today’s anti-immigrant, anti-refugee rhetoric of extreme nationalist politicians around the globe recalls the rhetoric utilized by the Ottoman Empire against Armenians. In both cases, systematic discrimination is rationalized within the context of war and the fear for national security. Silence, indifference, and denial of past atrocities only encourages and rewards this behavior. History has taught us that security and compassion are not diametrically opposed. In fact, one cannot exist without the other.
The Genocide is not a matter of historical debate. We all know it happened. The denialists know it as well as anyone else, and they have carefully wiped the crime scene down for 102 years. Offering descendants of victims an “opportunity” to relive their family’s pain through kangaroo courts is insulting and naive. Government recognition will help healing, but it will not bring back the dead or erase horrors etched on the hearts of every Armenian. False promises by politicians of both political parties have the eroded confidence of not just Armenian Americans, but that of educated observers from all backgrounds, with respect to the motivations behind people seeking elected office. We can start to change that perception by standing up for decency and the truth.
The horrific treatment of Native Americans and African Americans still has painful effects and repercussions today in our country. As Americans, we have a golden opportunity to own up to that history, instead of glossing over it, to avoid repeating the same mistakes. As “The Promise” demonstrates, it is through the lens of history’s darker periods that we can bear witness to the actions of our everyday heroes and the greatest values we espouse. Desmond Tutu once said: “We learn from history that we don’t learn from history!” The same patterns of genocide have occurred again and again: dehumanize a group of people, rationalize mistreatment towards them citing war and matters of security, and eventually, cleanse an entire population.
In 2017, the perpetrators of human rights violations, and the complicit denialists who fuel and support them, are not using lasers, robots, and instruments out of a science fiction film. They are using the same narratives, rationalizations, and sadly, barbaric tactics. Nazi Germany. Cambodia. Bosnia. Darfur. Rwanda. And now Syria. We will remain silent no longer. We must keep the promise to live on, tell their stories, lead by example and to stand up not just for ourselves — but for anyone whose rights are suppressed — until this vicious cycle of fear and inhumanity is broken.
For all of these reasons, I urge the President, his followers, and his opponents to see The Promise. No political party is blameless here, and everyone needs to look in the mirror. I have seen Republicans shout down refugees and journalists, and I have seen Democrats support a show called “The Young Turks” — named after the murderous masterminds of the Armenian Genocide. I urge them all to direct any emotions “The Promise” stirs towards healing divisions and protecting the marginalized. In this current political climate, our film is a warning for how a civilized nation can be driven by fear and rhetoric to commit unfathomable acts such as those committed against my ancestors by the Ottoman Empire. However, our film is much more than a glimpse into the dark period of the Genocide. It is a window into the humanity of our once marginalized culture and the spirit that remains in spite of persecution: survival, resilience, love, family, and charity. While we suffered greatly at the hands of some, we also benefitted from the kindness of others. In this way, what “The Promise” ultimately shows, is that despite all odds…the best parts of humanity still find a way to shine through.
(Dr. Eric Esrailian is a producer, known for the films “The Promise” and “Intent to Destroy.” He currently serves as the co-manager for production company Survival Pictures, and is a member of the faculty at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. This commentary originally appeared on The Huffington Post.)
The solemn opening ceremony of the 5th stage of the “Ari Tun” program took place
Please find the attached press release of the Ministry of Diaspora. Sincerely, Media and PR Department: ( 374 10) 585601, internal 805 ---------------------- Sincerely Department of Press and Public Relations ( 374 10) 585601, extension 805
"Come Home" 5th round opening.docx
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