Author: nina hovnanian

Sports World Report
March 3 2013

Wrestling Hunger Strike By Champion Armen Nazaryan To Protest Decision
By IOC To Drop Sport From Olympics, Coach Will Not Eat Until European
Championships

The summer Olympic games are one of the oldest sporting competitions
in the world and wrestling has long been one of the cornerstone events
at the games, but after the IOC announced a decision to drop the sport
from the Olympics, champion Armen Nazaryan has decided to go on a
hunger strike to protest the decision.

According to NESN.com, Nazaryan has planned to go on a hunger strike
to protest the decision to drop the sport from the Olympics. The
39-year-old athlete is the head coach of Bulgaria’s Greco-Roman team
and formerly won a gold medal for Armenia in 1996.

The country’s wrestling federation said on Sunday to the Associated
Press that Nazaryan “will not eat until the start of the European
Championship on March 22 in Tbilisi, Georgia … and will only take
juices.”

After competing for Armenia for a number of years, the champions
represented Bulgaria at the 1997 World Championships. He won a gold
medal in the 2000 games and a bronze in the 2004 games.

“I’m protesting against the recommendation to drop wrestling from the
Olympics,” Nazaryan said. “Wrestling has always been part of the
Olympic program and it’s not right to exclude it from the Games. I’m
starting my hunger strike and from now on I will drink only syrup.”

The Bulgarians have been one of the most successful countries at the
sport, winning 16 Olympic titles.

WAM – Emirates News Agency, UAE
March 3 2013

FNC Speaker receives Armenian envoy

Mar 3, 2013 – 06:29 –

WAM Dubai, 3rd March 2013 (WAM) — Mohammed Ahmed Al-Murr, Speaker of
Federal National Council (FNC), has welcomed the proposed visit to the
UAE and neighbouring GCC countries by his Armenian counterpart in the
upcoming months.

Al-Murr was speaking at an audience with the Armenian Ambassador the
UAE, Gegham Gharibjanyan, during which they reviewed ways of enhancing
bilateral cooperation, in particular parliamentary relations.

The Armenian diplomat praised the progress the UAE has made since its
creation 41 years ago.

Centre TV, Moscow, Russia
Feb 27 2013

TV talk show discusses Romanov dynasty, Russia-Armenia ties, anti-gay law

The 27 February edition of the weekly programme “Russian question” on
the Moscow city government-controlled channel Centre TV discussed the
Romanov dynasty’s contribution to Russian culture, Russian-Armenian
relations and anti-gay sentiments in Russia. The 50-minute programme
was presented by pundit Konstantin Zatulin, head of the CIS Institute.

The first part of the programme began with a video report that said
that the years of the Romanov dynasty had played a great role in the
development of Russian culture. The discussion went on with two guests
in the studio: historian Aleksandr Bokhanov and art historian Mikhail
Allenov. Both praised the Romanov dynasty and admitted that art was
flourishing during its rule. Asked by Zatulin why intellectuals and
the autocracy began to drift apart, Bokhanov said: “They lost their
roots. The reason was secularization and de-Christianization, the
elite turned away from the church. The year 1917 was a spiritual
catastrophe first of all as Russia had the altar fallen first and only
then the throne fell.” After a further discussion of the role the
Romanovs had played in Russian culture, Zatulin concluded by saying
that Russians should be grateful to the Romanov dynasty since “it was
the best thing we had been able to invent”.

The second part of the programme focused on Russian-Armenian
relations. It began with a historical overview of the Russian Empire’s
policy in the Caucasus, concluding that the Russian and Soviet
periods, despite their shortcomings, turned out to be a time of the
greatest stability in the Caucasus history. However, after the USSR
collapsed, Russia was practically ousted from the Caucasus, Zatulin
said, adding that today only Armenia, which is a member of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) together with Russia,
remembers what links the two countries. A video report that followed
detailed complicated relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Zatulin
travelled to Armenia to interview a prominent Armenian writer, who
looked back at the history of Russian-Armenian relations, suggesting
that Russia should give Armenia more support when it came to its
disagreements with Azerbaijan. The discussion continued with Russian
ambassador to Armenia Vyacheslav Kovalenko, who said that Armenians
did remember Russia’s role in Armenian history and showed great
respect for various historical monuments, as opposed to Georgia for
instance. Zatulin concluded this section of the programme by saying
that Russia had never left and would never leave Armenia for as long
as works by Aleksandr Griboyedov, a 19th century Russian writer and
diplomat who was brutally killed in Tehran after he refused to give up
three Armenians who had sought refuge at the Russian mission, were
studied in schools there.

The final part of the programme looked at the legalization of same-sex
marriages in Europe and what impact the move would have on Russia.
Following a video report on the history of homosexuality in Russia,
the discussion went on with a studio guest, Yelena Mizulina, head of
the State Duma committee on family, women and children affairs. She
was critical of same-sex marriages and justified the adoption by the
State Duma of the bill banning promotion of homosexuality among
minors.

[Translated from Russian]

Chief Rabbi of Moscow reminds Erdogan of Armenian Genocide

March 03, 2013 | 13:55

Chief Rabbi of Moscow said Turkish PM Erdogan’s criticism of Zionism
amounted to anti-Semitism and recalled that Turkey has not recognized
the Armenian Genocide.

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Zionism a crime
against humanity, arising harsh criticism worldwide.

Pinchas Goldschmidt, chief rabbi of Moscow and the head of the
Conference of European Rabbis, said Erdogan’s statement `is an
ignorant and hateful attack on the Jewish people.’

Goldschmidt compared him with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and, `Soviet leaders
who used anti-Zionism as a euphemism for anti-Semitism,’ Reuters
reported.

`The irony of these comments will not be lost on the families of those
slaughtered during the Armenian genocide, a crime still not recognized
by the Turkish government,’ he added.

Erdogan’s remarks were also criticized by U.S. Secretary of State
during his trip to Turkey.

– See more at:

ECHECS
Selon Garry Kasparov l’Arménien Lévon Aronian est un candidat sérieux
au titre mondial détenu par Magnus Carlsen

Selon le 13e champion du monde des échecs, l’Arménien Garry Kasparov
celui qui dispose le plus de chances de détrôner le numéro un mondial
des échecs le Norvégien Magnus Carlsen est l’Arménien Lévon Aronian
aujourd’hui numéro trois mondial. Dans une interview à la revue russe
« Ð?ÑгÑ?менÑ?Ñ? и Ñ?акÑ?Ñ? » Garry Kasparov dit que Lévon Aronian est le
meilleur candidat au titre mondial car il consacre beaucoup de temps Ã
l’échec qui est en Arménie au centre de tous les intérêts. « Lévon a
une équipe d’Arménie fabuleuse. Au regard de son ge et de son envie
de gagner, Aronian est le principal challenger de Karlsen » dit Garry
Kasparov. Mais G. Kasparov estime toutefois que le Russe Vladimir
Kramnik est un autre candidat sérieux au titre mondial.

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 3 mars 2013,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

Ex-candidate Melikyan not to dispute election results

March 2, 2013 – 18:16 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Former presidential candidate of Armenia Arman
Melikyan has resolved against disputing the election results in the
Constitutional Court.

On his Facebook page, the ex-candidate noted absence of enough
evidence of massive election fraud behind his decision, slamming
Armenia’s justice system.

`Though the statement is ready with more than enough evidence, judges
don’t have the moral right to judge. I recall filing an appeal to the
Constitutional Court back in 2008, trying to restore the rights of
Armenian citizens living abroad. As I noted earlier, I will address
neither the law enforcement bodies, nor the judicial authorities of
Armenia, as we don’t have a legal country.

`Filing an appeal to the country’s judicial authorities would imply
that I recognize the system’s right to verdict. Such a decision
doesn’t mean we have put up with the current situation. We only see
other options for restoring the justice,’ Melikyan’s statement reads.

Raffi Hovannisian’s Press Conference – `Let no foreign power presume
it has a right to give us lessons about democracy’

13:19, March 1, 2013

Minutes ago, Raffi Hovannisian concluded a press conference in Freedom
Square. He is now headed to Mysanikyan Square to pay his respects to
those who died during the civil unrest of March 1, 2008.

Hovannisian again declared that no foreign power should presume the
right to teach the Armenian people lessons in democracy and to tell
Armenians who their freely elected president is.

Hovannisian said it was his constitutional right to reject the
official presidential election results and that he would use all
constitutional and legal means to return the government to the people.

Hovannisian labelled the popular movement in support of his efforts as
a pan-national struggle for justice and freedom.

He reiterated his belief that the people of Armenia seeking a
fundamental change in the country’s government and public institutions
should not expect overnight solutions, since the problems facing
Armenia are system-wide.

He confessed that the Heritage Party and civic election observers
could have been better organized to register election fraud and
violations, especially in rural communities.

Nevertheless, he said there was irrefutable proof of widespread
election fraud and cited how soldiers were conveyed to polling
stations in order to vote for Serzh Sargsyan.

He did not rule out the possibility that the Heritage Party would
field a candidate in the upcoming Yerevan mayoral election, citing
local elections as part and parcel of his campaign to return
government to the people in every town and village in Armenia.

He warned the ruling regime to stop spreading rumors that due to the
unresolved political situation, security up and down Armenia’s borders
is suffering.

Hovannisian warned that it was unacceptable and dangerous for the
regime to use the pretext of national security in order to drive a
wedge in the movement for political rights and social freedom now
unfolding in Armenia.

He concluded by urging all Armenians to join with him tomorrow at
Freedom Square where a number of organizational and agenda issues
would be jointly discussed.

SERZH SARGSYAN MUST DISSOLVE PARLIAMENT – FIRST OMBUDSWOMAN

March 01, 2013 | 11:55

YEREVAN.- The Armenian authorities must step down on April 9 regardless
of who was elected, Armenia~Rs first Human Rights Defender and public
activist Larisa Alaverdyan told reporters.

Authorities must show the people that incumbent president is ready
to put an end to his policy by handing in resignation, she noted.

The government must be formed with the participation of political
forces which won more votes than the incumbent leader.

Larisa Alaverdyan stressed that because of oppositions~R failure to
unite before the parliamentary elections, we have the parliament
not reflecting people~Rs will. Serzh Sargsyan, as a leader of
ruling political force, must dissolve the parliament and hold new
parliamentary vote.

– See more at:

MARCH 1 TRAGEDY UNLIKELY TO RECUR – OPPOSITION MP

TERT.AM
12:47 ~U 01.03.13

A former Armenian ombudsman affiliated with the opposition
Heritage party faction doesn’t think the scenario of the March 2008
post-electoral turmoil will to repeat itself this time.

At a news conference on Friday, Larisa Alaverdyan said such likelihood
is now equal to zero. She stressed the importance of finding those
guilty for the tragic events, noting in the meantime that the society
will suffer a defeat in case of weakening its demand. Alaverdyan
described the March 1, 2008 tragic events as an attempt to intimidate
people in order to prevent future election protests in the country.

“We will not be able to close that chapter,” she said. “It is
necessary to put end to that to make both sides [the authorities and
the opposition] learn lessons.”

Alaverdyan said the authorities have to take steps to dissolve the
current parliament which she doesn’t think reflects the true interests
of people.

“It isn’t late today to call for a new parliamentary election. And
the authorities now have the chance to receive a decent number of
votes,” she said, adding that being a parliamentary opposition is
not a humiliation for a political force.

ARF-D JOINS OPPOSITION SEEING CLEAR SOLUTIONS AND THE END OF THE FIGHT, REP SAYS

TERT.AM
13:50 ~U 01.03.13

Five years ago the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun
(ARF-D) did not join the political forces fighting against rigged
elections and even joined the coalition as it did not see the end of
the fight, while today it has joined the opposition as it sees the
clear solutions, head of faction’s MP Armen Rustamyan said.

“You can’t enter a fight if you do not see its end. In 2008 we
knew that it might lead to a bloodshed and if you remember we were
organizing rallies and calling for peace claiming that it was a way
to bloodshed. And where did that road take? Who was right? Who will
be accountable for the 10 victims? Did anyone win?… No, no one did,”
he said.

Explaining why they have joined Raffi Hovannisian today, he said
first of all because the majority of people are in the Liberty Square.

“Secondly, the constitutional, legal path of moving forward has been
selected. And thirdly, which is the most important, the existence of
clear, concrete agenda and far-going solutions,” the MP said.

Rustamyan said if everything is clearly implemented and the
semi-presidential system will turn into parliamentary and transition
to 100% proportional system takes place and new elections be appointed
each citizen will witness the changes and there will be a completely
new Armenia.

Referring to the circumstance that till now the responsible for March
1 killings have not been revealed and punished, the ARF-D MP said he
cannot understand it till now.

“The issue is in the agenda. It is incomprehensive that the murder
of ten people has not been revealed in this century. The existing
suspicions will not allow us to close this page,” he said.