Author: nina hovnanian

Second Tumo center for creative technologies opened in Dilijan

arminfo
Saturday, January 26, 14:00

Simonian Education Foundation has opened the second Tumo center for
creative technologies in Dilijan.

According to the Yerevan Tumo Center, the Dilijan project has been
carried out with the support of the Central Bank of Armenia and the
Economic Education and Research Support Center.

On Jan 29 the Center will start enrolling children aged 12-16 for free
training courses on digital media, game design, animation and web
design. The center has 29 computers and can train almost 90 students a
day.

The Yerevan Tumo Center was opened on Jan 14 2011 and is training over
5,000 children aged 12-18.

The founder of Simonian Educational Foundation is Armenian hardware
engineer and businessman from the United States Sam Simonian. In 1997
he opened a Yerevan subsidiary of his Epygi Labs AM company but in
2008 it was closed.

Journalists discussed military issues with Vazgen Manukyan

14:12, 26 January, 2013

YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. A number of journalists interested in
the elucidation of the military sphere had a meeting with the head of
the Public Council of the Republic of Armenia Vazgen Manukyan. The aim
of the meeting was discussion on army issues, correct elucidation of
the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, journalist activities in war
situations and other issues of the sphere. The journalists were
interested in listening to Vazgen Manukyan’s views, who was the
Defense Minister of the Republic of Armenia during the war years and
experienced sociopolitical activist.

The meeting was organized by the youth subcommittee of the Public
Council and “ARMSES” scientific-educational center in the frames of
the course on the topic “Military Processes in our Region in the
Context of the Armenian Military Forces” held on November 7-30, 2012
for journalists interested in the military sphere.

The course aimed to introduce the military potential of the countries
of the region, the developments of the sphere in the near future, as
well as the peculiarities of the Armenian army, development trends,
problems and others.

Armenia’s Consulate General in Los Angeles issued statement on
Azerbaijan’s decision to down civilian planes

news.am
January 26, 2013 | 13:39

The Consulate General of Armenia in Los Angeles has issued a statement
regarding Azerbaijan’s recent decision to allow its air force to shoot
down civilian aircraft overflying the Republic of Artsakh. The full
text is below:

“The Government of Azerbaijan has recently voted to allow its air
force to shoot down civilian aircraft overflying the Republic of
Artsakh. This decision came in the wake of the announced resumption of
flights from and to Stepanakert, the capital of Artsakh (Nagorno
Karabakh in Russian).

The threat to destroy civilian aircraft with passengers aboard is a
complete aberration by standards of any civilized and respected member
of international community. However, given Azerbaijan’s track record
of respect for international law and human rights, it is quite
conceivable that the decision of the government of Azerbaijan is not
entirely declarative in its nature.

During the last days of the Soviet empire, Azerbaijani authorities
orchestrated kristallnacht-styled pogroms on its citizens of Armenian
origin – a crime that forever stained the face of Baku, Azerbaijan’s
capital and a crime yet to be repented by its perpetrators. The Azeri
government then sent warplanes to drop cluster bombs on apartment
buildings, hospitals and schools of unarmed people in Stepanakert, who
in exercise of their constitutional right, voted for
self-determination and freedom. Repelled in a humiliating defeat,
Azerbaijan imposed a tight blockade on 150,000-strong population of
Artsakh, with the hope to starve them and force to capitulate — all
in vain as we know.

And then comes the act of utmost barbary: intoxicated by hate speech
towards anything Armenian, an Azeri officer beheads his sleeping
fellow Armenian classmate – both attending a NATO seminar in Budapest.
Abominable in its design and execution, this crime was subsequently
glorified by the government of Azerbaijan and the axe murderer was
honored and promoted in rank, thus leavingArtsakh and its people with
no illusions as to the ability of the modern day Azerbaijan to
maintain civilized neighborly relations or relations with anyone of
Armenian descent.

21 years into a successful nation-building existence, the Republic of
Artsakh is taking measures to re-launch air communication with Armenia
only to face more hostility and outright blackmail from Azerbaijan.
Air traffic is not an end initself for Artsakh, although it is very
natural for all people, no matter if their country is recognized or
not, to fulfill their fundamental right for free movement. With the
resumption of civilian air traffic with Armenia, Artsakh intends to
improve the country’s accessibility to the outside world with all the
economic and humanitarian ramifications this move entails. Neither
Armenia nor Artsakh consider the re-opening of the Stepanakert airport
as an escalatory move intended to damage the negotiation process that
Azerbaijan has been consistently trying to derail. Similar to this is
the reaction of international mediators who warn Azerbaijan against
the use of force and call for a refrain in politicizing the matter.

Azerbaijan’s aggressive reactions repeat a familiar pattern, a deja
vu, by futilely attempting to prevent the people of Artsakh from
strengthening their statehood and democratic traditions. Speaking of
democratic traditions, on the other side of the world, before the
California State Senate, the Consul General of Azerbaijan just
recently referred to his country as a democracy. This came in the wake
of the latest report by Freedom House that rated Azerbaijan as `Not
Free,’ while classifying the Republic of Artsakh as `Partly Free,’
i.e. among the nations with nascent democratic traditions such as
genuinely competitive elections and participation. This `glitch’ is
not the only one. In yet another astonishing revelation, the Azeri
diplomats claimed that Azerbaijan- a predominantly Shiite Muslim
country – was one of the first Christian nations!

Having declared the worldwide Armenians Azerbaijan’s worst enemy,
Azerbaijan has in recent months imported its deceptive propaganda and
bellicose rhetoric to the US West Coast – home to one of the largest
Armenian Diasporas in the world. Thus far, this new effort by the
Azeri propaganda has only resulted in a number of embarrassing
situations and heavy blows to the country’s own standing, in addition
to strengthening the already overwhelming support of the global
Armenian community to the Republic of Artsakh.”

Aram Harutyunyan to withdraw from presidential election

arminfo
Saturday, January 26, 13:14

The leader of National Accord Party Aram Harutyunyan will withdraw
from the presidential election on Feb 8 05:00 PM.

During a press-conference on Saturday he said that until then he will
try to make his voice heard to the people and the other candidates.

“I hope that the other candidates will follow my example and will
leave Serzh Sargsyan all alone. This will be cold water for Prosperous
Armenia, the ARFD and the Armenian National Congress, who have refused
to run for presidency,” Harutyunyan said.

He added that if all parliamentary parties boycott the parliament’s
work for three months, according to the Constitution, it will have to
be dissolved. “So, I urge Prosperous Armenia, the ARFD, the ANC and
Heritage to do it. As a result, the parliamentary majority will be
forced to resign and we will be able to conduct mid-term parliamentary
elections,” Harutyunyan said.

He said that unlike presidential candidate Paruyr Hayrikyan, he is not
going to join the hunger strike by another presidential candidate
Andreas Ghukasyan. “This will hardly surprise anybody in a country
where almost half of people are starving. Ghukasyan is a good guy but
his claims are not clear,” Harutyunyan said.

Azeri air drills held along contact line with Artsakh

January 26, 2013 – 14:33 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – 200 instances of ceasefire violation by Azeri armed
forces were reported at the line of contact between Nagorno Karabakh
and Azerbaijan from January 20-26.
Azerbaijan fired over 700 shots from various caliber weapons towards
Karabakh positions, NKR defense army’s press service reports.
Also, all through the last week, Azeri air forces have been conducted
drills along the line of contact.
The rival’s targets were detected and held under control by Artsakh
air defense forces. No incidents occurred on land or air along Artsakh
border during the past week.

ARMENIE
L’Arménie et le Japon coopérent dans le programme « Un village, un produit »

Le Centre National d’Arménie pour les Petites et Moyennes Entreprises
et l’Agence japonaise de Coopération Internationale (JICA) ont signé à
Erevan un mémorandum de coopération dans le cadre du programme de
trois ans appelé « Un village, un produit » (OVOP)).

Le directeur du Centre National d’Arménie pour des Petites et Moyennes
Entreprises , Varazdat Karapetyan, a dit aux journalistes que le
programme est conçu pour aider à créer des marques locales et stimuler
la production domestique par l’appui technique du gouvernement
japonais.

« Ce programme est construit sur une série de projets couronnés de
succès cette année, incluant 15 entreprises pour le traitement de
fruits séchés dans la région du Tavush. Nous avons fourni des
financements et une aide pour obtenir l’équipement et la technologie
et maintenant nous travaillons pour rendre le marché accessible » a
dit Varazdat Karapetyan.

Yukihiko Ejhiri, un représentant de JICA, a dit qu’un groupe spécial
d’experts japonais était en Arménie pour explorer les voies possibles
de coopération.

samedi 26 janvier 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

People in Javakhk welcome released political prisoner Vahagn Chakhalyan (photos)

16:32 – 25.01.13

The 2013 year started with good news for the Armenian community of
Javakhk with political prisoner, activist Vahagn Chakhalian being
released from jail, press release of the Primacy of Javakhk runs.

It says that after the midnight of January 24 the court of
Akhalkalak’s St. Cross Church was full of people that came to welcome
Chakhalyan. `Everyone came to see him with their own eyes,’ the
statement runs.

In the church all the present prayed jointly. Rev. Babken Salbiyan
congratulated the people on this wonderful occasion and rated high the
role of the Primate of the Georgian Diocese of the Armenian Church
Archbishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan.

Manchester resident extends helping hand to Armenian girl suffering
from asthma – VIDEO

January 25, 2013 | 22:32

YEREVAN. – Malena Revazyan, suffering from asthma, received on Friday
the first financial aid to undergo examination and get the medicine.

The assistance came from UK. A Manchester resident Justine Lilian
Northfield contacted Armenian News-NEWS.am immediately after reading
an article about 5-year-old Malena suffering from acute bronchial
asthma.

`I have traveled to Armenia many times as my best friend and my god
children are Armenian from Gyumri. Whilst in Armenia I have met some
truly warm and friendly people. Helping others is just a way of giving
something back in life and after reading your news article it is my
pleasure that I can help the little girl in question and I hope that
sometime when I am in back in Armenia that I may be able to meet her
and her family if that would be ok with them,’ she wrote.

The first money transfer was received by Syuzanna Revazyan, Malena’s
mother, on Friday. She expressed gratitude to Justine for her help.

`I have spent many happy times in Armenia and along the way I have met
some truly sincere people. Please don’t think of this as charity it is
not, it is just humanity,’ Justine wrote.

NEXT DECADE FOR ARMENIAN ARMY IS TIME TO IMPLEMENT PLANS – DEFENSE MINISTER

NEWS.AM
January 25, 2013 | 17:18

YEREVAN.- Defense Ministry hosted on Friday a solemn event dedicated
to the Army Day celebrated on January 28 and the 21st anniversary of
the Armed Forces (photos).

In addition to representatives of the Defense Ministry, the meeting
was attended by Attorney General Aghvan Hovsepyan, Director of the
National Security Service Gorik Hakobyan, Police Chief Vladimir
Gasparyan, NKR Defense Minister Movses Hakobyan.

Addressing the audience, Seyran Ohanyan said that every birthday and
anniversary is an occasion to reconsider the past, assess achievements,
remember the friends who have passed away and outline the future
moves. The next decade for the Armenian army is a period to implement
plans and strengthen regional peace and security, he added.

“The future of our army depends on us, on good faith, timely solving
of problems, our ability to improve,” Minister Ohanyan said.

He noted the Armenian army is faced with tough challenges, urging to
be on alert.

Aghvan Hovsepian Gorik Hakobyan, Vladimir Gasparyan also addressed
the participants. A group of soldiers was awarded.

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH IS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ALLEGATIONS OF ILL-TREATMENT OF THE FOUR DEFENDANTS AND THE LACK OF AN EFFECTIVE INVESTIGATION INTO THESE ALLEGATIONS

ARMINFO
Friday, January 25, 16:51

Human Rights Watch has sent a letter to the President of the Court of
Cassation of Armenia, Arman Mkrtumyan, and said it is very concerned
about the allegations of ill-treatment of the four defendants from
Armenian National Congress and the lack of an effective investigation
into these allegations.

We are writing to express our profound concern regarding the lack of
effective investigation into allegations of ill-treatment relating
to the case of Armenian National Congress activists Tigran Araqelyan,
Artak Karapetyan, Sargis Gevorgyan, and Davit Kiramijyan, accused of
disorderly conduct and violence against government representatives
during an encounter with Yerevan police in August 2011.

On July 20, 2012, the Court of General Jurisdiction of Kentron and
Norq-Marash administrative districts of Yerevan sentenced the four men
to between two to six years in prison on charges of violent resistance
or threat of violence against government authorities and hooliganism.

On August 20, the defense filed an appeal based on substantive and
procedural violations in the activists’ case. On November 13, the
Court of Appeal rejected the appeal.

We are aware that you are at this time determining whether to hear the
cassation complaint submitted on December 23, 2012 concerning these
cases and that you will issue a decision by January 27. Irrespective
of whether the Cassation Court ultimately decides to hear these
appeals, we urge you to consider the serious and credible llegations
of ill-treatment of these four men immediately prior to their arrest
and while in police custody on August 9, 2011.

We are very concerned about the allegations of ill-treatment of
the four defendants and the lack of an effective investigation into
these allegations.

International treaties to which Armenia is a party, including the
European Convention on Human Rights, the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, and the United Nations Convention against
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
all strictly prohibit inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

This includes the right to a timely, impartial, effective
investigation capable of leading to identification and prosecution of
perpetrators. The failure to uphold these standards would constitute
serious breaches of Armenia’s international obligations.

Your honor, we hope that the Court of Cassation will be fully mindful
of the above information as it relates to the case, and that it
reviews all aspects of the case in accordance with Armenia’s binding
human rights obligations.

Human Rights Watch believes that it is very important that given the
credible allegations of ill-treatment in this case, and Armenia’s
obligations to do so, that a prompt and thorough investigation into
the allegations be conducted.

To note, the letter to Arman Mktrumyan was sent on 24 January. At
the same day the Court of Cassation adopted a decision to give 20
day term to the lawyers’ of activists to be able to appeal again.