Author: nina hovnanian

CALCULATIONS ARE DOOMED
JAMES HAKOBYAN

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 11:32:42 – 02/08/2012

On August 2, military doctor, father of two small kids, Vahe Avetyan
would have celebrated his 33rd birthday. But weeks before his birthday
he was beaten up to death by the bodyguards of the oligarch Ruben
Hairapetyan in his Harsnakar restaurant.

Lawyers dealing with Vahe Avetyan~Rs case issued a statement that
the police are protracting the investigation on purpose not providing
the records of the case to the lawyers as is required by law.

After Vahe~Rs murder, the police used to assure that all those guilty
would be punished. The society is concerned whether all those guilty
will be punished and whether Ruben Hairapetyan is among them who,
according to some press reports, was in Harsnakar during the incident
and knew about it.

Laying down his mandate, Ruben Hairapetyan issued a heart-breaking
statement expressing pain and regrets that he had not been in the
restaurant that day otherwise he would have stopped the hand raised
to hit Vahe.

Now, someone seems to be holding the hand of the police to avoid
too much disclosure about Vahe~Rs case. Anyway, the statement by
lawyers hints at this, and until the police does not allow them to
get acquainted with the details of the case, his hint will seem true.

On August 2, the representatives of the civil society will hold a
protest action in front of the police demanding a full revelation of
the case.

It seems that Harsnakar case is a ~Sprecinct~T level case in terms of
revelation and it had to be sent to court already and all the questions
had to be answered. 40 days have already passed but the society has
no clear image of what happened in Harsnakar and who is to blame.

No doubt the ruling system will cover up ~Sits people~T if there is
the slightest opportunity for that. So, here the role of the society is
very important. If the society is consistent and does not leave alone
the law enforcers, then it will be very difficult for the system to
cover up this case. Otherwise, once it may turn out that Vahe Avetyan
was not killed by Ruben Hairapetyan~Rs bodyguard but by thunder.

The calculation of the power is clear ~V to protract time until the
interest of the society fades away. But this calculation, mildly
speaking, is not correct since in Armenia there is a knowledgeable
society which understands the calculation of the government and
which is not led by calculations but such values as rights, freedoms,
rule of law, justice and injustice.

The difference between calculations and values is that the calculation
is temporary, while values are permanent. In Armenia, a stable society
is under formation which gradually highlights the temporariness of
the power. Consequently, Vahe will stay, will always be, and all the
calculations based on oblivion are doomed.

SARGSYAN AND PUTIN TO DISCUSS BILATERAL AND REGIONAL TOPICAL ISSUES

ARMENPRESS
AUGUST 2, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, AUGUST 2, ARMENPRESS: The President of the Republic of Armenia
and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the meeting due to take
place August 8 Moscow are scheduled to envisage bilateral and regional
topical issues pertain to political, economic and humanitarian spheres.

As official Kremlin press service informed Armenpress, Russian and
Armenian cooperation in Eurasian integration process, particularly
within such institutions as CIS and CSTO and as well as international
and regional topical themes, the situation in Transcaucasia inclusive
are set to be touched upon in the course of the scheduled meeting.

Russia is one of the main investors in the Republic of Armenia and
Armenia’s main trading partner. The Russian capital has exceeded
2.8 billion dollars in 2012 – in January and May , bilateral trade
turnover amounts $ 434.8 million.

DES EX-FONCTIONNAIRES CONDAMNES POUR ESCROQUERIE AUX PENSIONS
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 2 aout 2012

Une cour a Erevan a condamne lundi deux anciens cadres du fonds de
pension de l’Etat d’Armenie a sept et trois ans de prison dans le
cadre du premier procès sur une fraude a grande echelle dans le
paiement d’aides sociales.

Sargis Hakobian, l’ancien chef de la branche du fonds dans le district
de Davitashen a Erevan, a ete reconnu coupable de fraude, de
detournement et d’abus de pouvoir et a recu la punition plus dure.

L’autre accusee Greta Vartanian, est une de ses anciennes subalternes.

Hakobian et Vartanian etaient passes devant la justice plus tôt cette
annee avec huit autres individus. Ces derniers ont ete condamnes a de
fortes amendes. Cinq d’entre eux ont ete mis d’office a la retraite
pour contrefacon de documents et de paiement de pots-de-vins pour
recevoir des pensions plus elevees.

Hakobian et Vartanian n’avaient pas ete mis en detention avant et
pendant le procès ce qui signifie qu’ils iront en prison au cours des
prochaines semaines ou mois si les emprisonnements sont confirmes par
des juridictions superieures. Leur avocat, Razmik Tovmasian, n’a pas
dit s’ils feront appel du verdict.

Le procès est le resultat d’une fraude presumee qui a ete d’abord
exposee par la Chambre parlementaire d’audit après une inspection
financière du Service de la Securite sociale d’Etat (SSS). La chambre
a revendique fin 2010 que des milliers d’armeniens âges ont recu leurs
pensions des annees après leur mort, suggerant que cet argent avait
ete vole par des fonctionnaires du SSS. Elle a aussi allegue d’autres
pratiques corrompues dans le service.

Le Bureau du procureur general a trouve ces revendications credibles,
assignant a la police armenienne d’ouvrir une enquete criminelle. Un
fonctionnaire du fonds de pension a ete arrete et plus 20 suspects ont
fait l’objet d’une enquete de la police.

Les allegations de fraude ont aussi mene au renvoi en decembre 2010 de
Vazgen Khachikian, le chef du SSS et un membre bien connu du parti
Republicain d’Armenie (HHK).

Selon Hovannes Yenokian, procureur en charge de l’affaire, Khachikian
fait l’objet d’une enquete bien qu’aucune accusation criminelle n’ait
ete lancee contre lui encore. ” Khachikian est aussi implique dans
cette enquete criminelle, ” a dit Yenokian au service armenien de
RFE/RL (Azatutyun.am). ” C’est juste que l’enquete est très vaste et
complexe. L’enquete continue toujours . ”

Le Ministère du Travail et la Securite sociale a annonce en janvier
qu’il a revise l’enregistrement national des pensionnes et a enleve
plus de 10000 noms en reponse au scandale.

SARKIS’S ‘BALLADS’ ECHO AT ROTTERDAM’S SUBMARINE WHARF

Today’s Zaman

Aug 1 2012
Turkey

The Submarine Wharf at Rotterdam’s world-famous docklands is currently
home to a gigantic installation by Turkish-Armenian contemporary artist
Sarkis in what makes up one of the key events in an ongoing series
of cultural events celebrating the 400th anniversary of diplomatic
ties between Turkey and the Netherlands.

Called “Ballads,” Sarkis’s installation is made up of a set of
monumental sculptures over 16 meters tall and a carillon, also
incorporating light, video and music by American composer John Cage.

Cage’s “Litany for the Whale” forms a permanent backdrop to the
installation, spread over almost 5,000 square meters on the campus.

The carillon continuously plays “Litany for the Whale” and takes the
visitor on a journey into the realm where submarines and whales meet.

The pendant to the monumental bell tower is a 16-meter-tall lampshade
covered with white down feathers. Accompanying them in “The Futuro,”
are Sarkis’s videos about water. The wharf’s original function and
the surrounding water are central to the installation, which unites
the building’s past and present through monumental objects, music and
colored films on its windows that filter the daylight like a modern
variant of stained glass.

Inspired by the church interiors of 17th-century Dutch painter
Pieter Saenredam, Sarkis transformed the wharf into a “sacred meeting
place,” said the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, the Rotterdam-based
commissioners of the work. The format of the space, the special
lighting and the sound of the carillon with 43 bells create a
hallowed atmosphere for the installation, evoking the form of the
submarines once built at the wharf. The combination makes up a “poetic
installation,” as the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen puts it. All the
elements in Sarkis’s work support the musical narrative, in which
the visitor plays a leading role, the museum says on its website,

Born Sarkis Zabunyan in Ä°stanbul in 1938, the Paris-based artist
is known for his unique combination of the atmosphere of Oriental
mysticism with Western conceptual art. “Ballads” runs until Sept. 30
at the Submarine Wharf.

SARDARAPAT SUPPORTS POLITICAL OPPOSITION IN ARTSAKH

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 16:49:44 – 31/07/2012

Sardarapat movement issued a statement which in particular runs that
the recent presidential elections in Artsakh was a precedent for the
people’s political revival.

Sardarapat movement supports the political opposition in Artsakh and
hopes it won’t follow the track of the Armenian “titular opposition”.

The movement urges the Artsakh authorities to view the solution of the
issues from the point of supremacy of the pan-Armenian factor. The
statement underlines the most urgent pan-Armenian issues which are
related to the Middle East countries, in particular Syria.

Sardarapat movement warns all those who make decisions on Artsakh to
refrain from proceeding from their clan and personal interests.

NEW LAW TO PROHIBIT PROSYLETIZING

03:22 pm | Today | Social

Even though each citizen of the Republic of Armenia has the right to
believe in the religion that he or she desires according to the RA Law
“On Freedom of Conscience and Religion”, Chief of the Department for
Registration of Public Entities at the RA Ministry of Diaspora Edik
Margaryan says he wouldn’t let his child join a religious organization.

The government will discuss the new draft law on freedom of conscience
and religion on Thursday and will send it to the National Assembly
for discussion upon confirmation.

The new draft law defines the rights and responsibilities of
religious organizations, which will be fined up to 400,000 drams for
violations of those rights and responsibilities. The punishment may
also be liquidation of the organization. According to the new draft
law, prosyletizing and the sponsoring of activities of a religious
organization on the part of foreigners are considered violations of
the law.

“If the religious organization approaches the same person more than
once, be it at home or outside, this will be viewed as a violation
of responsibilities and punishable by the law,” said Edik Margaryan.

An annual review of activities on the website or the provision of data
to the authorized body is also part of the religious organizations’
responsibilities.

The new draft law on the freedom of conscience and religion also
gives religious groups with more than 25 members the opportunity to
register as religious organizations. According to the existing law,
the group is considered a group only in the case of 200 members.

If there are discrepancies between the religious group and the rights
and responsibilities by the law to be confirmed, the new draft law
assumes establishment of consensus.

Head of the Department for Religion of the RA Government Vardan
Astsatryan stressed the danger of such a policy (groups can increase)
and mentioned that “this assumed the revelation of small religious
groups”.

The head of the department for religion also stressed another flaw in
the draft law, that is, the activities of the religious groups that
appeal for registration as religious organizations aren’t examined
by experts.

“If those worshipping Satan appeal to us, we will have to receive
them.”

STATEMENT OF LAWYERS OF VAHE AVETYAN CASE

02:14 pm | Today | Social

The lawyers involved in the case of Vahe Avetyan, who died after
a brutal beating at Harsnakar Restaurant Complex, have issued a
statement demanding the immediate provision of all materials and
documents related to the Harsnakar case.

“Ignoring our demand to ensure an efficient investigation into the
highly popular case is incompatible with the RA Police’s assurances of
ensuring public investigation into the case. We inform that in no way
will we refuse to work openly and publicly and advise the RA Police
to do the same. As a first step, we demand that the police immediately
provide us with all the materials and documents related to this case.

We have the right to get acquainted with them by the Criminal Procedure
Code,” as stated in the statement.

To read the statement, visit

ARMAVIA PLANE REPAIRED FULLY AFTER BIRD APPEARED IN TURBINE ENGINE

news.am
July 31, 2012 | 13:25

YEREVAN.- The Armavia has mitigated the consequences of the incident
when a bird appeared in the engine turbine of the plane, the company
representative told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The Armenian national carrier said the plane was repaired and scheduled
flights were restored.

As reported earlier, the Armavia national carrier postponed all the
flights because of a bird on Monday. When one of the Armavia jets was
landing in the noon at the Zvartnots international airport, a bird
appeared in the engine turbine and brought forward serious damages.

ARMENIA’S REPRESENTATIVE AT EUROPEAN COURT TO CONTINUE MISSION FOR ONE MORE YEAR

news.am
July 31, 2012 | 03:56

Davit Melkonyan, who is Armenia’s representative at the European
Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), will continue in this capacity for
yet another year.

To note, Melkonyan was appointed to this position on August 1, 2011,
and for a one-year term. And on May 24, 2012, the Council of Europe
(CoE) Secretariat’s Personnel Management Department Director informed
Armenia’s Permanent Representation at the CoE about the Council of
Europe Secretary General’s agreement to extend Davit Melkonyan’s
ECtHR mission until July 31, 2013.

So, the Government of Armenia will have to allocate 15,300 euros,
in the latter half of the current year, to secure Melkonyan’s mission.

And the housing rental fee alone comprises 5,460 euros, or 910 euros
per month.

Also, additional means will be allocated in 2013.

ARMENIA’S LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION CANDIDATES TO BE ANNOUNCED ON AUGUST 10-15

news.am
July 31, 2012 | 11:22

YEREVAN. – The local government elections in Armenia’s Ararat, Armavir,
Shirak, Lori, and Syunik regions will be held on September 9.

And all candidates’ registration documents must be submitted to the
electoral district commission between August 5 and 10, Armenian
News-NEWS.am was informed from the Central Electoral Commission
website.

The candidates will be registered from August 10 to 15, and the local
government election campaigns in these regions will be held between
August 22 and September 7.

To note, the Prosperous Armenia Party already announced that it will
nominate its MP Samvel Balasanyan’s candidacy for the mayoral elections
in Gyumri and former Deputy Governor Edik Karakhanyan of Lori Region,
for the mayoral elections in Vanadzor city.

The opposition ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party will nominate Deputy Head
Hovsep Simonyan of the Department of Finance of the Shirak Regional
Hall in Gyumri.

Gyumri’s serving Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan has not yet announced whether
he will run in the mayoral race, but he had stated on numerous
occasions that he will nominate.