Author: nina hovnanian

JUDGE REJECTS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVOR MARIAM GEVORGYAN’S MOTION, POSTPONES COURT

hetq
18:25, June 5, 2012

Vedi, Armenia, June 5, 2012 – The judge presiding over the trial of
domestic violence survivor Mariam Gevorgyan rejected the plaintiff’s
motion for him to withdraw on the grounds that he is not impartial.

Note, according to Armenian law, it is the judge himself who decides
if he is impartial or not.

The Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women and Mariam Gevorgyan’s
supporters, demanding a fair and open trial, on June 5 organized
a demonstration outside the Court of First Instance of Ararat and
Vayots Dzor Districts.

Recall, Mariam was subjected to physical and emotional abuse by her
mother-in-law Haykanush Mikaelyan, as well as by her husband, David
Ziroyan after the couple married in 2009, then left for St.

Petersburg, where the husband’s family live. For 10 months, Mariam
was subject to repeated abuse by David and members of his family.

After returning to Yerevan, Mariam contacted police, who subsequently
charged David with “inflicting willful medium-gravity damage to health”
and “battery” to which he pleaded guilty.

The general amnesty granted by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in
2011, however, was applied to David and he was released.

David’s mother continues to face charges of infliction of willful
medium-gravity damage to health, as well as torture (RA Criminal Code
Article 119).

“Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women (Armenia)” reports that
the next court date is set for June 14 at 12:30 pm in Artashat (the
court has been moved to Artashat because there is no audio recorder
in the court in Vedi).

VENUS’ PASSAGE OVER THE SUN CAN BE OBSERVED FROM YEREVAN

news.am
June 05, 2012 | 11:51

YEREVAN. – A rare astronomical phenomenon will be observed from
Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, on Wednesday morning.

On that day, Planet Venus will pass over the face of the Sun, the
Goodrike John NGO informs.

This phenomenon will next occur in 2117.

Its observation will be held in Yerevan from 7am to 9:30am, at the
upper platform of the Cascade, in the vicinity of the Victory Monument.

People can view this event from the telescopes, and free of charge.

Warning: This phenomenon should not be looked at with optical tools
without solar filters. Otherwise, there could be loss of vision.

POWER OF PRESS: ROUND-TABLE IN YEREVAN DISCUSSES THE ROLE OF MEDIA IN ARMENIA-TURKEY RELATIONS, RAPPROCHEMENT AND MORE
By Gayane Lazarian

ArmeniaNow
05.06.12 | 14:32

Photo: Gayane Lazarian/ArmeniaNow.com

Armenian and Turkish participants of round-table discussions on the
Role of Mass Media in Armenian-Turkish Relations, held in Yerevan,
share the opinion that media has a big role in the rapprochement
process, despite the non-existing diplomatic relations between the
two countries.

Richard Giragosian, head of the Regional Research Center, believes
that under the circumstances of closed borders, media successfully
makes the dialogue real, maintaining the communication between the
civil societies of both countries.

‘There are no diplomatic relations, the borders are closed, but the
borders of mind are open. We have ensured certain progress. We are
waiting for the day to come when we can have real relations. Today
our main challenge is on the Turkish side, however there are steps
that both sides have to take. And these relations are between Armenia
and Turkey and not the third party, that is Azerbaijan,” he said.

Mensur Akgun, head of Istanbul’s Global Political Trends Center,
reflecting on the frozen Turkish-Armenian protocols said that they
simply have to be brought to life.

“It is in the interests of both sides, otherwise it will reflect badly
on Armenia and Turkey. I hope that the protocols will soon become a
reality and diplomatic relations will be established,” he said.”

Akgun says current complications with the protocols are hampered by
Azeri interference and says that Azerbaijan to Turkey is a country
with very important economic resources.

“Turkey gets oil supply and has numerous investments in that country.

Azeri politicians’ anti-Armenian speeches and statements in Turkey
create powerful counter-effect and the government is unable to cope
with it,” he says.

Participants of the round-table also commented on Monday’s visit to
Armenia by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit happens to
be on the same days as the discussions.

“If Clinton said in Armenia that the ball is in Turkey’s court now,
be sure that if she goes to Turkey she’ll say it’s in Armenia’s. Our
American and European friends, if they were honest, they’d put
pressure on Azerbaijan so that it doesn’t pressure Turkey. Turkey
will not risk ruining its relations with Azerbaijan for the sake of
the development of Armenian-Azeri relations. So, ultimately, nobody
wants to do anything for anyone,” he says.

Armenia’s issues with Turkey are the Armenian Genocide and its
recognition and the closed borders. In this respect there is tangible
progress in Turkey, says Akgun.

“During my university years we didn’t even know that Armenians were
killed in 1915, we knew the opposite. Hrant Dink paid with his life
for publicly speaking about it. Today, too, people are persecuted
for the freedom of speech, but most importantly Turkish newspapers
openly use the word genocide,” he says.

Turkish blog-writer Kemal Boskurty says that the Genocide to Turkey
is like a burial – the authorities keep refusing to bury that “corpse”.

“For a hundred years now the stench from that corpse has overwhelmed
our country and our lands. It must be buried, only then we can start
talking. We need more reporters. The issue shouldn’t be left to
historians: in no historiography would any country admit that it did
something reprehensive. They [Turkish authorities] might be strong,
but we are just as strong, too. I might be only one drop in that
watershed, but my voice can be heard. When Dink was killed nobody
expected that two hundred thousand people would rally, the size of
that crowd was astounding. With my physically challenged friend we
walked eight kilometers chanting I am Hrant Dink,” Boskurti recalls.

There are now around ten thousand political prisoners in Turkey’s
penitentiaries, about a hundred reporters and 600-700 students.

Arus Yumur, head of the Sociology chair at Istanbul’s Bilgi University,
said speaking about the freedom of speech in Turkey that it has always
been an issue there and that the authorities of different times tried
to restrict freedom of speech by various laws.

“If the history of freedom of speech is written in Turkey, Hrant Dink’s
role in it will be fundamental. Hrant turned the unspoken into spoken
in Turkey. For several years now events are held in Turkey related
to the Genocide, something we couldn’t have imagined years ago,”
says Yumul.

Boskurti says the relations can be improved only through pressure
upon the authorities.

“The press, reporters are the force that can apply pressure under
the circumstance of closed borders,” he says.

The round-table was organized by Yerevan Press Club and Eurasia
Partnership Foundation with financial support of USAID. The discussions
continue today.

ARMENIAN MINISTRY IS LEFT WITHOUT MINISTER – NEWSPAPER

news.am
June 05, 2012 | 06:33

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan is unable to find an
appropriate candidate for the office of Labor and Social Affairs
Minister, Zhoghovurd daily writes, referring to well-informed sources.

“Everyone refuses to assume this post, under this dire social
condition, fearing that the responsibility will fall upon their
shoulders.

Even the [ruling coalition’s junior partner, Orinats Yerkir (Rule
of Law) Party] RLP turned down this post, saying it is prepared to
assume all offices except for this one.

But [the coalition’s senior member, Republican Party of Armenia]
RPA spokesperson Eduard Sharmazanov was claiming otherwise: ‘There
are so many professionals who not only want to, but also can work in
this capacity.’

To note, the RLP wishes to and probably will take the post of Urban
Development Minister, where it intends to appoint Hovhannes Margaryan,
who is accused of stealing milk powder,” Zhoghovurd writes.

DIANA PARIKIAN: NOTED ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLER
Nicholas Poole-Wilson

Tuesday 01 May 2012

When she realised the mark-up on an array of Erasmus first editions
she knew she had to become a dealer

Oxford, Sunday. Diana Parikian showed me Italian books, mostly obscure
ones with illustrations, including a tiny emblem book honoring the
ninetieth birthday of Pope Clement XI in 1702. The emblems are tucked
into little floral pockets…” Thus Roger Stoddard, curator of rare
books at Harvard, in a memorandum of 1985 on his first European
acquisitions trip.

These and other such books were the stock-in-trade of Diana Parikian
who has died aged 85, one of the first female antiquarian booksellers
in a male dominated trade. She made her name if not a fortune (“I’m
not a good businesswoman”) by dint of book-hunting in the byways of
continental renaissance and baroque literature. She never sought
to compete for spoils with the established grandees of the trade,
Georges Heilbrun and Andre Jammes in Paris, or Carlo Alberto Chiesa
in Milan, but her expertise and scholarly approach enabled her to
take her place at their table on equal terms. More than that, she
had a joie de vivre that made her excellent company. Italy was her
happiest hunting ground; she was as familiar with the backstreets of
Perugia as the arcades of Turin. The art galleries and restaurants too.

She became an authority on emblem books and iconography before they
achieved cult status, at a time when the bibliographical reference
tools were limited or out of date. Her Latin was a premier dog-Latin,
sufficient to buy and sell neo-Latin poetry to John Sparrow (his
collection now at All Souls), the British Library, Harvard, Princeton
and the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington. Art historical
texts, the theatre and opera libretti were further specialities,
to which more recently she added conjuring books. Bill Kalush in New
York became a client: “He knows far more about his subject – which is
not conjuring per se, but the art of deception in the largest sense –
than any bookseller does. So you can always learn from him… Also
he buys every edition of every book, a bookseller’s dream”. In all
she issued 82 catalogues in 50 years. She knew she had arrived when a
distinguished old-timer in the trade put his arm around her shoulder
to say “Diana, your latest catalogue, I’ve read it from beginning to
end and there isn’t a single author I recognise.”

Diana Margaret Parikian was born in London in 1926, the eldest daughter
of George Carbutt, chartered accountant. She grew up in Chelsea and
was educated at Francis Holland School for Girls and later at North
Foreland Lodge where she first encountered Amaryllis Fleming, who
was later to play cello in the Parikian-Milne-Fleming Trio. In 1944
she joined the WRNS, serving at Stanmore and Bletchley Park. After
the war she attended the Royal College of Music, studying cello and
piano; it was here that she met Neville Marriner, her first husband, by
whom she had a son, the clarinettist Andrew Marriner, and a daughter,
Susie Harries, author of the recent biography of Nikolaus Pevsner.

In 1957 she married the violinist Manoug Parikian, Professor of Violin
at the Royal Academy of Music. Not one to kick her heels in a hotel
bedroom as he performed in the concert halls of Europe, she took to
the bookshops. At first she operated as a “runner”, trafficking books
from one dealer to another, in particular to Jacques Vellekoop of EP
Goldschmidt in Bond Street, who taught her much. “Yes, duckey, that’s
simply lovely, but now bring me the second edition because…” And
when she discovered the scale of mark-up on an array of Erasmus first
editions she had sold him (the friendship unimpaired), she recognised
that it was time to turn dealer proper, working first from London
and then for 22 years from a comfortable old rectory at Waterstock,
the family home where she brought up her two sons, Stepan and Levon.

In 1981 she was inspired by Colnaghi’s exhibition “Objects for a
Wunderkammer” to explore the history of the Wunderkammer, or private
museum, and to document its circuitous progress from haphazard cabinet
of antiquities and objects of wonder to the more extravagant cabinet
of objets de virtu to meet the appetite of a baroque prince, and its
transformation into a public museum. She assembled a core collection of
16th and 17th century source books in conjunction with myself, and Paul
Grinke catalogued them with learning and wit (“Clearly everyone wanted
an Egyptian mummy, a Mexican idol and a Greenland kayak, the blue
chips of the curieux, but most collectors had to settle for a piece of
bitumenised criminal, a late Roman inscription or an Egyptian scarab”).

It was a pioneer catalogue in a field now much studied, and originally
issued in very small numbers, it was reprinted in 2006 with additions
and further illustrations. A second reprint will appear later this
year. The books themselves were purchased en bloc by the Getty Museum
in California.

Diana never succumbed to collecting herself but she enjoyed aiding and
abetting Manoug in a 30-year pursuit of Armenian printed books from
the 16th to the 19th century. On his death in 1987 he bequeathed the
collection to Eton College Library. Diana always used the Armenian
alphabet for the cost-coding of her books, something that may baffle
the provenance detectives of the future but will stand as a hallmark of
books of distinction in libraries the world over. Her living legacy is
the band of present-day booksellers and librarians whom she fostered
by friendship, hospitality and example.

Diana Margaret Carbutt, antiquarian bookseller: born London 20 October
1926; married firstly Neville Marriner (one son, one daughter),
1957 Manoug Parikian (died 1987; two sons); died 3 April 2012.

20TH ANNUAL ALEXANDRIA ARMENIAN FESTIVAL HELD IN U.S.

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 5, 2012 – 15:05 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The 20th Annual Alexandria Armenian Festival was
held in the U.S. state of Virginia.

The event was organized by Alexandria-Gyumri sister city committee,
Knights of Vartan NGO and Alexandria Virginia City Hall through
support of RA embassy in the U.S., according to RA MFA press service.

The festival featured Armenian folk music, choreography and cultural
exhibits.

Representatives of Alexandria Virginia City Hall and Armenian embassy
delivered welcome speeches.

June 2 was declared Day of Armenia in Alexandria.

ARMEN MKHITARYAN: ARMENIAN SIDE’S RESPONSE ACTIONS MUST BE AS HARSH AS POSSIBLE

Panorama.am
15:38 05/06/2012 ” Politics

Such provocations must get a harsh response. Leaving them unpunished
is inadmissible, Chairman of the Union of Afghan War Veterans Armen
Mkhitaryan told Panorama.am, commenting on recent Azerbaijani diversion
attacks that killed 3 Armenian servicemen and wounded another 5. As
a result, 5 Azerbaijani servicemen were also killed.

Mikhitaryan noted that given the fact that the international community
fails to restrain Azerbaijan, Armenian side’s response actions must
be as harsh as possible.

“Azerbaijan itself makes us treat it harshly. More, Azerbaijanis
should realize that they can’t treat us that way,” he added.

BUCKLE UP IN BACK: SAFETY AMENDMENT NOW APPLIES TO BACKSEAT PASSENGERS

Society | 05.06.12 | 13:16

An amendment to Armenia’s law on seatbelts went into affect June 2
which says that passengers riding in the rear seats of vehicles on
Armenian highways face fines if they don’t wear seatbelts.

A law has been in effect since 2009 that called for drivers and
front-seat passengers to wear seatbelts, however after an initial
strict enforcement, the law is hardly observed.

Now, in theory, drivers can be find 5,000 drams (about $12) if any
passenger in their vehicle is not wearing a seatbelt. (The law exempts
older-model cars that don’t have rear-seat belts.)

Zoreh Lusparonyan, deputy head of the Achilles Center for Drivers’
Rights NGO, told ArmeniaNow that the new law on security seatbelts
did not make drivers “happy”.

“We receive many complaints related to seatbelts, and the amendment to
the law has increased the number of complaints. People mainly refuse
to wear seatbelts in the city, seeing no sense in doing it, and they
do not mind wearing [seatbelts] outside the city,” Lusparonyan says.

In 2009, hundreds of drivers were stopped and fined for not fastening
their seatbelts. But the initial enforcement yielded to a more lax
tolerance, as the majority of Armenian drivers who dislike wearing
seatbelts now ignore the law. Based on this logic, many drivers hope
that the new reform on buckled up passengers will not affect them.

ARMENIA’S ROADSIDE MEMORIALS: WILL THE “NORTH-SOUTH HIGHWAY” ERASE ALL TRACES
Sara Petrosyan

hetq
11:43, June 5, 2012

The road to Gyumri, Armenia’s second city, passes through a repetitive
set dry and empty of fields. For a passenger like me, it gets quite
boring.

As a diversion, I try and read the inscriptions on the roadside
monuments set up here and there to commemorate those who have died
due to traffic accidents.

I ask my chauffeur friend what he feels as he drives past these
numerous stone monuments and wreaths of flowers to honor traffic
victims. He replies that they are a good thing, reminding other
drivers of the fatal hazards awaiting those who do not obey the rules
of the road.

Now, my work takes me outside Yerevan every two weeks or so, especially
to Gyumri. Every time I make the trip, it seems that the number of
these roadside monuments gets larger and larger.

I mention this observation of mine to my driver. His response is
simple: “If these reminders didn’t exist the number of traffic
fatalities would be much greater.” Go figure, I think to myself.

Many others I’ve spoken to share this belief. While, I can’t argue
with the logic I still am inclined to disagree.

But there’s the flip side to this as well. Many have told me that
these roadside monuments and ad-hoc memorials of flowers divert their
attention while driving. Sometimes they even impart an impending
sense of fear and foreboding.

Take the roads from Yerevan to Gyumri and Syunik. Regular drivers on
these routes complain that certain sections are in terrible shape
and present a number of hidden hazards. They claim that the lack
of proper road signs only adds to the number of road accidents on
these stretches.

I wanted to find out what the RA Road Police thought about all this
and what measures they were taking to minimize the risks.

The police replied that in addition to the installation of speed
cameras they also carry out road inspections every spring and fall. If
they find areas of road in disrepair, reports are submitted to the
appropriate agencies.

They didn’t say if their reports are ever acted upon; i.e. if proper
warning signs are posted to alert drivers to the dangers lurking ahead.

In practice, all drivers can rely on for such information are the
roadside memorials and wreaths of flowers. This is the scenario all
over Armenia, but especially on the roadways leading from the Ararat
Marz to Vayots Dzor and Syunik beyond.

I try to remember what my friends living overseas said when I asked
them if they knew of another country where such roadside memorials
were an accepted practice. They couldn’t come up with one country.

I shudder to think what our highways in Armenia would look like in
a few years given the yearly rise in road accidents – a veritable
graveyard of stones and flowers.

According to figures supplied by the RA Police, in 2011 and up to
May of this year, 24 traffic accidents have been registered on the
Yerevan-Yeraskh-Goris-Meghri-Iran highway, resulting in 6 fatalities
and 39 injured. During the same period, 27 road accidents have been
registered on the Yerevan-Sevan-Ijevan-Azerbaijan highway; resulting
in 8 fatalities and 54 injured.

Back in the Soviet era, the road police would show off the crushed
and mangled remains of cars to alert drivers to the risks involved
of reckless and inattentive driving. This practice was removed from
public practice a long time ago.

Instead, it is now up to the family and friends of road accident
victims to remind others of the risks with their memorials and flowers.

I then wondered if prior permission was needed to erect such roadside
memorials, so I wrote to the regional authorities of Aragatzotn,
Shirak and Vayots Dzor – regions that boast the most monuments.

I wanted to know what the authorities thought about these memorials,
or if they thought about them at all. Had anyone ever tried to steer
through the regional bureaucracy in order to legally erect such a
memorial to a loved one? Was there such a formal application procedure
at all?

The answers I received were quite clear. No one had ever applied
to the local authorities prior to erecting such memorials. It was a
spontaneous exercise in expressing grief.

Even if a family member were to apply for such a permit, local
authorities are not authorized to allot a patch roadway for any
purpose.

I was told that due to safety reasons, such impromptu memorials along
the road shoulders are not allowed. But it seems that no one cares
once they are erected.

The general attitude of officials is – The family is already grieving,
why should we give them something else to grieve about.

The private memorials, large and small, are left alone.

The “North-South Road Corridor” project will soon get underway in
Armenia. It is supposed to upgrade and widen the existing highway
from Yerevan to Gyumri and the Georgian border beyond according to
international standards. The same will be done to the highway leading
from Yerevan to Meghri in the south.

It is envisaged that the program will contribute to the socio-economic
development in Armenia and expanded regional trade.

Local community leaders have been instructed not to clog up the
planned roadway with any new structures. There must be 70 meters of
empty space of both the right and left sides of the median.

So what will happen to these private memorials and stones erected by
the grieving friends and families of traffic accident victims?

Naturally, the directives of the government will win the day.

The new highway will bury all traces of prior road fatalities under
the newly installed asphalt.

Local officials know all this and, in an attempt to avoid further
grief, they should prevent the erection of any new memorials.

Perhaps the “North-South Road Corridor” project will help our people
refrain from yet another objectionable custom.

ARMENIAN ARMED FORCES ANNIHILATE FIVE AZERI SOLDIERS

tert.am
05.06.12

The Armenian armed forces annihilated four Azerbaijani servicemen
today in the morning at about 6.30 am on the line of contact in Tavush
region. Another Azeri soldier died later of fatal wounds.

On June 4 the Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire overnight in an
attempt to invade the Armenian military bases stationed in the villages
of Berdavan and Chinari. As a result of Azerbaijani-perpetrated
subversion, four Armenian servicemen were killed, five others were
injured.