Category: 2019

Today, the court of first instance postponed the examination of the claim of Hasmik Poghosyan regarding the cancellation of the building (the “Old Erivan” restaurant complex) at 2 North Avenue, mortgaged to “Unibank” within the framework of the loan agreement. The contract was signed between “Unibank” and Manvel Ter-Arakelyan.

Judge Liza Grigoryan made that decision after Ani Antonyan, representing the interests of Manvel Ter-Arakelyan, demanded that the judge recuse himself. This is in response to the fact that Judge Grigoryan rejected Antonyan’s petition to suspend the given case, because it is pending the judgment of another case being examined at the first instance. And more specifically, the case presided over by Judge Sukoyan at the first instance should determine whether Hasmik Poghosyan is the owner of 50 percent of the property belonging to Manvel Ter-Arakelyan (VERELQ wrote earlier that Hasmik Poghosyan is Ter-Arakelyan’s ex-wife. The property is acquired during a joint marriage – ed.).

According to Ani Antonyan, until there is a decision of the court, the lawsuit currently under consideration cannot be processed, because in the said lawsuit Ms. Poghosyan presents herself as a co-owner and, based on those grounds, demands to cancel the pledge agreement. Meanwhile, there is no relevant court ruling that Poghosyan is really the co-owner of Manvel Ter-Arakelyan’s property.

Tigran Muradyan, the representative of Hasmik Poghosyan’s interests, agreed that these two cases are interconnected. Only “Unibank” representative Nurijan Kirakosyan objected to their arguments. However, the arguments of Antonyan and Muradyan did not seem convincing to Judge Grigoryan, according to whom the two mentioned cases have nothing to do with each other. Accordingly, he rejected Antonyan’s motion to stay the lawsuit. This was the basis for Antonyan to demand the judge’s resignation. 

He also asked Judge Grigoryan whether he has a loan at “Unibank”. The answer was negative.

Ultimately, the judge agreed to allow until January 18 to consider the motion to dismiss. 

During the session, another motion was also examined to involve the “Old Erivan” holding as a third party in the mentioned case, but the lawyer of Hasmik Poghosyan, Tigran Muradyan, asked to postpone the consideration of that motion, because he could not find any documents, whether the said holding exists or is liquidated. Manvel Ter-Arakelyan’s defense attorney Antonyan also agreed with this claim, Nurijan Kirakosyan was the one who submitted the objection. However, Judge Grigoryan confronted Tigran Muradyan in this matter, considering that, indeed, without relevant documents, the “Old Erivan” holding cannot be involved as a third party: giving the parties time to obtain said documents.

After the session, Nurijan Kirakosyan responded to the journalists’ question whether “Unibank” recognizes Hasmik Poghosyan as a co-owner of the “Old Erivan” holding. “No”. And he refused to answer other questions, according to tradition.

A criminal case of hooliganism was initiated in the Military Police regarding the incident related to the bus transporting conscripts. This was reported by the Public Relations Department of the RA Prosecutor General’s Office.

A criminal case was initiated in the military police regarding the fact, according to the features of Article 258, Part 3, Clause 1 of the RA Criminal Code (hooliganism, which was combined with violence against a person or the threat of violence, as well as destruction or damage to another’s property, by a group of persons); Prosecutorial supervision is carried out by the Military Prosecutor’s Office.

The RA police also issued a clarification regarding the incident of the bus transporting conscripts, noting that the police should escort groups of conscripts from the military commissariat in Yerevan to the republican assembly station, and in marzes to the end of the city line.

“Today, a video of how a group of young people stopped the bus transporting conscripts and started a fight was published in the media.

After the publication of the video, some social media users were quick to blame the police for why the bus was not escorted by a police contingent.

We announce that the Government of the Republic of Armenia dated 29.10.2018 According to Resolution 1337-N, the police must escort groups of conscripts from the military commissariat in Yerevan to the republican assembly station, and in marzes to the end of the city line…

The bus transporting the conscripts from Kotayk marz was escorted according to the established procedure until the end of the settlement, that is, according to the procedure, the police could no longer continue the escort to the assembly station.

We should also add that materials are being prepared in the military police regarding the incident, and immediately after the publication of the video, the RA police is cooperating with the military police partners to verify the identity of the participants in the incident and find them.”

The website Armtimes.com shared a video showing how a group of people stopped a bus carrying conscripts, kicked the doors of the bus, shouted curses, and then a scuffle broke out.

Apparently, one of the direct participants in the incident related to the bus transporting new recruits was arrested. RA General Prosecutor’s Office informs about this.

Yesterday, a group of people stopped a bus with military license plates transporting recruits from the Kotayk Military Commissariat of the RA Defense Commissariat to the RA Defense Central Assembly Station and intentionally, grossly violating the public order and showing open disrespect towards the public, a criminal case was initiated in the RA Military Police, under the features of Article 258, Part 3, Clause 1 of the RA Criminal Code.

The criminal case was sent to the Investigative Committee of RA for preliminary investigation by the prosecutor supervising the legality of the pre-trial proceedings.

During the preliminary investigation of the criminal case, under the proper supervision of the prosecutor’s office, the necessary investigative and judicial activities are carried out, operative-investigative measures are taken. As a result, one of the direct participants in the incident, GH, was arrested.

The preliminary investigation is ongoing in order to fully identify the other participants and to give a criminal legal assessment of their actions, as well as to find out all the circumstances related to the case.

On January 9, Acting Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia Davit Tonoyan received the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Republic of Armenia Dr. Jassim Muhammad Al Qasimi.

During the meeting, the possibilities of expanding defense cooperation between the two states were discussed.

Speaking about the prospects for the development of bilateral military cooperation, the Acting Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia emphasized the need to put the cooperation on a planned and contractual basis.

Ambassador Jassim Muhammad Al Kasimi conveyed to Davit Tonoyan The invitation of the UAE Vice President, Prime Minister, Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Defense Sheikh Muhammad bin Rashid Al Matqoum to participate in the “IDEX-2019” international conference and exhibition to be held from February 17 to 21. 

Accepting the invitation, Davit Tonoyan informed that in addition to the participation of the delegation led by the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, the military industrial enterprises of the Republic of Armenia will present their products at the exhibition, and the honor guard of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia and the military band will participate in the ceremonial ceremonies.

Last year, the number of Indian citizens entering Armenia, as well as those who received residency status in Armenia, increased.

The Migration Service of the RA Migration Service has presented data on the citizens of the Republic of India in Armenia. The service informed that the summary statistical data of 2018 will be available only after January 20, however, even the analysis of the available data shows that there is an increase in the number of border crossings of Indian citizens to Armenia.

Thus, in 2015 their border crossings were: entry – 3951, exit – 3899, difference – 52, in 2016 – 4226 and 4148, difference – 78, in 2017 – 11589 and 11278, difference – 311, and in 2018 according to the data of the first half of the year, inflows were 10,237 and outflows were 9,122, the difference was 1,115.

As for Indian citizens who have received residence statuses, there is also an increase in this case. In 2015, 1119 citizens of the Republic of India received residence status. 1086 in 2016, 938 in 2017, and 2018. according to the preliminary results, that number is close to 2000 (the final data will be determined after January 20). It should be noted that the citizens of India have received the status of temporary residence at best, and the main basis for obtaining it was education.

The increase in the number of Indian citizens entering Armenia is also due to the visa policy. By the decision adopted in February 2017 (N 103-Н), the Government of the Republic of Armenia made it possible for citizens of India to obtain an entry visa of the Republic of Armenia only at the diplomatic missions and consular institutions of the Republic of Armenia in foreign countries, also without an invitation, and for those citizens of India who have a residence status in the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait and the Sultanate of Oman, to obtain the entry visa of the Republic of Armenia at the border crossing of the Republic of Armenia. in points.

And in 2017 in November, the RA government adopted a new decision (N 1435-Н) according to which the procedure for issuing an entry visa to the Republic of India for citizens of the Republic of India was made easier, making it possible to obtain an entry visa to the Republic of Armenia without an invitation, both at the RA embassies and at the border checkpoints of the Republic of Armenia or through the electronic visa (E-Visa) system, which led to an increase in the number of Indian citizens visiting Armenia.

The Armenian government is constantly taking steps to improve the process of issuing visas to Armenia and control mechanisms of illegal migration, including in the legal field. However, the principle of exclusion of national discrimination is strictly at the basis of all these actions.

It should be noted that according to the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On Foreigners”, visas to visit the Republic of Armenia are issued with the right to stay in the Republic of Armenia for a period of up to 21 days (the state fee is 3,000 AMD) and for a period of stay of up to 120 days, with the possibility of extending it for a maximum period of up to 60 days (the state fee is 15,000 AMD).