Category: 2020

Asbarez: AEF Holds 12th Annual School Supply Project at Chamlian School

Hovsep Chakrian

Vahan & Anoush Chamlian Armenian School students and Armenian Educational Foundation volunteers joined forces to help pack 470 backpacks for students in six AEF sponsored schools in the Shirak region, as well as three AEF sponsored schools in the Araghtzoten region in Armenia. The collaborative event was held on Sunday, February 9.

The School Supply Project was initiated by the Savadian family, who, upon visiting village schools in Orgov, Armenia, were shocked by the lack of essential school supplies students needed during their schooling. The Savadians took it upon themselves to collect various school supply donations from friends and relatives to ship to the students in Orgov.

Since 2007, the AEF has fully sponsored and executed the SSP, which entails gathering and delivering backpacks filled with school supplies to students in the most rural and hard-to-reach schools in Armenia, Artsakh, and Javakhk. Since then, SSP has delivered backpacks and school supplies to 20,155 students.

During the last few years, the backpacks were packed with the aid of students at Vahan & Anoush Chamlian Armenian School in Glendale, CA.

The collaboration with the Chamlian School students gives the participants the opportunity to engage in community service. As project Chair Ruby Baghdassarian notes, “Young volunteers learn the importance and challenges of raising funds to support a humanitarian project. Not only do they help organize, pack, and prepare the backpacks, but they also learn about the regions and the circumstances facing these communities. Our volunteers prepare for TV interviews and learn the importance of communicating their mission to an audience. All these skills are essential for these middle school students who aspire to be our community’s future leaders and advocates.”

AEF’s School Supply Project would not be possible, however, without the generous $1,000 sponsorship from the Vahan & Anoush Chamlian Armenian School. This year, donations were also made by Adventist Health Glendale, which provided over 500 “To Go” first aid kits placed alongside basic school supplies for the student recipients.

School Supply Project Co-President Michael Baghdassarian, who has been a volunteer since 6th grade, stated, “Each year we face new challenges but, in the end, we complete the project successfully. What I love about volunteering for this project is that we are making a difference.”

The Armenian Educational Foundation is a non-profit organization, established in 1950, with the goal of advancing and preserving the Armenian heritage through support of education; from kindergarten to college and beyond.

For more information, please contact AEF by phone 818.242.4154, email [email protected], or visit the website.

Asbarez: AMAA’s Vanadzor ‘Shogh’ Day Center Moves to New Location

Anna Tamamian

PARAMUS, New Jersey—Earlier this year, the Armenian Missionary Association of America’s “Shogh” Children’s Day Center in Vanadzor, Armenia moved to its new location. After purchasing the building last year, the AMAA renovated and furnished the property as the new “Shogh” Center.

Children who have attended the Center since its opening in 2013 participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony, which was held on February 4. The staff welcomed the children to the new Center with applause, smiles, and the announcing of “Welcome to the Shogh Center.”

Following the opening ceremony, the staff and families were given a tour of the Center, where they saw the new furnishings in the classrooms.

In the new Center, the bee serves as a symbol of diligence, production and punctuality. The staff welcomed the children with images of the bee family. The young attendees were happy to learn that they were also members of that same bee family. The many types of flowers in their imaginary fairytale garden had conventional names such as “A Flower of Kindness,” “Responsibility,” and “Care.” They chose the flower nectar from which they will receive and bring their drop of honey into the Center, filling it with a symbolic honeycomb. Each student made their own contribution by saying, “A drop of righteousness, kindness, faithfulness …” and they posted their bees on the wall as a promise to obey the Center’s rules, each repeating, “I am the Shogh.”

A reception held following the opening ceremony was also a reminder of a hive – the organized work of bees, its efficiency, and usefulness.

“Each AMAA Shogh center is a bee hive where children are cared for, nurtured, educated and prepared to be productive citizens in society, collectively contributing to structure a honeycomb state,” said AMAA Executive Director/CEO Zaven Khanjian.

AMAA’s “Shogh” Day Centers – located in Gyumri, Vanadzor, and Yerevan in Armenia and Askeran and Shushi in Artsakh – aim to support children 6 to 12-years-old who are living in socially underserved families. The main objective of the Centers is to help children overcome educational difficulties, grow personally, and become part of an educated and healthy society. Highly qualified and experienced professionals such as tutors, social workers, and psychologists provide social, educational, psychological, and recreational activities to nearly 290 school-age children. The “Shogh” Centers also provide a safe environment for children while their parents are at work, ensuring the safety and security of each child.

Established in 1918 in Worcester, MA, the AMAA serves the religious, educational, and social needs of Armenian communities in 24 countries around the world, including Armenia and Artsakh. For additional information, please visit the website.

Asbarez: Pashinyan, Aliyev Discuss Karabakh during Panel in Munich

Hovsep Chakrian
February 18,  2020

After a brief meeting on the margins of the Munich Security Conference, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution process on Saturday in an unusual panel discussion during which the two leaders answered questions from the audience.

The moderator of the discussion, veteran Eurasian security policy expert Celeste Wallander, first allowed Aliyev to make opening remarks, during which the Azerbaijani president, citing obscure treaties claimed that Armenians did not exist in the Caucasus, perhaps attempting to bolster his long-standing claims that he will “reclaim Yerevan.”

Below is a readout of the Pashinyan’s responses provided by the prime minister’s press office.

Pashinyan retorted by saying: “I would ask President Aliyev not to go that far into history because when Armenian King Tigran the Great was negotiating with Pompeus, there was no such country in the South Caucasus and in the world in general named Azerbaijan. Therefore, I do not think that it is right to go that far back in history, since I can go even further and start from 405 BC, for example, but I would not do so because I do not think that it is the right way to go.

Coming to the status of Nagorno-Karabakh as a state, I would rather disagree with President Aliyev, because the Caucasian Bureau made a legitimate decision that Karabakh should be part of Armenia, but after that the decision was reversed in Moscow on the personal initiative of Joseph Stalin. It seemed like a plot, an arrangement between Stalin, Lenin and Ataturk. Karabakh has never been part of an independent Azerbaijani state. Karabakh was handed over to Azerbaijan in the process of forming the Soviet Union. And when we are talking about territorial integrity, we have to decide which country we are talking about.

My question is whether Azerbaijan respected the territorial integrity of the Soviet Union when it broke away from the Soviet Union just as Nagorno-Karabakh did. If you think that I am now speaking about a country that does not exist any longer – I mean the Soviet Union – I would counter by saying that either the Soviet Republic, of which Nagorno-Karabakh used to be part, is inexistent; there is no Soviet Socialist Republic of Azerbaijan, and that is true. Nagorno-Karabakh gained independence from both the Soviet Union and Soviet Azerbaijan in the same way as Azerbaijan broke away from the Soviet Union.

As for Khojalu, in the mid-1990s, former President of Azerbaijan Ayaz Mutalibov said in an interview with Russian Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper that Khojalu’s provocation was organized by the Azerbaijani opposition with a view to ousting him from power.

As regards the UN Security Council documents, let us see what those documents implied after all? They called for an unconditional and immediate ceasefire, that is, to stop violence and hostilities. And when we look at UN Security Council Resolution 8.8.4, we can see that it says that Azerbaijan was the one to have violated the ceasefire, due to which it lost territories. And I deem it important to state that Azerbaijan failed to respect the provisions of the Security Council Resolution.

I think that instead of repeating over and over the same things for the past 25 or 30 years, the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders ought to come up with new approaches and ideas, as I am afraid that the international community is tired hearing the same things.

When I became Prime Minister following a non-violent people’s revolution, I realized that it is impossible to settle a long-standing conflict in one or two steps. And I felt that in order to resolve this conflict we need revolutions. And I started the process of micro-revolutions.

Next time I have the opportunity to address the audience, I will try to explain the importance of micro-revolutions in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process that I have initiated. Thank you.”

Question – You are in this international audience: there are many experienced negotiators who have been working on this challenge for almost 30 years trying to bring about a peaceful settlement of the dispute. What would you like the international community to do to help you advance the option that you believe is a just and peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan – There is a very specific contribution that the international community can make, namely to make it clear, to stress that there can be no military solution to the Karabakh conflict. If someone thinks otherwise and says that there is a military solution to the conflict, I think the people of Nagorno Karabakh will answer that the conflict is already resolved. However, I think that we need a lasting peace.

Armenia does not represent Nagorno-Karabakh in the negotiation process, but I know that Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are ready to make real efforts to achieve a lasting peace in our region. And as the Prime Minister of Armenia, I consider this situation not only my responsibility for the security of my country, but I see it as my responsibility for regional and global security.

And I suggest that President Aliyev, too, should perceive this situation as a common task. That is, to achieve a lasting peace and stability and to view this situation not only as a matter of our national agenda, but also as a matter of global and regional security. And our responsibility, our duty is to do our best in order to contribute to global security. I can assure you that Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are ready for it.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan responded to the remarks made by President Ilham Aliyev: “I would like to make some comments. First of all, the UN Security Council resolutions do not feature the wording “Armenian troops,” we read “local Armenian forces” there. That is, people in Nagorno-Karabakh formed self-defense forces and, therefore, there is no mention of the Armenian army in the texts of UN Security Council resolutions. As for the victims, yes, it is a tragedy, it is a conflict and thousands of people died as a result of that conflict, both Armenian and Azeri, and that is a fact.

However, I myself have read ex-president Ayaz Mutalibov’s interview in Nezavisimaya Gazeta, and I think we can find it on the internet. As for historical facts, there is a book, entitled “Nagorno-Karabakh: legal aspects.” What I said about city names and ethnic cleansing can be found in that very book and in history textbooks.

There was a Shahumyan region where there is no Armenian living now, though formerly it used to be populated solely by Armenians. Shahumyan region now has an Azerbaijani name, which is a very difficult word for me to utter. In addition, President Aliyev noted that an Azeri soldier was killed by an Armenian, while earlier today an Armenian soldier was wounded by an Azerbaijani sniper. And our mutual task is to stop this process.”

Question – I am a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for International Law. President Aliyev mentioned the role of international law. My question is addressed to both speakers. Why not submit the dispute to the International Court of Justice by special agreement?

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan – We, too, are committed to the negotiation process, to the peace process, and I think that the negotiations should take place in the OSCE Minsk Group format. As I said, we are prepared to make real efforts to change the situation and reach a solution to the conflict. But no one asked me about those mini revolutions I have made in the negotiation process.

My principled approach is as follows: it is impossible to solve this conflict in one or two steps. I feel that we need micro-revolutions in order to translate them into mini-revolutions after which we will have a breakthrough in the negotiation process.

What was that micro-revolution? In September 2018, I announced that any solution in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be acceptable to the people of Armenia, the people of Karabakh and the people of Azerbaijan. This is a micro-revolution because I am the first leader of Armenia who says that any solution should be acceptable for the people of Azerbaijan as well. I am not only the only leader of Armenia, but also I am the only one from the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan who says that any solution should be acceptable for all sides. And now a year has passed since that Revolution. This is a very important micro-revolution.

The next revolution is that during one of my press conferences I called on Armenian and Azeri social media users not to use social media to insult and threaten each other. I called on social media to use new technologies to try to understand each other better.

This is another approach, and I have tried to speak directly to the people of Azerbaijan. I do not mind if President Aliyev speaks to the Armenian people. However, the President of Azerbaijan is refusing to speak to the people of Karabakh.

But we are faced up with a very strange fact: President Aliyev is reluctant to talk to Nagorno-Karabakh’s representatives, which is a very strange fact. It is impossible to solve the Karabakh conflict without talking to the people of Karabakh, is it?

By the way, Nagorno Karabakh was twice recognized by the OSCE as a party to the conflict and a negotiating party. It happened on March 24, 1992 and at the 1994 OSCE Summit in Budapest. Thank you.

Question – Russia is one of those countries that are trying to find a solution. One suggestion was that maybe the status issue should be left over at this point, and the mediators should be trying to do something that the parties might agree upon, for example, concerning the formation of a corridor, the territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, and so on. Do you see any possibility for an intermediate solution?

The question was first answered by President Ilham Aliyev, to which Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan responded, saying: “By the way, we have managed a mutual micro revolution on either side, and I hope to have the opportunity to dwell thereon. When we first met in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, we just made a mini-revolution together with President Aliyev. Our meeting was followed by an unprecedented fall in tensions and we were able to create a direct line for communication and exchange of information. I must admit that President Aliyev was a co-author in this case.

President Aliyev talks about territories, while for Karabakh it is a matter of security. We need to understand why today’s status quo was established, because when Nagorno-Karabakh tried to exercise its right to self-determination, hostilities began against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, and the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh were forced to organize themselves for self-defense.

President Aliyev referred to Shushi and Stepanakert, which is the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh. Stepanakert used to be shelled from Shushi for many years in a row. Civilians used to live in underground shelters for a long time, and that is the truth. Now, it is impossible for anyone to compromise Karabakh’s security.

President Aliyev spoke about Azerbaijan’s armed forces. My son is doing his military service in Nagorno-Karabakh; he went there as a volunteer. He went to defend his compatriots because he knows history very well; he knows what has been going on since 1988. I mentioned Shahumyan region, where the population was 100% Armenian, now there is not a single Armenian living there. We also remember the fate of Nakhichevan, where there was a huge Armenian population. Nakhichevan is an autonomous republic within Azerbaijan, and now there is no Armenian there.

Also, President Aliyev says that Nagorno-Karabakh is not a party to negotiations and to the conflict, but Azerbaijan has twice signed agreements with Nagorno-Karabakh. For the first time in 1994, it was a ceasefire agreement between Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan. The defense ministers signed the document. Three months later. in July, 1994 they reaffirmed that the ceasefire should be maintained until a political settlement is reached.”

At the end of the discussion, responding to Azerbaijani President’s statement, Pashinyan said: “Mr. President, it was not too constructive, but I would say that in the times of Tigran the Great there were only two nations in our region – Armenians and Georgians. And this was the case not only in the times of Tigran the Great, but also during the rule of the Bagratides and the Arshakunis. It can be found in any history book. I am happy for this discussion. I would like to reaffirm that Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are ready to make real efforts to resolve the conflict.”

[see video]

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 02/18/2020

Elizabeth Jabejian 
                                        Tuesday, 

Lawyers To Lead ‘No’ Campaign For Armenian Referendum

        • Gayane Saribekian
        • Marine Khachatrian

Armenia -- Ruben Melikian (C) and other lawyers opposed to constitutional 
changes at the Central Election Commission, Yerevan, February 2020.

More than 60 lawyers critical of the Armenian government have joined forces to 
campaign for a “no” vote in the upcoming referendum on a controversial 
government proposal to oust most members of the country’s Constitutional Court.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) on Tuesday registered them as the sole No 
side in the unfolding referendum campaign. The official status entitles them to 
free airtime on state television.

Armenians will vote on April 5 on draft constitutional amendments ending the 
powers of seven of the nine Constitutional Court judges who have for months been 
under government pressure to resign.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has repeatedly accused them -- and Constitutional 
Court Chairman Hrayr Tovmasian in particular -- of maintaining ties to the 
“corrupt former regime” and impeding judicial reforms. Tovmasian and Pashinian’s 
political opponents have dismissed these claims, saying that Pashinian is simply 
seeking to gain control over Armenia’s highest court.

Leading opposition parties have questioned the legality of the proposed 
amendments, saying that they run counter to other articles of the Armenian 
constitution. But none of those parties has decided to officially campaign 
against their enactment.

Edmon Marukian, the leader of the opposition Bright Armenia Party (LHK), argued 
last week that opposition involvement in the No campaign would make it easier 
for Pashinian’s political team to portray a “yes” vote as another rejection of 
former President Serzh Sarkisian. The latter was overthrown in the 2018 “Velvet 
Revolution” that brought Pashinian to power.

The lawyers who have set up the official No camp too have denounced the 
amendments as unconstitutional. One of their representatives, Ruben Melikian, 
insisted on Tuesday that their involvement in the referendum campaign will not 
help to legitimize the process.

“In terms of our national interests, we will suffer much greater damage and 
losses if not only the constitutionality but also the fairness of this process 
is called into question,” Melikian told reporters. “We must enable people, who 
have something to say, to present their message and allow those people, who want 
to monitor [the referendum,] to take that opportunity.”


Armenia -- Supporters of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian block the entrance to 
the Constitutional Court buildin in Yerevan, May 20, 2019.

Melikian, who has served as a deputy justice minister in the past, also said 
that the lawyers are not afraid of being branded agents of the former regime by 
Pashinian’s team. “We do not support or campaign against anyone,” he said. “This 
is a fight for the Republic of Armenia.”

While saying that the No campaign will seek to avoid “political” statements, 
Melikian did not exclude that it will give opposition forces a platform to 
continue denouncing the government bid to replace the high court judges.“Yes, we 
may enable various political forces to make use of our free airtime,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pashinian met with senior members of his My Step bloc late on Monday 
for further discussions on practical modalities of the Yes campaign. One of his 
top loyalists, Alen Simonian, confirmed after the meeting that the prime 
minister will personally participate in the campaign.

“The prime minister loves talking to the people and the people love the prime 
minister,” Simonian told reporters. “We will be entering this campaign with 
great pleasure.”

Simonian did not give other details of the campaign. He said only that the 
ruling bloc should be careful not to “tire out” voters with speeches and other 
activities.




Armenian Government Mulls More Tax Reforms


Armenia -- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and senior government officials 
discuss tax reforms, Yerevan, .

Less than one year after introducing wide-ranging tax cuts, Armenia’s government 
announced on Tuesday plans for further tax reforms which Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian said will involve “bold” measures.

Finance Minister Atom Janjughazian presented a strategy of such reforms at a 
meeting of fellow cabinet members and other senior officials chaired by 
Pashinian. They will improve tax collection, create “favorable conditions” for 
continued economic growth and help to boost living standards in the country, he 
said, according to a government statement on the meeting.

“We are going to make very bold decisions ranging from property tax to other 
changes in taxation,” the statement quoted Pashinian as saying. “The logic 
behind those bold decisions is that state revenues must rise in a way that will 
allow the economy to develop so that they rise further in the future.”

“People must change the attitudes towards payment of taxes existing in 
modern-day Armenia,” Pashinian went on. For that purpose, he said, Armenians 
must be certain that “the government does not steal from them” and spends 
taxpayers’ money efficiently.

The statement gave no details of the measures cited by Pashinian or the reform 
“concept” proposed by Janjughazian.

The government pushed through the Armenian parliament last June a bill that 
introduced a flat personal income tax, cut the corporate profit tax rate from 20 
to 18 percent and made more small businesses eligible for preferential taxation. 
At the same time, it raised excise taxes collected from tobacco and alcohol.

Government officials have expressed confidence that despite these tax cuts, 
which took effect on January 1, Armenia’s tax revenues will continue to rise 
significantly this year.

The State Revenue Committee (SRC) collected just over 1.5 trillion drams ($3.2 
billion) in various taxes last year, up by more than 16 percent from 2018. The 
head of the SRC, Davit Ananian, has attributed the sizable increase to the SRC’s 
continued efforts to improve tax administration and combat tax evasion.


Yerevan Slams ‘Maximalist’ Baku After Summit


Armenia -- Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian (R) meets with Toivo Klaar, the 
EU's special representative for the South Caucasus, Yerevan, .

Three days after the latest Armenian-Azerbaijani summit, Foreign Minister Zohrab 
Mnatsakanian accused Baku on Tuesday of hampering progress towards a resolution 
of the Nagorno-Karabakh with “maximalist” demands.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev held a 
brief meeting in Munich on Saturday before participating in a panel discussion 
on Karabakh held as part of an annual security conference in the southern German 
city.

The two leaders publicly traded accusations during the discussion. In 
particular, Aliyev again described Karabakh as his country’s “integral part” and 
branded Armenia an “aggressor,” prompting a rebuttal from Pashinian.

Mnatsakanian appeared to refer to this verbal exchange when he discussed the 
Karabakh peace progress with Toivo Klaar, the European Union’s visiting special 
envoy for the South Caucasus. According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, the 
two men agreed that the conflicting parties should genuinely prepare their 
populations for peace.

“In that context, the Armenian foreign minister particularly stressed the 
importance of the leaders publicly sending signals and messages of peace to 
their societies and pointed out that the Azerbaijani side continues to publicly 
act from maximalist positions rejecting the rights of the Karabakh people, 
something which does not allow [the parties] to register progress in the peace 
process,” the ministry said in a statement.

The Karabakh conflict was also on the agenda of Klaar’s separate meeting with 
Pashinian. An Armenian government statement said Pashinian shared with the EU 
envoy his “observations and views” about Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks. It 
gave no details.

Aliyev and Pashinian met in Munich two weeks after Mnatsakanian and Azerbaijani 
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov concluded two days of negotiations in Geneva 
held in the presence of U.S., French and Russian mediators.

In a joint statement with the mediators, the ministers said the “intensive 
discussions” focused on “possible next steps to prepare the populations for 
peace; principles and elements forming the basis of a future settlement; and 
timing and agenda for advancing the settlement process.”




Government, Military Vow Strong Action Over Army Deaths

        • Astghik Bedevian

Armenia -- Lieutenant General Artak Davtian, the chief of Armenian army's 
General Staff, speaks at a news conference in parliament, Yerevan, February 18, 
2020.

Armenia’s leadership pledged to punish senior military officials and improve 
military discipline on Tuesday following a spate of non-combat deaths of 
Armenian army soldiers reported in recent weeks.

The Armenian military has reported 13 such deaths since the beginning of this 
year. Eight of these soldiers have died in accidents and other circumstances not 
related to their military service.

The five other victims are believed to have committed suicide or been shot dead 
by other servicemen in separate incidents investigated by law-enforcement 
authorities. The latter arrested three soldiers in connection with one of those 
deaths which occurred at an army base in Nagorno-Karabakh late last month.

The shooting incidents have caused outrage in Armenia and cast a renewed 
spotlight on the chronic problem of hazing and other abuses in the army ranks. 
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian discussed them with top military and 
law-enforcement officials at an emergency meeting held on Monday amid continuing 
criticism of the army command voiced by some opposition politicians and civic 
activists.

Pashinian said on Tuesday that “a number of important, including 
personnel-related, decisions” were made at the meeting and called for an end to 
the “nervous atmosphere around the army.”

In a Facebook post, he said that the number of non-combat deaths among Armenian 
military personnel fell to a “historical low” last year thanks to the 
authorities’ efforts to tackle the problem. “Our objective is to maintain this 
dynamic,” he wrote.

The chief of the army’s General Staff, Lieutenant-General Artak Davtian, 
confirmed the impending “personnel changes” within the military but did not shed 
light on them. He declined to comment on reports that the chief of the Armenian 
military police is among senior officers who will be sacked in the coming days.

Davtian stressed that other officers have already been demoted or discharged 
from the armed forces this month because of the non-combat fatalities. He also 
expressed confidence that investigators will identify those directly responsible 
for them.

Armenia’s top military investigator, Artak Krkyasharian, discussed the ongoing 
inquiries with his subordinates on Tuesday. He was reported to order them to 
publicize details of the probes.

Davtian spoke to reporters after meeting with Armenian parliament deputies 
behind the closed doors. He assured them that the authorities are doing their 
best to eradicate “elements of the criminal subculture” and strengthen 
discipline in the army.


Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2020 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org

Electronic scammers managed to steal from ATMs in Armenia 34.8 mln drams

Varazdat Torgomian
Arminfo, Armenia
Feb 18 2020

ArmInfo.The criminal case of theft of ATMs committed by a group of people has been sent to court. It is reported by the Investigative Committee of Armenia.

According to the source, in August 2018, a message was received that  a theft had been committed using computer technology on the Kievyan  street in Kievyan, and a criminal case was opened, which was then  added by several more cases related to thefts from other ATMs , as  well as committing theft in one of the apartments and attempted theft  from another.

As a result of the operational-search measures undertaken, two  persons were identified who were suspected of having committed these  crimes – residents of Yerevan, born in 1986 and 1976. Using a  malicious program, they illegally were able to withdraw significant  sums of 34.8 million drams from ATMs, involving a group of persons  that had not yet been identified, with which a preliminary agreement  had been reached, in illegal actions.

In addition, it turned out that one of the attackers had stolen in  one of the Yerevan apartments in the Nor- Nork quarter, from where he  took out 2.4 million drams, $ 120, as well as watches and jewelry  worth 700 thousand drams. Thus, the total amount stolen amounted to  3.158 million drams. Then, using technical means, he managed to open  the electronic lock of another apartment – on Komitas Street, but he  was forced to leave on his own, because there was neither money nor  valuables in it.

Cases against both suspects were sent to court. Actions are being  taken to identify other individuals not yet identified.

A draft resolution on honoring memory of Armenian genocide victims has been submitted to Ukrainian Parliament

Ara Felekian
Arminfo, Armenia
Feb 18 2020

ArmInfo. A draft resolution on honoring the memory of the Armenian genocide victims has been submitted to the Ukrainian Parliament

According to AnalitikaUA.net, the legislative initiative of the  People's Deputy of Ukraine from "Servants of the People" faction  Daria Volodina on honoring the memory of the victims of the Armenian  Genocide was registered on February 14.

Head of the Union of Armenians of Ukraine Vilen Shatvoryanhas called  the initiative "an important step demonstrating a consistent  commitment to the ideas of humanism, truth and justice."

Three similar initiatives have been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada  over the past 10 years.

In May 2019 Anton Polyakov from the  "Servants of the People" faction   had submitted a draft resolution on Recognition of the Armenian  Genocide.  On June 6, 2013, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine registered  the Draft Resolution on the Recognition of the Armenian Genocide in  the Ottoman Empire in 1915.  On April 3, 2015, the Parliament  re-registered the draft resolution on the recognition of the genocide  of the Armenians by MP Vitaly Barvinenko.. Dozens of people's  deputies joined the initiative of the parliamentarian.

There are no fundamental disagreements between Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces of Armenia and Minister of Defense

Garnik Tadevosian
Arminfo, Armenia
Feb 18 2020

ArmInfo. There are no fundamental disagreements between Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia Artak Davtyan and  Minister of Defense David  Tonoyan. This was announced on February 18 in an interview with  reporters by Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of  Armenia Artak Davtyan.

Davtyan emphasized that the Chief of the General Staff is subordinate  to the Minister of Defense. "Often, some minor disagreements on the  job are presented as serious disagreements. However, I can assure  you, in case of serious disagreements, I would resign as a  subordinate," the head of the General Staff assured. He also noted  that in everyday matters the minister always listens to advice. "I,  as the Chief of the General Staff, present my approaches that may  affect the adoption of a decision. This is quite natural, since the  Minister of Defense is responsible for making these or those  decisions," Davtyan emphasized.

The Chief of the General Staff also touched on the situation  associated with elite military units. According to the latter, they  should not be in Armenia. "The army is working to prevent the  emergence of such military units. But at the moment I would not want  to disclose the details of these works," Davtyan summed up the line.   It should be noted that in recent days information has been  circulating in the media that relations between the Chief of the  General Staff and the Minister of Defense of Armenia have aggravated.  According to media reports, they appeared in connection with the  story of a tender for the supply of Russian weapons.

Aleksandr Iskandaryan: After the change of elites in the executive and legislative branches, it`s now the turn of the judicial branch

Sonya Jalatian
Arminfo, Armenia
Feb 18 2020

ArmInfo. The change of elites in such a state as Armenia always takes place according to a "soft" scenario. This was announced on February 18 at a press conference by  the head of the Caucasus Institute, political scientist Alexander  Iskandaryan.

He noted that the change of elites in the country began in April  2018. "It also took place in the judicial field, which, in fact, fits  perfectly into the logic of any revolution. Thus, what is happening  in the country is not a surprise, it was predictable. First, the  executive branch changed, then the legislative and the turn of the  courts came, "the expert emphasized.

Iskandaryan emphasized that a process is now taking place when the  government, through various methods, is trying to change the  composition of the judiciary, including through transitional justice,  and then a referendum. "But such a" soft "scenario is not possible  everywhere, I mean countries with harsh regimes, such as Azerbaijan  or North Korea," the political scientist said.

It should be noted that on February 6, the parliament adopted a  referendum decision at which Armenian citizens will decide whether  they agree to amend the Constitution of the country. On April 5, a  constitutional referendum will be held in Armenia, at which the issue  of judges of the Constitutional Court will be decided. Many deputies  and human rights activists said that this decision is  unconstitutional, since initially the deputies had to send their  proposal to the Constitutional Court. After that, two campaign  headquarters were formed, which campaign to vote "for" these  Constitutional amendments and "against" them. According to the  decision adopted on February 11 at the CEC meeting, the campaign will  be held from February 17 to April 3.

Constitutional Court Judge: Accuse me for a reason, and not based on fabricated facts

Emil Lazarian
Arminfo, Armenia
Feb 18 2020

ArmInfo. Judge of the Constitutional Court Feliks Tokhyan refutes information about the  political pressure against him. Tokhyan said this on February 18 in an interview with reporters.

The judge confirmed the information that he met with the speaker of  the parliament Ararat Mirzoyan, emphasizing that the latter is his  former student. "Ararat Mirzoyan and I drank a cup of coffee, but  there was no pressure on me. We discussed some issues and our meeting  was held in a normal friendly environment," said the judge of the  Constitutional Court.

Tokhyan also said that he had met with another judge of the  Constitutional Court Vahe Grigoryan and gave him advice, however, he  did not mentioned details of the talk.

The judge of the Constitutional Court refused to answer questions  related to the upcoming referendum on amendments to the Constitution,  since after the referendum a complaint can be sent to the court and  then he will not be able to participate in the proceedings. Tokhyan  also stated that he was in the Investigative Committee in connection  with the charge against former Deputy Prime Minister Armen Gevorgyan.   In conclusion, the judge called on the media and the public to stop  accusing the Constitutional Court of wrong decisions, recommended  reading the archive of the court, and if evidence is found, publish  it. "The biggest mistake I consider is that we did not work publicly  and did not spread about the decisions made.  Accuse me of the case,  and not on the basis of fabricated facts," said Tokhyan.

It should be noted that on February 6, the parliament adopted a  referendum decision at which Armenian citizens will decide whether  they agree to amend the Constitution of the country. On April 5, a  constitutional referendum will be held in Armenia, at which the issue  of judges of the Constitutional Court will be decided. Many MPs and  human rights activists said that this decision is unconstitutional,  since initially the MPs had to send their proposal to the  Constitutional Court. After that, two campaign headquarters were  formed, which campaign to vote "for" these Constitutional amendments  and "against" them.

According to the decision adopted on February 11 at the meeting of  the CEC, the campaign will be held from February 17 to April 3.

Ilham Aliyev lies, claims reporter who interviewed former Azerbaijani president on Khojaly events

Emil Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 18 2020
Politics 11:57 18/02/2020 Armenia

Reporter Dana Mazalova who interviewed former President of Azerbaijan Ayaz Mutalibov and published the article in “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” reaffirms that irrespective of the efforts of the incumbent President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to distort the reality, her article is in full compliance with what former Azerbaijani President Ayaz Mutalibov said during the interview which took place in April, 1992.

The reporter regrets that she was unable to preserve the recording due to technical reasons. 

“There was no internet, there were no computers, but I reaffirm that what I wrote back then are what Ayaz Mutalibov said, I have not added anything. Now he can deny it as he wants, but he said it the way it is printed in “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” newspaper. I have the copy of that newspaper and its available on the net, Ayaz Mutalibov has said it”, Dana Mazalova said in an exclusive interview with Armenpress. Mutalibov gave an interview to Dana Mazalova after one month following his resignation.

Mazalova heard about the tragic events of Khojaly from the video recordings of cameraman Chingiz Mustafayev, who had personally made exclusive records. “Chingiz, whom I met in Kislovodsk, told me in his apartment how those people were killed, they were hurting their knees so they couldn't go. The knees… the most vulnerable place on human’s body. I was scheduled to take an interview from Ayaz Mutalibov the next day. I could not help asking him what I had seen in the records made by Chingiz. Of course, I did not say the name of my friend Chingiz not to harm him. After 2 months Chingiz was killed”, the reporter recalls with grief.

Dana Mazalova told also about another recording of Chingiz Mustafayev. The bodies of the victims of Khojaly events were seen in a video recording done on February 28 in front of the military positions of the “Popular Front” of Azerbaijani troops. According to Muslim traditions, the bodies should have been buried within two days, but Chingiz Mustafayev could record them also on March 2, but this time the bodies were taken to another place and were vandalized. In the video recording of February 28 it could be seen that Azerbaijani soldiers were walking near the bodies.

“I feel very guilty for not taking and copying those recordings. I feel so sorry up till now. I think you understand that my interview with Mutalibov was the result of those video recordings and my conversations with Chingiz”, Mazalova said.

To the remark of the reporter of Armenpress that President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev used the public platform of Munich Security Conference on February 15 to deny the words of Mutalibov, Mazalova emphasized, “I will put this way. We know that Turkey denies the Armenian Genocide up till now”.

One month after the Khojaly tragedy Ayaz Mutalibov was interviewed by Czech reporter Dana Mazalova.

– What would you say about the Khojaly events, after which you resigned? At the time, bodies of people from Khojaly were discovered not far from Aghdam. Someone had shot them in the legs beforehand to prevent them from running away. Afterwards they were axed. On February 29th my colleagues filmed them. When we next filmed on March 2 these corpses had been scalped. What kind of strange game was that?

– As the rescued residents of Khojaly say, all that was organized to create grounds for my resignation. I don’t think that the Armenians, who had manifested a clear and knowledgeable approach to such situations, would have allowed Azerbaijanis to obtain evidence that tied them to fascist acts. If I declare that it was the fault of the Azerbaijani opposition I could be blamed for slander. But the overall picture of the conclusions is as follows: the Armenians had, in any case, provided a corridor to let the civilians escape. Why then would they shoot? As soon as Khojaly was surrounded by tanks it was necessary to immediately lead the civilians out. Earlier I had given similar orders regarding Shushi – to evacuate women and children and to leave only men in the city. It’s one of the laws of war – civilians must be rescued. My conduct was appropriate and unambiguous – I gave such orders, but why they weren’t followed in Khojaly is not clear to me.