Category: 2022

Freedom House urges Pashinyan to hold transparent news conferences

Adrine Hakobian
Panorama
Armenia – July 8 2022

Rights group Freedom House calls on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to take the concerns of the media seriously and to hold open and transparent news conference.

“Freedom House also urges the Armenian Prime Minister to take the concerns of the media seriously and leverage direct communication channels including through open and transparent press-conferences to ensure a healthy functioning democracy,” the organization said in a tweet on Thursday.

"The Armenian authorities should support the independent media and civil society by maintaining an active dialogue with them and the people to counteract disinformation that poses threat to Armenian democracy around crucial topics for the country," it added.

Also, the human rights group welcomes the decriminalization of "grave insults" in Armenia.

Nikol Pashinyan answered the questions of the media and NGOs at an online news conference on Jun 27. However, dozens of media outlets boycotted it, arguing that the questions submitted are “edited or distorted” by the Prime Minister’s Office.

“We deem such a format of communication with the media by the country’s ruler discriminatory, ineffective and in contradiction with the core principles of democracy, namely, transparency and accountability,” they said in a joint statement.

Displaced Artsakh Armenians say Armenian government ‘ignores’ their concerns

Mike Maghakian
Panorama
Armenia – July 8 2022

Armenians displaced from their homes in Artsakh’s Hadrut and Shushi during the 2020 war accused the Armenian government of “ignoring” their concerns for two years at a protest in Yerevan on Friday.

“We have been in an uncertain situation for two years now,” a man displaced from Hadrut told reporters at the protest outside the UN Office in city center.

“We don't know what status we have. In fact, after all we have gone through we are refugees, we escaped from the genocide," he said.

The man says if the displaced Artsakh Armenians are granted refugee status, they will be able to return to their homes in case of the de-occupation of Shushi and Hadrut.

“Clause 6 of the November 9 statement stipulates the return of refugees and displaced persons to their places of residence,” he stressed.

The man claims the Armenian government has made no efforts to resolve their problems.

“No one in Armenia cares about our problems now. They say it’s for the Artsakh government to deal with them. The government of Armenia only provides financial support to the Artsakh government now, constantly talking about it. No other support is provided to us. But when it comes to the handover of settlements, the [Armenian] prime minster hold talks over it, not the Artsakh authorities,” the protester said.

Final agreements between Yerevan, Baku on Artsakh issue, analyst says

Alex Jidarian
Panorama
Armenia – July 8 2022

All statements made by the Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities as well as their steps indicate that there are final agreements between Yerevan and Baku on the Artsakh issue, according to political analyst Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan.

“Simply, both sides do not have enough courage to openly tell the public about it,” he wrote on Telegram on Friday.

“Instead, they are busy with something else, trying to capitalize domestically on both their achievements and failures. They have no equal in this matter,” he said, adding their “targets” are the same in many cases.

Yerevan’s ex-Mayor Hayk Marutyan reportedly called the police at night

Garo Vardanian
Panorama
Armenia – July 8 2022

Former Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan called the police on Monday night to report about a violation involving police officers on Admiral Isakov Avenue, Aravot.am reports, citing its sources.

Marutyan reportedly said that a police car escorted the vehicles of private citizens who drove through a red light creating a dangerous situation. Also, he said swear words could be heard from one of the cars.

"An investigation is underway. According to our sources, the man who contacted the police was former Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan," Aravot.am writes.

The police confirmed the report to Panorama.am, but refused to provide information on the identity of the caller.

"Such a report has been received. The Malatia and Sebastia Police Department is probing the case,” the police said, without elaborating further.

Ishkhan Saghatelyan to miss Friday’s rally in Yerevan

Samvel Nahapetian
Panorama
Armenia – July 8 2022

MP Ishkhan Saghatelyan of the opposition Hayastan alliance, who is currently in Strasbourg on a working visit, will be missing Friday’s rally in central Yerevan.

The rally of the opposition resistance movement starts at 7:30pm on France Square.

“For obvious reasons, I will not attend today’s rally. Naturally, the rally will be held and my colleagues will make statements on pressing issues,” Saghatelyan, who is the main speaker at opposition rallies, said in a Facebook live video, urging all to join it.

The lawmker said he held a number of meetings in the European Parliament over the past few days to share the approaches of the Armenian opposition on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenia’s security and red lines.

The meetings also addressed the domestic political challenges and democratic processes in Armenia.

“The so-called Armenian authorities, particularly the parliamentary diplomacy, have carried out a careless and unprincipled work, which had led to a big gap. It should be made clear that the interests of Armenia, Artsakh and the Armenian people in general are not properly represented and we have a lot of work to do here," he said.

California’s governor signs budget with $10 million for Armenian American Museum

Lilit Nahapetian
Panorama
Armenia – July 8 2022

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed the 2022-2023 State Budget with $10 million in new funding for the Armenian American Museum currently under construction in the City of Glendale. The new funding brings the State of California’s total investment in the cultural and educational center to $19.8 million, the museum said.

Governor Newsom first proposed the new funding for the museum in the May Revised Budget proposal for the State of California. Last week, the Governor made the additional funding official with the signing of the state budget.

“We extend our sincere gratitude to Governor Gavin Newsom for his strong leadership and unwavering support of the Armenian American Museum,” stated Executive Chairman Berdj Karapetian on the heels of the major announcement. “We also extend our special thanks to Senator Anthony Portantino for his longstanding advocacy in support of the project.”

Senator Anthony Portantino, a longtime champion of the museum, has been collaborating with the Governor’s office to educate state officials and colleagues on the historic significance of the project.

“I am deeply appreciative to Governor Newsom for proposing and signing $10 million in new state funding to support the Armenian American Museum,” stated Senator Anthony Portantino. “The Governor recognizes the major impact the institution is going to have on all Californians and once again has proven his commitment with this critical and timely investment.”

The Armenian American Museum is a world class cultural and educational institution that is currently under construction in the museum campus at Glendale Central Park. The museum will offer a wide range of public programming through the Permanent Exhibition, Temporary Exhibitions, Auditorium, Learning Center, Demonstration Kitchen, Archives Center, and more.

The museum celebrated its historic groundbreaking and commenced construction on the project in Summer 2021. The Phase I construction of the semi-subterranean parking garage and foundation is on schedule to be completed in Summer 2022. The next major phase of the project will be the Phase II construction of the two-level 50,820-square-foot museum complex.

Places with right to deferment from army will be provided in universities of Armenia

Emil Lazarian
ARMINFO
Armenia – July 7 2022
Naira Badalian

ArmInfo. On July 7, the Armenian Government approved amendments to the draft law "On making additions to the law on military service and the status of servicemen", which  imply the possibility of deferment from service for university  students in priority specialties.

The adoption of the bill is conditioned by the need to establish the possibility of granting  deferment from mandatory military conscription to citizens majoring  in priority or important specializations for the country. In  particular, the draft stipulates that the circumstance of studying in  relevant universities majoring in priority and important  specializations for the state will be considered target study from  the point of view of deferment, and the Government will define the  universities and the order and conditions of studying in relevant  majors.

As RA Minister of Education, Science, Cultures and Sports Vahram  Dumanyan explained, the list of universities and specialties will be  agreed with the Ministry of Defense and approved by the government.   For citizens who received a deferment, the maximum draft age will  increase from 27 to 28 years, so that students do not have to take  exams and defend diplomas in an accelerated mode, he explained.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in turn, added that the government  will be able to put forward certain conditions for applicants  applying for these places. This will solve the problem of shortage of  young teachers, teachers in rural schools. "But everyone who applies  for these places will have to understand that he has obligations to  the state for the next 7.8, 10 years, and we must have mechanisms to  monitor the fulfillment of these obligations," he said. 

Armen Grigoryan: No issue in the corridor logic is discussed within the framework of the Armenian- Azerbaijani normalization process

Vicken Chmshkian
ARMINFO
Armenia – July 7 2022
Marianna Mkrtchyan

ArmInfo.The trend of sustainable development of the Armenian- Iranian multi-sectoral  cooperation, and in this context the importance of bilateral economic  cooperation and the need for its development, were mutually  emphasized at the meeting of Secretary of the Security Council of the  Republic of Armenia Armen Grigoryan and Secretary of the Supreme  National Security Council of Iran Ali Shamkhani  on July 7.

According to the press service of the RA Security Council, in the  context of the Armenian-Iranian economic relations and especially the  development of Syunik, the emphasis was placed on the role of the  Iranian port of Chabahar. The interlocutors highly appreciated the  readiness of the parties to continue cooperation within the framework  of the Meghri Free Economic Zone and the North-South International  Transport Corridor.

Grigoryan spoke about the course of the settlement of the  Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, emphasizing that not a single issue  in the corridor logic is discussed within this process.

In turn, Ali Shamkhani  noted that in the context of the  abovementioned, the principles of the territorial integrity of states  and the inviolability of borders should be observed.

Grigoryan also presented Armenia's approaches to ensuring regional  security and deblockade. In this vein, the Secretary of the Iranian  Security Council stressed Tehran's readiness to assist in ensuring  security in the South Caucasus.

The parties agreed to meet at the Armenian-Iranian border to continue  the dialogue. 

Ministry of Internal Affairs to be reestablished in Armenia

Jane Topchian
ARMINFO
Armenia – July 7 2022
Alexandr Avanesov

ArmInfo. The Ministry of Internal Affairs will be reestablished in Armenia. As reported by the press service of the National Assembly, The issue will be discussed  at the parliamentary hearings to be held on July 12.

Topic of the hearings: <Establishment of the Ministry of Internal  Affairs. The Importance of Civil Control>. Minister of Justice Karen  Andreasyan and Chairman of the NA Commission on Defense and Security  Andranik Kocharyan will make keynote speeches. As part of the  hearings, the model of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the  fundamental principles and functional and structural directions of  its activities will be considered, as well as foreign experience will  be presented.

Earlier, at the April 23 meeting, the Government of the Republic of   Armenia approved a reform strategy and  an action program for   2020-2022.  One of the reform areas will be the establishment of the   Ministry of Internal  Affairs, which will develop policies and bear   political  responsibility for the reform process. The initiative   proposes to  maintain the position of chief of police, provided that   he will be  appointed by the Prime Minister at the proposal of the   Minister.  It is envisaged to distinguish between civil service in   the police  and military, for example, the administration of visas   and passports  and the registration center of investigations. It is   also planned to  create a Patrol Service and a single operational   management center.  This will happen as a result of the merger of the  Traffic Police and  the Patrol Service. It is also proposed to    include the Central Bank's Financial Monitoring Center in the    structure of the ministry, as well  as to include the functions of   the Migration Service in the new organizational and legal structure   of the police. As part of the  reforms, it is envisaged to reorganize   internal troops into the National Guard. The National Guard may, in    appropriate cases,  participate in maintaining public order and   ensure the protection of strategic facilities (the functions of the   Main Directorate of State  Guard are transferred to the National   Guard). It is envisaged that  the National Guard will participate in   the prevention and suppression  of mass riots, in the implementation   of anti-terrorism measures, in  ensuring the legal regime of martial   law and in emergency situations,  in assisting with search and rescue  operations in the event of  natural or man-made disasters, and in    ensuring the safety of transportation special cargo.  

It should be noted that as part of the reform program, a new Patrol  Service and a single operational control center are already operating  in the country. This happened as a result of the unification of the  traffic police unit and the patrol service. Earlier it was  reported  that the goal of the reform was to transform  the police  into  modern, specialized and technically equipped,  respected and   trustworthy law enforcement forces, to create the image  of a   policeman inherent in a democratic law and order. To achieve  this   goal, it is proposed to solve a number of issues, in particular,  to   review and reform the system of training and advanced training of    police officers in terms of both the content of the program and the    training method, to create an executive body with mechanisms for the    development and implementation of policies, accountability and    civilian oversight, and also conduct a structural and functional   analysis of the police service in accordance with changes in the main    directions of reform. 

Azerbaijan will exert pressure on Armenia from Nakhichevan to force Armenia`s authorities into further concessions – MP

Emil Lazarian
ARMINFO
Armenia – July 7 2022
Marianna Mkrtchyan

ArmInfo. Azerbaijan will exert pressure on Armenia from Nakhichevan to force Armenia's authorities into further concessions, Tigran Abrahamyan, a member of the  opposition parliamentary faction With Honor, said. 

Yesterday's ceasefire violation in the western section of the border  suggests that thee interregional highway is a target as well.

In this context, the opposition MP notes that the Azerbaijani troops  advanced in this direction in July 2010, three months after the  "well-known events" (velvet revolution). 

"That advance not posed a great threat not only to the neighboring  settlements but also to the Yerevan- Yeraskh-Goris highway," Mr  Abrahamyan said. 

"Azerbaijan is most likely to exert pressure on Armenia from  Nakhichevan at the current stage to ensure Azerbaijan's advantage in  unblocking the regional transport links and force Armenia's  authorities into further concessions," the MP said.