Category: 2022

Two women brought scores of pens and threw them near the Armenian government building in central Yerevan amid a meeting chaired by Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday.

“We brought them to Pashinyan so that he wouldn’t steal other people’s pens,” one of the women said, referring to the video footage which shows the premier taking a pen from the table and putting it in his pocket at the 31st sitting of the Board of Trustees of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund held in Yerevan on Saturday.

The woman said she had seen the footage on Russian TV channels.

‘We decided to bring him pens that are enough for a year and say ‘Nikol Pashinyan, shame on you!'” she said.

Also, the woman says the move is symbolic, since Pashinyan uses pens only “to sign documents on territorial concessions” to Azerbaijan.

“He ceded Berdzor with a single stroke of pen, he is going to surrender Tigranashen as well. The pens are also used for making prisoners traitors,” the woman said.

The move angered some people, who gathered outside the government building to voice their concerns.

A woman living in an emergency house asked who the “sponsor” of the action was.

“I paid for them out of my own pocket, one pen costs 30 drams. I am fighting for my homeland. I don’t understand those who demand housing. What do they need a house for if the Turks reach Yerevan?” the woman replied.

The Armenian government nominated lawyer Seda Safaryan to serve as a judge of the Constitutional Court at a meeting on Thursday.

“I believe that the constitutional justice will be successfully implemented with my direct involvement and you will not regret for nominating me to this high post,” the lawyer said.

Deputy Minister of Justice Grigor Minasyan, who reported on the matter, said that on May 31 the Constitutional Court chairman sent a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office, notifying it that judge Arevik Petrosyan’s term in office expires on December 10 of this year.

According to him, it is now for the government to nominate a candidate for the vacant position of the Constitutional Court judge.

Nikol Pashinyan said the government is nominating a candidate, but the election will be held in the National Assembly.

“We have also discussed the matter at a board meeting of the Civil Contract party and we can state that a political decision has been made, which is reasonable,” Pashinyan said.

Lawyer Gevorg Danielyan, a former Armenian justice minister, on Thursday called on the authorities to find “other excuses” for making new concessions to Azerbaijan.

“Armenian MPs, state and political figures, I am earnestly asking you to show restraint and refrain from inappropriate judgments regarding the historical affiliation of territories and key legal issues. It is clear that you are prone to surrender and concessions, but look for other reasons,” he wrote on Facebook.

“Don’t deprive the next generation of the opportunity to make decent, reasonable decisions and take action! Finally, you are not experts in history or jurisprudence, which has been made clear multiple times. And making claims that supposedly justify this situation will not be limited to the current events, but the law of the boomerang will apply,” the lawyer said.

The parents and other relatives of Armenian soldiers killed in the 44-day war in Artsakh, who demand prosecution of Nikol Pashinyan over his handling of the war, on Thursday again staged a protest outside the Armenian Prosecutor General’s Office.

They demand that their motion to bring criminal charges against Pashinyan be forwarded to the National Security Service (NSS), arguing that the Investigative Committee cannot conduct an objective probe into the case.

Speaking to reporters, Yelizaveta Ohanjanyan, the mother of fallen volunteer soldier Arman Ohanjanyan, stated none of them trusts the Investigative Committee anymore.

“We won’t give up and will fight to the end. Despite being deep in grief, I have always stood up to fight, because I realize that we are losing our homeland, our homeland is being sold and gifted away,” she said,

“We have gathered here today to demand that the case be forwarded to the NSS, but they take no action, remaining indifferent,” she said, stressing it will not discourage them from demanding Pashinyan’s prosecution.

“We will keep fighting because our sons, who wanted to live too, sacrificed their lives for the homeland,” the woman said.

She urged people not to remain indifferent and join their struggle.

“We are actually going through hell. I would like to make an appeal to officials: if you are a human being and have at least a hint of conscience, come and support us, investigate the case, let the real culprits be held to account. We demad that Pashinyan stand trial,” she said.

ARARAT Museum on Wednesday hosted famous actress and TV host Sati Spivakova’s “Irakan Dasakan” book presentation event, which is an Armenian translation of author’s book originally titled “Neskuchnaya Klassika”. “Irakan Dasakan” is translated and published by the collaboration of “Newmag” and “Orakul” publishing houses.

The book unites interviews that Sati Spivakova had with various prominent artists such as Charles Aznavour, Fanny Ardant, Maya Plisetskaya, Robert Wilson, and others.

“Nowadays, there are few books that reflect on contemporary art. Our decision to translate the book was not only made with the consideration of the author. The content of the book played a huge role in this, being both interesting and insightful,” noted Ruben Ishkhayan, Director of “Orakul” publishing house.

The book’s Armenian translation is considered to be its first-ever foreign translation, in which the author herself gave permission to add new content with the aim of making each artist’s story more profound.

“I am extremely excited that the book’s first translation is done in Armenian. I am delighted to meet so many close and beloved people at this event. This book is all about art and people who are fond of art – a true classical book. I hope the Armenian reader will appreciate it,” said Sati Spivakova.

On the scope of the event, ARARAT Museum hosted a public talk with Spivakova, followed by ARARAT special reception. During the evening, guests not only got acquainted with the unique story behind the creation of the book, but also enjoyed the warm evening shared with thoughts, emotions, and the legendary brandy in the company of Sati Spivakova and the project’s authors.

“It’s been a while since there was a decent event, organized in Yerevan, where art was not merely a background but a very essence of event. Therefore, the choice to hold it in ARARAT Museum was not accidental. Classic is something, that is not temporary. That is to say, that both art and brandy get richer and develop new layers throughout the time,” underlined Artak Aleksanyan, Executive Director of Newmag Publishing House.

Right before the event Sati Spivakova visited ARARAT Museum, where she was presented to the 135-year-old heritage of the legendary brandy, the facets of its mastery, the secret of its creation and the creative searches of brandy masters. Spivakova also visited the Treasury of ARARAT Museum, where a unique collection of ARARAT brandies is kept, starting from rare samples dating around 1902 till our days.

“This book unites a variety of artists, many of which were guests of ARARAT Museum in different times. This comes to remind us that the most interesting stories are based on heartfelt and sincere human encounters. I am glad that ARARAT Museum is not only a museum in its classical term but also a place where warm multicultural interactions are being formed,” says Arno Tadevosyan, ARARAT Museum Manager.