Category: 2022

EU countries reach full consensus on granting Ukraine candidate status

Tambiyan Samvel

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YERERVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS. The countries of the European Union have reached a full consensus on granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU membership, ARMENPRESS reports, citing Ria Novosti, Minister of State for European Affairs at French Foreign Ministry Clément Beaune said.

On June 17, the European Commission gave a positive conclusion on granting Ukraine and Moldova EU candidate status. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the European Commission’s decision, saying it was the first step towards EU membership.

The President of Ukraine signed Ukraine’s application for membership in the European Union a few days after the start of the Russian special military operation on February 28, 2022.




Asbarez: Opposition Leader Resigns from Parliament

Kanayan Tamar
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

in Armenia, Latest, News, Top Stories

Artur Vanetsyan


Armenia’s former national security chief-turned opposition leader Artur Vanetsyan on Tuesday announced that he is resigning his seat in parliament and is leaving the “I Have Honor” alliance, which he led since the group was elected to parliament last year.

Vanetsyan’s Homeland Party and the Republican Party of Armenia led by former president Serzh Sarkisian formed the small “I Have Honor” alliance, which together with the largest parliamentary opposition faction, the Armenia Alliance, has been holding protests calling for the ouster of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

“Today, in the manner prescribed by law, I have submitted a petition to resign from my parliamentary mandate. (…). The reason is obvious: the RA citizen had voted for us to stop the destructive activities of these authorities and to bring the country out of the disaster. However, in my opinion, this parliament has ceased to be an effective platform for achieving the goal,” said Vanetsyan in an announcement he publicized on Tuesday.

“The Board of the Homeland Party has made a decision to continue [its] activities outside the parliament. By the decision of the party, the ‘With Honor’ bloc we formed with the [former ruling] RPA party [hereby] de jure and de facto ceases to exist,” added Vanetsyan.

Before the “Resistance” Movement began its more than month-long street protests, Vanetsyan began a sit in Yerevan in protest of the government’s policies toward Armenia and Artsakh. His one-man protest was overshadowed by the thousands of protesters who marched onto the streets in support of the opposition movement.

Last month, as the “Resistance” Movement protests were taking place on daily basis, Vanetsyan was observed on plane leaving Armenia.

Per Armenia’s Constitution, Vanetsyan has seven days to withdraw his resignation. If such a request is not submitted or articulated his resignation will go into effect.

Asbarez: Pressure to Fire Armenia’s Supreme Judicial Council Head Mounts

Antonian Lara
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

in Armenia, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

Head of the country’s Supreme Judicial Council Gagik Jhangiaryan


Pressure is mounting on Armenia’s authorities to fire and prosecute the head of the country’s Supreme Judicial Council Gagik Jhangiaryan after a secret recording of him surfaced on Monday, in which he is allegedly blackmailing his predecessor Ruben Vartazaryan, who was controversially suspended from his position last year when he criticized Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The Supreme Judicial Council, however, signaled its reluctance to take action against Jahangirian, who also has been a controversial in Armenian political circles for more than a decade.

Vartazaryan, who was fired last year, released the secret recording of a conversation he had with Jhangiaryan during a dinner meeting last year. Jhangiaryan can be heard on the recording urging Vartazaryan to resign or face criminal charges.

Armenian authorities faced on Tuesday growing calls to sack and prosecute the acting head of the country’s judicial watchdog accused of blackmailing his predecessor at odds with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Jhangiaryan has not yet disputed the authenticity of the recording.

Vartazaryan did not heed Jhangiaryan’s call and was charged with obstruction of justice. In April 2021, the other members of the Supreme Judicial Council suspended Vartazaryan, with Pashinyan supporters accusing him of allegedly planning to free opposition figures jailed or prosecuted since Pashinyan came to power.

The SJC is a judicial watchdog group, which is tasked with nominating judges and monitoring their work. The group is empowered to take disciplinary action or fire judges if it concludes they are fulfilling their responsibilities.

Vartazaryan has denied any wrongdoing and has rejected the charges brought against him. He has maintained that the entire incident was machinated by the government, which allegedly sought to oust him from the SJC and appoint a loyalist—Jhangiaryan, who in the recording says that he wants to prevent former president Robert Kocharian from coming to power.

After the release of the recording, opposition groups and activists swiftly reacted to the contents of the conversation, with one activist, Daniel Ioannisyan, telling RFE/RL’s Armenian service that he has filed a “criminal report” with the country’s prosecutor general’s office, which said that it has launched an inquiry.

“It is absolutely unacceptable for an individual carrying out such deeds or making such a confession … to continue to serve as head of the Supreme Judicial Council,” Ioannisian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.

The SJC discussed the scandal at a meeting held on Tuesday. One of its members, Grigor Bekmezyan, said that neither he nor any of his colleagues demanded disciplinary proceedings against Jhangiaryan.

“Mr. Jhangiaryan gave us clarifications and explanations,” Bekmezyan told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “We are satisfied with what we have at this point. In order to have a full picture, we need a full audio [of the February 2021 meeting with Vartazarian.]”

After the release of the recording, the opposition Armenia Alliance addressed a letter to Lynne Tracy and Andrea Wiktorin, the ambassadors of the United States and the European Union in Armenia, urging them to publicly voice their assessment of the situation, given their long-standing praise for Armenia’s judicial reforms.

Wiktorian was one of the speakers at a judicial reforms conference in Yerevan, from which the opposition members of parliament were banned.

In its letter, the Armenia Alliance tells the ambassadors that the recording “contains elements of criminal offenses, interference in pending criminal cases, as well as literal threats in case of refusal to fulfil specific demands. We have voiced the existence of such phenomena in Armenia many times only to encounter your silence. These circumstances are to be examined by the law enforcement bodies, to which, however, according to the recording, the well-known member of the Supreme Judicial Council, Gagik Jhangiaryan, in fact, feels entitled to give mandatory instructions.”

“The recording also contains a promise to interfere in political activities, the consequences of which are in fact recorded, including through allegedly fair and transparent parliamentary elections. Gagik Jhangiaryan, the person vested with exclusive authority in charge of the judiciary, confesses that he has undertaken to interfere in the political activities of Robert Kocharian, who led the pre-election list of the ‘Armenia’ alliance, and the ARF. It is worth noting that on the day of the snap elections, June 20, 2021, as well as in the pre-election and post-election periods, we have voiced the obviously biased, dependent behavior of the judiciary towards the opposition political team over and over only to face your silence again,” said the letter.

“Failure to provide answers to the aforementioned questions in a short period of time will be considered, by reasonable logic, as evidence of your support regarding the stated vivid unlawful atrocities.
The copy of this letter has been forwarded to all the ambassadors accredited in Armenia,” the Armenia Alliance said in the letter.

AW: Turkish Parliamentarians Paylan, Oruc visit Beirut

Ophelia Vardapetian
 Yeghia Tashjian Diaspora 0

Turkish MPs Garo Paylan and Tulay Hatimogullari Oruc meet with members of the Beirut community,

HAMRA, Beirut—Two parliamentarians representing the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) of Turkey—Garo Paylan and Tulay Hatimogullari Oruc —met with a group of Lebanese, Kurdish, Palestinian and Armenian intellectuals, researchers and activists at the J Hotel in Beirut on Monday to discuss the political situation in Turkey, HDP’s position regarding the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections and Ankara’s military expansionist policy toward Syria. The discussion was organized by leftist Lebanese intellectuals. 

MP Oruc, an Arab Alevi MP from Adana and member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, explained the grave political situation in Turkey and the government’s oppression of minorities and political activists. She also elaborated on Turkey’s weak and non-existent relations with almost all of its surrounding countries. She stressed that Turkey must seek peace and play a positive role in Syria. She also said that there is so much blood under this soil, hinting at the region, as much as there is oil and gas. Hence, to avoid bloodshed, she said these differences must be resolved through dialogue.

According to Oruc, there is a great power competition in the region and Turkey is becoming a tool for these great powers. Hence, the people must ensure that they will prevent great powers from intervening in Turkey’s domestic politics. Hinting at the region, the MP also added that Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) is using Palestine for domestic consumption and regional legitimacy. She condemned Turkey’s military interventions in Northern Syria and Iraq and concluded that the peaceful resolution of the Syrian conflict should be addressed not only from a political angle, but also humanitarian since Turkey hosts around four million refugees.

MP Paylan, an Armenian MP from Diyarbekir/Dikranagerd, talked about the ideology and goal of the HDP; he underscored that it is not a Kurdish party, but a transnational party. Paylan discussed the roots of the failure of the “peace plan” with the Turkish government during the 2013-2015 negotiations which aimed to find a peaceful resolution of the Kurdish issue and explained how later President Erdogan used this failure as a pretext to crush the human rights movements and the rights of the Kurds in Turkey. He added that Erdogan used this failure as a pretext to consolidate his ties with the ultranationalist National Movement Party (MHP). Paylan also raised concerns that now President Erdogan is betting to shut down the HDP amid a legal case against the Party; the Turkish government may facilitate this process before the general elections next year. 

MP Paylan also drew parallels between what happened during WWI and the current domestic developments in Turkey. “What happened with the Armenians 106 years ago, that is the Armenian Genocide. The same could be repeated with the Kurds if the Turkish state prepares the ground and takes the opportunity,” said Paylan. “The Armenians back then were calling for equal rights for all Ottoman citizens and not just for them. Today, the Kurds are doing the same. HDP is not a separatist political party. It is simply calling for peace and equality for all citizens.”

Commenting on a question about whether the HDP can unite with the opposition to oust President Erdogan, MP Paylan said it is still too early to tell and the Party is engaging in negotiations. He warned that the opposition is also authoritarian and nationalist. He added that in June 2021, HDP provided 11 points to engage in negotiations with the six parties that organized the opposition, but the opposition has yet to respond. For this reason, he argued that HDP could help in bringing Turkey out of its authoritarian and militaristic situation. 

In regards to another question about Turkey’s expansionist and militarist role in the region, the Armenian MP added that Turkey is being used as a proxy of great powers and that its backing of Azerbaijan during the 2020 war “was neither a victory for Turkey nor Azerbaijan, but for Russia. The same is true in Syria where Turkey’s intervention is only consolidating the Russian-American influence in the area.” He used Greece as an example. “Every time Erdogan is threatening to capture the Greek islands, the Greeks are asking the Americans to build additional bases in their country. Hence, Erdogan’s policy is only serving US imperialism in the region.”  

Both MPs concluded that ethnic and religious groups should cooperate with each other to coexist and struggle against authoritarian regimes that seek to destroy multiculturalism and diversity in the region. 

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Yeghia Tashjian is a regional analyst and researcher. He has graduated from the American University of Beirut in Public Policy and International Affairs. He pursued his BA at Haigazian University in political science in 2013. In 2010, he founded the New Eastern Politics forum/blog. He was a research assistant at the Armenian Diaspora Research Center at Haigazian University. Currently, he is the regional officer of Women in War, a gender-based think tank. He has participated in international conferences in Frankfurt, Vienna, Uppsala, New Delhi and Yerevan. He has presented various topics from minority rights to regional security issues. His thesis topic was on China’s geopolitical and energy security interests in Iran and the Persian Gulf. He is a contributor to various local and regional newspapers and a presenter of the “Turkey Today” program for Radio Voice of Van. Recently he has been appointed as associate fellow at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut and Middle East-South Caucasus expert in the European Geopolitical Forum.


St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School celebrates 38th commencement

Manouk Vasilian
 St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School Community News 0

WATERTOWN, Mass.—St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School (SSAES) successfully completed its 38th academic year, thanks to a highly competent and dedicated teaching staff, individualized instruction, specialist teachers, updated teaching materials and curriculum, use of technology, after school enrichment programs and a comprehensive assessment program.  

The graduation ceremonies were held on June 16 (kindergarten) and June 17 (elementary). Both kindergarten and fifth grade students presented poems, songs and an Armenian dance. In addition, the fifth graders read their farewells.  

SSAES 2022 graduates

In her remarks, SSAES principal Houry Boyamian announced that in addition to completing the curriculum in each grade, the school was able to conduct many extra-curricular activities. She stated that the pandemic did not stop the school from celebrating or commemorating traditional holidays, including Armenian Cultural Day, Vartanantz, May 28, a commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, talent shows, a visit to the Armenian Museum of America, and a two-week trip to Armenia for fifth graders. She concluded her remarks by expressing her profound gratitude to the teaching and administrative staff, to the SSAES board, the education, health and technology committees, as well as to Rev. Archpriest Antranig Baljian and the St. Stephen’s Church Board of Trustees. She thanked the parents for their encouragement and unwavering support in another challenging year with the pandemic.  

During the kindergarten ceremony, Fr. Baljian and Mrs. Boyamian honored Nora Hackett for her 21 years of dedicated service as assistant treasurer of the school, with a Certificate of Appreciation awarded by His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy. Hackett will retire at the end of June after being part of the SSAES family from the day the school opened its doors. Her father Yervant Krafian was one of the founding members of the school. Hackett has been a volunteer, a PTO chair, and assistant treasurer for 21 years. All three of her children are SSAES alumni.

Nora Hackett honored for her 21 years at SSAES

In his remarks, Fr. Baljian expressed his appreciation to the administration and faculty for their dedication and effort in providing an excellent education to all students. Then, Fr. Baljian and Mrs. Boyamian presented the diplomas and the awards to the graduates.  

The following students graduated from SSAES’ kindergarten program: Arek Babb-Mikaelian, Dalita Bell, Dante Carbunari, Khoren Dennigan, Brayden Duhanyan, Aren Ekmekji, Eva Giragosian, Arev Hacobian, Sevag Karagozian, Ani Kechichian, Lara Kirejian, Alexander Krikorian, Levon Luarasi, Andrew Manguikian, Nicholas Ntasios, Emma Orchanian, Diana Ohannesian, Sylvie Said, Anya Savo, Sanahin Arzoumanian Schwartz and Lucine Zurabyan.

SSAES Kindergarten Class of 2022

On June 17, the following 10 students graduated from SSAES, bringing the number of graduates to 358: Siran Arakelian, Aiki Arzoumanian, Olivia Dimopoulos, Lori Garbedian, Leanna Iskenderian, Josephine Keumurian, Eva Khalarian, Arda Mahserejian, Aline Mikaelian and Giselle Tarabelsi.

SSAES Class of 2022

I-Prelacy Award for Excellence in Armenian (silver coin of Levon the 1st): Siran Arakelian, Aiki Arzoumanian, Aline Mikaelian, Eva Khalarian, Leanna Iskenderian

II- Armenian Relief Society Award: Lori Garabedian (Excellence for Oral _expression_)

III- President’s Education Awards– Grade 5
Presidential Award for Educational Excellence: This award recognizes the academic success of students who have excelled in their studies and earned high scores in standardized tests.
Presidential Award for Educational Achievement: This award recognizes students who work hard and give their best effort in school.

-Presidential Award for Academic Excellence: Siran Arakelian and Aiki Arzoumanian
-Presidential Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement: Aline Mikaelian, Eva Khalarian and Leanna Iskenderian 

IV-Certificate of Recognition for Special Strength (All Subjects)

Siran Arakelian: Class historian
Aiki Arzoumanian: Most inquisitive about space
Olivia Dimopoulos: Always willing to try new things
Lori Garabedian: Inventive in math connections, history and science explanations
Leanna Iskenderian: Excited to learn everyday
Josephine Keumurian: Eager to learn
Eva Khalarian: Leadership, helping others
Arda Mahserejian: A kind friend and helps others to feel included
Aline Mikaelian: Understands graphs
Giselle Tarabelsi: She works hard to do the right thing

V-Certificate of Recognition for their Special Strength (Armenian Studies)

Olivia Dimopoulos, Arda Mahserejian, Giselle Tarabelsi: Hard worker
Josephine Keumurian: Eager to learn 

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Established in 1984, St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School is dedicated to educational excellence in an environment rich in Armenian culture. Serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, it is the only Armenian day school in New England and is accredited by the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE). Accreditation by AISNE provides quality assurance that a school is meeting rigorous standards in all aspects of its operations and that it is operating in alignment with its mission.


AUA celebrates historic 30th commencement

Jirair Kafian
 American University of Armenia News 0

AUA 30th Commencement

YEREVAN — On June 11, the American University of Armenia (AUA) held its 30th commencement ceremony with over 500 graduates. Among the guests were representatives from the US Embassy in Armenia and USAID; the RA Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Artur Martirosyan; Dr. Armen Der Kiureghian, former president and co-founder of AUA; and members of the AUA Board of Trustees Dr. Yuri Sargsyan and Yervant Zorian. Family and friends of the graduating class, as well as AUA staff, alumni and others joined the joyous celebration.

“Class of 2022, your graduation marks not only a great milestone in your own life, but also in the history of the University,” said AUA president Dr. Karin Markides. “Today is your day. Be proud of what you have achieved.”

Dr. Markides also highlighted recent significant events in the life of the University. Despite the complex challenges posed by the pandemic, including transitioning back to in-person instruction after more than a year of remote learning, AUA was not only able to open its doors to a safe and healthy environment, but also achieved new milestones. AUA launched a groundbreaking new undergraduate nursing program in the Gerald and Patricia Turpanjian College of Health Sciences; a graduate executive certificate program in management offered by the Manoogian Simone College of Business and Economics; and a new minor in gender studies in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Additionally, in the 2021-22 academic year, AUA made several academic appointments: Dr. Knar Khachatryan as Vice Provost for Integration; Dr. Hagop Yacoubian as Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences; new chairs to support enhanced opportunities for research and collaboration in the Open Centers of Excellence; and over 25 new full-time faculty.

Subsequently, Markides delivered greetings from the University of California, and Provost Dr. Brian Ellison read the congratulatory letter from US Congressman Adam Schiff.

Dr. Ardem Patapoutian

This year’s commencement keynote speakers, Nobel Prize 2021 laureate Dr. Ardem Patapoutian and Starmus founding director Dr. Garik Israelian, delivered insightful addresses. “Ask yourself what your country or community needs, and then ask how you can contribute to the solution of that problem. The intersection of your big thinking and thinking practically is where your victory for humanity lies. If you’re looking to maximize your positive impact, this mindset is a great place to start,” advised Dr. Patapoutian. 

Dr. Garik Israelian

Dr. Israelian encouraged the graduates to embrace their uniqueness and remain ambitious. “You are now armed with one of the most important tools needed to forge your path ahead. It’s not the diploma itself that counts; it’s about what you have learned along the way and what you do with the education you’ve received along your journey to graduation today. Your future is in your hands and no one else’s. So, don’t give up. Stay positive, stay strong, be different, be yourselves!”

The ceremony featured speeches in Armenian and English by undergraduate valedictorians Lilit Karapetyan (BSCS) and Mary Margaryan (BAB) and graduate valedictorians Sona Babasyan (MSM) and Ohannes Taghdweirnian (MSE). “Each one of us sitting here would agree that AUA not only provides us with a high quality education, but also reshapes us to become a better version of ourselves and have better judgment in the decisions we take,” said Taghdweirnian. 

“Undoubtedly, the past four years were unusual, interesting, demanding and filled with twists and turns beyond imagination. Yet, we overcame all the obstacles with perseverance and determination and are now marching to conquer new mountains with confidence and mindfulness,” remarked Margaryan.

Dr. Yuri Sargsyan receiving the 2022 AUA Presidential Commendation award

The 2022 AUA Presidential Commendation award that recognizes and honors an individual who has made extraordinary contributions in advancing education, research and outreach with a particular impact on Armenia was presented to RA National Academy of Sciences academician Dr. Yuri Sargsyan. A longstanding member of the AUA Fund, Dr. Sargsyan has served as rector of the National Polytechnic University of Armenia and has played a significant role in the founding of AUA. His contributions have been invaluable to the advancement of AUA and Artsakh State University. The award was inscribed on special paper made from flowers laid at the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial.

The Vartkess M. Balian Merit award that recognizes the best overall performance of a student went to Naira Minasyan (MSE ‘23). The 2022 winners of Faculty Teaching Excellence awards were Dr. Hourig Attarian, associate professor in the College of Humanities & Social Sciences (CHSS), and Dr. Gayane Barseghyan, associate professor in the Manoogian Simone College of Business & Economics (CBE). Dr. Garabet Kazanjian, assistant professor in the College of Humanities & Social Sciences (CHSS), received the Faculty Research Initiative award. 

This year’s graduation was extra special for the very first graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Data Science program, as well as for those of the executive certificate in management and certificate in hotel and hospitality management programs.

In closing, President Markides added a few inspiring thoughts of encouragement: “Please follow your talents, your interests and your values to discover your unique paths towards living a life of purpose. Remember the ones who helped you get to where you are and help the ones coming after you. Embrace the opportunities that come your way and use the platform you’ve earned to change the world for the better.”

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Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.


AW: KorniTun: Raising Hope at Our Borders

Kalashian Nyrie
 Guest Contributor Non-Profit 0

All For Armenia co-founder and in-country director Matthieu Sahakian (left) at KorniTun with Shahen Zeytourtchian (right), philanthropist, retired surgeon, founder of Mirhav Hotel in Goris, and an early believer in the KorniTun project

The All For Armenia (AFA) nonprofit organization has announced that it is preparing to start renovations on its latest project in Armenia’s border village of Kornidzor, the last village at the gates of Artsakh, overlooking the Berdzor/Lachin corridor on the Syunik side.

The project, named KorniTun – a combination of Kornidzor and “tun” (“home” in Armenian) – will function as both a community center and community home: the former as an after-school educational hub and the latter as lodging for AFA volunteers, teachers and guests.

Renovations of the abandoned building – bombed during the First Artsakh War – which will house KorniTun are slated to begin in July. AFA is now launching the second phase of its fundraising campaign to raise the remaining 25,000 USD, half of the total funds needed. All interested parties are encouraged to visit the KorniTun section on the AFA website to learn more about and donate to this trailblazing project. Donors can have their name or a message of their choice displayed on a stone on the entrance wall of KorniTun (the Wall of Gratitude). There are also several sponsorship opportunities available until November 1, 2022.

“KorniTun has already filled our village with much-needed hope in the longevity of our community, encouraging our youth especially to be proud of their home,” says Lusine Qaramyan, former mayor of Kornidzor and town council member. Locals are encouraged by the prospect of Diasporans and friends of the Armenian nation coming to KorniTun for leisure, to work remotely, or even to give classes in language, computer science, graphic design, art and other topics of interest. Indeed, AFA firmly believes that investing in these strategic border communities is an act of faith in the future of the Armenian homeland. 

KorniTun is the first installment in AFA’s scalable SahmanaTun concept. The SahmanaTuns (literally, “Border Homes”) will be a network of houses located in Armenia’s most vulnerable border villages. The goal is to promote financial and cultural investment in these strategic areas and encourage a change in the prevailing mentality toward these communities and extend development beyond the capital city Yerevan. SahmanaTuns will add value to these regions, thereby securing their defense, preservation and development as a priority for the Armenian nation.

In these times of turmoil and uncertainty for the Armenian nation, AFA draws inspiration from the resilience and courage of these border communities to invest in a brighter and sustainable future for the homeland. AFA calls upon Armenians worldwide to join in its efforts to preserve and strengthen these most vulnerable communities.

Street view of KorniTun

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 06/21/2022

Maral Takmazian 
                                        Tuesday, 
Authorities Under Pressure To Sack Armenia’s Top Judicial Official
        • Naira Nalbandian
Armenia - Gagik Jahangirian, the acting head of the Supreme Judicial Council, 
speaks in the National Assembly, September 14, 2021.
Armenian authorities faced on Tuesday growing calls to sack and prosecute the 
acting head of the country’s judicial watchdog accused of blackmailing his 
predecessor at odds with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.
The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) remained reluctant, however, to take any 
action against Gagik Jahangirian, who has headed the state body overseeing 
Armenian courts for the past 14 months.
Ruben Vartazarian, who was controversially suspended as SJC chairman in April 
2021, publicized on Monday a secretly recorded audio of his dinner meeting with 
Jahangirian which he said took place in February 2021.
Jahangirian, who has not disputed the authenticity of the recording, can be 
heard seemingly warning Vartazarian to resign or face criminal charges. The 
latter was accused by Pashinian’s political allies of encouraging courts to free 
arrested opposition figures.
Vartazarian did not heed the warning. The other members of the SJC suspended him 
in April 2021 immediately after he was charged with obstruction of justice. He 
rejects the accusation, saying that it was part of government efforts to replace 
him by Jahangirian and gain control over the judiciary.
The SJC nominates Armenian judges, monitors their work and can take disciplinary 
action or dismiss them altogether.
Armenia -- Ruben Vartazarian, head of the Supreme Judicial Council, holds a news 
conference in Yerevan, September 4, 2019.
The release of the audio caused uproar, with opposition groups and civic 
activists describing it as clear evidence of political orders executed by 
Jahangirian and his illegal interference in the work of law-enforcement bodies.
One of those activists, Daniel Ioannisian, submitted a relevant “crime report” 
to Armenia’s Office of the Prosecutor-General. The office swiftly instructed 
another law-enforcement agency to conduct an inquiry.
“It is absolutely unacceptable for an individual carrying out such deeds or 
making such a confession … to continue to serve as head of the Supreme Judicial 
Council,” Ioannisian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
The SJC discussed the scandal at a meeting held on Tuesday. One of its members, 
Grigor Bekmezian, said that neither he nor any of his colleagues demanded 
disciplinary proceedings against Jahangirian.
“Mr. Jahangirian gave us clarifications and explanations,” Bekmezian told 
RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “We are satisfied with what we have at this point. In 
order to have a full picture, we need a full audio [of the February 2021 meeting 
with Vartazarian.]”
Armenia - Parents of soldiers killed in the 2020 war with Azerbaijan protest 
outside the Supreme Judicial Council building, Yerevan, May 26, 2022.
Bekmezian did not deny reports that the SJC has decided instead to formally 
remove Vartazarian from the judicial watchdog over his comments made in a recent 
newspaper interview.
In the publicized recording, Jahangirian also says that one of his key motives 
is to prevent former President Robert Kocharian from returning to power.
Jahangirian was controversially arrested and jailed in 2008 during the final 
weeks of Kocharian’s decade-long presidency. He served as a deputy 
prosecutor-general at the time. Just days before the arrest, he voiced support 
for former President Levon Ter-Petrosian, the main opposition candidate in a 
2008 presidential election.
The main opposition Hayastan alliance, of which Kocharian is the top leader, 
seized upon Jahangirian’s admission, saying that it calls into question the 
legitimacy of the June 2021 parliamentary elections won by Pashinian’s party.
Armenia - Andrea Wiktorin, head of the EU Delegation in Armenia, speaks at a 
conference on judicial reforms in Yerevan, June 8, 2022.
In a separate statement, Hayastan urged the U.S. and European Union ambassadors 
to Armenia to “express your position on the publicized recording.” It also 
challenged them to state whether they still support the Pashinian government’s 
“judicial reforms” reportedly coordinated with Jahangirian.
Opposition groups, lawyers and some judges have accused the government of 
seeking to increase its influence on courts under the guise of those reforms. 
Pashinian and his political allies say they are on the contrary increasing 
judicial independence.
Lawmakers representing the ruling Civil Contract party declined to comment on 
Tuesday on the implications of Jahangirian’s secretly recorded statements.
The party’s parliamentary group installed Jahangirian as a member of the SJC in 
January 2021.
Police Official Fired After Deadly Shooting
        • Nane Sahakian
        • Gayane Saribekian
Armenia - Investigators inspect the scene of a deadly shooting in Aparan, June 
19, 2022.
The Armenian police sacked on Tuesday the top police official of a small town 
where a gunman killed two local residents and wounded five others in disputed 
circumstances over the weekend.
Law-enforcement authorities said the shooting was provoked by a road rage 
incident on a highway passing through the town of Aparan, which degenerated the 
following day into a violent clash between two groups of young men.
The shooter, a 32-year-old resident of Yerevan, was arrested on Monday. The men 
killed and wounded by him reportedly lived in Aparan.
Four of the wounded men were taken to a hospital in Yerevan. RFE/RL’s Armenian 
Service tried to speak to their relatives there. But they refused to comment on 
the incident that shocked the community 55 kilometers north of Yerevan.
People randomly interviewed in Aparan were also reluctant to talk about its 
possible causes. “There has never been such a tragedy in Aparan before,” said 
one of them.
No official reason was given for national police chief Vahe Ghazarian’s decision 
to fire the head of the local police department.
Citing anonymous news sources, Armenian opposition figures and some media 
outlets claimed that the Aparan men were attacked because of publicly swearing 
at Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. The attackers, they alleged, are related to a 
local government official and an Aparan-based parliamentarian affiliated with 
Pashinian’s Civil Contract party.
Both the officials and a Civil Contract spokesman angrily denied the 
allegations. The police likewise insisted that the shooting was not politically 
motivated.
Despite the denials, several hundred opposition members and supporters marched 
to the Civil Contract headquarters in Yerevan on Monday to condemn the killings. 
They accused Pashinian of encouraging violent reprisals against his detractors.
Armenian Opposition Leader Resigns From Parliament
        • Artak Khulian
Armenia - Former President Serzh Sarkisian and former NSS Director Artur 
Vanetsian unveil their electoral alliance, May 15, 2021.
Opposition leader Artur Vanetsian on Tuesday announced his resignation from 
Armenia’s parliament and the breakup of his Fatherland party’s alliance with 
former President Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party (HHK).
Vanetsian said he is resigning his seat because he believes the National 
Assembly has “ceased to be an effective platform” for challenging the Armenian 
government and its “ruinous” policies. For the same reason, Fatherland will 
operate only “outside the parliament” from now on, he said in a statement.
The decision, Vanetsian went on, also means the demise of the Pativ Unem 
alliance formed by Fatherland and the former ruling HHK in the run-up to the 
June 2021 parliamentary elections.
Pativ Unem finished a distant third in those elections, becoming one of the two 
opposition blocs represented in the new National Assembly. Four of its six 
parliament deputies are affiliated with the HHK.
Vanetsian’s party has been represented in the 107-seat parliament by its leader 
and former newspaper editor Taguhi Tovmasian. Another Fatherland parliamentarian 
defected from Pativ Unem last fall.
Vanetsian said that Tovmasian and Martun Grigorian, an election candidate who is 
next in line to take up his parliament seat, will be free to decide whether or 
not to follow his example.
Armenia - Opposition leader Artur Vanetsian (right) and his supporters protest 
in Yerevan, April 25, 2022.
Sarkisian’s HHK did not immediately react to the decisions announced by its 
opposition ally.
Vanetsian already promised in April that he will resign from the parliament if 
the Armenian opposition fails to topple Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.
Pativ Unem and the other parliamentary opposition force, Hayastan, launched on 
May 1 daily demonstrations in Yerevan aimed at forcing Pashinian to resign. They 
failed to achieve their goal.
In what they called a change of tactics, opposition leaders announced on June 14 
that they will now hold antigovernment rallies in Yerevan on a weekly basis. 
Vanetsian did not clarify whether he and his party will remain involved in the 
opposition’s “resistance movement.”
Vanetsian, 42, is a former officer of the National Security Service (NSS) who 
was appointed as head of Armenia’s most powerful security agency right after the 
2018 “velvet revolution” that brought Pashinian to power. He became one of the 
most influential members of Pashinian’s entourage before being unexpectedly 
sacked in 2019. Vanetsian has since been a vocal critic of the prime minister.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2022 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Moscow Stock Exchange to start trading in Armenian drams

Kanayan Tamar
Public Radio of Armenia
Armenia –
, 10:28

 1 minute read

On June 27, the Moscow Stock Exchange will begin trading in the foreign exchange market with the Uzbek sum, Armenian dram and South African rand, the trading platform said, RIA Novosti reports.

The statement said, “On June 27, 2022, the Uzbek sum, Armenian dram and South African rand will begin to be traded in the foreign exchange market of the Moscow Stock Exchange.”

“The new currencies will expand the trading opportunities of professional market participants, their customers – including subjects of foreign economic activity.”

Trading participants and clients will have access to spot and clearing tools for the following currency pairs: South African rand – Russian ruble (ZAR/RUB), US dollar – South African rand (USD/ZAR), Armenian dram – Russian ruble (AMD/RUB), US dollars – Armenian drams (USD/AMD) and Uzbek sums – Russian rubles (UZS/RUB).

The exchange will later announce the start of trading in the UAE dirham – Russian ruble (AED/RUB) and US dollar – UAE dirham (USD/AED) currency pairs.

In early June, Andrey Skabelin, Director of the Foreign Exchange Market Department of the Moscow Exchange, said in an interview with RIA Novosti that the Moscow Exchange plans to start trading in Armenian drams, Uzbek sums and Emirati dirhams in the coming months.