Category: News

Moscow’s Zamoskvoretsky District Court on Thursday sentenced prominent Armenian businessman Levon Hayrapetyan to 4 years in prison for embezzlement of $700,000, reports from the courtroom.

Hayrapetyan was found guilty of stealing $700,000 from the mother of former Bashkortostan senator Igor Izmestyev sentenced to life for terrorism.

According to investigators, the businessman has misled the woman by promising a reduced sentence for her son. In practice, he could not influence the judgment.

A prosecutor earlier asked the court to sentence Hayrapetyan to 7 years in jail and to collect from him 20.8 million rubles ($316,000) in damages in favor of the victims.

The businessman has pleaded not guilty. According to his lawyer, the case has been framed up.

Hayrapetyan also stands charged with involvement in an embezzlement case under which Ural Rakhimov, son of the former head of Bashkortostan Murtaza Rakhimov, sold Bashneft, a midsized oil company he headed for three years, to the oil-to-telecoms conglomerate Sistema in 2009 at a huge “discount” of $500 million.

Airapetyan holds dual citizenship, has assets abroad and was until recently living in Monaco. Prosecutors presented this information as grounds for arrest. In early October 2014, Airapetyan was placed under house arrest. His defense attorney asked the court to release him, citing health problems.

 

 

 

“War is bad for every country,” Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Piotor Switalski told reporters today.  He voiced hope that the region would soon move to a settlement.

“If peace prevails, if we have a settlement, a just and durable settlement of the Karabakh conflict, it will be a big change for Armenia. Let’s hope we’ll be able to avoid military actions and escalation in the future and will see all parties at the negotiating table,” Amb. Switalski said.

“One of the elements of this settlement should be the contacts between civil societies. Armenia and Azerbaijan need direct contacts between civil societies and need to think about future reconciliation,” Switalsky said.

“The European Union is financing contacts between non-governmental organizations on both sides to help build platforms of dialogue. The success of Europe after 1945 is built on the concept of reconciliation,” the Head of the EU delegation said.

“I think Armenians know from their experience that for centuries, if not for millennia, that they can’t rely on any state to help them solve problems. They had to build their own organizations and in particular, Armenians living in Diaspora, knew that in order to preserve their identity, culture, they had to organize themselves. They had to create cultural organizations, schools, everything by themselves. That’s the big different between the Armenian nation and many others. Therefore, I would claim that organizing themselves is a national instinct for Armenians. A lot of problems confronting Armenia can be solved through civic activism, in particular in the regions, in poor districts of Armenia,” Piotor Switalski said.

The Ambassador spoke during public consultation on findings of the capacity buildingneeds assessment of civil society organizations in Armenia. He said the EU-funded “STRONG Civil Society Organizations for Stronger Armenia” project aims to help develop NGOs particularly in distant regions of Armenia.

– A pride of starving lions on the brink of death are being nursed back to health after being freed from their tiny cages in which they were slowly being driven mad, thanks to the generosity of MailOnline readers.

For the first time in their miserable lives, lioness Mary and her two cubs Zita and Geeta padded tentatively into more space than they had ever known when they were released into purpose-built compounds in the Caucasus Mountains, constructed with £30,000 of donations.

Finally they had room to move, to stretch, to see beyond the single row of steel rods which imprisoned them in what was nicknamed ‘the saddest zoo in the world’ in Armenia.

The cuts on their heads – suffered from repeated banging against the bars and sides of their prison – are now gone.

Mary has piled on a massive 100lb in weight since January and her ribs no longer protrude through her thick, glossy coat.

And their eyes shine bright thanks to good food, added vitamins and a love they have never experienced before.

MailOnline’s story of their suffering in cramped, filthy cages built from truck containers touched the hearts of readers worldwide.

Alan Knight OBE, the CEO of East Sussex-based animal welfare charity International Animal Rescue (IAR), said in all his years of fundraising he had ‘never known of such a swift response’ to an appeal for help.

But while the lions are safe and will never endure such suffering again, more money is needed to get them to the end of their journey: England.

IAR needs to raise an estimated £15,000 to fly them home while the UK’s The Nature Foundation is appealing for more than £200,000 to construct an enclosure in a Peak District sanctuary where the lions can live out their days in peace.

But so much has changed for the beautiful lionesses already. When MailOnline reported their plight in January, there were fears that any help would come too late because the wheels of animal charities can often turn with sclerotic – and lethal – slowness.

Mary, seven, and cubs Geeta, four, and Zita, two, were among the seven residents of the private zoo that had fallen into decay and squalor in the city of Gyumri – the place where the family of Armenian-American superstar Kim Kardashian and her sister Khloe stem from.

Bears Masha and Grisha from the same zoo were taken under the wing of Libearty Sanctuary in Romania, funded by Foundation Brigitte Bardot, where they are now being cared for under the auspices of the Armenian government’s Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets.

Ukrainian lawmakers on Thursday approved Volodymyr Groysman for the post of prime minister, paving the way for a new government in the biggest shake-up since a 2014 uprising brought in a pro-Western leadership, Reuters reports.

“I will show you what leading a country really means,” Groysman said ahead of the vote, which also finalised the resignation of Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk.

Groysman’s nomination was backed by 257 MPs, comfortably over the minimum 226 needed.

Cyprus’ Armenian community has expressed optimism that the Armenian Genocide will get international recognition very soon, its representative Vartkes Mahdessian, said at the Cyprus Parliament on Thursday, reports.

Addressing Parliament, and referring to the 101 years since the Armenian Genocide took place, Mahdessian stated that thus far 29 countries have recognised it, eight coming in 2015.

According to Mahdessian, 2015 was a pivotal year for Armenians, since new dynamics were created to raise awareness among public opinion.

In addition five countries have criminalised the denial of recognition of the Armenian Genocide, opening new paths for Armenians, outlined Mahdessian.

The Armenian community’s representative underlined the fact that Cyprus was the first European country, and second in the world, to recognise the Armenian Genocide by a Parliament resolution and also passed a law criminalising its denial.

Mahdessian closed by saying that Armenians “stand by the Cypriots` side and show solidarity in their efforts to reunite the island,” divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion.

 

 

 

 

Armenian MP at the Georgian Parliament Samvel Petrosyan has called on the authorities to recognize and condemn the Armenian Genocide.

Addressing the plenary session of the Parliament, he said events that took place in the Ottoman Empire 100 years ago are an enormous trauma for the Armenian nation.

“The genocide of Armenian has been recognized by many international organizations and states. We, as a democratic country, must acknowledge that fact, at least because the Ottoman Empire has occupied Georgian lands, as well. I’m sure that had the Armenian Genocide been condemned at the time, such crimes would not reoccur in different parts of the world. I urge everyone to recognize and condemn the genocide and thus, restore historical justice,” Gruzia Online quotes Petrosyan as saying.

In response to that, leader of the parliamentary majority Zviad Kvachantiradze declared that “no one should give in to the provocations coming from a malevolent neighbor.”

“Quite recently we witnessed an attempt to re-escalate a big, deep and sleeping conflict in the Caucasus. Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of the international community there seem no perspectives for the serious developments in the conflict, but we must remember that there are forces surrounding us interested in a constant war in the Caucasus, involving the countries of the South Caucasus. I urge everyone not to give in to provocations that could come from a malevolent neighbor,” Kvachantiradze declared

This is not the first rime the Armenian Genocide issue is being raised at the Georgian Parliament, but it flares hot discussions every time. Last year Samnvel Petrostyan’s speech on the topic was interrupted by ethnic Azerbaijani MP Azer Suleymanov from the United National Movement Party.

In 2012 Suleyman started a brawl, when Georgian MP Bagaturia called on his colleagues to recognize the Armenian Genocide. He even advised the Georgian lawmaker to change his surname to Bagaturyan.

EU-Turkey cooperation on migration should be uncoupled from the EU accession negotiating process, say MEPs in a resolution voted on Thursday. MEP praise Turkey for hosting the largest refugee population in the world, and note that it remains a “key strategic partner for the EU” but nonetheless call for progress on rule of law and fundamental values and “a structured and more frequent political dialogue on key thematic issues”.

“The overall pace of reforms in Turkey has not only slowed down but in some key areas, such as freedom of expression and the independence of the judiciary, there has been a regression, which is particularly worrying”, said rapporteur Kati Piri (S&D, NL). In this report “we also express our concern about the escalation of violence in the southeast of Turkey, which caused almost 400,000 people to leave their houses,” she added.

“Outsourcing the refugee crisis to Turkey is not a credible long-term solution to the problem”, say MEPs who add that “it is crucial to put in place safe and legal routes for refugees”. They believe that the EU-Turkey Joint Action Plan on refugees and migration management should be implemented immediately, but only as “part of a comprehensive cooperation agenda based on shared responsibility, mutual commitments and delivery”. Furthermore, “EU-Turkey cooperation on migration should not be linked to the calendar, content and conditionality of the negotiation process”. “Only a political solution to the Syrian crisis can provide a lasting response to this humanitarian crisis”, says the text.

The resolution was passed by 375 votes to 133, with 87 abstentions.

Serious backsliding on fundamental freedoms

MEPs urge Turkey to act against intimidation of journalists in all its forms, condemn its violent and illegal take-over of several newspapers including Zaman most recently and highlight its serious backsliding, over the past two years, on freedom of speech, expression and opinion, both on-line and off-line.

To match the EU’s commitment to the rule of law and fundamental values, which are core European values, reforms of the judiciary and fundamental rights and of justice, freedom and security are urgently needed in Turkey, says the text.

Kurdish peace process

MEPs call for an immediate ceasefire in southeast Turkey and the resumption of the peace process. They urge the Turkish government to shoulder its responsibility to resume negotiations for a negotiated, comprehensive and sustainable solution to the Kurdish issue. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), on the EU’s list of terrorist organisations, should lay down its arms, abandon terrorist tactics and use peaceful and legal means to voice its expectations, they add.

Cyprus reunification talks

Welcoming the considerable progress made in the Cyprus reunification talks, MEPs pledge support for the evolution of the Republic of Cyprus into “a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality between the two communities and equal opportunities for all its citizens”. They urge both parties to implement all agreed measures without further delay, emphasing that non-settlement of the Cyprus issue affects the development of EU-Turkey relations.

Following the debate in the European Parliament, two members of Parliament (MEPs) from two different political groups – Salvatore Pogliese and Remo Sernagiotto – that could not participate in Tuesday’s debate on Nagorno-Karabakh, have tabled a written question to Federica Mogherini, EU High-Representative/Vice-President.

In the document, they underline that the Azerbaijani attacks “are accompanied by gross violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, particularly the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977, and the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child.” They especially deplore civilian victims of the conflict, saying that “Civilian infrastructures and civilian population have been the main targets of the Azerbaijani offensive. In particular, among the first victims was a 12-year-old boy. In addition, cases of mutilation, execution and torture of civilians have been registered and documented.”

They conclude by asking Ms Mogherini if she is going “to propose sanctions to be taken against Azerbaijan, given the breaches of the above-mentioned international law and the very basis of the EU-Azerbaijan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement”. Lastly, they ask for EU’s support to “the OSCE Minsk Group proposal on the creation of a cease-fire violations monitoring mechanism, to avoid continuous breaches of this only self-regulated truce in Europe.”

European Friends of Armenia () welcomes this initiative. “Written questions are an important tool of oversight, including also EU’s foreign policy” comments EuFoA Director, Mr Eduardo Lorenzo Ochoa. “More than 6 questions have been tabled on the different hostilities that Nagorno-Karabakh has suffered in the last 12 months, which shows the deep concern of the House on this matter”.

According to the European Parliament’s rules of procedure, written questions must be answered within 6 weeks of their submission.

MEP Pogliese is member of the EPP group, the largest group in the European Parliament. MEP Sernagiotto is member of the ECR group, the third biggest group in the Parliament.

About 300 people demonstrated in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Wednesday April 13 to protest the aggression initiated by Azerbaijan against the people of Nagorno Karabakh, reports.

“This happened days ago in Buenos Aires and Cordoba, in Argentina. It will replicate in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and has happened in all other major capitals of the world,” said Federico Waneskahian member of Armenian National Committee of Uruguay, to EFE agency.

“This will keep happening if measures are not taken to punish and define clearly who is the aggressor in this case and condemn the aggression of Azerbaijan,” he added.

The demonstration was attended by Tourism Minister Liliam Kechichian, Senator Ruben Martinez Huelmo, Deputy Daniel Radio and former Vice Chancellor Belela Herrera.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay issued a statement days ago in which they expressed a “serious concern” over the matter and urged the parties to “respect the cease-fire and end hostilities.”

 

 

 

“The world should listen to what concessions Artskah is ready to make,” Vice-Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Edward Sharmazanov told reporters today. He added, however, that a number of principles need to be clarified before that.

“There can be no mutual concessions without the decision of the people and authorities of Artsakh.  Speaking about concessions today is useless, as I haven’t heard anything from the Azerbaijani side,” Sharmazanov said.

The Vice-Speaker ruled out any unilateral concessions. “It is impossible after 25-30 years of struggle. We’ll fight till the end,” he said.

Sharmazanov has just returned from Artsakh. He visited Nagorno Karabakh accompanied by lawmakers from the Czech Republic, Latvia and Greece, who have already been blacklisted by Azerbaijan. The European MPs had arrived to see the consequences of the Azerbaijani aggression on the ground.

Sharmazanov quoted the European lawmakers as saying that “the people of Artsakh are not alone in their struggle, and it’s up to Artsakh to determine its future.”

Spekaing about Turkey’s reaction to the recent escalation, he noted that “attempts to ascribe a religious coloring to the Karabakh conflict” could mark the start of a catastrophe. He urged the international community to be cautious and pressure those attempting to incite escalation.