Armenian National Committee – Western Region
104 North Belmont, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Telephone: (818) 500-1918
Facsimile: (818) 246-7353

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
September 10, 2009
Contact: Shant Hagopian

TOWN-HALL DISCUSSION TO INFORM COMMUNITY OF IMPLICATIONS OF 9TH CIRCUIT
COURT OF APPEALS DECISION REGARDING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE LIFE INSURANCE
RECOVERY LAW

Community Briefing will Feature Mark Geragos, Harut Sassounian, Seto
Boyadjian and Steve Dadaian

GLENDALE, CA — The Armenian National Committee Western Region (ANC-WR)
Legal Research Task Force, in conjunction with the Armenian Youth Federation
(AYF) Western Region, and the Shant Student Association, will be hosting a
public briefing to inform, answer questions, and discuss the implications of
the recent 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision regarding California’s
Armenian Genocide Life Insurance recovery law.

The town-hall style community briefing will be held at St. Mary’s Apostolic
Church located at 500 S. Central Avenue inGlendale,
California91204-2007,on September 23, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. A panel of experts
and lawyers committed to appealing the court ruling will be present to
address how current developments affect insurance claimants and what options
the attorneys for the victims of the Armenian Genocide will explore next.

On August 20, 2009, heirs claiming life insurance payments from the Armenian
Genocide era were denied the right to sue insurance carriers for their long
withheld policy benefits. The law entitling them to seek redress in
California courts was struck down by the US Court of Appeals on the grounds
of federal preemption. The underlying statute, California Code of Civil
Procedure Section 345.5, allows claims to be filed against the insurers who
have withheld policy proceeds from the heirs of Genocide victims since 1915.

Panelists leading the discussion include Mark Geragos, one of three
attorneys representing the genocide victims’ heirs, ANCA National Board
Member Seto Boyadjian, and attorney and community activist Steve Dadaian.
The discussion will be moderated by Harout Sassounian, publisher of the
California Courier.

"Many Armenian Americans have been directly impacted by the 9th Circuit’s
decision," said Raffi Kassabian, ANC-WR activist. "The Court’s ruling
strikes at the very core of the Diaspora’s efforts for proper genocide
recognition and recovery of insurance policy proceeds. It is imperative that
the community be further briefed on the implications of the Court’s ruling."

The event organizers are expecting a large audience for the briefing.

"The future of this statute, and others like it, is significant for Armenian
Genocide victims and their descendants," stated Vache Thomassian, AYF
Western Region Chairman. "Thus far, it is the only procedure established for
the Armenian Genocide victims to recover these long and wrongfully withheld
assets. The Court’s ruling will have a detrimental effect on Armenian
American California residents and will set an erroneous precedent for future
similar insurance claims."

For more information on this event, please contact the ANC-WR office at
(818) 500-1918 or ancwr@anca.org.

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Haig Hovsepian
Community Relations Director

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Armenian National Committee – Western Region
104 North Belmont, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Telephone: (818) 500-1918
Mobile: (818) 859-2421
Facsimile: (818) 246-7353