Monday, Armenia Marks 20th Anniversary Of Parliament Killings • Naira Nalbandian Armenia -- People lay flowers at a memorial to the victims of the October 1999 deadly attack on the Armenian parliament, Yerevan, . Armenia’s top government officials and politicians attended on Sunday an official ceremony to mark the 20th anniversary of an armed attack on the Armenian parliament which left its popular speaker Karen Demirchian, Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian and six other officials dead. They were killed by five gunmen who burst into the National Assembly and sprayed it with bullets on October 27, 1999, six months after parliamentary elections won by Demirchian’s and Sarkisian’s Miasnutyun (Unity) alliance. The gunmen led by an obscure former journalist, Nairi Hunanian, accused the government of corruption and misrule and demanded regime change. They surrendered to police after overnight negotiations with then President Robert Kocharian. They were subsequently tried and sentenced to life imprisonment. Throughout their marathon trial Hunanian insisted that he himself had decided to seize the parliament without anybody's orders. But many in Armenia still believe that he and his henchmen had powerful sponsors outside the parliament building. Some relatives and supporters of the assassinated officials still suspect Kocharian and his successor President Serzh Sarkisian (no relation to Vazgen), who was Armenia’s national security minister in October 1999, of masterminding the killings to eliminate increasingly powerful rivals. Both men repeatedly dismissed such suggestions during and after a serious political crisis caused by the killings. Armenia -- Former Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian (L) and parliament speaker Karen Demirchian assassinated in the 1999 attack on parliament. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, other government officials as well as leaders of Armenia’s main political forces marked the anniversary by laying flowers at a memorial to the victims of the shock attack erected inside the parliament compound in Yerevan. Relatives of the victims also took part in the ceremony. Vazgen Sarkisian’s supporters and comrades-in-arms also visited the Yerablur military ceremony where the slain prime minister was buried. Sarkisian had also served as defense ministers and been one of the founders of the Armenian armed forces. The anniversary commemoration came less than a week after it emerged that Hunanian has asked authorities to release him on parole. The attack ringleader, who will turn 54 in December, is eligible for parole because of having spent 20 years in prison. Nevertheless, Justice Minister Rustam Badasian effectively ruled out his release last week. On Thursday, Arman Babajanian, a parliament deputy extremely critical of Kocharian, visited Hunanian at a Yerevan prison and talked to him for two hours in the presence of the prison chief. Babajanian claimed to have received important information from Hunanian when he spoke to RFE/RL’s Armenian service afterwards. In particular, he hinted that the jailed terrorist implicated Kocharian in the killings. Babajanian’s claims sparked speculation that the current Armenian authorities may reopen the probe of the parliament killings and bring fresh charges against Kocharian. The former president is already in jail, standing trial on charges mostly stemming from the 2008 post-election violence in Yerevan. He denies the accusations as politically motivated. Aram Sarkisian, Vazgen’s brother and successor who has for years alleged Kocharian’s possible involvement in the 1999 plot, cautioned on Sunday that Hunanian’s potential fresh testimony must not be taken at face value. He said that the ringleader could falsely incriminate the ex-president in hopes of regaining freedom. “Any convict thinks about getting out of jail as soon as possible and [Hunanian] doesn’t care about methods [of securing his release,]” Aram Sarkisian told reporters. “Do you think he is so honest and has so much remorse that we wants to speak up? Of course not. He saw on TV the revolution that took place in the country [in 2018,] can now see the ongoing war before the current and former rulers, and is trying to cash in on that war.” Armenia -- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian (R) greets Aram Sarkisian at a memorial to the victims of the October 1999 deadly attack on the Armenian parliament, Yerevan, . Sarkisian, whom Kocharian sacked as prime minister in May 2000, was also skeptical about the Armenian law-enforcement and judicial authorities’ ability to thoroughly investigate and solve the killings. “I believe that could happen only when we all can be confident that no judicial process can be politicized in any way,” agreed Edmon Marukian, the leader of the opposition Bright Armenia Party. Marukian compared the bloody seizure of the Armenian parliament to the 1963 assassination of U.S. President John Kennedy, which also left many unanswered questions. Artsvik Minasian, a senior member of the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation, went further, alleging that individuals “representing” Pashinian’s government are now effectively offering Hunanian a politically motivated “deal.” Pashinian declined to talk to the press after laying flowers at the parliament memorial. Meanwhile, Sasun Mikaelian, a prominent Pashinian ally who had also been close to the late Vazgen Sarkisian, appealed to Gagik Jahangirian, the man who led the first criminal investigation into the 1999 killings and at one point indicted individuals linked to Kocharian. Jahangirian implicitly promised to reveal new facts about the killings when he publicly pledged allegiance to opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian in the wake of a disputed 2008 presidential election. Like dozens of other Ter-Petrosian loyalists, he was controversially imprisoned afterwards. “Should you also stay silent now, 20 years on, my friend?” Mikaelian said at Yerablur. “It’s about time Jahangirian said what happened [in 1999.]” ‘No Plans Yet’ For Another Armenian-Azeri Summit • Naira Nalbandian Turkmenistan -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian (L) and Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev attend a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Ashgabat, October 11, 2019. The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan had a “very useful” conversation earlier this month but are not yet planning to meet again for further talks on Nagorno-Karabakh, Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian said on Monday. “A summit meeting is not planned at the moment,” Mnatsakanian told reporters in Yerevan. “Right now we are planning the continuation of [Armenian-Azerbaijani] talks at the level of foreign ministers.” “That is the basis for preparing meetings between the leaders [of the two countries,]” he said at a joint news conference with Bulgaria’s visiting Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zakharieva. Mnatsakanian and his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov are expected to hold fresh talks in December. Like Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, they have met on a regular basis over the past year. Aliyev and Pashinian publicly traded barbs during an October 11 summit of former Soviet republics held in Turkmenistan’s capital Aghgabat. Still, they reportedly talked to each other at great length during an official dinner hosted by Turkmen President Gurbaguly Berdymuhamedov. Mnatsakanian said that their conversation in Ashgabat was “very useful in the sense that we managed to reaffirm some approaches and principles related to an environment conducive to peace.” “We are now focused on those issues,” he added without elaborating. The U.S., Russian and French diplomats co-heading the OSCE Minsk Group met with Pashinian and Aliyev during their October 14-17 tour of the Karabakh conflict zone. In a joint statement, the mediators said the two leaders promised to make more efforts to “prepare the populations for peace and reduce tensions.” In a newspaper interview published on October 17, Mammadyarov complained about the mediators’ focus on confidence-building measures, rather than “substantive negotiations” sought by Baku. The Azerbaijani foreign minister also said that the so-called Madrid Principles of resolving the conflict remain at the heart of Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks. This framework peace accord was drafted by the United States, Russia and France over a decade ago. It calls for Armenian withdrawal from virtually all seven districts around Karabakh. In return, Karabakh’s predominantly ethnic Armenian population would be able to determine Karabakh’s internationally recognized status in a future referendum. The three mediating powers reaffirmed their support for this peace formula in March. Pashinian said shortly afterwards that the Madrid Principles are open to different interpretations and therefore need to be clarified. Commenting on Mammadyarov’s statement, Mnatsakanian insisted that the conflicting parties are not yet working on “a concrete document.” “But it doesn’t mean that we are not working on various principles and parameters in order to ascertain how we can establish necessary parity between commitments of the parties,” he said. Armenian ‘Economic Revolution’ On Track, Says Pashinian • Gayane Saribekian Armenia -- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian attends the inauguration of the Armenian subsidiary of the U.S. technology company Xilinx, Yerevan, October 28, 2019. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Monday claimed to be successfully carrying out an “economic revolution” in Armenia promised by him and downplayed relatively modest GDP growth forecast by his government for next year. Pashinian addressed Armenian lawmakers as they began discussions on the 2020 state budget drafted by the government. The draft budget bill calls for a sizable increase in public spending which would total 1.88 trillion drams ($3.9 billion). The government’s tax revenues are projected to rise just as strongly. These targets are based on the assumption that the Armenian economy will grow by 4.9 percent in 2020. Pashinian said that the government opted for a “conservative” growth projection in order to maintain continued “macroeconomic stability” in the country. Actual economic growth next year may well beat this forecast, he told members of the parliament’s economic committees. “The draft state budget for 2019 forecast a 4.5 percent growth rate but we have ensured a 5.2 percent growth rate,” argued the premier. Opposition parliamentarians dismissed this explanation. Mane Tandilian of the Bright Armenia Party said that the growth projection set in the government’s budget proposal amounts to a “pessimistic scenario.” “We have a non-revolutionary GDP growth [forecast,]” agreed Mikael Melkumian of the Prosperous Armenia Party. “I believe that the economic revolution in the Republic of Armenia is gaining momentum,” countered Pashinian. “It’s a reality, and this revolution is now easy to see.” “Huge investments are made in the Republic of Armenia,” he added without giving numbers. Pashinian has repeatedly pledged to effect such a revolution ever since he swept to power in May 2018 as a result of mass protests that led to the resignation of Armenia’s former longtime leader, Serzh Sarkisian. He had said that it will significantly reduce poverty and unemployment. In its comprehensive policy program approved by the parliament in February this year, Pashinian’s cabinet pledged to ensure that the domestic economy expands by at least 5 percent annually for the next five years. Armenia’s GDP increased by 7.5 percent in real terms in 2017, according to official statistics. This growth slowed down to 5.2 percent last year but now seems on track to accelerate in 2019. Former Armenian Speaker Charged With ‘Usurping Power’ • Naira Bulghadarian Armenia -- Parliament speaker Ara Babloyan, Yerevan, December 30, 2018. Law-enforcement authorities brought coup charges against former parliament speaker Ara Babloyan on Monday as part of their investigation into Hrayr Tovmasian’s appointment in March 2018 as chairman of Armenia’s Constitutional Court. Babloyan was not arrested by the Special Investigative Service (SIS), unlike a former senior parliament staffer who was also charged with forgery and “usurpation of power” last week. He strongly denied the accusations. “I stated that the accusations are illegal and that everything I did was in accordance with the constitution and laws,” the 72-year-old pediatric surgeon running Armenia’s largest children’s hospital told reporters outside the SIS headquarters in Yerevan. The SIS alleged last week that the former Armenian parliament elected Tovmasian court chairman as a result of an illegal seizure of the judicial authority by a “group of officials.” It said that Babloyan illegally accepted and announced the resignation of Tovmasian’s predecessor, Gagik Harutiunian, before receiving a relevant letter from the latter. It said that Arsen Babayan, the arrested staffer, backdated the letter to enable Tovmasian to head the Constitutional Court before the entry into force of sweeping amendments to the Armenian constitution. The amendments introduced a six-year term in office for the head of Armenia’s highest court. Tovmasian became chief court justice under the previous constitution which allows him to hold the post until the age of 70. In a weekend interview with RFE/RL’s Armenian service, Babloyan insisted that Harutiunian’s letter of resignation was dated March 1, 2018 and that he received and signed it on March 2, 2015, not three days later, as is claimed by the SIS. “Gagik Harutiunian signed his resignation on March 1 and that document was on my desk on March 2,” Babloyan said, adding that Constitutional Court and parliament seals on the document prove that. The former Constitutional Court chairman insisted that his resignation was voluntary and in conformity with Armenian law when he spoke to RFE/RL’s Armenian service last week. The SIS announced the coup inquiry on October 17 two days after seven of the nine Constitutional Court judges dismissed calls for Tovmasian’s dismissal made by the current Armenian parliament loyal to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. In an appeal to the court, the parliament claimed, among other things, that Tovmasian cannot act impartially because of his past affiliation with the former ruling Republican Party (HHK). Pashinian similarly charged in July that Tovmasian “privatized” the Constitutional Court with the help of the HHK. Tovmasian countered early this month that the authorities are seeking to oust him in order to gain control over Armenia’s highest court. Critics, notably senior HHK figures, say that Babayan’s arrest and other criminal proceedings targeting Tovmasian are part of Pashinian’s efforts to force the high court chief’s resignation. The prime minister and his political allies deny this. Vahagn Hovakimian, a senior lawmaker from Pashinian’s My Step alliance, on Monday also accused Babloyan of committing serious procedural violations during the announcement of Gagik Harutiunian’s resignation. He said that the former speaker illegally followed a legal clause which he believes came into force in April 2018. Babloyan and his lawyer, Aram Vartevanian, dismissed Hovakimian’s claims. Senior Official Stands Trial On Corruption Charges • Robert Zargarian Armenia - Davit Sanasarian, the head of the State Overisght Service, speaks to journalists in Yerevan, June 21, 2018. A senior government official who actively participated in Armenia’s “Velvet Revolution” went on trial Monday on corruption charges strongly denied by him. Davit Sanasarian, the head of the State Oversight Service (SOS), was indicted in April in a criminal investigation into alleged corrupt practices within the anti-corruption government agency. The National Security Service (NSS) arrested two other senior SOS officials in February, saying that they attempted to cash in on government-funded supplies of medical equipment to three hospitals. Sanasarian was charged with abusing his powers to help the two men enrich themselves and a private company linked to them. The official, who was suspended as SOS chief as a result, rejected the accusations as “fabricated.” Sanasarian repeated his vehement denials at the start of his trial in a district court in Yerevan. He said that he has been prosecuted illegally. Sanasarian’s lawyers petitioned the court to try their client separately from the two other suspects also standing trial. They also said that he must be reinstated as head of the SOS. The presiding judge, Davit Balayan, rejected both demands. One of the defense lawyers, Inesa Petrosian, went on to demand at the end of the fist session of the trial that Balayan drop the charges leveled against Sanasarian. She claimed that the NSS investigation was marked by serious violations of Armenian law. The judge scheduled the next court hearing in the high-profile case for November 27. Sanasarian, 35, is a former opposition and civic activist who had for years accused Armenia’s former leaders of corruption. He was actively involved in last year’s revolution. Sanasarian’s supporters, among them leaders of some Western-funded civic groups, have voiced support for him and denounced the NSS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian hit back at the critics in April. He said that they place their personal relationships with Sanasarian above the rule of law. Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL Copyright (c) 2019 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org