2-year-old Arthur Martirosyan, the child who was missing since November 6, has been found dead in a lake in Vanadzor, Armenia, police said.
Earlier today search and rescue operations had resumed.
Police did not specify other details yet.
Harut Sassounian
BY HARUT SASSOUNIAN
The heinous murder of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has been exploited by leaders of several countries for their selfish political and economic gains, ignoring the vile nature of the crime. The main participants in this ugly game are Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United States.
On October 2, 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen, visited Saudi Arabia’s Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, to finalize his divorce documents so he could marry his Turkish fiancée, Hatice Cengiz. Khashoggi never left the Consulate. He was murdered and reportedly dismembered by a special team of Saudi investigators who were sent to Istanbul the day before, and after the killing immediately returned to Saudi Arabia on two separate private jets.
Khashoggi, who had worked for years for the Saudi government in important positions, left Saudi Arabia and settled in the United States in 2017 after becoming disillusioned with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s limitless powers. Khashoggi began writing critical opinion columns in the Washington Post, while Saudi leaders made several unsuccessful attempts to lure him back to his native land.
Initially, Saudi Arabia announced that Khashoggi had left its Consulate in Istanbul within an hour or so of his arrival. However, after leaks from the Turkish government that there was no video of Khashoggi exiting the Consulate, the Saudi authorities changed their story, claiming that the dissident journalist was killed during a fistfight at the Consulate. A week later, the Saudi leaders changed their story once again, stating that Khashoggi’s murder was premeditated and not accidental. Saudi Arabia proceeded to fire five security officials and arrested a dozen others, claiming that neither King Salman nor the Crown Prince had any advance knowledge of the murder plan. Given the fact that the Crown Prince is in total control of the country, no one believes that he was unaware of Khashoggi’s killing by the Kingdom’s top security and intelligence officials.
In the meantime, the Turkish government, which has been in constant rivalry with Saudi Arabia for the dominance of the Sunni Islamic world, has been leaking to the Turkish media drip by drip the evidence of Khashoggi’s murder. Initially, the Turks claimed that the information came from Khashoggi’s apple watch which had recorded his torture and murder. When experts advised that the apple watch did not have such a capacity, it became clear that the Turkish government used the watch as a cover up for its secret recording devices installed inside the Saudi Consulate.
In my opinion, the Turkish government’s continuous leaks to the media were meant to send a message to Saudi authorities that it would make public potentially embarrassing evidence about Khashoggi’s killing, unless the Saudis would pay a large ransom for Pres. Erdogan’s silence. It is well-known that the Turkish economy is in shambles and desperately needs tens of billions of dollars to cover its foreign debts. Not hearing a positive response, Erdogan warned the Saudis that he would personally go on national TV and reveal the “naked truth,” unless the Saudis accommodated the Turkish demands. During his speech last week, for the first time, Erdogan made public the timeline of Khashoggi murder and raised serious doubts that it was accidental. However, the Turkish President seemed to keep the hope alive that the Saudis will eventually meet his shakedown demands by not making public all of his secretly collected evidence. In his speech, Erdogan neither mentioned the name of the Saudi Crown Prince nor the Turkish possession of audio/visual materials which had recorded Khashoggi’s painful death. Instead, Erdogan asked several questions that he probably knew the answers, such as: where is Khashoggi’s body and who is the Turkish collaborator who whisked it away at Saudis’ request? Meanwhile, to squeeze the Saudis further, the Turkish press published last week gruesome images of Khashoggi’s dismembered body!
The third culprit is the United States, more specifically, Pres. Trump. When he first got the news that Khashoggi was murdered at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Pres. Trump kept emphasizing his own “great achievement” of selling $110 billion of advanced U.S. weapons to Saudi Arabia during his last year’s visit, ostensibly creating “450,000 jobs for American workers.” As usual, Pres. Trump exaggerated the financial benefits as he had not signed a contract for the sale of $110 billion of U.S. weapons. There was actually an agreement to sell only $10-$20 billion of weapons in the next five years. Furthermore, a year ago Pres. Trump had said that the same weapon sale would create 40,000 American jobs, not 450,000. However, a few days after Khashoggi’s murder, Pres. Trump exaggerated his numbers, this time to 500,000 jobs. A week later, he increased it again to “one million jobs,” and then to “over one million jobs.”
Regardless of how many jobs would be created and how many billions would the sale of the weapons bring, Pres. Trump never expressed his condolences to the Khashoggi family. Even though Pres. Trump kept warning Saudi Arabia of “severe consequences,” he valued the price of the weapons more than a human being’s life! The only American ‘punishment’ was the suspension of U.S. visas to the 18 Saudis who were sent to Istanbul to murder Khashoggi.
Regrettably, most heads of states do not care about human beings! What’s in it for me or my nation is the common practice. In the process, leaders are willing to lie, cheat, and even murder.
Khashoggi’s Turkish fiancée did the right thing by refusing Pres. Trump’s invitation to the White House. She did not want her grief to be exploited by a politician who only cares about his own selfish gains rather than the pain and suffering of the family members of a mutilated murder victim!
Ն.Ս.Օ.Տ.Տ. ԱՐԱՄ Ա. ԿԱԹՈՂԻԿՈՍԻ
ՈՒՆԵՑԱԾ ՀԱՆԴԻՊՈՒՄՆԵՐԸ ՊԵՌՆԻ ՄԷՋ
Պեռն (Զուիցերիա) կատարած իր պաշտօնական
այցելութեան ընթացքին, 26-28 Հոկտեմբեր 2018-ին, Ն.Ս.Օ.Տ.Տ. Արամ Ա. Վեհափառ Հայրապետը
հետեւեալ այցելութիւններն ու հանդիպումները ունեցաւ.-
1) Վեհափառ Հայրապետը իր պատուիրակութեան
անդամներուն հետ միասին այցելեց լիբանանեան դեսպանատուն, ուր պաշտօնպէս ընդունուեցաւ
դեսպանուհի՝ Ռօլա Նուրըտտինի կողմէ։ Ապա, ի պատիւ Հայրապետին պաշտօնական ընթրիք տեղի
ունեցաւ։
2) Պեռնի եպիսկոպոսարանին մէջ Նորին
Սրբութիւնը հանդիպում մը ունեցաւ քաղաքի հոգեւորականներուն, համալսարանի փրոֆեսորներուն
եւ դոկտորայի աստիճանի ուսնողներուն հետ եւ երկխօսութիւն մը ունեցաւ աստուածաբանական
հարցերու շուրջ։
3) Ան առիթը ունեցաւ կարճ հանդիպում
մը ունենալու Հայաստանի դեսպանատան պաշտօնակատար՝ Անահիտ Յարութիւնեանի հետ, որ յատուկ
Պեռն եկած էր ներկայ գտնուելու Վեհափառ Հայրապետին դասախօսութեանց։
4) Նորին Սրբութիւնը պատուիրակութեան
անդամներուն հետ միասին ներկայ գտնուեցաւ ի պատիւ իրեն տրուած պաշտօնական ընթրիքի մը՝
կազմակերպուած Հին Կաթոլիկ եկեղեցւոյ կողմէ, որուն ներկայ գտնուեցան նաեւ կրօնական
ու քաղաքական դէմքեր։
5) Արամ Ա. Կաթողիկոս հանդիպում մը
ունեցաւ ընդհանրապէս Միջին Արեւելքին ու յատկապէս Սուրիոյ քաղաքական ու տնտեսական հարցերուն
առնչուած Զուիցերիոյ պետութեան ներկայացուցիչ՝ Ուլֆկանկ Ամատէոս Պրուէլհարթին հետ։
Նոյն անձին հետ Վեհափառ Հայրապետը հանդիպած էր շուրջ տարի մը առաջ, որու ընթացքին Ան
ընդգծած էր Սուրիոյ քրիստոնեայ համայնքներուն օժանդակելու անհրաժեշտութիւնը։
6) Պեռն իր կեցութեան օրերուն, Նորին
Սրբութիւնը նաեւ յաջորդական հանդիպումներ ունեցաւ կրօնական, քաղաքական ու միջ-եկեղեցական
պատասխանատուներու հետ։
7) Յայտնենք նաեւ, որ Վեհափառ Հայրապետին
եւ իր այցելութեան մասին լայնօրէն անդրադարձած էր Զուիցերիոյ գլխաւոր օրաթերթը։
—
Armenia’s foreign minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan will visit New York City in the composition of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s delegation to participate in the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly.
The FM is expected to have bilateral meetings with counterparts and other officials from a number of countries within the framework of the September 24-28 visit, the foreign ministry said.
Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will deliver remarks at the session.
YEREVAN. – It is impossible to have lasting peace without Artsakh’s participation in talks, Armenian Foreign Minster Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said in an interview with the public television.
Asked about Artsakh’s participation in the negotiations, the minister recalled that both Yerevan and Stepanakert repeatedly made statements in this regard.
“That's not news. And, Stepanakert has the last word,” Mnatsakanyan said, stressing that work is underway to ensure that Artsakh’s voice is heard.
At the same time, the minister did not agree that there is no negotiation without Artsakh.
“We continue working on the agenda within the negotiation process,” Mnatsakanyan said.
Regarding the human rights situation in Armenia, Artsakh and Azerbaijan, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan stressed that Armenia and Artsakh have chosen the way of building a state where democracy, human rights, and the rule of law are priorities.
“For us, the Karabakh dispute is the problem of the fate of 150,000 of our compatriots in Artsakh, who are under existential threat, because of Azerbaijan's actions. In the context of the hatred rhetoric voiced by Baku, we cannot imagine how one can talk about rights, the minister said.
Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan during a press briefing Tuesday
YEREVAN—Armenia will exercise its right to veto in the event of Azerbaijan’s application to join the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union, said Armenia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan during Tuesday’s press briefing.
“Such discussions actually are taking place within analytical circles, but those discussions—and circles—are happening and are based on intelligence. I will express the official position of Armenia’s foreign ministry. If such an issue is brought up, Armenia will use its right to veto,” she Naghdalyan.
Explaining that issues of membership and participation in the two organizations are made through consensus of member-states, Naghdalyan stressed that official Yerevan has clearly conveyed its position in order to avoid double standards. She also said that Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan has clearly conveyed this position during discussions about future CSTO and EEU expansion.
Armenia’s role in the CSTO has been come front and center since Armenia’s Prosecutor General last month charged its current secretary-general Yuri Khachaturov of breaching Armenia’s constitutional order when he was Armenia’s deputy defense minister. The charges are related to post-election protests, which resulted in the deaths of eight civilians and two police officers during a standoff on March 1, 2008. Khachaturov was released on bail and allowed to return to Moscow to continue his duties as head of the Russia-led military alliance.
Armenia began the application process to replace Khachaturov, however the criminal proceedings against him did not sit well with Moscow, prompting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to tersely criticize Yerevan for what he called “political” trials.
Naghdalyan also briefed reporters on the ongoing process to replace Khachaturov saying that a number of meetings with various players in the organization at all levels have been held, “in accordance with the existing rules of procedures aimed at finding consensus solutions.”
Naghdalyan explained that based on earlier decisions, Armenia will retain the leadership of the CSTO until 2020, hence efforts are underway to propose a suitable replacement for Khachaturov.
On another note, Naghdalyan reported that the foreign ministry was preparing concrete proposals and programs for the advancement of relations between Armenia and the European Union, following last week’s visit to Yerevan by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
She explained that certain agreements were reached during meetings and discussions with Merkel, among them pursuing a visa-free regime between the EU and Armenia.
Monday,
Pashinian Again Visits Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh - Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian meets with Karabakh
leaders in Stepanakert, .
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has visited Nagorno-Karabakh and met with its
leaders for a third time since taking office more than three months ago.
Pashinian was accompanied by Armenia’s Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan and the
chief of the Armenian army’s General Staff, General Artak Davtian, during the
low-key visit. The three men met twice on Sunday with Bako Sahakian, the
Karabakh president, and General Levon Mnatsakanian, the commander of Karabakh’s
Armenian-backed army.
Pashinian’s press service issued no statements on the trip.
According to Sahakian’s office, the first meeting focused on “various issues
relating to cooperation between the two Armenian republics.”
The second meeting was held at the Karabakh army headquarters in Stepanakert. A
short statement by Sahakian’s office said the two sides discussed military
affairs and, in particular, ways of strengthening the army. Also, Mnatsakanian
was reported to brief Pashinian on the current situation along the
Armenian-Azerbaijani “line of contact.”
The authorities in Stepanakert said in May and June that Azerbaijan is massing
troops there in possible preparation for large-scale hostilities. The
conflicting parties have reported few major ceasefire violations on the
Karabakh frontlines since then, however.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and his recently appointed
Armenian counterpart, Zohrab Mnatsakanian, held their first face-to-face talks
in Brussels on July 11. The U.S., Russian and French mediators co-chairing the
OSCE Mins Group, who were present at the talks, expect them they to meet again
in September.
‘King Of Instagram’ Gets Armenian Citizenship
• Tatevik Lazarian
Armenia - Mnatsakan Bichakhchian C), the head of an Armenian police department
on visas and passports, poses for a photo with U.S. celebrity Dan Bilzerian (R)
and his brother Adam in Yerevan, .
Dan Bilzerian, a controversial American social media celebrity of Armenian
descent, officially became an Armenian citizen on Monday during his first-ever
visit to his ancestral homeland.
Bilzerian is a professional poker player who is primarily known for his playboy
lifestyle. He has tens of millions of followers on Instagram and Facebook who
are attracted by his regular photos of private jets, scantily clad women, piles
of cash and guns.
The 37-year-old nicknamed the “King of Instagram” gave no details of his trip
to Armenia when he announced it on Twitter shortly before arriving in Yerevan
early on Sunday night. Accompanied by several companions, he declined to answer
questions from journalists at the city’s Zvartnots airport.
Mnatsakan Bichakhchian, the head of an Armenian police department on visas and
passports, announced the following morning that Bilzerian and his brother Adam
have taken an Armenian citizenship oath. Bichakhchian posted on his Facebook
page a photograph of himself and the two men standing in his office.
Speaking to RFE/RL’s Armenian service, Bichakhchian revealed that the brothers
were granted Armenian citizenship in 2014 but had to take the oath in order to
complete their naturalization process. The official suggested that they were
strongly influenced by their ethnic Armenian father Paul Bilzerian who he said
already holds an Armenian passport.
Dan Bilzerian, who endorsed Donald Trump during the 2016 U.S. presidential
race, is no stranger to controversy. In 2014, for example, he was briefly
arrested in Los Angeles on suspicion of possessing bomb-making materials.
Bilzerian is the latest Armenian American celebrity to travel to Armenia. Kim
Kardashian, the world-famous reality TV star, visited the country in April 2015.
Unlike Kardashian, Bilzerian has rarely made public statements on issues
relevant to Armenia or the sizable Armenian community in the United States.
French Water Operator Under Corruption Probe In Armenia
• Tatev Danielian
Armenia - The Public Services Regulatory Commission meets in Yerevan, 17Jun2015.
Law-enforcement authorities in Armenia have launched a criminal investigation
into what they call corrupt practices by state utility regulators and a
French-owned company running the country’s water distribution network.
The company, Veolia Jur, on Monday angrily denied the allegations made by the
Armenian police over the weekend.
A statement by the police said that in late 2017 the then chairman of the
Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC), Robert Nazarian, and seven other
senior officials from the regulatory body travelled to France on a visit fully
funded by Veolia Jur. The water operator, which is part of France’s Veolia
utility giant, covered their travel and accommodation expenses worth a total of
over $26,000.
The statement charged that these payments amounted to a bribe which Veolia
Jur’s director general, Christian Lefaix, and another senior executive paid in
return for securing the PSRC’s subsequent decision to allow the company to
raise the price of drinking water. The police also claimed to have found
financial irregularities in Veolia’s contracts with Armenian suppliers worth
3.7 billion drams ($7.7 million).
The preliminary investigation was initiated by an aide to Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinian. It will now be continued by another law-enforcement body, the
Special Investigative Service (SIS). An SIS spokeswoman said on Monday that
nobody has been formally charged yet in connection with the investigation.
Veolia Jur expressed “indignation” at the allegations, accusing the police of
violating the presumption of innocence before the completion of the probe. “The
company does not accept the incriminating tone of the police,” it said in a
statement. A spokesman for the operator promised to give more detailed
explanations by Tuesday.
The PSRC also rejected the “baseless” accusations. A statement by the
commission said that the 2017 trip to France was part of “experience sharing”
that did not predetermine the commission’s decisions.
Veolia managed the water and sewerage network of Yerevan from 2007-2016. It has
been in charge of water supply in the entire country since November 2016. Its
15-year management contract with the Armenian government signed at the time
calls for annual rises in the water price which can be reversed after 2023. The
PSRC statement emphasized this fact.
Earlier this month, Veolia asked the PSRC to raise the price by another 7
percent, saying it needs additional revenue to upgrade the aging water network.
Inessa Gabayan, the recently appointed head of the State Committee on Water
Resources, strongly objected to the proposed measure. Citing a recent series of
water main breaks and other accidents in and outside Yerevan, she said that
many Armenians are dissatisfied with the company.
Veolia managed to phase out Soviet-era water rationing in the vast majority of
Yerevan’s neighborhoods after taking over the municipal network. “By 2030 the
entire population of Armenia will be supplied with drinking water [around the
clock] thanks to Veolia,” the company pledged in November 2016.
Armenian PM, Speaker Meet To Ease Tensions
• Tatevik Lazarian
Armenia -- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian (R) and Parliament Speaker Ara
Babloyan.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and parliament speaker Ara Babloyan reportedly
agreed on Monday to defuse political tensions in Armenia following bitter
recriminations traded by the country’s current and former leaders.
The two men met one week after Babloyan expressed serious concern over
Pashinian’s far-reaching statements made at an August 17 rally in Yerevan.
Addressing tens of thousands of supporters, the premier accused Armenian judges
of acting on orders issued by the former government and threatened to create
“bodies of transitional justice.” He also announced plans to push through the
parliament constitutional amendments that would facilitate the conduct of fresh
parliamentary elections. He told his supporters to be ready to press lawmakers
to enact those changes.
Senior representatives of former President Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party
(HHK) reacted furiously to Pashinian’s speech, accusing him of stifling
dissent, blackmailing the Armenian parliament and seeking to control the
judiciary.
Babloyan, who is also affiliated with the HHK, similarly accused Pashinian of
subjecting the parliament to “pressure and coercion.” “Prime Minister
Pashinian’s speech at the rally contained extremely dangerous messages to the
constitutional order,” he said in an August 20 statement.
The speaker added that he will discuss his “deep concerns” with Pashinian,
President Armen Sarkissian as well as other Armenian officials and foreign
diplomats based in Yerevan. Pashinian expressed readiness to meet him.
Babloyan’s office said that the two men reached a number of understandings at
their meeting. In particular, it said, they agreed that everyone in Armenia
should enjoy “freedom of speech and dissent,” that judicial independence “must
not be undermined,” and that any elements of transitional justice must conform
to the Armenian constitution. It was also agreed that any amendments to the
Armenian constitution should be enacted as a result of “broad-based political
discussions,” said the office.
The Armenian government did not issue any press releases on the meeting.
President Sarkissian welcomed the “agreements” reached at the premier’s talks
with the speaker later in the day. “The president hopes that we will see
positive results very soon,” read a statement by the presidential press service.
Hakob Badalian, a Yerevan-based political analyst, believes that Pashinian’s
tough speech was a response to the political comeback of Robert Kocharian,
another former president who is facing criminal charges stemming from the 2008
post-election violence in Yerevan. Kocharian made the announcement on August
16. HHK representatives have not ruled out the possibility of cooperating with
him.
Badalian suggested that the HHK and Pashinian agreed to “restore the status
quo” that existed until their latest war of words. “I think the statement [by
Babloyan’s office] implies that there is no need for transitional justice, that
the parliamentary elections will be held as planned and that the former
government is not reneging on its pledges,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian service.
The policy program of Pashinian’s cabinet, reluctantly approved by the
HHK-controlled parliament in June, calls for the holding of snap parliamentary
elections within a year. Under the existing constitution, such polls can be
held only if the prime minister resigns and the National Assembly twice fails
to elect his or her replacement.
In his August 17 speech, Pashinian warned of the possibility of the HHK and
other parliamentary forces installing another prime minister in case of his
resignation. He said his political team will therefore draft constitutional
amendments that would allow the parliament to dissolve itself. But speaking to
journalists on August 22, Pashinian said that this is only “one of the
scenarios” considered by his government.
Press Review
(Saturday, August 25)
1in.am hails German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s first-ever official visit to
Armenia as “historic” and notes that it took place just a few months after the
democratic revolution in the country. The online publication says the visit was
a unique opportunity for the new Armenian government to present its foreign
policy to the leader of a key European Union member state.
“Aravot” reports that the chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC),
Tigran Mukuchian, is ignoring calls for his resignation made by a small
political party. The leader of the party, Andrias Ghukasian, is quoted by the
paper as saying that the CEC and its territorial divisions are still dominated
by members of the former ruling HHK who could manipulate upcoming elections in
Armenia for “counterrevolutionary” purposes. Mukuchian insists, meanwhile, that
he and other members of the CEC are now busy gearing for the proper conduct of
those elections.
“Our society is still not prepared for being objective and constructive on many
issues,” editorializes “Hraparak.” “For some reason elementary values and
standards are not observed in our country. Our love for the [new] authorities
is turning into a personality cult, while hatred is taking the form of calls
for prosecuting, punishing, hanging and killing [opponents] … Instead of
rejecting crimes and demanding fair punishment for criminals, we insult and
humiliate them, expel them from the society, and treat them like lepers.” The
paper points out that many of the people voicing such demands for decades
tolerated the previous governments.
“Haykakan Zhamanak” reports that some officials in Azerbaijan have floated the
idea of their country joining the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO). The paper believes that Azerbaijan’s membership in the
CSTO would “disrupt the normal functioning of the organization” due to the
unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
(Tigran Avetisian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org
Thursday,
Jailed Armenian General Hospitalized
• Anush Muradian
Armenia - Retired General Manvel Grigorian speaks at a congress of the
Yerkrapah Union in Yerevan, 18 February 2017.
Manvel Grigorian, a retired army general arrested recently on corruption
charges, has been hospitalized to undergo medical tests ordered by an Armenian
law-enforcement agency.
Grigorian was transferred from a detention center in downtown Yerevan to the
endocrinology department of the Armenia Medical Center late on Wednesday.
Officials at the civilian hospital refused on Thursday to comment on his
reportedly poor health condition.
The Special Investigative Service (SIS) told RFE/RL’s Armenian service that it
wants to ascertain that condition.
Grigorian was arrested when security forces raided his properties in and around
the town of Echmiadzin on June 16. They found many weapons, ammunition,
medication and field rations for soldiers provided by the Armenian Defense
Ministry. They also discovered canned food and several vehicles donated by
Armenians at one of Grigorian’s mansions. A widely publicized official video of
the raids caused shock and indignation in the country.
The Armenian parliament, of which Grigorian is a member, was quick to allow
investigators to prosecute and keep him in pre-trial detention on charges of
illegal arms possession and embezzlement. The once powerful general denies the
accusations.
Grigorian’s lawyers have repeatedly demanded his release from pre-trial
custody, saying that the 61-year-old is suffering from a number of serious
illnesses. They were allowed to visit him in the hospital on Thursday morning.
One of the lawyers, Levon Baghdasarian, claimed that his client’s condition has
worsened in the last few days. “He has trouble talking and breathing,” he told
RFE/RL’s Armenian service.
Baghdasarian complained that Grigorian was hospitalized to undergo tests,
rather than receive what he described as badly needed receive medical aid. His
treatment by the authorities amounts to “torture,” charged the lawyer.
Grigorian served as Armenia’s deputy defense minister from 2000-2008. Until his
arrest he was also the chairman of the Yerkrapah Union of Karabakh war
veterans, an organization which was particularly influential in the 1990s and
the early 2000s. He was reelected to the parliament last year on the ticket of
then President Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party.
Armenian Government Vows Tax Cuts
• Sargis Harutyunyan
Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian visits a tech company based at the
newly built Engineering City in Yerevan, .
The Armenian government has promised major tax cuts that will benefit most
workers as well as some small businesses.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said the government will initiate “very serious
changes” in Armenia’s Tax Code in a Facebook video address aired late on
Wednesday.“I can now say that we will opt for a simplification of the tax
legislation and a reduction in personal income tax,” he said.
Pashinian declined to specify the extent of the new tax rates planned by the
government, saying that “several scenarios” are still under consideration. He
pledged to all but scrap the main tax levied some of the small businesses
operating in the country.
Under Armenian law, companies with an annual turnover of up to 115 million
drams ($237,000) are exempt from profit and value-added (VAT) taxes paid by
larger businesses. They are only required to pay “turnover tax” equivalent to 2
percent of their revenue.
Pashinian promised to set a new and “symbolic” tax rate for small firms earning
no more than 24 million drams annually. “In essence, that will mean the near
absence of [turnover] tax,” he said.
Davit Ananian, the head of Armenia’s State Revenue Committee (SRC), was careful
not to shed more light on the promised tax cuts when he spoke to reporters on
Thursday. He said the government is still calculating “budgetary losses” that
would result from lower taxes and is looking into ways of making up for them.
“In September the government will formulate a common position [on the issue]
and inform the public,” Ananian said after a weekly cabinet meeting in Yerevan.
The government hopes to push the amendments through the parliament before the
end of this year, he said.
The Tax Code was already amended by Armenia’s previous government last year.
The amendments raised from 26 percent to 28 percent the tax rate for monthly
incomes ranging from 150,000 drams to 2 million drams ($310-$4,150). The rate
for those who earn more was set at 36 percent. At the same time the tax rate
for workers making up to 150,000 drams a month was cut from 24.4 percent to 23
percent.
Those changes, which took effect on January 1, met with strong resistance from
opposition groups, notably Pashinian’s Yelk bloc. In February, the Armenian
parliament voted down a Yelk bill that would repeal the higher tax rates.
But on April 12, Serzh Sarkisian’s government unexpectedly announced plans to
lower income tax. The announcement came the day before Pashinian launched
anti-government mass protests that eventually brought him to power.
Armenian Police Forces Deployed On Azeri Border
• Marine Khachatrian
Armenia - The first group of Armenian interior troops is sent to the border
with Azerbaijan, .
The first large group of Armenian interior troops joined army units in guarding
Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan on Thursday as part of an unprecedented
redeployment ordered by the new government.
They headed to some sections of the heavily militarized border immediately
after an farewell ceremony in Yerevan attended by Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinian and other senior officials.
The troops that are part of the national police service have until now been
tasked with only ensuring internal security and dealing with violent unrest in
the country. Pashinian ordered them to also protect the Armenian-Azerbaijani
frontier on a rotating basis shortly after coming to power in May.
Speaking at the ceremony, Pashinian described their new mission as “historic,”
saying that they will not only help the Armenian military but also improve
their public image. “Our objective is to ensure that Armenia’s citizens
perceive the police and the police troops as protectors of their security,
Armenian statehood and the constitution,” he said.
The Armenian police chief, Valeri Osipian, said earlier this week that police
personnel will serve at the border on two-week tours of duty and receive
additional payments for that. They look forward to their new task, Osipian told
reporters.
Daniel Ioannisian, a civic activist who sits on new government commissions
formed by Pashinian, welcomed the redeployment. “The public always wondered who
the possible enemies of the police troops are, and this only deepened distrust
between the public and the police,” he said. “That problem was somewhat
addressed as soon as it was announced that the police troops will also be
defending the country’s borders.”
Kocharian To Also Appeal To Top Court
• Tatev Danielian
Armenia - A plaque at the entrance to former President Robert Kocharian's
office in Yerevan, 23 June 2018.
Despite being released from custody Robert Kocharian will also appeal to
Armenia’s highest criminal court in connection with his recent arrest, a lawyer
for the embattled former president said on Thursday.
The Court of Appeals on August 13 overturned a district court’s July 27
decision to allow Kocharian’s arrest on charges stemming from the 2008
post-election violence in Yerevan. It said that the Armenian constitution gives
him immunity from prosecution.
The Special Investigative Service (SIS), which filed the accusations, condemned
the decision as “illegal.” State prosecutors asked the Court of Cassation,
Armenia’s highest body of criminal and administrative justice, to invalidate it
on Monday.
One of Kocharian’s lawyers, Hayk Alumian, said his client is not fully
satisfied with the August 13 ruling and will file an appeal with the Court of
Cassation. “Of all our arguments only the one about Mr. Kocharian’s immunity
was accepted,” explained Alumian. “But we wanted the Court of Appeals to also
address the other grounds [for his release.]”
Kocharian, who ruled Armenia from 1998-2008, stands accused of illegally using
the armed forces against opposition supporters who protested against alleged
fraud in a disputed presidential election held in February 2008. Eight
protesters and two police personnel were killed when security forces broke up
those demonstrations on March 1-2, 2018.
The 63-year-old ex-president denies the accusations as politically motivated,
saying that Armenia’s current government is waging a “vendetta” against him. He
announced his return to active politics on August 16.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, who played a key role in the 2008 protests,
strongly defended the SIS probe at a rally held the following day. In a clear
reference to Kocharian, Pashinian said: “I want to make clear that no one will
avoid responsibility for killing 10 people and staging a coup d’état in Armenia
on March 1 [2008] … All murderers will go to prison.”
Press Review
“Zhoghovurd” sees “no alternative” to pre-term parliamentary elections in
Armenia, saying that the current National Assembly “does not reflect the real
political picture and the popular mood.” The paper argues that the largest
parliamentary force, the Republican Party (HHK), was ousted from power by
Armenians just a few months ago.
“Haykakan Zhamanak” says, for its part, that the HHK has failed to become a
credible opposition force despite having “huge financial resources” and many
experienced individuals. “Very quickly it became clear that there is no reason
to be particularly worried [about the HHK,]” writes the paper linked to Prime
Minister Nikol Pashinian. It says that all the HHK can do now is to exploit
statements made by Pashinian. In particular, it shrugs off at parliament
speaker Ara Babloyan’s claims that Pashinian is putting pressure on Armenian
courts, saying that he never protested against the grave lack of judicial
independence in the country before the recent regime change.
“Today’s political agenda is dictated by corruption revelations, law-enforcers’
statements about the recovery of large [embezzled] sums, arrests, the amounts
of bail granted by courts and so on as well as the resulting speeches
incriminating the former authorities,” writes “Aravot.” “Not only the prime
minister’s entourage but also virtually all political forces concentrate on
fighting against the HHK and Robert Kocharian. This retrospective fight is
attributed to the latter’s ‘revanchist’ plans which are possible but
meaningless and not feasible. Fighting shadows of the past is a very convenient
political stance. You don’t have to say how one or another problem should be
solved or come up with any ideas. You just confine yourself to lambasting
former presidents, General Manvel [Grigorian] and others.”
“Hraparak” comments on the “interesting” decision of the HHK not to participate
in the upcoming mayoral elections in Yerevan. “This is nonsense but we are used
to political nonsenses,” says the paper. It finds equally nonsensical the same
decision made by Levon Ter-Petrosian’s Armenian National Congress.
(Tigran Avetisian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org
Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Ben-Zvi places a flower at the Dzidzernagapert Genocide Memorial on Tuesday
ARA KHACHATOURIAN
“The tragedy of the Armenian nation has never been questioned. There is a historical question of what to call it, but what has happened is a fact that everyone accepts. It’s not a matter of political discussion. Let historians decide what to call the tragedy.” This is what Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Ben-Zvi said on Tuesday when visiting the Dzidzernagapert Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex.
Upon reading this I thought what would happen if one of Armenia’s deputy foreign ministers visited Yad Vashem, The World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, and paid tribute to the victims of Nazi Germany’s systematic annihilation of Jews and pussyfooted around using the word Holocaust.
Most likely, all hell would break loose.
I envision Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decreeing the immediate expulsion of the said diplomat from Israel and freezing the already cool diplomatic ties with Yerevan. World leaders would then chime in with their condemnation of Armenia’s insensitive and tone deaf approach to the Holocaust, while Jewish organizations, some of which just recently decided to call the events of 1915 “Genocide,” would be in an uproar renewing their lobbying to discredit efforts to pass a Genocide recognition bill in Congress. More important, the Israeli press would quickly pick up on the diplomatic gaffe and would mold Israeli public opinion against Armenia and Armenians. Not to mention the Israeli academicians, such as Israel Charny and Yair Auron to name a few,
Instead, according to the foreign ministry’s press office Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan “presented Armenia’s ongoing initiatives directed at prevention of genocides and crimes against humanity, noting that the third Global Counterterrorism Forum will be held in Yerevan on December 9 [and will be] dedicated to the role of education in the prevention of genocides. Referring to the process of international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide, the Foreign Minister mentioned that it is a moral responsibility and a tribute to the memory of innocent victims, while at the same time it is an important contribution to international efforts to prevent genocide and crimes against humanity.”
Yet Ben-Zvi stands on the grounds of the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex and spits on the memory of the 1.5 million victims of the Genocide with no recourse or admonishment and walks away with the continued pledges of improving ties between Armenia and Israel.
And let’s look at those so-called “improving” ties.
Netanyahu, once again, halted the debate of a bill to recognize the Genocide in the Knesset in June, after the Israeli political apparatus, once again, decided to play the Genocide card when Turkey threated Tel Aviv after Israel attacked a Palestinian settlement in Gaza in May. The fact that the Genocide issue comes into play in Israeli politics only during spats with Turkey is proof enough that Israel does not necessarily want to become “a partner” with Armenia.
Then there’s that pesky issue of the estimated $5 billion in arms sales to Azerbaijan, whose army commanders urged a military contractor to “live test” an armed suicide drone directed at Artsakh military targets. While that military contract was allegedly suspended, again there has been no firm posturing from Armenia. Mnatsakanyan told Ben-Zvi that “our partners should abstain from all actions that could potentially result in arms race, as well as provoke instability in the region.”
Mnatsakanyan’s statements signal a more resolute tone toward Israel in comparison to his predecessor, Edward Nalbandian, who met with Netanyahu last fall with nary a mention of these thorny and contentious issues blocking normal ties with the Jewish State.
I am not suggesting that Mnatsakanyan should have started a diplomatic row with Israel, but he and other officials should consider what Israel would do if the situation were reversed and say Armenia were supplying arms to the Palestinians and disrespecting the Holocaust all at the same time.