Author: Badalian Vardan

UNEXPECTED RISK FOR ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT

Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator
Society – 12 February 2015, 15:10

The State Migration Service informed that its head Gagik Yeganyan is
on a business trip to Moscow to try to facilitate the entry of 50-60
thousand citizens of Armenia to Russia.

According to the message, this many citizens cannot visit Russia due
to tougher migration legislation.

The Armenian government has to face the fact. They were trying their
hardest for months on to persuade that membership to the EEU would
unify the labor market, and the citizens of Armenia would leave to
work in Russia more easily. Thereby an attempt was made to legitimize
the act against sovereignty.

After the act it was clear that the public had been deceived, or at
least the part of the public who trusted and expected that labor
migration to Russia would thus be facilitated. It turned out that
50-60 thousand people were left “out”, i.e. left in Armenia.

In fact, this is the most serious and to some extent also the tragic
aspect of the issue when the citizens demand that the government help
them leave the country instead of employment and dignity in their
own country.

What will be after the problem is resolved? It is not hard to
forecast. Once the problem of entry of 50-60 thousand citizens of
Armenia to Russia is resolved, they will not only work to earn money
but will also work to get Russian citizenship to avoid trouble and
deception.

It goes without saying the resolving the problem of entry is in the
government’s interest. The so-called revolution resource is leaving
and eating mouths get fewer. “To stay here to do a revolution?” the
ex-prime minister said.

ARMENIA PENAL STATISTICS FOR 2013: MORTALITY RATE ALMOST TWICE HIGHER IN ARMENIA THAN COE AVERAGE

14:35 | February 11,2015 | Social

The Council of Europe has published its 2013 Annual Penal Statistics,
which include a survey on prison populations in Europe and a survey
on alternatives to pre-trial detention and on community sanctions
and measures.

The report says Armenia has seen high increase in prison population,
besides, spending per inmate is among the lowest in CoE region.

Prison population: 4,698 inmates; this is 155 inmates per 100,000
inhabitants (slightly above average). This number includes 27
juvenile offenders, out of them 9 younger than 18 years old. The
prison population has grown by 7.8% from 2012; the country is among
top ten countries where the prison population grew by more than 5%.

Total number of releases in 2012 was 1,752; it amounts to 58 per
100000 inhabitants.

Capacity is used beyond standard (106 inmates per 100 available
places), here Italy with 148 people per 100 places is a champion,
Andorra with 32 is the lowest.

Share of females in prisons is 4.7% (average for the CoE region).

Almost 70% are sentenced to 3-10 years – this is almost two times
higher than the CoE average for this sort of sentences. Only in
Azerbaijan (78%) this indicator is higher.

Mortality rate was almost twice higher than the CoE average, 60 people
per 10,000 inmates, out of them some 6 people committed suicide –
this is an average indicator for the CoE region.

Total budget spent by Prison Administration in 2012 was roughly 11,9mn
euro. Average daily expense per inmate was assessed at 6.65euro, which
is among the lowest and is comparable to such countries as Croatia,
Georgia and Moldova. It is 15 times lower than the CoE average of 98
euro. The lowest daily expenses per inmate are in Russia (slightly
over 2 euro/day) and Greece (slightly over 3 euro/day). The highest
spending per inmate per day is in Sweden (318 euro/day).

Factors that influenced prison population: . Changes in criminal
law: No;

. New legislation concerning certain categories of prisoners: No;

. Amnesties: 0;

. Individual pardons: 5 individual pardons granted on 1st October 2013.

. Collective pardons: 0;

Data were not available for Nagornoâ~@~PKarabakh.

The economic crisis hampers improvement of conditions in European
prisons

Spending per inmate in European prisons has decreased during the
economic crisis, and this has likely caused a negative impact on
the quality of life of persons in custody. The crisis has not had a
significant effect on the number of individuals in custody, although
there has been a minor reduction in prison overcrowding. These are
some of the conclusions that can be drawn from the 2013 Council of
Europe Annual Penal Statistics (SPACE I and SPACE II surveys), which
were published today.

On the other hand, the average prison population rate – which indicates
the number of individuals in custody per 100,000 inhabitants –
increased by 2.7% between 2007 and 2012. This, however, also varied
greatly across countries, many of them experiencing significant
increases or reductions.

There was a slight increase in the total proportion of foreign inmates
(14.1% of all inmates were foreigners in 2013 versus 13% in 2012).

This proportion was above 30% in many Western European countries and
around 2% in Eastern European countries. There was also an increase
in the proportion of inmates from EU member states (from 34% to 37%).

The SPACE survey is conducted for the Council of Europe by the
Institute of Criminology and Criminal Law of the University of
Lausanne. The SPACE I 2013 survey contains information from 50 out of
52 prison administrations in the 47 Council of Europe member states,
whereas SPACE II contains information from 47 probation agencies.

SEFILYAN: AUTOMOBILE MARCH TOWARDS KARABAKH AIMED TO RAISE AWARENESS, NOT CREATE TENSIONS

POLITICS | 11.02.15 | 15:53

Alina Nikoghosyan
ArmeniaNow intern

Despite opinions that the plans of a radical opposition group, Founding
Parliament, to stage an automobile march towards Nagorno-Karabakh
was aimed at creating tensions there, leader of the movement seeking
a change of regime in Armenia before the “Centennial of the Armenian
Genocide” Zhirayr Sefilyan insists on the opposite, emphasizing that
their aim was to keep Karabakh residents “aware” of their campaign.

On January 31, dozens of Founding Parliament activists took part
in the march as part of their campaigns. They were met by Karabakh
police and plainclothes men on the Goris-Stepanakert highway near
Berdzor and were turned away. A number of activists were beaten up
and about two dozen of their vehicles were damaged.

“We were not going to Artsakh for no reason, as we evaluate the
situation very critical, we could not but go and tell the people
about our concerns, especially after Armenia became a member of the
Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) Artsakh completely appeared in the air,
in an indefinite status, and if we do not point at the danger from
today on and if the people are not aware of the danger, we will lose
Artsakh,” Sefilyan, one of the prominent veterans of the Karabakh war,
told reporters Wednesday, on his first public appearance since the
day of the incident in which he was among those activists who were
injured in the violence.

The Founding Parliament spread a statement, urging the public to take
to the streets on April 24 and win over the regime. On the same day,
April 24, Armenians in Yerevan and elsewhere in Armenia and abroad
will be marking the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

“That day we invite everyone to the street with an aim to not return
home until we get rid of the regime. There were misunderstandings
regarding that day, many think that we will be trying to confuse
people, that is not true, we will take part in the ceremonies as well,
but we will not be satisfied with that only, we will start a process
which will enable us to get rid of this system,” Sefilyan said.

Sefilyan expressed confidence that in the near future Armenia will
finally get rid of today’s government and it will be replaced by
“clever and young forces”.

RIGHT TO WATER VIOLATED IN ARMENIA

14:45 February 10, 2015

Nelli Babayan, Aravot

The right to water is violated in Armenia in 2015. A group of NGOs has
studies and prepared a report on the violations of human rights in
a number of fields in our life with the support of the Open Society
Foundations Armenia. The report has been submitted to the UN Human
Rights Council. “Right to water” section records that the expansion
of mining activities, irresponsible construction of SHPPs and the
increase in fish farms endanger the quality and accessibility of water
in Armenia. Mining pollutes rivers, particularly, transboundary Debed,
Voghji and Aras rivers. These rivers are polluted by those mining
companies, the activities of which are related with these rivers in the
region: particularly, mining activities are carried out by Zangezour
Copper and Molybdenum Combine owned 60% by “Cronimet mining Gmbh”
Company, Kapan Ore Dressing Combine owned by “Dundee Precious Metals
Kapan”, Agarak Copper and Molybdenum Combine owned by “Geopromining
Gold”, Alaverdi copper smelting facility owned by “Armenian Copper
Program” and Akhtala Ore Dressing Combine – owned by “Metal Prince”.

Then referring to Lake Sevan, the report says that despite the ban of
any processing activities in the basin of Lake Sevan – a requirement
prescribed in RA Law “On Lake Sevan”, the lake is polluted because
of the activities of Sotq gold mine developed by “Geopromining Gold”
Company, which established a crushing complex in the lake basin.

“Under the information possessed by the civil society, two rivers
of Lake Sevan basin already have high concentration of arsenic,
antimony and other extremely toxic metals because of the mine
wastes,” the report says. Amulsar gold mine is another potential
source of danger, and, under the report, it’s an open pit mining,
where ore will be dressed on the spot. The report says that the Nature
Protection Ministry has approved the environmental component of the
mine development despite the negative opinion of the Scientific-Expert
Committee on Lake Sevan Preservation. As Inga Zarafyan noted, nothing
has changed in environmental section, as nothing has changed in regard
with Amulsar mine.

“What will change, if it’s an illegal project? The Scientific-Expert
Committee on Lake Sevan Preservation, which issued a negative
opinion to Amulsar project in 2012, refused to provide us the text
of the positive opinion this year. That is, the Nature Protection
Minister had to issue a positive opinion under the press, as its
concerns are reflected in its four requirements. That is, if there
are any requirements to change something negative in the project, the
Ministry must have rejected the project at once. The Amulsar project
says nothing about these requirements. The law doesn’t contain any
provision, which says requirements can be posed to a company, in case
its project doesn’t comply with the law, a negative opinion must have
been issued at once.

Another serious hazard for water resources is SHPPs. Under the report,
there are currently over 150 SHPPs, out of which 100 are located on
the rivers, and currently 16 rivers are in disastrous and 3 are in
critical situation. In this regard Inga Zarafyan said that the public
sector together with the Nature Protection Ministry will conduct a
monitoring of the SHPPs constructed on the rivers and will create a
database in the form of “green passports” to regulate this problem.

ARMENIA’S COGNAC PRODUCTION DROPS BY 8.1% IN 2014

YEREVAN, February 11. /ARKA/. Armenia’s cognac production dropped by
8.1% to a total of 18,725,500 liters in 2014, compared to the year
before, Armenia’s National Statistical Service (NSS) reported.

A drop was seen also in wine production in the country – 8.2% down
to about 6,130,900 liters in the reporting period.

Vodka production fell by 4.1% to 9,502,300 liters in twelve months. A
total of 634,400 liters of champagne (18.3% increase) and 23,716,500
liters of beer (18.3% increase) was produced in the period.

Non-alcoholic beverages manufactured in the period totaled 79,972,600
liters, an increase of 26.1% compared to January-December the year
before. -0–

ARMENIE : LES HUIT CHOSES QUI NE S’ADDITIONNENT PAS SUR LES MEURTRES A GYUMRI

ARMENIE

Deux semaines après le meurtre d’une famille dans la ville armenienne
de Gyumri, il y a plus de questions que de reponses concernant
les actions et les motivations de l’individu accuse d’avoir commis
l’assassinat de masse, le soldat de 18 ans de l’armee russe, Valery
Permyakov.

Certaines reponses peuvent paraître simples, tandis que d’autres,
compte tenu de la sensibilite de l’affaire, ne pourront jamais etre
divulguees par les enqueteurs russes et armeniens.

Selon les accusations officielles contre lui, Permyakov est entre
dans la maison des Avetisian a Gyumri au debut de la matinee du 12
Janvier, soi-disant a la recherche d’un verre d’eau. Il aurait tire
ou poignarde a mort tous les membres de la famille ; soi-disant par
crainte que les Avetisian informeraient la 102e base militaire russe a
Gyumri qu’il avait deserte. Six morts sur place ; la septième victime,
Seryozha Avetisian, 6 mois, est decede le 19 Janvier. Un tribunal
militaire russe en Armenie va juger Permaykov, mais le nom de son
avocat – un citoyen russe qui vit en Armenie – n’a pas ete divulgue,
selon le service de nouvelles de Russie Interfax.

Les deux pays ont mis en place des commissions parlementaires
pour surveiller le travail des enqueteurs, et les responsables des
deux pays ont maintes fois promis que justice sera faite. Mais le
public armenien reste sceptique : les manifestants sont a nouveau
descendus dans les rues le 26 Janvier dans la capitale armenienne,
Erevan, afin d’exiger que le procès de Permyakov ait lieu devant un
tribunal armenien. Compte tenu de la mefiance du public, les questions
persistantes entourant l’enquete criminelle pourraient devenir un
handicap politique pour le gouvernement armenien.

Les questions sans reponse entourant les actions de Permyakov sont :

1. Pourquoi avoir deserte avec seulement un pistolet et des balles ?

Les enqueteurs armeniens disent que Permyakov a quitte la base de
102 ème armee a Gyumri a 4h du matin le 12 Janvier avec un fusil AK-74.

Permyakov aurait affirme qu’il allait “faire une promenade.” Pourtant,
la question est de savoir pourquoi Permyakov avait choisi d’abandonner
son poste sans autres fournitures qu’un pistolet et des balles. Selon
le service meteorologique du gouvernement, ArmHydMed, les temperatures,
le 12 Janvier sont tombees a moins 17-20 degres Celsius – un peu
glaciale meme pour un natif de Siberie comme Permyakov.

2. Comment Permyakov est-il entre dans la maison des victimes ?

Les Avetisian vivaient dans une residence securisee, une maison privee
dans le centre de Gyumri, a trois a quatre kilomètres de la base
militaire. Les voisins ont declare aux journalistes que la famille
laissait habituellement la porte deverrouillee. Une nouvelle porte
plus forte a ete achetee pour la maison, deux jours avant les meurtres.

Le Service d’enquete special de l’Armenie affirme que Permyakov a
casse une fenetre pour entrer dans la maison. L’accuse a dit seulement
qu’il voulait boire de l’eau. Il affirme qu’il ne connaissait pas la
famille, ni les parents des Avetisian . Les enqueteurs, cependant,
n’ont revele aucune hypothèse pour expliquer pourquoi il a choisi
cette maison fermee notamment dans sa recherche presumee d’eau.

2. Si Permyakov voulait de l’eau, pourquoi juste ne pas demander ?

Pour de nombreux habitants, habitues depuis longtemps a partager
nourriture et des cigarettes avec des soldats russes, c’est la
question la plus etrange. Permyakov etait arrive recemment, mais ceux
qui ecrivent sur la page de la base 102e sur le reseau social russe
VKontakte parlent ouvertement de traditions d’hospitalite a Gyumri
envers les soldats dans le besoin.

Permyakov a-t-il rencontre de la resistance ? Dans une interview le
17 Janvier avec Aysor.am, l’avocat armenien, Tamara Yayloian, qui,
au depart, a assiste aux interrogatoires de Permyakov, a affirme que
le soldat avait dit qu’il avait tire sur le premier Avetisian quand
il allait prendre le telephone après s’etre reveille, l’avoir vu et
avoir crie sur lui.

Après avoir entendu des voix dans une pièce adjacente, Permyakov
a allègue qu’il est entre et il a tue deux personnes. Il se serait
ensuite deplace dans la troisième chambre voisine, et aurait fait
deux morts et, lorsque son fusil s’est enraye il a poignarde les deux
enfants avec sa baïonnette. Un couloir relie les trois chambres. Pour
beaucoup, ce qui etait a craindre est que les occupants des autres
chambres auraient ete reveilles au son des coups de feu, et auraient
essaye d’arreter l’intrus, qui avait des difficultes a trouver son
chemin dans la maison dans l’obscurite.

Une video de la scène du crime, cependant, montre que six des sept
membres de la famille sont morts dans leurs lits. Certains se demandent
ouvertement si Permyakov agi seul, mais aucune preuve n’existe pour
soutenir une telle speculation.

5. Pourquoi personne n’a-t-elle entendu les coups de feu ?

Les Avetisian vivaient dans le centre de Gyumri, une ville de 146 355
personnes, sur une route non loin de la station de l’hôtel de ville
et de la gare. Les maisons des voisins etaient a quelques mètres.

Pourtant, etonnamment, bien que les enqueteurs disent qu’ils ont
interroge 30 temoins, aucune information n’existe au sujet d’une
personne qui aurait signale l’audition des coups de feu ou d’autres
faits.

Dans un pays où les gens prennent un vif interet dans les activites
de leurs voisins, ceci suscite aussi des soupcons. Les enqueteurs
armeniens estiment que les meurtres ont eu lieu a environ six heures
– un moment de la journee où les gens pouvaient entendre une mouche
voler dans la residence d’un voisin a affirme le criminologue Sergei
Galoian lors d’une conference de presse le 14 Janvier. Rita Petrosian,
un parent de la famille, a seulement decouvert les meurtres autour de
midi, quand elle est allee a la maison pour un cafe comme d’habitude.

Les rapports officiels ne font aucune mention d’un silencieux.

6. Quelqu’un a-t-il altere la scène de crime ?

Les rapports officiels indiquent que les bottes militaires avec le nom
de Permyakov inscrites sur elles, une carabine AK-74 avec des balles
5,45 mm, une cartouche avec 30 balles, et l’autre avec une seule balle
ont ete retrouves eparpilles sur les lieux. L’uniforme de Permaykov
a ete constate soigneusement plie dans la maison. Selon l’histoire
officielle, Permyakov aurait quitte la maison des Avetisian habille
dans les vetements du fils du proprietaire, Armen. Une explication
des raisons pour lesquelles le suspect aurait ete si negligent a
laisser derrière ces elements de preuve n’est pas claire.

7. Pourquoi personne n’a-t-il vu Permyakov dans la rue ?

Bien que Gyumri n’est pas anime en debut de matinee, un russe marchant
seul a pied a travers la campagne en hiver vers la frontière turque
aurait ete susceptible d’avoir attire l’avis de quelqu’un. Pourtant,
aucun detail n’a ete donne sur l’emplacement exact de l’arrestation
de Permyakov, comment les gardes-frontières russes l’ont reconnu,
ni comment, alors qu’il venait d’arriver dans la zone, il a su où
se trouvait la frontière. En Armenie, où la couverture des scènes de
crime est riche de temoignages, cette absence d’information apparaît
anormale.

8. Pourquoi Permyakov ne beneficie-t-il pas plus tôt d’un contrôle
pour maladie mentale ?

Le 24 Janvier, l’agence russe Interfax a cite une source anonyme
qui a declare que les tests seront executes “dans un proche avenir”
pour evaluer la sante mentale de Permaykov, ainsi que comparer les
echantillons d’ADN. Les tests seront effectues dans la base 102 de
l’armee selon la source. Les raisons pour attendre plus de deux
semaines après l’arrestation du suspect pour effectuer de telles
analyses n’ont pas ete fournies.

Marianna Grigoryan

eurasianet.org

mercredi 11 fevrier 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com

HRAPARAK: PROSPEROUS ARMENIA LEADER VISITS KOCHARYAN IN MOSCOW

09:10 * 11.02.15

The paper says it has learned from sources that the Prosperous Armenia
party’s leader left on Tuesday for Moscow to have meetings with very
important persons, including second President Robert Kocharyan.

Gagik Tsarukyan reportedly stayed at Ararat Hayat, the hotel where
Mr Kocharyan usually stops in whenever he visits Moscow, and where he
was recently reported to have met with Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan.

The paper says, citing its sources, that the premier himself told the
former president about plans to realize the proposed constitutional
reforms. It claims further that the PAP leader was also scheduled to
meet with State Duma Speaker Sergey Narishkin who is known to be on
quite good terms with Samvel Karapetyan, a prominent Russian-Armenian
businessman (owner of Tashir Group).

Speaking to the paper, a source from PAP said it is their leader’s
common habit to visit “geo-political centers” before big events. The
source reportedly referred to Tsarukyan’s trip to Brussels ahead of the
2013 presidential election, noting that European officials then voiced
their serious complaints about the level of corruption in Armenia.

25 YEARS LATER: THE REFUGEES OF HAKHTANAK VILLAGE IN ARMENIA’S TAVOUSH PROVINCE

Mаry Mamyan

17:58, February 10, 2015

Out of the 160 families residing in the Hakhtanak village of Tavoush
Province, 45 moved here in the late 1980s and early 1990s as refugees
from Georgia and Azerbaijan.

Like native residents, members of these families either work the land
or go abroad in search of seasonal work.

A few families still live in the village pension building, which
belongs to the community, where they all were housed when they first
arrived. They’ve been allocated the rooms free of charge.

Those who’ve remained in the pension never received housing under an
earlier program for refugees and haven’t been able to move elsewhere.

The Ayvazyan family was the first to be resettled in the pension that
still lives there. They arrived in Hakhtanak from the Tzalka region
of Javakhk in 1990.

The head of the household, Grigor Ayvazyan, leaves for Russia every
year for work. His eldest son has accompanied him these past few
years. His other two sons work in the village.

The family has converted their living space into a three room
apartment. Mr. Ayvazyan says he wants to repair the roof of the
building, change the windows and doors, but since the property doesn’t
belong to him he can’t.

“One day, they can tell us to leave. We’re in the air. You don’t know
whether to fix things or just leave them,” says Grigor’s wife Maro.

74 year-old Rima Hakobyan lives a few doors away. Neighbors call her
‘our Karabakh grandma’. She and her husband resettled in Armenia but
since he died, Rima lives alone. Sometimes her daughter and grandson
come to visit. Rima’s only complaint is that her pension barely is
enough to buy essentials and her medicine.

The woman would also like her 10,000 rubles in savings that turned
to dust with the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The family of Rayik Miskaryan also lives in the pension. She and her
husband are engaged in agriculture. When we arrived, the husband,
as per the norm, was out working in the fields.

“This year we got three sacks of flour from the one hectare of land
we cultivated,” Rayik complained.

Rayik and her husband share the living space with their son, his wife,
and the two grandchildren. Their son Artour served in the army as
a contract soldier and then left for work overseas. He’s currently
unemployed.

She doesn’t want her son to sign up with the army again since she’s
fearful of a flare-up on the border. Anyway, the mother believes that
she already has a permanent soldier in the person of her daughter
who lives in the Tavoush village of Baghanis.

“We finished with that one (pointing to her son) but my girl is still
there. She also has a young child and is expecting another. There is
firing all the time there. They come here when they get afraid and
then go back,” says Rayik.

Unlike his neighbors, Armen Shahverdyan came to Hakhtanak from
the town of Vanadzor in Armenia. He says that at the time the
Bagratashen-Sadakhlu market was bustling and that they had work.

That’s no longer the case. He lives in the pension with his wife,
his son and daughter-in-law, and the grandchild.

“We get by. We have no side income, just the one cow. We’ve been here
for twenty years,” says Armen’s wife Elmira. “They allocated houses
to the refugees but left us dangling.”

In 2001, some of the Hakhtanak refugees were resettled in the fourteen
houses built with financing from the Norwegian government.

Karo Harutyunyan’s family now lives in one of these houses located
in a neighborhood appropriately called ‘Norway’.

The family resettled in Armenia from the Vardashen region of
Azerbaijan. What matters to Karo and his wife Knarik above all else
is that they and the families of their three sons all live in Armenia.

Most of Karo’s relatives live overseas. He’s been invited to join
them on many occasions and to work alongside them, but Karo and Knarik
have so far refused.

“I told them no. Armenia is under threat. If I go and the others go,
who will stay?” Karo says.

“This is our country. Here, we can walk freely,” adds Knarik.

NEW BILL PROPOSES TO SOLVE HEALTH PROBLEMS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL FEES

18:49 February 10, 2015

EcoLur

Ara Babloyan, head of RA National Assembly Standing Committee on
Health Care, Maternity and Childhood, made a proposal to direct the
environmental fees to solve the health problems caused by environmental
pollution. On 15 January the Armenian Government approved draft law
“On making amendments and supplements” to RA Law “On Targeted Use of
Environmental Fees Paid by Companies” authored by Ara Babloyan. The
draft law has been submitted to the National Assembly.

Under the law, the following companies make environmental fees:
“Manes ev Valeks”, “Zangezour Copper and Molybdenum Combine”,
“Agarak Copper and Molybdenum Combine”, “Kapan Ore Dressing Combine”,
“Akhtala Ore Dressing Combine”, “Araratcement” CJSC, “Hrazdancement”
LLC and “Dzulakentron” public company in Charentsavan.

In 2013 due to the environmental fees paid by these companies 11
communities of Armenia received subventions of 321.7 million AMD from
the state budget. Nevertheless, as the substantiation of the draft
law says, these funds were spent on asphalting roads, reconstruction
of playing grounds etc because of absence of specifications in the law.

The draft law proposes the following actions:

– regular medical checkups and screenings of the population in
regard with the adversary effect of the environmental pollution,
buying relevant equipment and other property,

– implementation of disease treatment programs among community
residents conditioned with the environmental pollution,

– implementation of preventative measures, including implementation of
study programs to reduce the hazardous consequences of environmental
pollution,

– development and provisions of special diet to vulnerable groups in
communities conditioned with environmental pollution.”

COMMUNIQUE DU COMITE DE SOUTIEN A VARDAN PETROSYAN

ARMENIE/FRANCE

Vardan PETROSYAN, artiste franco-armenien qui a survecu a un accident
de voiture mortel en Armenie, a ete condamne a la peine de cinq
ans d’emprisonnement le 29 janvier 2015 après quatorze mois d’une
procedure judiciaire aussi absurde qu’arbitraire.

Il a ete etabli que Vardan PETROSYAN n’etait ni alcoolise ni sous
l’emprise de produits stupefiants au moment de l’accident. Surtout,
aucun element n’a permis de demontrer qu’il avait pu commettre une
faute d’imprudence ou de negligence.

Le 9 novembre 2013, la justice armenienne ordonnait la detention
provisoire de cet artiste emmene en prison sur un brancard et a moitie
inconscient, dans une coupable indifference des autorites francaises.

Aujourd’hui, la justice armenienne condamne ce meme artiste et citoyen
francais innocent a la peine de cinq annees d’emprisonnement pour
un accident de voiture dans lequel il a failli perdre la vie, sans
que les autorites francaises ne s’en emeuvent. Jusqu’où la France
va-t-elle cautionner cette mascarade qui met deliberement en danger
un compatriote qu’elle se doit de proteger ?

Le silence de la France dans cette sombre affaire ne saurait
se justifier plus avant sans se transformer en complicite. Et
plus personne ne comprend desormais, ici comme en Armenie, ce
qui empeche notre pays de lui venir en aide. Le 24 avril 2015,
le President de la Republique francaise sera en Armenie pour
commemorer le 100ème anniversaire du genocide des armeniens. A
cette occasion, la France doit enfin apporter son soutien officiel a
Vardan Petrosyan et exiger que ce ressortissant francais recouvre la
liberte. Associations armeniennes de France prenez une position claire
! Comite de soutien a Vardan Petrosyan Site :
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mercredi 11 fevrier 2015, Ara (c)armenews.com