Author: nina hovnanian

ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES TO EITHER BUILD NEW OPPOSITION OR SUPPRESS DISCONTENT – EXPERT

YEREVAN, March 10. /ARKA/. The Armenian authorities will either bring
about a new opposition or will be suppressing the opposition field to
handle protests in the society, information security expert Tigran
Kocharyan said in a live broadcast on Sputnik-Armenia, as cited by
Novosti-Armenia.

Armenia’s internal political situation has changed substantially over
the last month. On March 5, head of the second biggest political party,
Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), tycoon Gagik Tsarukian resigned. New
PAP leader Naira Zohrabyan said the party moved into opposition.

“The problem is that the biggest opposition force has been destroyed,
but the discontented people are still there. What to do with these
people, who, according to some data, are 70% today, how to control
them?” Kocharyan said. This will be a challenge for the authorities
as there is no opposition, he said.

According to the expert, there may be two scenarios, first, a new
opposition will be quickly built up headed either by parliament deputy
from the Armenian National Congress Nikol Pashinyan or by member of
Heritage Party Zaruhi Postanjyan.

The second way is to simply suppress the opposition field, Kocharyan
said.

“Total destruction of the PAP was like the destruction of the Huguenots
overnight in France”, Kocharyan said.

All the resources of the Prosperous Armenia, including websites,
TV, facebook users, fakes, were found to be unable to resist the
government attacks, he said.

It was the right decision to strike the first blow against the party
leader, as PAP could not settle anything without Gagik Tsarukian,
the expert said. -0–

L’ABSENCE DE L’ARMENIE A LA PROCHAINE REUNION DE L’UEE

Cooperation

L’Armenie ne voit pas la necessite d’assister a la prochaine reunion
des pays de l’UEE qui, selon elle, mettra l’accent sur les desaccords
de ses partenaires, sans qu’Erevan ne soit concerne.

Nursultan Nazarbayev, president du Kazakhstan, accueillera ses
homologues russe et bielorusse, Vladimir Poutine et Alexandre
Loukachenko, a Astana a partir de demain pour discuter des questions
economiques et commerciales existantes entre les trois pays.

Alors que le gouvernement armenien estime que l’adhesion a l’UEE est
benefique pour le pays aussi bien economiquement et que politiquement,
de nombreux experts ont mis en avant les inconvenients de cette
alliance, notamment en raison de l’absence d’un lien terrestre entre
l’Armenie et le reste de l’UEE.

Des journaux d’opposition armeniens ont utilise le fait que Serge
Sarkissian ne soit pas invite a la reunion trilaterale au Kazakhstan
comme une occasion de souligner que l’Armenie recoit un traitement
humiliant de la part du reste des membres de l’UEE.

Mais, selon le ministre adjoint des Affaires etrangères Shavarsh
Kotcharian, cela ne va pas affecter les interets du pays.

“Ces trois pays ont des problèmes a regler entre eux, et ils essaient
de surmonter leurs divergences. Nous n’avons aucun desaccords “,
a declare le diplomate armenien hier.

Bien qu’aucun rapport officiel n’a dit jusqu’ici que la reunion
d’Astana aura lieu dans le format de l’UEE, le site officiel du
Kremlin, par exemple, souligne que lors de la prochaine reunion
“vont se discuter l’etat et les perspectives du commerce actuel
et la cooperation economique entre les trois pays et les processus
d’integration eurasienne, en tenant compte de l’influence des tendances
actuelles de l’economie mondiale “.

Paruyr Hayrikian, connu comme un fervent opposant a l’adhesion de
l’Armenie dans le groupe post-sovietique, pense que cette reunion
est une facon de faire comprendre a l’Armenie que les decisions
importantes se passeront sans elle.

mercredi 11 mars 2015, Claire (c)armenews.com

IF WE DON’T GO TO BAKU, WE WON’T BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: ARMENIAN BOXING FEDERATION HEAD

11:31, 11 March, 2015

YEREVAN, MARCH 11, ARMENPRESS: If the Armenian boxers do not
participate in the first European Games taking place in Baku, they
would not get the right to attend the World Championship. The Head
of the Armenian Boxing Federation Arthur Gevorgyan told Armenpress
about it.

“Certainly, it is not preferable to participate in the Baku Games. It
is not preferable for the reason that the sportsmen would not be able
to display their best. By yesterday we had decided not to participate
in the Games but yesterday we got a final decision from the AIBA that
a change had been made and the participation in the Baku Games will
provide us with the right to take part in the World Championship.

Thus, if we do not go to Baku, we will not be able to participate
in the World Championship. In this case we are imposed to do that,
as the participation in the World Championship will provide us with
the ticket to the Rio Games. Things are linked to one another”, –
told Arthur Gevorgyan.

REVUE DE PRESSE N°2 – 10/03/15 – COLLECTIF VAN

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

Publie le : 10-03-2015

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN
[Vigilance Armenienne contre le Negationnisme] vous propose une revue
de presse des informations parues dans la presse francophone sur les
thèmes concernant le negationnisme, le racisme, l’antisemitisme,
le genocide armenien, la Shoah, le genocide des Tutsi, les crimes
perpetres au Darfour, la Turquie, l’Union europeenne, l’occupation
de Chypre, etc… Nous vous suggerons egalement de prendre le temps
de lire ou relire les articles mis en ligne dans la rubrique Info
Collectif VAN et les traductions regroupees dans notre rubrique
Actions VAN. Par ailleurs, certains articles en anglais, allemand,
turc, etc, ne sont disponibles que dans la newsletter Word que nous
generons chaque jour. Pour la recevoir, abonnez-vous a la Veille-Media
: c’est gratuit ! Vous recevrez le document du lundi au vendredi dans
votre boîte email. Bonne lecture.

Collectif VAN : l’ephemeride du 10 mars Info Collectif VAN –
– La rubrique Ephemeride est a retrouver
quotidiennement sur le site du Collectif VAN. Elle recense la liste
d’evenements survenus a une date donnee, a differentes epoques
de l’Histoire, sur les thematiques que l’association
suit au quotidien. L’ephemeride du Collectif VAN repose sur
des informations en ligne sur de nombreux sites (les sources sont
specifiees sous chaque entree). “10 mars 1925 — A la suite d’une
campagne d’une rare violence contre le journaliste et ecrivain
autrichien Hugo Bettauer dans les journaux d’extreme-droite, le
technicien dentaire Otto Rothstock lui tire six balles de revolver
dans la poitrine et le bras. Hugo Bettauer decèdera le 26 mars. Figure
eminente et controversee en son temps, nombre de ses livres furent des
bestsellers et plusieurs ont ete adaptes a l’ecran, dont Die Stadt ohne
Juden (La ville sans Juifs), une satire contre l’antisemitisme. C’est
en raison du succès de cette dernière Å“uvre qu’il a ete assassine
par l’ancien militant du parti nazi”.

Chretiens d’Orient : la France convoque le Conseil de securite
En visite officielle a Rabat, lundi 9 mars, le ministre francais
des affaires etrangères, Laurent Fabius, a appele la communaute
internationale a se mobiliser pour defendre les chretiens d’Orient.

>, a annonce le chef de
la diplomatie francaise lors d’une conference de presse conjointe
avec son homologue marocain, Salaheddine Mezouar.

Tariq Ramadan : : tel etait
le thème d’un congrès organise par les pères mercedaires,
qui appartiennent l’Ordre de Notre-Dame de la Merci. Cet
ordre, fonde au XIIIe siècle par St Pierre Nolasque, s’etait
assigne comme principale mission de racheter les chretiens captifs
et reduits en esclavage par les pirates barbaresques turcs et maures,
qui regnaient alors sans partage sur les eaux de la Mediterranee.

Paradjanov retrouve le grand ecran Jeudi soir, l’Embobine
proposait aux cine hiles de redecouvrir le cineaste russe Sergueï
Paradjanov (Nota CVAN : Sergueï Paradjanov est d’origine armenienne),
a travers deux films : celui que lui a consacre Serge Avedikian, Le
scandale Paradjanov et Les chevaux de feu , le chef-d’œuvre
du realisateur sovietique.

Attentats de Paris : quatre personnes en garde a vue Quatre personnes
ont ete placees en garde a vue dans l’enquete sur les attentats de
Paris. Parmi elles figurent une gendarme et son compagnon, un proche
d’Amedy Coulibaly. L’enquete sur les attentats de Paris commis par
les frères Kouachi et Amedy Coulibaly progresse.

Quatre personnes, trois hommes et une femme, ont en effet ete placees
en garde a vue, a-t-on appris lundi, de source judiciaire. Parmi
elles, une gendarme et son compagnon, un proche du preneur d’otages
de l’Hyper Cacher.

FOUR’S A CROWD?: ARMENIA NOT TO ATTEND UPCOMING SUMMIT OF THREE EEU LEADERS

ANALYSIS | 11.03.15 | 10:55

By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent

The presidents of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, Vladimir Putin,
Alexander Lukashenko and Nursultan Nazarbayev, are going to hold a
trilateral meeting in Astana on March 13 to discuss issues of economic
cooperation and the international situation, the press service of
Kazakhstan’s head of state reported earlier this week.

The official website of the Kremlin, meanwhile, emphasized that at
this meeting “the parties are going to discuss the current state and
prospects of trade and economic cooperation among the three countries
and the Eurasian integration processes, taking into account the
influence of the current trends in the world economy.”

Three of the four presidents of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU)
member states are gathering in the Kazakh capital of Astana this week.

Analysts in Yerevan are trying to find an answer to the question why
Presidents Serzh Sargsyan has apparently not been even invited to
the meeting. Armenia joined the EEU as a full member on January 2.

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan says the Armenian
side will not participate in the meeting of the presidents of Russia,
Belarus and Kazakhstan because it has no disagreements with these
countries.

“These three countries [Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan] have problems
among themselves that they do not hide, and they are trying to overcome
their differences. We have no disagreements, we have just become a
member [of the EEU], we have no problems with any of these states or
the EEU as a whole,” Kocharyan explained on Tuesday.

Political experts and opposition politicians, like Soviet-era dissident
and leader of the opposition National Self-Determination Union Paruyr
Hayrikyan, for example, consider that the three founding nations of
the EEU are trying to make it clear to Armenia in every way that it
will not be allowed to take part in decision-making.

More than two months after Armenia’s official accession to the
Russian-led trade bloc the South Caucasus country has registered a
decline in almost all economic areas. Many experts say that it shows
that membership in the EEU has become a constraint rather than stimulus
for Armenia’s economic development.

Official Yerevan does not hide the statistics that shows that, for
example, exports to Russia in January 2015 fell by 99.9 percent. Even
though it may only reflect the situation when real exports to Russia
are not documented as such because of continuing “Eurasian” transit
problems with Georgia.

The Lragir newspaper suggests that there might be “personal
differences” between Sargsyan and the presidents of the other EEU
member states. In particular, the publication says that the lukewarm
relations between Sargsyan and Putin were demonstrated after the
January 12 murder of a seven-member Armenian family in Gyumri allegedly
committed by a soldier serving at the locally headquartered Russian
military base.

Then the telephone conversation between the two leaders took place only
a week after the incident. After that there were no official reports on
negotiations between Sargsyan and Putin, and the Russian side refuses
to hand over the soldier charged with the murders to Armenian custody.

Officially, there is no talk about any differences between Armenia
and the EEU member states, especially Russia. But the information
background presenting optimistic and positive expectations about
the radiant Eurasian future of Armenia and the centuries-long
Russian-Armenian friendship has suddenly disappeared, which may also
be evidence of the aggravating differences.

Meanwhile, Russia is stepping up its pressure on the EEU member
countries. On March 10, President Vladimir Putin instructed the Bank
of Russia, jointly with the Government of the Russian Federation
and in cooperation with the Central Banks of the EEU member states,
“to determine future directions of integration in the monetary and
financial sectors within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union
with the study of the feasibility of establishing a currency union
in the future.”

In other words, Putin has given instructions to find ways to introduce
a single currency in the EEU space. It is not hard to guess that
this issue will also be discussed at the upcoming summit in Astana –
apparently, without Armenia.

LANCEMENT DE L’INITIATIVE 100 LIVES LANCEE PAR RUBEN VARDANYAN ET NOUBAR AFEYAN

COMMUNIQUE

NEW YORK, le 10 mars 2015 – L’initiative 100 LIVES est lancee
aujourd’hui pour exprimer de la reconnaissance envers les individus et
les institutions dont les actes heroïques ont sauve la vie d’Armeniens
au cours du genocide ayant eu lieu il y a 100 ans.

L’objectif de l’initiative 100 LIVES est de sensibiliser la population
sur les questions du genocide, de la violation des droits de l’homme
ainsi que sur le bien-fonde des bonnes actions par le biais de trois
elements cles :

· Connaître le passe en lancant un appel international afin de reveler
les recits inedits de survivants et de sauveurs du genocide armenien,
et leur donner vie sur 100LIVES.com ;

· Raconter le present a travers la creation du prix Aurora qui
recompense toute action humanitaire realisee par des personnes qui
ont mis leur vie en danger pour aider leurs pairs a survivre et a
s’epanouir ;

· Construire un avenir meilleur en dirigeant des projets de
reconnaissance pour les organisations et les communautes ayant joue
un rôle preponderant dans le sauvetage de vies armeniennes il y a
un siècle.

L’initiative 100 LIVES a ete fondee par Ruben Vardanyan et Noubar
Afeyan, deux hommes d’affaires et philanthropes internationaux, ainsi
que par Vartan Gregorian, president de l’Institut Carnegie de New York,
dans le but de demontrer l’impact du genocide armenien et la manière
par laquelle de nombreux survivants et leurs familles ont reussi leur
vie en contribuant de manière significative a la culture, aux arts,
aux sports, a la science et aux affaires partout dans le monde.

Entre 1915 et 1923, environ 1,5 million de personnes ont peri au cours
du genocide armenien. Près de 500 000 ont survecu, la plupart d’entre
eux grâce a l’intervention d’individus et d’organismes humanitaires.

Il existe aujourd’hui une diaspora armenienne eparpillee dans le
monde entier, de l’Argentine a l’Australie.

>

Outre l’hommage rendu aux survivants et sauveurs du passe, le
programme prevoit d’etablir le prix Aurora (>) afin d’honorer les sauveurs des temps modernes.

La subvention annuelle d’un million de dollars sera attribuee a une
personne qui le remettra a son tour a l’organisation qui l’a inspiree
dans son action.

Le prix Aurora rassemble au sein de son comite de selection des
grandes figures de la defense des droits de l’homme du monde entier,
notamment l’acteur George Clooney ayant ete recompense aux Oscars,
les recipiendaires du prix Nobel de la paix Elie Wiesel et Oscar
Arias, l’ancienne haute commissionnaire des Nations Unies pour les
droits de l’homme Mary Robinson, le conseiller special du Secretaire
general des Nations Unies pour la prevention du genocide Gareth Evans,
la celèbre avocate pakistanaise et militante des droits de l’homme
Hina Jilani, ainsi que le president de la Carnegie Corporation de New
York Vartan Gregorian. George Clooney remettra le prix inaugural lors
d’une ceremonie qui se tiendra a Erevan, en Armenie, le 24 avril 2016.

>

M. Clooney se joindra a l’avocat renomme des droits de l’homme et
president du musee du Memorial de l’Holocauste des Etats-Unis, Elie
Wiesel, a titre de copresident du comite de selection du prix. Issus
des quatre coins de la planète, d’autres membres seront nommes au
cours des prochains mois pour renforcer le comite et partager leur
expertise en ce qui a trait aux droits de l’homme.

>,
indique Elie Wiesel. >

Le prix Aurora tient son nom d’Aurora Mardiganian, temoin forcee
lorsqu’elle etait enfant des atrocites du genocide armenien, qui
emporta son père et ses frères. Elle a survecu contre toute attente
et a consacre sa vie a l’aide humanitaire et a la sensibilisation
autour du genocide armenien. Elle joua meme son propre rôle dans le
celèbre film > tourne en 1919.

Le prix s’inspire egalement de milliers d’histoires ignorees de
bravoure et de survie qui se sont deroules il y a un siècle au cours
de ces evènements.

>, souligne Noubar
Afeyan.

“CRIMINALS” SHOULD BE IN THE PENITENTIARY

March 11 2015

A few days ago, the Founding Parliament wanted to hold its “the 100th
anniversary without regime” campaign in Gyumri. I, personally, am
not aware of the true intentions of the Founding Parliament. I do not
also understand well how the change of the government or the regime
change is associated with the centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

However, in this case, it does not matter. Holding political campaigns
is the right of our citizens. And in the case of Gyumri no one can
make the reservation that the opposition activities should not be
held outside the territory of the Republic of Armenia. But suddenly,
it turns out that there are some “criminal authorities”, “criminals”
and “local authorities” in the suburbs and the center of the city
of Gyumri, who do not allow the access of this group of citizens
to Gyumri. It is not enough that they do not allow, yet they attack
journalists and prohibit them doing their job. Perhaps, they do not
want, to put it mildly, to be seen in the media or on the Internet.

Yet it is not enough. The police announce that they cannot ensure the
safety of the citizens in case of such hooligan provocations. How to
understand this kind of “explanation” by the law enforcement? Then,
whose safety are the police going to ensure, maybe the “tough guys?”

And if I want to go to Gyumri or any other city of Armenia, is my
safety ensured, or I should ask a permission from the “criminal
elements”?

Eventually, what is meant by “criminal element”? A person who had
committed a crime and was not punished? Perhaps, it can be said so,
given a unique role of these “characters” during the elections. Or,
if there is clear evidence that they were planning to organize
“provocation”, in other words, crush, beating or something like that,
then why aren’t they arrested?

It apparently occurs for two reasons. The government is interested in
these “elements” to continue their activities and to go unpunished,
that they impede the campaign of the opposition members and “work”
for their winning during the elections. The second reason is that
the media and the society, in general, are fairly indifferent to such
“incidents”. We talked for one day and forgot.

While, it is apparent that criminal elements should appear in
penitentiaries. In other circumstances, either they will shoot at
each other or, which is worse, will attack civilians.

ARAM ABRAHAMYAN

Read more at:

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE-DENYING TURKISH ASSOCIATION HAS NEW LEADER

00:04, 10.03.2015

Refik Turan, the new President of the Turkish Historical Society,
which is known for making alterations in Turkish history, has stated
that he will be making a documentary film which will convince the
world that, as if, there was no Armenian Genocide.

Speaking to Haberturk news agency of Turkey, Turan claimed that
even though many believe that the Armenians and the Turks are the
sides behind the Armenian Question, the superpowers are actually in
the backdrop.

“In other words, I see the great powers as states that settle scores
with Turkey,” he said.

Turan also claimed that Turkey has both short-term and long-term
plans in terms of denial of the Armenian Genocide. As short-term
plans, this Turkish “historian” envisions publishing books, and as
long-term plans, he wants to make a documentary film, whereby it
will be possible to convince the foreign countries that, supposedly,
there was no Armenian Genocide.

FORMER KOCHARYAN AIDE: TSARUKYAN WAS ABANDONED BY TROIKA LEADERSHIP

POLITICS | 10.03.15 | 15:36

Alina Nikoghosyan
ArmeniaNow intern

Garnik Isagulyan, a former adviser to former President Robert Kocharyan
and currently leader of the National Security party, who was also a
close supporter of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), thinks that
the reason the PAP leader left the party was that he deserted by
other non-government aligned leaders.

Last week Gagik Tsarukyan announced is resignation as president of PAP,
following several days of a contentious “war of words” with President
Serzh Sargsyan.

“All the developments that took place during the last year, I
think were positive developments. There was a political monopoly in
Armenia, a second political pole was formed and those political forces
considered themselves opposition, a competition was created, and any
such internal political phenomenon creates positive developments,”
the PAP ally Isagulyan told reporters Tuesday.

According to Iasgulyan, Sargsyan’s harsh criticism against Tsarukyan
made on February 12 is a violation of constitutional law.

“After February 12, Mr. Tsarukyan was left alone. Levon Ter-Petrosyan
wrote a letter to Serzh Sargsyan – this does not at all fit the events
of the period, and Raffi Hovannisian did not see it necessary to meet
Tsarukyan in person,” he said.

And, in response to the question whether the National Security
party will henceforth support the PAP or not, he said that their
collaboration was connected with the person of Tsarukyan.

“If it turns out that the PAP continues the same program Gagik
Tsarukyan had, I am ready to support them,” Isagulyan said.

PROSECUTOR GENERAL OF ARMENIA IS AT LOSS TO SPEAK OF CRIME WAVE REASONS IN ARMENIA

by Ashot Safaryan

Tuesday, March 10, 13:34

Prosecutor General of Armenia Gevorg Kostanyan is at loss to speak
of the crime wave reasons in Armenia. After the government meeting
on March 10 the journalists asked Kostanyan to comment on the recent
bloody shootout. Criminal kingpin Levon Ghazaryan was killed in the
shootout in Yerevan. During the shootout in Gyumri six people were
severely injured and taken to hospital.

However, the Prosecutor General’s answers were rather indefinite.

According to him, it is too early to speak of the crime rate in
Armenia, as well as of the reasons of the shootout. Kostanyan believes,
that the only solution to the problem after such incidents is to
strengthen the control of arms traffic. He assured, that necessary
measures are taken on each crime.

Kostanyan evaded the question if the crimes were related to the law
enforcement bodies’ improper execution of their functions.

The Prosecutor General also refused to comment on spread rumors
that Head of Police Vladimir Gasparyan and Head of Investigation
Committee Aghvan Hovsepyan are striving for his resignation. “Every
single administrative official desires a higher position, which is
quite normal”, he said.