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Author: Ophelia Vardapetian

Prosecution asks court to confiscate ex-police chief’s alleged illicitly obtained assets

Ophelia Vardapetian

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 15:04, 6 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The general prosecution has asked a court to confiscate the assets owned by former national police chief Vladimir Gasparyan and his family suspected in being illicitly obtained, court documents released on Datalex showed.

Information on what specific assets the prosecution deems illegal wasn’t immediately available.

Gasparyan is yet to comment on prosecution’s move.

The stolen asset recovery law, officially known as the Law on Confiscation of Illegally-Obtained Assets, was adopted by parliament in 2020 April. In September of 2020 the division in charge of investigating alleged illicitly acquired assets was launched in the general prosecution.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenian Artist Actually Selling Her Reproductive EGGS As An NFT At Art Basel

Ophelia Vardapetian
Dec 5 2021



by Mike Walters Posted on December 5, 2021 at 11:19 am

An artist is taking the saying “priceless piece of art” to a whole new level —  after deciding to sell one of her reproductive eggs as an NFT, during this year’s Art Basel.

Armenian artist Narine Arakelian says she has created a painting entitled ‘Live’ — which will include an embedded contract promising one of her eggs to the buyer willing to hit a certain price point. This will be her first NFT and is being offered at this year’s Art Basel in Miami, Florida. That’s right, along with the painting, the buyer will get an actual egg to which can be used to conceive a child.

As you know, NFT’s (Non-Fungible Tokens) are a type of digital art, which is verified and confirmed as a unique piece of are using blockchain authentication. The NFT’s are bought and sold using cryptocurrency like Ethereum.

Instagram

Shockingly, Narine claims she fully expects the person who buys the NFT to conceive a child from the egg that she is selling. But, she is not doing it as a stunt that might cause issues for the said unborn child — she is hoping it will be purchased by a couple who is having trouble conceiving a child of their own.

“My artworks are all my children and the fact this one will actually produce a child is wonderful. The art will always mean so much to the buyer because it brought them their child! It will always carry that special memory,” Arakelian said. 

She continued, “I am so happy to bring a child into the world through my artwork, It’s a beautiful act of creativity to give the gift of art and life.”

Instagram

It should be noted, Narine is a mother and has a 21-year-old son.

The good news, the artist is fully aware of the implications of something like this, and wants everyone to hear that the child will be a child once they are born, NOT a piece of art.”

If you are interested, Arakelian is exhibiting a triptych titled ‘Love, Hope, Live’ at Art Miami — which is a satellite fair near the Art Basel Miami Beach.

Again, this is a hard question for anyone considering buying this priceless piece of “art,” so we are going to ask it for you…Who is Narine Arkelian?

Well, she is a Siberian-born Armenian artist who spends time in both Los Angeles and Moscow, Russia. She is a college graduate who completed a year-long internship at the Digital Arts Department at the Los Angeles Academy of Art.

This isn’t the first time she has made waves in the art world. In 2019, the artist transformed the iconic 15th-century spiral staircase of Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo in Venice into a colorful lighthouse. She then performed, passing through each room and discarding elements of her clothing, until she was completely naked.

So…do we have any takers??

https://theblast.com/136805/armenian-artist-actually-selling-her-reproductive-eggs-as-an-nft-at-art-basel/

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Skunder Boghossian, the Ethiopian Armenian who bridged Africa and the West through art

Ophelia Vardapetian
Dec 4 2021

 JULIAN MCBRIDE



                                                                                                  


Human civilization was born in Africa (out of Africa theory). The first traces of human history came from Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. After colonialism across Africa, save for a few nations, including Ethiopia, African culture was opened up to the modern world.


In an age when African culture was relatively new to the West, many people in Europe and North America did not understand the origins, diverse ethnic groups, or history of Africa. There was one man who helped bridge that gap through art, and his name was Skunder Boghossian.

Skunder Boghossian, one of the best-known African artists who influenced the west, was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from an Armenian father named Kosrof Gregorios Boghossian and an Ethiopian mother of Amhara origins named Tsedale Wolde Tekle in 1937. 

His grandfather, Gregorios Boghossian, was an Armenian trader who used to work as a traveling business ambassador in Europe to Emperor Menelik II, and his father Kosrof Boghossian was a Col. in the Ethiopian Imperial Guard under Emperor Haile Selassie I.

                                                                                                            

 Skunder won the 2nd prize during the Jubilee anniversary of Emperor Haile Selassie’s coronation only at the age of 17, and he was granted a scholarship in 1955. He studied and lectured in several European and American Universities throughout his life.

Skunder Boghossian was the first contemporary Ethiopian artist whose work was bought by both the Musee d’Art Moderne in Paris (1963), and the Museum of Modern Art in New York (1965). Various private collectors, museums, and world governments would often invite him to display his work in art galleries across the world, or even procure some.

For example, the National Museum of African Art in Washington owns several of his paintings. On May 18, 2003, Skunder passed away naturally. The world-renowned New York Times reported his death as: “Skunder Boghossian, Artist who bridged Africa & West died on May 4 at Howard University Hospital in Washington DC at the age of 65.” [see https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/18/nyregion/skunder-boghossian-65-artist-who-bridged-africa-and-west.html ]

https://face2faceafrica.com/article/skunder-boghossian-the-ethiopian-armenian-who-bridged-africa-and-the-west-through-art








Situation tense one year after Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh, Armenian FM tells OSCE Ministerial

Ophelia Vardapetian
Public Radio of Armenia
Dec 2 2021
December 2, 2021, 21:13

 2 minutes read

One year after the war of aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and the conclusion of the November 9 Trilateral Statement, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains tense, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararart Mirzoyan said in an address to the 28th Meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Stockholm.

“Since May 2021 Azerbaijani armed forces have infiltrated across the borders of Armenia. Up to now, they maintain and continue strengthening their illegal presence on the sovereign territory of Armenia,” he noted. 

“By its aggressive actions Azerbaijan is flagrantly violating the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of the Helsinki Final Act. Needless to say, Azerbaijan’s actions also violate its obligations under the trilateral statement of 9 November on the cessation of all hostilities,” the Foreign Minister stated.

He stressed that another feature of the use of force is a constant attempt of Azerbaijan not merely to hold but also capture Armenian servicemen and civilians. “Not only does Azerbaijan continue to ignore the calls of the international community for the immediate and unconditional release of all Armenian prisoners of war and civilian hostages, but on a number of instances, most recently on 16 November, its armed forces captured more military personnel in the course of its attack on the territory of the Republic of Armenia.”

No pretext can justify these violent actions, Minister Mirzoyan said, adding that “the continued presence of Azerbaijani armed forces on the territory of Armenia is a factor of destabilization in the region.”

He voiced hope that the November 26 trilateral meeting organized by the Russian Federation would pave the way for undertaking certain measures towards de-escalation of the situation in the region. 

“The use of force has never been a way to peace in general and in particular in our region.  The use of force can defreeze dormant conflicts for a certain period of time, but they will get frozen again once there is no negotiated and peaceful solution. War can come as a unilateral choice but peace always requires consent of all sides,” the Armenian FM stated.  

He stressed that Armenia is willing to achieve lasting stability in the South Caucasus and is ready for negotiations to achieve that. 

“The sooner Azerbaijan embarks on the resumption of the peace process, the better will be chances to achieve comprehensive and durable settlement in our region. The definition of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh based on the realization of the right to self-determination, the safe and dignified return of the displaced Armenian population throughout the entire territory of Nagorno-Karabakh should be substantive issues of negotiations. Equally, the resolution of pending humanitarian issues such as unconditional return of all Armenian POWs and all other captives, inquiry into the cases of enforced disappearances, protection of cultural heritage necessitates the strong engagement of the OSCE and its relevant mandates,” Minister Mirzoyan said.

“With this in mind, Armenia will further contribute towards the resumption of a full-fledged NK peace process under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship in close cooperation with all OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries,” he concluded.

Trail of state racketeering. Court of Appeals annuls ruling on lifting the ban imposed on 75% of ZCMC shares

Ophelia Vardapetian
Panorama, Armenia
Dec 1 2021

The RA Civil Court of Appeals ruled that the Syunik Court of General Jurisdiction erred in its conclusion on lifting the ban imposed on 75% of the shares of the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC) and annuled the ruling, Pastinfo reports. 

To remind, Russia’s former Minister of Health and Social Development Mikhail Zurabov, who owns 12.5% of the ZCMC shares, filed a lawsuit to a court in Syunik in August this year, asking for a preference to acquire the ZCMC shares. The court not only agreed to hear the lawsuit but also applied a measure, seizing 75% of the shares of the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine. 

Later on September 30, the Syunik Court of General Jurisdiction ruled to lift the seizure of shares, and a subsidiary belonging to Russian billionaire Roman Trotsenko, owner of the GeoProMining group, acquired them immediately after it. After the deal, Trotsenko granted 15 percent of the shares of the Molybdenum Combine to the Government of Armenia.  

According to the source, the stock prices were very low, nevertheless, Trotsenko could not pay the sum immediately and acquired the shares on the condition of deferred payment. In addition, there were problems with lending to the transaction, as some banks observed risks in terms of the legality of the purchase of shares and avoided granting loans. Time has proven that the concerns of the Banks were true and the risks for the legality of the purchase were more than considerable. 

As Pastinfo had reported, the representatives of Mikhail Zurabov appealed the ruling at the Civil Court of Appeals, demanding the annulment of the court ruling on lifting the measure. 

The representatives of the plaintiff declared that since the beginning of the court hearing on the measure, the plaintiff was deprived of independent and impartial judicial proceedings, pointing also to the haste on the part of the Court in taking the case into proceeding and the ruling. 

Turkish press: Putin regrets situation in Karabakh still not completely calm

Ophelia Vardapetian

Elena Teslova   |26.11.2021

MOSCOW

The Russian president on Friday regretted that armed clashes continue on and off in the Nagorno-Karabakh region despite existing peace treaties, leading to more casualties.

Opening a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in Sochi, Vladimir Putin said discussion on the Karabakh settlement will continue later in the day during trilateral talks, which will also include Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

He said Russia's peace-keeping mission and the Russian-Turkish monitoring center play a positive role in preventing wider confrontation, however, more needs to be done.

"It is necessary to discuss what has already been done and what still needs to be done by everyone, such that not only nothing like this (armed clashes) arises, but conditions are created for calming the situation and allow people to live in peace, and countries to develop," the Russian leader added.

Putin said he has held a series of consultations with other government officials about economic problems and unblocking transport corridors in the region. "A lot of questions have piled up on this topic," he said.

Baku and Yerevan were embroiled in a 44-day conflict on Karabakh – a region that lies within Azerbaijan but was under occupation of Armenia – last year, which ended with a Russia-brokered cease-fire on Nov. 10, 2020.

During the faceoff that started in September 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and 300 settlements and villages that were occupied by Armenia for nearly three decades. The peace agreement is celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan.

The leaders of the three countries later agreed to develop economic ties and infrastructure for the benefit of the entire Caucasus region.

Earlier this month, clashes broke out on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with Russia stepping in again to mediate.

Analyst: Iran’s accession to EEU will create serious counterbalance to Turkey and strengthen Armenia’s positions

Ophelia Vardapetian
News.am, Armenia
Nov 24 2021
Analyst: Iran's accession to EEU will create serious counterbalance to Turkey and strengthen Armenia's positions
21:42, 24.11.2021

Iran’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union will create a serious counterbalance to Turkey. This is what President of the Republican Union of Employers of Armenia Gagik Makaryan said during a conversation with Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“Since Iran is currently under sanctions, Turkey is reselling Iranian goods in its name. Most of the goods sold in Turkey are manufactured in Iran. Turkey doesn’t have the potential that it tries to show. Acceding to the Eurasian Economic Union will allow Iran to sell its products. Also, the United States is easing sanctions against Iran, and this will further strengthen Armenia’s positions. Iran’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union will help increase trade with Iran from $400,000,000 to $1,000,000,000, and there are a lot of talks about this,” he emphasized.

Makaryan noted that this will help increase Armenia’s transit potential since Iranian goods may be sent to the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union through Armenian territory.

“In this case, Iran will be interested in establishing production in Armenia in order to facilitate the entry of its goods into the markets of third countries,” he added.

Azerbaijan confirms seven killed, 10 wounded servicemen on border with Armenia

Ophelia Vardapetian
TASS, Russia
Nov 17 2021
On Tuesday, fighting broke out on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border between the armed forces of the two countries
© Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS, archive

BAKU, November 17. /TASS/. Seven Azerbaijani servicemen were killed, and another 10 were wounded as a result of armed clashes on the border with Armenia, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.

"During combat operations on November 16, seven servicemen of Azerbaijan’s armed forces were killed," the military agency’s press service reported. It is specified that a lieutenant, a warrant officer, a junior sergeant and four privates are among those killed.

The Defense Ministry added that another 10 Azerbaijani servicemen were wounded. The military agency noted that the situation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border has stabilized since Tuesday night. "The operative situation is being controlled by our units. Azerbaijan’s armed forces continue to carry out their duties on the sovereign territory of our country," the statement noted.

On Tuesday, fighting broke out on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border between the armed forces of the two countries. Due to these events, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held phone conversations with his counterparts in Armenia and Azerbaijan. The press service of Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that afterwards the heads of Azerbaijan’s and Armenia’s military agencies undertook measures on stabilizing the situation on the border.

Tensions started rising in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region and the border areas of Armenia's Syunik Province earlier in the month. The parties keep reporting armed incidents, which are causing casualties. On November 13, Yerevan and Baku accused each other of shelling attacks. Tensions have also erupted along an international highway connecting Armenia with Iran, which was handed over to Baku based on a trilateral statement adopted by the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan on November 9, 2020, and where a Russian border guard post was established to ensure the free movement of people and vehicles.

Azerbaijani press: Mine attack against Azerbaijani general under investigation

Ophelia Vardapetian
17 November 2021 15:23 (UTC+04:00)
527

By Vugar Khalilov

The Military Prosecutor’s Office has launched criminal proceedings into the case of mine attack against Amy’s Maj-Gen Hikmat Hasanov, the Prosecutor-General’s Office reported on November 16.

The case is under investigation under Azerbaijani Criminal Code Articles 29, 120.2.7 (attempted murder of two or more persons) and 29, 120.2.12 (attempted murder with national, racial, religious hatred or hostility), the report added.

It should be noted that Hasanov was injured in an armored vehicle as a result of the mine explosion during his visit to liberated Aghdam region on November 20, 2020.

Armenia deliberately and constantly laid mines on the Azerbaijani territories, in violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention, thereby being a major threat to regional peace, security and cooperation.

Some 160 Azerbaijanis have been killed or injured in the explosion of mines planted by Armenians in Azerbaijan’s formerly occupied regions since the end of the war in autumn 2020 that saw Azerbaijan liberate most of its territories in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

On June 12, Azerbaijan handed over 15 Armenian prisoners in exchange for a map detailing the location of 97,000 mines in formerly-occupied Aghdam.

On July 3, Armenia submitted to Azerbaijan maps of about 92,000 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines planted during the occupation of Fuzuli and Zangilan regions.

In his interview to CNN Turk channel on August 14, President Ilham Aliyev said that the accuracy of the maps provided by Armenia at the latest stage is only 25 percent.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a Russia-brokered peace agreement on November 10, 2020, to end 44 days of fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.

Azerbaijani Armed Forces open fire at tractor in Armenia’s Verin Shorzha village

Ophelia Vardapetian
News.am, Armenia
Nov 18 2021
Azerbaijani Armed Forces open fire at tractor in Armenia's Verin Shorzha village
20:33, 18.11.2021

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces fired at a tractor in the Verin Shorzha village of Gegharkunik Province of Armenia, head of Verin Shorzha village Artyom Yeranosyan said during a conversation with Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“There were a few gunshots. The firing stopped about 40 minutes ago. We had a tractor at the end of the village that they wanted to drive and come to the village, and that’s when they started to open fire,” Yeranosyan stated.

According to him, there are no victims, the situation is currently stable, and it has been calm over the past two days as well.

On Nov. 16, at around 1 p.m., the units of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan attacked the Armenian military posts deployed in the given direction of the border — the adversary also used artillery, armored vehicles and firearms of various calibers.

According to the agreement reached after Russian mediation, on Nov. 16, starting from 6:30 p.m. there is ceasefire on the eastern border of Armenia, and the situation has become relatively stable.

According to the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, as a result of the Armenian side’s response operations, the adversary suffered many losses of manpower, a few armored vehicles were destroyed or are out of order.

The Armenian side also suffered casualties. To date, the Ministry of Defense has only reported verified data on one casualty, that is, 30-year-old contractual serviceman, Private Meruzhan Harutyunyan.

“The number of injured is also being verified. Another 12 servicemen are captured. The Ministry of Defense of Armenia will issue a press release in case there are new reports,” the Ministry of Defense reported.