Category: 2020

Armenian MP expresses solidarity with former MEP from Cyprus currently wanted by Azerbaijan

Garnik Tadevosian

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 21:24,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 24, ARMENPRESS. Chairman of the National Assembly Standing committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sport Mkhitar Hayrapetyan held a telephone conversation with former MEP from Cyprus Eleni Theocharous, who is wanted by Azerbaijan and expressed solidarity with her, ARMENPRESS reports Mkhitaryan wrote on his Facebook page.

“The Azerbaijani authorities have applied to the Government of Cyprus, requesting them to arrest and extradite the devoted friend of the Armenian people, former Member of the European Parliament Eleni Theocharous. We obviously deal with a very familiar demonstration of Azerbaijani hysteria. Starting from 2015 official Baku has applied to Interpol with the same request, to arrest the Cypriot official who has visited Artsakh, but all the requests were rejected.

As the Chairman of Armenia-Cyprus inter-parliamentary committee I discussed the situation in detail with my colleague Nikos Tornaritis, after which had a telephone conversation with Eleni Theocharous and expressed solidarity with her.

Politicians with such firm positions, struggling for justice and never being afraid of hardships are a good example not only for their own country, but also for other countries, while everyone in Azerbaijan should always remember that such miserable attempts to distract society from the country's internal problems will give no results in the long run”, Mkhitar Hayrapetyan wrote.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

Pashinyan: In the conditions of new political and social situation we need new police

Lara Chatinian
Arminfo, Armenia
Jan 24 2020

ArmInfo. In the face of new political and social situation, we need a new police force. According to the press service of the Government, the Prime Minister of the  Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan stated during the January 24  meeting on reforms in the Armenian Police.

 Opening the meeting, Pashinyan noted: "It must be noted that after the non-violent,  velvet, people's revolution in Armenia in 2018, the police as a whole  fuulfilled and continues to fulfill the tasks assigned to it.  However, we note that in the context of new political and social  realities, we need a new police force, in terms of the very content  of the word>.

According to him, the most important goal of this process should be  the establishment of new relations between the police and citizens.  According to him, it is worth refraining from fragmentary steps,  since they should be strategic in nature. As noted, the result of the  reforms should be a new content that will lead to institutional  changes not only in the law enforcement bodies themselves, but also  changes in society and the atmosphere prevailing in the country, as  well as in the protection of public order, prevention and the fight  against crime.

During the meeting, in particular, issues of structural changes in  the police, a new personnel policy, technical re-equipment, the  introduction of new educational programs, training, the formation of  the necessary stock of knowledge and skills were raised. The Prime  Minister instructed those responsible to complete the development of  the reform strategy in a short time and present them for discussion. 

Lawyer posts video from Armenian top court head’s home being searched by SIS

Samvel Nahapetian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 24 2020

Amram Makinyan, one of the lawyers of Constitutional Court Chairman Hrayr Tovmasyan, has posted a video on Facebook from the apartment of the top court head where the Special Investigative Service (SIS) is conducting a search.

The video shows a member of Tovmasyan's defense team, Mihran Poghosyan requesting the investigator to allow him to get familiarized with the court decision allowing the search, but the latter opposes the lawyer’s demand.

“In response to the SIS clarification that I am spreading disinformation,” he wrote.

Earlier on Friday SIS refuted as ‘obvious disinformation” the lawyer’s claims alleging Hrayr Tovmasyan and his defense team were not allowed to familiarize themselves with the search ruling.

Law-enforcement authorities charged Tovmasyan with an abuse of power on 27 December 2019. Tovmasyan denied any wrongdoing, adding the charges are part of a “political process” aimed at forcing him to step down. 

Video at

Lawyer: Investigators ‘found nothing’ during search of Hrayr Tovmasyan’s home

Antranik Varosian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 24 2020

Investigators have found nothing while searching the apartment of Constitutional Court Chairman Hrayr Tovmasyan, his lawyer Amram Makinyan told reporters on Friday.

“They were looking for documents that could not factually exist in Mr. Tovmasyan's apartment,” he said.

“Nothing has been found and confiscated. The investigators have left [the apartment],” the lawyer added.

Makinyan stated so far neither Hrayr Tovmasyan nor his defense team has got familiarised with the search warrant issued by the court, adding they are only aware that judge Artush Gabrielyan has ordered the search at the Constitutional Court chairman’s home.

The search comes nearly one month after the Special Investigative Service charged Hrayr Tovmasyan with two counts of abuse of power.

Tovmasyan denies any wrongdoing, adding the charges are part of a “political process” aimed at forcing him to step down. 

Diocese of Baltic States of the Armenian Apostolic Church established

Antranik Varosian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 24 2020
Society 20:04 24/01/2020 Armenia

On January 24, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians issued a Kontag on establishing Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Baltic states through separating the Armenian Church communities in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania from the diocese of Russia and Nor Nakhijevan.

As the information department at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin reports, Bishop Vardan Navasardyan has been appointed as the new Head of the Diocese. 

“Yerevan 2800” wins 3rd place at Coin Constellation 2019 International Contest

Tatoyan Vazgen
Aravot, Armenia
Jan 24 2020

                                                       
January 24,2020 18:26 17                                                        

ԵՌԱԳՈՅՆ. The “Yerevan 2800” silver collector coin introduced by the Armenian Central Bank in 2018 has won the third place in the Coin of the Year category at the 13th International Contest “Coin Constellation-2019” in Russia.

220 coins by 33 participants representing 22 countries took part in the contest.

– Unique concept,

– The best artistic solution,

– Original technology,

– The best circulation coin,

– Coin classic,

– Souvenir coin,

– Silver coin of the year,

– Gold coin of the year,

– Coin of the year.

Sports: Russian-Armenian figure skater wins European silver

Parkev Tvankchian
PanArmenian, Armenia
Jan 24 2020
– 12:26 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Russian figure skater of Armenian descent Arthur Danielyan won silver at the International Skating Union (ISU) European Championships in Graz on Thursday, January 23.

“Danielian takes a medal at his first European Championships with this performance,” the ISU revealed after the winners were announced.

16-year-old Danielian was the youngest competitor in the men’s event of the championships.

Danielian’s musical performance to “La Traviata” was highlighted by a quad Salchow-triple Salchow combination, a quad Salchow and triple Axel-triple toeloop as well as three more triples. However, he fell on a triple Lutz and stumbled on the first triple Axel. The 2018 World Junior silver medalist scored a personal best of 162.11 points and was ranked fourth in the Free Skating, but pulled up from third to second overall at 246.74 points, edging Kvitelashvili by just 0.03 points.

http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/277253/RussianArmenian_figure_skater_wins_European_silver

“I did not expect to be on the podium. My goal was to show a decent skate, to get my name out on the senior level and prove that I can compete with the senior skaters and look decent compared to them,” Danielian noted. “I did a lot of work before the Europeans, it was good, consistent and skating here well is the result of the work we have done,” he added.

Dmitri Aliev of Russia stormed to gold with 26 points to spare to take the European title, while Morisi Kvitelashvili earned the bronze, becoming the first Georgian man to win a medal at the European Figure Skating Championships.

Sports: Gagik Khachatryan to represent Armenia in Albert Azaryan tournament in LA

Raffi Khondkarian
MediaMax, Armenia
Jan 23 2020
Gagik Khachatryan to represent Armenia in Albert Azaryan tournament in LA

Secretary General of the Gymnastics Federation of Armenia Garnik Saroyan has told Mediamax Sport that Khachikyan will perform under the management of the national team’s head coach Hakob Serobyan. It is the first time that Armenia is represented in this tournament.

 The athlete will travel to the U.S. on February 2 and train at the gymnastics school of Olympic champion Eduard Nazaryan before the tournament.

 The tournament is held for the fourth successive year on the birthday of Olympic champion, famous Armenian gymnast Albert Azaryan, who turns 91 in 2020. It usually features quite a large number of athletes.

 Other members of Armenia’s gymnastics team are getting ready for the national championship, due to be held on February 25-28. After the championship, the team will hold a training camp in Tbilisi and then compete in the World Cup on March 16 in Doha.



Music: Armenian soprano after Dresden scandal: ‘Culture knows no boundaries’

Emil Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 24 2020
Culture 11:54 24/01/2020 Armenia

"I strongly believed that culture knows no boundaries and I am glad that this belief is shared by so many people who have supported me with their words and deeds these days," renowned Armenian soprano Ruzan Mantashyan said in a Facebook post.

The singer’s comments came after she was invited back to perform at the Semper Opernball in Dresden, Germany, on February 7. She had been forced out of the performance by Azerbaijani tenor Yusif Ayvazov, who had reportedly refused to share the stage with the Armenian soprano because of her nationality.

Mantashyan is expected to perform Tatiana Aria from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. 

World-famous Armenian singer Hasmik Papian, who had condemned the event organizers from the very first day, declared victory on Facebook on Thursday.

“The decision of the Semper Opera Ball is a victory. By raising this matter, we helped the German side to review their decision and to restore the justice at the same time saving their face,” Papian wrote.

Many German singers were angered by Semper Opernball’s decision to cancel Mantashyan’s performance.