Armenian News ... Armenag Topalian ... Criminal Group Arrested
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ACTIVITY OF CRIMINAL GROUP ARRESTED YESTERDAY IN
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ACTIVITY OF CRIMINAL GROUP ARRESTED YESTERDAY IN
ARMENIA MIGHT HAVE POLITICAL COMPONENT - ISKANDARYAN
YEREVAN, November 25. The activity of the criminal group that
was arrested yesterday by Armenian law enforcement officers might
have a political component, Alexander Iskandaryan, the head of the
Caucasus Institute, is quoted by Novosti-Armenia as saying.
It became known on Wednesday that Armenian National Security Service
has disclosed a criminal group that was preparing major crimes
in Yerevan.
Ten members of the criminal group were caught Tuesday in a raid on
a private house in Yerevan's Nork-Marash district. The police found
there guns and explosives.
Of the ten detainees, mostly foreigners, three are women. The group
was headed by Arthur Vardanyan, an Armenian citizen who now resides
abroad, but came to Armenia.
"It is not clear so far whether the group activity contains a political
component or not, but the scale, the number of its members and armament
give grounds for thinking that it is quite probable," Iskandaryan said.
He stressed that Armenia is considered among relatively safe countries
in terms of terrorist threats.
"It should be taken into account that there is a foreign component,
and Syrian trace is being considered now," Iskandaryan said.
He also pointed out the professionalism of the National Security
Service and the police's joint raid.
RFE/RL Report
Armenians `Divided' Over Constitutional Reform
Nane Sahakian
24.11.2015
Only one in three Armenians intend to vote for President Serzh
Sarkisian's controversial constitutional amendments in next month's
referendum, a non-governmental polling organization said on Tuesday.
The pollster, APR Group, cited the findings of a nationwide opinion
poll conducted by it in mid-November. It said 35 percent of some 1,300
respondents expressed readiness to back the proposed amendments,
compared with 32 percent who said they are opposed to the country's
transition to the parliamentary system of government sought by
Sarkisian.
According to APR Group, just over one-fifth of those polls were
undecided, while another 10 refused to reveal their intentions
regarding the December 6 referendum. Ruben Sargsian, the head of the
group, which is not known have to government connections, suggested
that the latter category of voters tends to oppose the government and
its major initiatives.
"The undecided voters will likely stay at home [on referendum day] or
vote `Yes,'" he told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). They
therefore hold the key to the outcome of the referendum, he said.
To pass, the amendments will have to be approved by the majority of
referendum participants making up at least one-quarter of Armenia's
2.5 million or so eligible voters. Sarkisian and his political allies
will thus need to garner at least 620,000 "Yes" votes.
Senior members of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) have
expressed confidence that the sweeping amendments will be
overwhelmingly backed by voters. They say most Armenians are already
convinced that the proposed switch to the parliamentary system would
make their country more democratic.
Opposition forces campaigning against the constitutional reform claim
the opposite, however. They allege that the Yes camp plans to rig the
referendum by capitalizing on its government levers and control of
election commissions that will hold the vote. The No Front coalition
of reform opponents has called for a high voter turnout in the
referendum, saying that would seriously complicate fraud.
The opposition maintains that the sole purpose of the reform is to
enable Sarkisian to retain power in a different capacity after he
completes his second and final presidential term in 2018.
ecolur.org
ABOUT 2500 TREES CUT ILLEGALLY IN LORI, TAVUSH AND
was arrested yesterday by Armenian law enforcement officers might
have a political component, Alexander Iskandaryan, the head of the
Caucasus Institute, is quoted by Novosti-Armenia as saying.
It became known on Wednesday that Armenian National Security Service
has disclosed a criminal group that was preparing major crimes
in Yerevan.
Ten members of the criminal group were caught Tuesday in a raid on
a private house in Yerevan's Nork-Marash district. The police found
there guns and explosives.
Of the ten detainees, mostly foreigners, three are women. The group
was headed by Arthur Vardanyan, an Armenian citizen who now resides
abroad, but came to Armenia.
"It is not clear so far whether the group activity contains a political
component or not, but the scale, the number of its members and armament
give grounds for thinking that it is quite probable," Iskandaryan said.
He stressed that Armenia is considered among relatively safe countries
in terms of terrorist threats.
"It should be taken into account that there is a foreign component,
and Syrian trace is being considered now," Iskandaryan said.
He also pointed out the professionalism of the National Security
Service and the police's joint raid.
RFE/RL Report
Armenians `Divided' Over Constitutional Reform
Nane Sahakian
24.11.2015
Only one in three Armenians intend to vote for President Serzh
Sarkisian's controversial constitutional amendments in next month's
referendum, a non-governmental polling organization said on Tuesday.
The pollster, APR Group, cited the findings of a nationwide opinion
poll conducted by it in mid-November. It said 35 percent of some 1,300
respondents expressed readiness to back the proposed amendments,
compared with 32 percent who said they are opposed to the country's
transition to the parliamentary system of government sought by
Sarkisian.
According to APR Group, just over one-fifth of those polls were
undecided, while another 10 refused to reveal their intentions
regarding the December 6 referendum. Ruben Sargsian, the head of the
group, which is not known have to government connections, suggested
that the latter category of voters tends to oppose the government and
its major initiatives.
"The undecided voters will likely stay at home [on referendum day] or
vote `Yes,'" he told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). They
therefore hold the key to the outcome of the referendum, he said.
To pass, the amendments will have to be approved by the majority of
referendum participants making up at least one-quarter of Armenia's
2.5 million or so eligible voters. Sarkisian and his political allies
will thus need to garner at least 620,000 "Yes" votes.
Senior members of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) have
expressed confidence that the sweeping amendments will be
overwhelmingly backed by voters. They say most Armenians are already
convinced that the proposed switch to the parliamentary system would
make their country more democratic.
Opposition forces campaigning against the constitutional reform claim
the opposite, however. They allege that the Yes camp plans to rig the
referendum by capitalizing on its government levers and control of
election commissions that will hold the vote. The No Front coalition
of reform opponents has called for a high voter turnout in the
referendum, saying that would seriously complicate fraud.
The opposition maintains that the sole purpose of the reform is to
enable Sarkisian to retain power in a different capacity after he
completes his second and final presidential term in 2018.
ecolur.org
ABOUT 2500 TREES CUT ILLEGALLY IN LORI, TAVUSH AND
SYUNIK REGIONS
November 23, 2015
On November 22 in the forest area of Stepanavan, Lori region, the
volunteers of the Pan-Armenian Environmental Front detected more than
1030 illegally cut trees, 870 of which were newly cut. The diameters
of the cut trees were 10-130 cm.
As Levon Galstyan, a member of the Pan-Armenian Environmental Front,
said during the interview with EcoLur they didn't see any seals on
the cut trees. They only noticed several green unintelligible notes.
According to Levon Galstyan the volunteers of the "Public Monitoring
of Forests" project detected about 2500 illegally cut trees in Lori,
Tavush and Syunik regions in 2015. While according to the official
data 1273 trees were cut illegally in 2015.
According to the budget project of 2016 no funds are planned for
afforestation in Armenia.
November 23, 2015
On November 22 in the forest area of Stepanavan, Lori region, the
volunteers of the Pan-Armenian Environmental Front detected more than
1030 illegally cut trees, 870 of which were newly cut. The diameters
of the cut trees were 10-130 cm.
As Levon Galstyan, a member of the Pan-Armenian Environmental Front,
said during the interview with EcoLur they didn't see any seals on
the cut trees. They only noticed several green unintelligible notes.
According to Levon Galstyan the volunteers of the "Public Monitoring
of Forests" project detected about 2500 illegally cut trees in Lori,
Tavush and Syunik regions in 2015. While according to the official
data 1273 trees were cut illegally in 2015.
According to the budget project of 2016 no funds are planned for
afforestation in Armenia.
epress.am
STUDY FOUND 30% OF ARMENIANS LIVED IN POVERTY IN 2014
24.11.2015
Armenian households living in poverty totaled 30% in 2014, according
to the findings of a study conducted by Armenia's National Statistical
Service (NSS).
The report, Social Snapshot and Poverty in Armenia, published by
officials on Monday stated that every three Armenians from ten
lived below the upper poverty line of 40,264 drams (less than $84)
per month. Compared to the same period in 2013, poverty rate fell 2
percentage points in 2014; however, the total poverty rate was still
2.4 percentage points higher than in 2008, the NSS said.
In 2014, upper, lower, and extreme poverty lines per adult equivalent
per month were estimated to be AMD 40,264 ($ 83.3), AMD 33,101 ($
68.5) and AMD 23,384 ($ 48.4) respectively. Those with per adult
consumption equivalent below the upper total poverty line were defined
as poor; those with per adult consumption equivalent below the lower
general poverty line - as very poor, whereas the extremely poor are
defined as those with per adult consumption equivalent below the food
poverty line.
Thus, the study has found that the number of the poor in Armenia
in 2014 was around 900 thousand. The number of the very poor - 330
thousand, and that of the extremely poor - around 70 thousand.
"In 2014, poverty rate did not significantly differ between urban
(30.0%) and rural (29.9%) locations. Over 2008-2014, poverty growth
rate both in urban and rural communities totaled 2.4 percentage
points," the report said.
Officials added that Armenia's capital city Yerevan had the lowest
poverty rate in the country - 25.2%, which was 1.4 times lower compared
to other urban communities.
Armenian households living in poverty totaled 30% in 2014, according
to the findings of a study conducted by Armenia's National Statistical
Service (NSS).
The report, Social Snapshot and Poverty in Armenia, published by
officials on Monday stated that every three Armenians from ten
lived below the upper poverty line of 40,264 drams (less than $84)
per month. Compared to the same period in 2013, poverty rate fell 2
percentage points in 2014; however, the total poverty rate was still
2.4 percentage points higher than in 2008, the NSS said.
In 2014, upper, lower, and extreme poverty lines per adult equivalent
per month were estimated to be AMD 40,264 ($ 83.3), AMD 33,101 ($
68.5) and AMD 23,384 ($ 48.4) respectively. Those with per adult
consumption equivalent below the upper total poverty line were defined
as poor; those with per adult consumption equivalent below the lower
general poverty line - as very poor, whereas the extremely poor are
defined as those with per adult consumption equivalent below the food
poverty line.
Thus, the study has found that the number of the poor in Armenia
in 2014 was around 900 thousand. The number of the very poor - 330
thousand, and that of the extremely poor - around 70 thousand.
"In 2014, poverty rate did not significantly differ between urban
(30.0%) and rural (29.9%) locations. Over 2008-2014, poverty growth
rate both in urban and rural communities totaled 2.4 percentage
points," the report said.
Officials added that Armenia's capital city Yerevan had the lowest
poverty rate in the country - 25.2%, which was 1.4 times lower compared
to other urban communities.
arminfo.am
SOCIOLOGIST: 75% OF ARMENIAN WOMEN UNDERGO VIOLENCE
by Karina Manukyan
November 24, 18:27
75% of Armenian women undergo violence, Head of the Sociometer Center
Aharon Adibekyan said at a press conference on November 24. So,
three out of four women in Armenia come across violence.
"5% of the women in Armenia undergo physical violence. The number of
those subject to psychological violence and threats is even higher,"
he said. Adibekyan thinks the problem is rooted in the Armenian
traditional family relationships, where wives constantly think they
are guilty for certain things.
"Armenian women do not like to wash their dirty linen in public. They
prefer keeping silence," he said.
It is noteworthy that women do not perceive psychological violence
or intimidation as violence.
"Ignorant women or women from poor families are most vulnerable to
violence," the sociologist says.
In the meantime, there are also families where, quite the opposite,
wives beat their husbands, he said.
For her part, psychologist Lilit Khachatryan noted that those who
were ignored in their childhood or saw violence in their family most
often become victims of violence.
To note, November 25 marks the International Day for the Elimination of
Violence against Women. In 2014 domestic violence in Armenia claimed
lives of 11 women.
by Karina Manukyan
November 24, 18:27
75% of Armenian women undergo violence, Head of the Sociometer Center
Aharon Adibekyan said at a press conference on November 24. So,
three out of four women in Armenia come across violence.
"5% of the women in Armenia undergo physical violence. The number of
those subject to psychological violence and threats is even higher,"
he said. Adibekyan thinks the problem is rooted in the Armenian
traditional family relationships, where wives constantly think they
are guilty for certain things.
"Armenian women do not like to wash their dirty linen in public. They
prefer keeping silence," he said.
It is noteworthy that women do not perceive psychological violence
or intimidation as violence.
"Ignorant women or women from poor families are most vulnerable to
violence," the sociologist says.
In the meantime, there are also families where, quite the opposite,
wives beat their husbands, he said.
For her part, psychologist Lilit Khachatryan noted that those who
were ignored in their childhood or saw violence in their family most
often become victims of violence.
To note, November 25 marks the International Day for the Elimination of
Violence against Women. In 2014 domestic violence in Armenia claimed
lives of 11 women.
RUSSIA SEEKS REVENGE FOR DOWNED JET WITH 'ARMENIA
GENOCIDE DENIAL' BILL
Daily Sabah, Turkey
Nov 25 2015
Russian lawmaker Sergei Mironov said on Wednesday his party had
submitted a bill to parliament on holding to account anyone who denies
that the 1915 killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turkish forces was
"genocide."
"We have just submitted a bill on responsibility for failure to
acknowledge the fact of a genocide of Armenians by Turkey in 1915,"
Mironov, the leader of the opposition Just Russia party, said on
his Twitter account, a day after Turkish Air Forces shot down a
Russian jet.
It's not the first time Russia used the word "genocide" regarding
the 1915 events in World War I, but now it has now taken a step in
terms of punishing those who do not describe the events as "genocide."
Turkey and Armenia disagree on what happened during the events
between 1915 and 1923, with Armenia saying that 1.5 million people
were deliberately killed and Turkey saying the deaths were a result
of deportations and civil strife.
The 1915 events took place during World War I when a portion of
the Armenian population living in the Ottoman Empire sided with the
invading Russians and revolted against the empire.
The Ottoman Empire relocated Armenians in eastern Anatolia following
the revolts and there were Armenian casualties during the relocation
process.
Armenia has demanded an apology and compensation, while Turkey has
officially refuted Armenian allegations over the incidents saying that,
although Armenians died during the relocations, many Turks also lost
their lives in attacks carried out by Armenian gangs in Anatolia.
panarmenian.net
TURKEY THREATENS PARAGUAY OVER ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Daily Sabah, Turkey
Nov 25 2015
Russian lawmaker Sergei Mironov said on Wednesday his party had
submitted a bill to parliament on holding to account anyone who denies
that the 1915 killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turkish forces was
"genocide."
"We have just submitted a bill on responsibility for failure to
acknowledge the fact of a genocide of Armenians by Turkey in 1915,"
Mironov, the leader of the opposition Just Russia party, said on
his Twitter account, a day after Turkish Air Forces shot down a
Russian jet.
It's not the first time Russia used the word "genocide" regarding
the 1915 events in World War I, but now it has now taken a step in
terms of punishing those who do not describe the events as "genocide."
Turkey and Armenia disagree on what happened during the events
between 1915 and 1923, with Armenia saying that 1.5 million people
were deliberately killed and Turkey saying the deaths were a result
of deportations and civil strife.
The 1915 events took place during World War I when a portion of
the Armenian population living in the Ottoman Empire sided with the
invading Russians and revolted against the empire.
The Ottoman Empire relocated Armenians in eastern Anatolia following
the revolts and there were Armenian casualties during the relocation
process.
Armenia has demanded an apology and compensation, while Turkey has
officially refuted Armenian allegations over the incidents saying that,
although Armenians died during the relocations, many Turks also lost
their lives in attacks carried out by Armenian gangs in Anatolia.
panarmenian.net
TURKEY THREATENS PARAGUAY OVER ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
RECOGNITION
November 24, 2015
PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey suspended bilateral relations with Paraguay
and threatened to boycott trade with the country after the Senate
unanimously approved on October 29 an official recognition (Statement
N° 101/15) of theArmenian Genocide, Prensa Armenia reports.
Turkey's ambassador in Argentina, Taner Karakas, concurring in
Paraguay and Uruguay, met with Senator Victor Bogado of the ruling
Colorado Party, who is Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and
International Affairs. According to local reports, Karakas expressed
"disagreement and concern over the declaration."
After that meeting, Bogado said on Thursday, November 19 that he
would present "an alternative project as a way of rectifying the
position of the Senate." "Turkey was deeply concerned about the term
"genocide," given that this happened before the creation of the same
Turkish state," said Bogado.
Bogado also said that "the Senate declaration is nonbinding with the
government's position."
Alfonso Tabakian, director of the Armenian National Committee of South
America, emphatically said to Agencia Prensa Armenia that "the Turkish
state, through its Ambassador to Paraguay, exerted unprecedented
pressure on Paraguay, brutally exposing the authoritarianism of the
government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan."
On November 24, politician Rafael Filizzola Serra published on ABC
newspaper an article titled "The Armenian Genocide and our dignity
as a sovereign country," in which he stressed that the decision of
the Senate of Paraguay was "a sovereign decision consistent with the
history of our country."
"The unfortunate thing is that our diplomacy, rather than defending
the sovereign authority of the Senate to speak, has taken steps to
reverse the parliamentary statement," he added. "Our diplomacy shows a
supine ignorance of the current international position on the Armenian
Genocide and historical facts found by the intellectual community."
"The dignity of a country that suffered the extermination and that has
a moral obligation to speak out against acts like this and many others,
to ever happen again. And for justice, because crimes against humanity
must not only be reported but also repaired. Armenia deserves a fair
compensation for everything it suffered, as well as our country."
"I sincerely hope that Paraguay will not kneel once again to pressure
and blackmail, and that our diplomacy is worthy of a sovereign
country," concluded Serra.
Paraguay's Senate unanimously passed a resolution on October 29,
recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide.
This year, there was a new wave of recognitions from various congresses
and international bodies in South America: the province of Misiones,
Argentina, the Latin American Parliament, the State of Rio de Janeiro,
the Federal Senate of Brazil, the Chamber of Deputies of Chile and
also the Argentine Pope Francis.
Other South American states, including Bolivia, Venezuela, Uruguay
and other countries, regions and cities have recognized the Armenian
Genocide.
November 24, 2015
PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey suspended bilateral relations with Paraguay
and threatened to boycott trade with the country after the Senate
unanimously approved on October 29 an official recognition (Statement
N° 101/15) of theArmenian Genocide, Prensa Armenia reports.
Turkey's ambassador in Argentina, Taner Karakas, concurring in
Paraguay and Uruguay, met with Senator Victor Bogado of the ruling
Colorado Party, who is Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and
International Affairs. According to local reports, Karakas expressed
"disagreement and concern over the declaration."
After that meeting, Bogado said on Thursday, November 19 that he
would present "an alternative project as a way of rectifying the
position of the Senate." "Turkey was deeply concerned about the term
"genocide," given that this happened before the creation of the same
Turkish state," said Bogado.
Bogado also said that "the Senate declaration is nonbinding with the
government's position."
Alfonso Tabakian, director of the Armenian National Committee of South
America, emphatically said to Agencia Prensa Armenia that "the Turkish
state, through its Ambassador to Paraguay, exerted unprecedented
pressure on Paraguay, brutally exposing the authoritarianism of the
government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan."
On November 24, politician Rafael Filizzola Serra published on ABC
newspaper an article titled "The Armenian Genocide and our dignity
as a sovereign country," in which he stressed that the decision of
the Senate of Paraguay was "a sovereign decision consistent with the
history of our country."
"The unfortunate thing is that our diplomacy, rather than defending
the sovereign authority of the Senate to speak, has taken steps to
reverse the parliamentary statement," he added. "Our diplomacy shows a
supine ignorance of the current international position on the Armenian
Genocide and historical facts found by the intellectual community."
"The dignity of a country that suffered the extermination and that has
a moral obligation to speak out against acts like this and many others,
to ever happen again. And for justice, because crimes against humanity
must not only be reported but also repaired. Armenia deserves a fair
compensation for everything it suffered, as well as our country."
"I sincerely hope that Paraguay will not kneel once again to pressure
and blackmail, and that our diplomacy is worthy of a sovereign
country," concluded Serra.
Paraguay's Senate unanimously passed a resolution on October 29,
recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide.
This year, there was a new wave of recognitions from various congresses
and international bodies in South America: the province of Misiones,
Argentina, the Latin American Parliament, the State of Rio de Janeiro,
the Federal Senate of Brazil, the Chamber of Deputies of Chile and
also the Argentine Pope Francis.
Other South American states, including Bolivia, Venezuela, Uruguay
and other countries, regions and cities have recognized the Armenian
Genocide.
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