Breaking: Armenia Parliament holds special session “Manvel Grigoryan immunity is on the agenda”

June 19, 2018 By administrator

Armenia Parliament holds special session

The National Assembly (NA) of Armenia on Tuesday is convening two special sessions.

The matter of for stripping Yerkrapah (Defender of the Land) Volunteer Union Chairman and National Assembly (NA) “Republican Party of Armenia” Faction MP, General Manvel Grigoryan from his parliamentary immunity is on the agenda of the first session.

The parliament’s consent is needed in order to launch criminal proceedings against Grigoryan and decide on his preventive measure. The prosecutor general has submitted a respective petition to the legislature.

On June 17, the National Security Service disseminated footage in which food, medicine, and personal hygiene products which Armenia’s schoolchildren had sent for military servicemen as assistance were discovered at the summer residence of General Manvel Grigoryan.

Grigoryan was arrested a day earlier, and within the framework of the criminal case that was filed into the finding of illegal weapons and ammunition in his summer residence. Subsequently, he was charged with embezzlement too.

After the parliamentary debates on this matter, the Armenian NA will start its second special session, which has seven matters on its agenda. In particular, the MPs will debate on the bills with respect to making amendments to the laws on charity and funded pensions.

Armenia holds live fire exercises with Smerch systems (video)

September 26, 2017 By administrator

The Armenian armed forces have conducted live fire exercises with the use of Smerch multiple rocket launchers, a fresh teaser from a military TV program revealed on Monday, September 25.

Smerch systems were for the first time unveiled on September 21, 2016 during a military parade marking the 25th anniversary of Armenia’s independence.

The purchase was envisaged under a $200 million loan agreement with Russia.

Also showcased during the parade were Buk surface-to-air missile systems and Iskander short-range ballistic missile systems, both bought from Russia.

Turkey lead the world journalists Jailed at least 81 , fueling global high of 259 Report CPJ

December 13, 2016 By administrator

A record number of journalists are in jail, CPJ census finds
Turkey holds at least 81 journalists, fueling global high of 259
New York, December 13, 2016–Turkey’s unprecedented crackdown on media brought the total number of jailed journalists worldwide to the highest number since the Committee to Protect Journalists began taking an annual census in 1990.
As of December 1, 2016, there were 259 journalists in jail around the world. Turkey had at least 81 journalists behind bars, according to CPJ’s records, the highest number in any one country at a time-and every one of them faces anti-state charges. Dozens of other journalists are imprisoned in Turkey, but CPJ was unable to confirm a direct link to their work.
China, which was the world’s worst jailer of journalists in 2014 and 2015, dropped to the second spot with 38 journalists in jail. Egypt, Eritrea, and Ethiopia are third, fourth and fifth worst jailers of journalists, respectively. Combined, the top five countries on CPJ’s census were responsible for jailing more than two-thirds of all journalists in prison worldwide.
“Journalists working to gather and share information are performing a public service and their rights are protected under international law. It is shocking therefore that so many governments are violating their international commitments by jailing journalists and suppressing critical speech,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “Turkey is at the vanguard of this authoritarian trend. Every day that Turkey’s journalists languish in jail in violation of that country’s own laws, Turkey’s standing in the world is diminished.”
This year marks the first time since 2008 that Iran was not among the top five worst jailers, as many of those sentenced in the 2009 post-election crackdown have served their sentences and been released. The Americas region, which had no jailed journalists in 2015, appears on this year’s census with a total of four journalists in prison.
According to CPJ’s census, nearly three-quarters of the 259 journalists in jail globally face anti-state charges. About 20 percent of journalists in prison are freelancers-a percentage that has steadily declined since 2011. The vast majority of journalists in jail worked online and/or in print, while about 14 percent are broadcast journalists.
The prison census accounts only for journalists in government custody and does not include those who have disappeared or are held captive by non-state groups. (These cases-such as freelance British journalist John Cantlie, held by the militant group Islamic State-are classified as “missing” or “abducted.”) CPJ estimates that at least 40 journalists are missing or kidnapped in the Middle East and North Africa.

The census catalogs journalists imprisoned as of midnight on December 1, 2016, and indicates the country where held, charge, and medium of work for each imprisoned journalist. It does not include the many journalists who were imprisoned during the year but released prior to December 1.

Source: https://cpj.org/

Azerbaijan holds body of a killed Armenian serviceman: ICRC

April 13, 2016 By administrator

210190 The representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross’ Azerbaijani office told the ICRC Karabakh mission’s representative that the body of one killed Armenian soldier is currently in Azerbaijan.

“Negotiations for the return of the body are currently underway,” chairman of Karabakh’s state commission on prisoners of war, hostages and missing persons, Viktor Kocharyan told Yerkir.am.

“There’s no certain date for the return for now. We are not even sure whether the soldier is Armenian or not, but we do know that we have one missing serviceman.”

The parties to the Karabakh conflict agreed on a bilateral cessation of fire along the contact line which came into force at midday, April 5.

Prior to that, on the night of April 1-2, Azerbaijani armed forces initiated overt offensive operations in the southern, southeastern and northeastern directions of the line of contact with Nagorno Karabakh.

The Armenian side has suffered 75 fatalities, 122 more were wounded.

As of April 5, the Azerbaijani side has lost 26 tanks and 4 infantry fighting vehicles, as well as 1 BM-21 Grad multipl e rocket launcher, 1 engineering vehicle, 2 military helicopters and 14 unmanned aerial vehicles. The Azerbaijani side has admitted the loss of 31 fighters, 1 helicopter and 1 unmanned drone, whereas the Armenian side’s photo and video materials show dozens of killed Azerbaijani troops, 1 helicopter and 3 UAVs. Opposition media outlets, however, reported on the death of 95 Azerbaijani soldiers, stating that 39 more have been wounded. According to Karabakh authorities, 300 Azerbaijani soldiers were killed in clashes.

14 Karabakh tanks have been neutralized since April 2.