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More Arrests In Yerevan As Armenian Opposition Protests Resume

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More Arrests In Yerevan

More Arrests In Yerevan

YEREVAN — More than 180 people were detained in the Armenian capital, authorities said, as police tried to stop opposition supporters from blocking streets in protest against the election of former President Serzh Sarkisian as prime minister.

Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of the capital for an eighth straight day on April 20, opposing what they say is Sarkisian’s attempt to maintain his grip on power after his 10-year stint as president ended two weeks ago.

Opposition lawmaker Nikol Pashinian, who is leading the protests, marched through downtown Yerevan in a crowd of demonstrators, while other protesters gathered at several sites.

Reports say protesters also rallied in Armenia’s second-largest city, Gyumri, where they attempted to block a highway leading to Yerevan.

The number of those detained grew steadily throughout the day, according to figures relased periodically by the national police.

“As of 3:30 p.m. local time, 183 people have been taken to police stations,” police spokesman Ashot Agaronian told the media.

Video footage showed men in plainclothes shoving protesters in unmarked cars. It was unclear whether they were police officers and whether those they apprehended were counted among those officially detained.

In an interview with Current Time TV, Pashinian rejected the accusation that protesters were committing offenses against public order.

“This is a completely peaceful [protest], but there is a new element to it,” Pashinian told Current Time, a project of RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, as he marched in a crowd.

“We are calling on the police not to protect Serzh Sarkisian, because they are not Serzh Sarkisian’s police, but the police of the Republic of Armenia and its people,” he said.

Sarkisian wants to “see Armenia either through barbed wire or through the slots in riot shields,” Pashinian said, suggesting that the longtime leader is hiding behind the police.

Throughout the city, groups of young activists, students, and other opposition supporters organized marches and blocked streets, interrupting traffic, and forcing police to respond by deploying units in various parts of Yerevan

Anti-Serzh Movement Organizers Call on International Community to Condemn Police Use of Force

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Anti-Serzh Movement

Anti-Serzh Movement

Organizers of the anti-Serzh Sargsyan protests that brought downtown Yerevan to a halt today, have called on the international community to urge the Armenian government to halt all undemocratic measures against peaceful protesters.

The “Im Kayl” (My Step) and “Reject Serzh” initiatives charge the Armenian government with violating basic principles of human rights, which Armenia is obligated to defend by international treatiy, by using force against those opposed to Serzh Sargsyan becoming the country’s next prime minister, citing the fact that some forty individuals exercising their right to peaceful protest have been injured by law enforcement.

Movement organizers also call on the international community to monitor events in Armenia and condemn all government measures violating the constitutional rights of citizens to free assembly and expression.

The organizers also urge the international community to issue declarations of solidarity with the citizens of Armenia.

Protests Grow As Armenian Demonstrators Seek To Stop Ex-President From Becoming Prime Minister

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Opposition supporters block a street during a rally in central Yerevan on April 16.

Opposition supporters block a street during a rally in central Yerevan on April 16.

YEREVAN — Protests aimed at preventing former Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian from retaining power have entered a fourth day, with organizers calling for strikes and boycotts as parliament prepares to elect him prime minister.

Hundreds of people blocked streets in the center of Yerevan on April 16 with Nikol Pashinian, the main organizer of the protests, calling for more large-scale “civil disobedience actions” that would paralyze traffic in the Armenian capital.

Their goal is to disrupt a planned session of parliament on April 17, during which lawmakers are expected to elect Sarkisian as prime minister.

The protesters clogged Marshal Bagramian Avenue, which leads to the National Assembly building, stopping traffic in the process. Lines of riot police stopped the crowd from advancing further toward parliament.

“The time has come to liberate Armenia’s citizens,” Pashinian, the outspoken head of the opposition group Civil Contract, shouted repeatedly through a megaphone.

“With this minor inconvenience we are trying to save you from a greater inconvenience called Serzh Sarkisian,” he added, urging the protesters to remain peaceful.

Nearly $110,000,000 unprecedentedly massive housing project under development in Yerevan

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Yerevan massive housing project

Yerevan massive housing project

YEREVAN, APRIL 7, ARMENPRESS. The Revival youth housing complex, which is under development in the area adjacent to Monte Melkonyan Street in Yerevan, aspires to become a public housing project of unprecedented massive social significance in the history of independent Armenia.

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan was briefed on the project – the housing complex project which will include 1080 apartments.

Arsen Karamyan, deputy minister of sports and youth affairs, told reporters that this project is one of the components of the action plan of the 2040 demographic security as outlined by the President.

“In the area adjacent to the street bearing the name of a national hero, not far away from Tsitsernakaberd [genocide memorial], a housing project will be built where young families will live, where the cries of babies will be heard. This is what Revival is,” Karamyan said.

Karamyan also serves as president of the YSU Graduates Union NGO.

The deputy minister says the project will be a significant event for a small country like Armenia.

“Construction of this scale in Yerevan wasn’t even carried out during Soviet times”, he said.

Construction will kick off May 2018 and is expected to be completed in September of 2021.

The total land area comprises 6,57 hectares. Prices for one square meter of the apartments will range from roughly 560$ to 616$ – depending on partial or full renovation.

Six 14-storey dual-entrance and four 14-storey single-entrance apartment buildings will be constructed.

A 23-storey “Revival” complex will also be built, featuring a cinema hall, trading facilities on 8 floors. The remaining floors will be used for apartments.

The complex will include underground parking lots, a children’s playground, a sports center, a kindergarten and a leisure zone.

The expected loan portfolio volume for beneficiaries of the projects is 20 billion drams. The preferred conditions of the loan is – up to 20% pre-payment, up to 20 years repayment term, up to 8 % interest rate, currency – AMD.

The total value of the project is nearly 52 billion drams (nearly 110,000,000 dollars).

1250 jobs are expected to be created during the construction.

English –translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan

Yerevan, Increasing disagreements within the Yelk alliance

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disagreements within the Yelk alliance

disagreements within the Yelk alliance

Disagreements within the Yelk opposition alliance appear to have deepened yesterday as two of its top leaders publicly traded verbal jousts over how to fight President Serge Sarkisian.

The bitter exchange took place when one of them, Nikol Pashinian, said he continued to prepare for a series of demonstrations in Yerevan aimed at forcing Sarkisian not to extend his ten-year power. Pashinian and a group of activists from his Civil Contract party began visiting the northern and central regions of Armenia on foot at this end on Saturday.

The other two parties, Yelk, Luminous Armenia and Republic, refused to join the campaign, saying the anti-Sarkisian protests will not attract large crowds. The leader of Bright Armenia, Edmon Marukian, criticized Pachinian’s tactics in an opinion piece posted on Aravot.am.

In particular, Marukian said his opposition ally is looking for “short-term glory” and follows a “path taken by the defunct political forces” that failed to gain regime change in the country. “It is imprudent to do the same thing every time and expect to get a different result,” he wrote.

Pashinian fought back as he and his relatives crossed the northern province of Lori in heavy rain. “The path laid out in Mr. Marukian’s article has been trampled many times, including by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and Orinats Yerkir Party,” he said, referring to parties that have worked closely with Sarkisian during his reign.

“I am convinced that my actions reflect the will of the overwhelming majority of Yelk voters,” insisted Pashinian. He argued that Yelk’s management has unanimously voted against Sarkisian’s “third term”.

The head of the Civil Contract is expected to complete his 200-kilometer walk in time for his first anti-government rally in Yerevan scheduled for 13 April. His party plans to gather supporters of Freedom Square for at least four consecutive days.

The Armenian Parliament dominated by Sarkisian supporters is expected to elect a new prime minister on April 17. The outgoing president, whose second term expires on April 9, is expected to occupy what will now be the highest executive position in the country.

Yelk finished third in last year’s general election, winning 9 seats in the 105-seat National Assembly.

Wednesday, April 4, 2018,
Claire © armenews.com

Witnesses tell about Burger King blast in Yerevan

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YEREVAN. – The witnesses of the explosion in Burger King fast-food restaurant are telling about the incident that injured eight people on Monday evening.

“I just heard the blast and fell on the ground,” the manager of the restaurant says.

Zaruhi Melikyan, manager in Burger King, was injured and hospitalized together with other seven people, five of whom are minors.

“I felt that everything is destroying, later we were evacuated. There were no such incidents in the past. There was no noise. It exploded suddenly,” she told reporters.

Liza Abrahamova, 15, was in a restaurant together with her brother and a friend.

“We made an order, sat down and started eating when the explosion occurred. We realized what happened and went out quickly. An emergency car and rescuers arrived,” she said.

Yaroslav Lyubenko, Liza’s brother, was injured in his leg.

The ministry of emergency situations released the identities of the injured: Rudolph Markosyan, 6, Rubina Markosyan, 8, Zaruhi Melikyan, 19, Erik Ashughyan, 24 – Iran national, Alyona Agapova, 15 – Russia national, Liza Abramova, 15 – Russia national, Yaroslav Lyubenko, 15 – Russia national, Zeyna Husseini, 24, Iran national.

 

Armenia the next Switzerland: The Alexander, a Luxury Collection Hotel, opened in Yerevan

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The Alexander Hotel Complex, which is owned and operated by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, LLC. was opened today in Yerevan. Being part of the world-renowned chain of Luxury Collection Hotels owned by Marriott International, the best international standards-compliant the Hotel was built with quality construction materials and furnishings. The Hotel is owned by Tsupani CJSC.

A total amount equivalent of about USD 53.9 million was spent on the project. The hotel, which can accommodate up to 230 visitors simultaneously, provides 144 jobs of AMD 280,000 average salary. According to the executives, the number of jobs may reach 170 in the near future.
As the hotel director informed The Alexander is set to provide accommodation for the delegates of the 2018 International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) Summit to be held in Yerevan this year.

The new-build property features 114 luxurious guest rooms, including 17 opulent suites and a Presidential Suite. In addition, The Alexander hotel will also offer superlative event and meeting spaces including a ballroom, eight meeting rooms and a business center. The unparalleled wellness facilities include an indoor pool, spa and a fitness center. Culinary offerings at The Alexander will include an all-day dining restaurant, a cigar club and a lobby bar.

The inauguration of the new hotel was attended by President Sargsyan who the toured the newly opened, unique of its kind hotel complex in Armenia to get familiarized with the works and investments, jobs and quality of services.

 

Source Panorama.am

Yerevan Restriction on access of journalists to the City Council

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Parliament on Friday approved a government proposal to restrict journalists’ access to Yerevan City Council sessions.

The mayor of the Armenian capital, Taron Markarian, decided to impose such a ban last month, just days after an embarrassing brawl witnessed by journalists.

Two members of the opposition Yerkir Tsirani city council quarreled with their pro-government colleagues when they tried to hand Markarian glass containers filled with sewage collected in a damaged sewer pipe into the city. Nubarashen district.

Yerkir Tsirani’s Marina Khachatrian slapped a male advisor representing the ruling Republican Party (HHK) after being jostled by him. The latter slapped Khachatrian while another HHK advisor tore his hair. Khachatrian and two other members of Yerkir Tsirani, including party leader Zaruhi Postanjian, were then physically forced to leave the room.

A week after the incident, Markarian called for “regulating” the work of the press accredited by the municipality. A spokesman for the mayor then said that journalists will now be able to watch the council debates only through screens placed in a newsroom.

The government accepted the proposed restrictions, drafting the corresponding legal amendments that were adopted by the National Assembly. They stipulate that the press will now need special permission from the mayor to attend Council sessions.

Minister of Justice Davit Harutiunian argued that the same rules are already in place for media coverage of sessions of the Armenian Parliament. “We do not interfere with [the journalists] and they do not interfere with us,” he told Parliament. “The same rules will be introduced for Yerevan council sessions.”

Edmon Marukian, a leader of the opposition Yelk alliance, denounced the new rules, saying they “will restrict the rights of journalists.” He linked them to the February 13 violence in the Council.

Markarian spokesman Artur Gevorgian insisted earlier that the restrictions are not intended to cover up incidents of this kind. He added that the city administration will install more video cameras in the room to ensure transparency of procedures. However, the official noted that the live broadcast of the proceedings could be interrupted in case of “hooliganism” on the part of the advisers.

Monday, March 26, 2018,
Claire © armenews.com

World’s longest “gata” Armenian pastry is made in Yerevan (video)

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World’s longest “gata”

World’s longest “gata”

YEREVAN. – The world’s longest gata—Armenian pastry or sweet bread—with a unique recipe, has been prepared in Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia.

The tasting-presentation of this sweet food is held at Yerevan, also is in attendance to this event.

The world’s longest gata is 40 meters long and 40 centimeters wide.

Syune Arakelyan, Arsen Sargsyan