Former President Kocharyan Arrested for Using Deadly Force in 2008 Russian, Armenian KOCHARYAN, from Page 1 Serious Concern About It
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AUG 4, 2018 Mirror-SpeTHE ARMENIAN ctator Volume LXXXIX, NO. 3, Issue 4547 $ 2.00 NEWS The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 INBRIEF Armenian Companies Former President Kocharyan Arrested To Take Part in Japan Tourism Expo For Using Deadly Force in 2008 YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Seven Armenian tourism companies will participate in Tourism YEREVAN (RFE/RL and Armenpress) — politically motivated. of a disputed presidential election held in Expo Japan 2018, from September 20 to 23, in Lawyers for former President Robert One of them, Aram Orbelian, said that February 2008, two months before he com- Tokyo, the Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Kocharyan said on Monday, July 30, that they expect Armenia’s Court of Appeals to pleted his second and final term. The accusa- Development National Center (SME DNC) founda- they will appeal a Yerevan district court’s start considering their petition this week. tion stems from the use of deadly force on tion announced. decision to allow law-enforcement authori- Kocharyan was arrested late on Friday, July On July 27, SME DNC executive director Arshak ties to arrest the former Armenian presi- 27, one day after being charged with “over- Grigoryan, president of the Tourism Committee, dent on coup charges which he denies as throwing the constitutional order” in the wake Hripsime Grigoryan, and executive director of the Tourism Development Foundation of Armenia Ara Khzmalyan signed a memorandum of cooperation for properly preparing and successfully participat- ing in the expo. According to the document, the sides will exchange their experience, knowledge and infor- mation with each other. Former president Robert Kocharyan inter- viewed by Yerkir TV The Tourism Development Foundation of Armenia will provide financial aid for the formation and equipment of the Armenian national pavilion March 1-2, 2008 against opposition supporters at the expo. demonstrating against alleged vote rigging. Security forces broke up those protests Ombudsman Issues on March 1-2, 2008. Eight protesters and Lawyers for Robert Kocharyan at a press conference on Monday, July 30 two police servicemen died as a result. Appeal over Azeri see KOCHARYAN, page 2 Arrest of Armenian YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Human Rights Russia in Rare Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan has appealed to international structures over the case of Diplomatic Spat Armenian citizen Karen Ghazaryan who is current- ly in Azerbaijani captivity, the Ombudsman’s Office With Armenia told Armenpress. On July 15, the Azerbaijani defense ministry announced that it pushed back, with the formula- After Arrest of tion of the Azerbaijani media, a sabotage group of the Armenian Armed Forces in the direction of Former Military Qazax region, and one of the group members was taken captive. Official Immediately after this statement Armenia’s defense ministry announced that that person is MOSCOW (RFE/RL) — Russia has criti- Karen Ghazaryan, a resident of Berdavan village in cized Armenia, its main regional ally, in Tavush province, who has mental problems and has unusually blunt terms following criminal never served in the Armenian Armed Forces. charges brought by law-enforcement author- The next day after the incident Ghazaryan’s par- ities in Yerevan against Yuri Khachaturov, ents and relatives applied to the Ombudsman of the Armenian secretary general of the Armenia. Based on these applications, the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Ombudsman’s representative on July 17 visited Organization (CSTO). Berdavan. The parents insisted their son didn’t serve in the army and provided documents proving Khachaturov was charged on Thursday, Dancers of all ages enjoy the DJ music. July 26, with involvement in what an his health problems. Armenian law-enforcement agency now con- In recent days Ghazaryan’s parents have siders an “overthrow of the constitutional Hye Spirit Prevails at expressed their concern that they have received no order” that followed a disputed presidential information about the location of their son. They election held in February 2008. asked for the Ombudsman’s support for informa- The vote sparked opposition demonstra- Armenian Church of Cape tion. tions in Yerevan which were quelled by Tatoyan has drawn the attention of international security forces on March 1-2, 2008. Eight human rights organizations and asked for support protesters and two police personnel died as Cod July Dance to receive information about the location and safe- a result. Khachaturov was Armenia’s deputy ty of Ghazaryan, as well as his return. defense minister at the time. The Special Investigative Service (SIS) By Nancy Kalajian levelled the same criminal charges against former President Robert Kocharyan. He Special to the Mirror-Spectator INSIDE was arrested late on Friday after angrily denying the charges as politically motivated. FALMOUTH, Mass. — Spirits and sup- Khachaturov served as chief of the porters were Hye for the Armenian Church Armenian army’s General Staff from 2008- of Cape Cod’s 2nd Annual Kef Time Fourth Nothing Fishy see ARREST, page 3 of July Weekend held at the Cape Club in North Falmouth. From Armenians living in the greater Cape Cod area to visitors from Here as far off as California and Florida, with a baby in her mother’s dancing arms to a woman holding the hands of her mom to Page 13 lead her into a Sebastatsee dance, from the Julia Herosian and Robbie sun-deprived to the weathered, from those Sacco at the dessert table. dressed casually or to the hilt, revelers came, began or renewed acquaintances, and INDEX shared in an Armenian ambiance and experience that can only be matched by Arts and Living . 12 warm memories made years ago at east coast summer Kefs on Cape Cod. The Armenia . 2,3 Community News. .. 6 twist was that this event was also a fundraiser in support of the Armenian Editorial . 17 Church of Cape Cod. International . 4,5 see KEF, page 11 Yuri Khachaturov 2 S ATURDAY, A UGUST 4 , 2 0 1 8 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Former President Kocharyan Arrested For Using Deadly Force in 2008 Russian, Armenian KOCHARYAN, from page 1 serious concern about it. Pashinyan, former President Levon Foreign Ministers Confer Kocharyan angrily rejected the accu- The former ruling Republican Party Ter-Petrosian, who led the 2008 YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Russian Foreign sations in televised remarks on July 26. of Armenia (HHK) on Friday con- protest movement, as well as some Minister Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister of He defended the legality of his decision demned as politically motivated coup human rights activists and relatives Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan on July 27 held a to declare a state of emergency and charges brought against former of protesters killed in the post-elec- telephone conversation during which they discussed order Armenian army units into central President Robert Kocharyan. tion violence. They have for years the relations of the two countries in integration Yerevan late on March 1, 2008. He also “The accusation leaves the impres- accused the Sargsyan administration unions, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced. said that the coup charges ran counter sion of purely political persecution and of covering up the killings. “Issues relating to the bilateral cooperation and to the decisions of Armenia’s Central is ludicrous from the legal standpoint,” Shortly after he swept to power in mutual partnership within common integration unions Election Commission and the the HHK said in a statement. May, Pashinyan named a new head of were discussed”, the ministry’s statement says. Constitutional Court that validated the “We consider the existing situation the SIS and told the law-enforcement The phone conversation was at the initiative of the official election outcome. Russian side. “This is an absolutely fabricated accusation,” Kocharyan told the Yerkir Media TV channel in an interview. Golden Apricot among “This is clear political persecution, a vendetta by the ‘velvet revolution,”‘ he Best European Film Fests said, adding that Armenia’s new gov- YEREVAN (Panorama.am) — The Golden Apricot ernment wants to “neutralize” him Yerevan International Film Festival has been includ- ahead of parliamentary elections ed on the list of the Best European Film Festivals of expected in the coming months. 2018, the festival said in a Facebook post. Orbelian and the other defense The list of best festivals published on flightnet- lawyer, Ruben Sahakian, echoed that work.com says that European film festival scene is denial at a joint news conference with one of the most coveted in the world, as it attracts an Kocharyan’s spokesman, Victor international audience of celebrities, filmmakers and Soghomonian, held on Saturday. They cinephiles. also condemned his pre-trial arrest as The list features both completed and upcoming film illegal, saying that the Special festivals, festivals of full-length and short films, as well Investigative Service (SIS) did not pre- Then Parliament Member Nikol Pashinyan and his wife at the Levon Ter-Petrosian as film festivals about nature, sports and youth. sent any compelling evidence to the rally in 2008 Armenia’s Golden Apricot and six others are lower court. among the festivals of “Special Interest”. “This is a [political] order and they The 15th edition of the Golden Apricot was held are going to execute it,” charged to be a threat to Armenia’s democratic agency to finally complete its protract- from 8 to 15 July this year. Sahakian. development and a blow to efforts to ed investigation into what was the The lawyers also insisted that build a full-fledged rule-of-law state,” worst street violence in Armenia’s his- Kocharyan enjoys immunity from pros- added the party headed by Serzh tory. Armenian MP Tenders ecution in line with Article 140 of the Sargsyan, who succeeded Kocharyan He played a key role in Ter- Armenian constitution.