FEBRUARY 9, 2013 MirTHErARoMENr IAN -Spe ctator Volume LXXXIII, NO. 30, Issue 4275 $ 2.00 NEWS IN BRIEF The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 NKR Foreign Minister Congratulates Kerry Paruyr Hayrikyan not to Seek Delay in Election Schedule STEPANAKERT (Armenpress) — Foreign Minister of the Nagorno Karabagh (Artsakh) Republic Candidate Shot outside His Home Karen Mirzoyan sent a congratulatory message to On January 31 in Yerevan Sen. John Kerry on the occasion of his appoint - ment as the US secretary of state. YEREVAN (Reuters/Arminfo) — An In the message, Mirzoyan extended his good Armenian presidential candidate who wishes to Kerry in his new role. was shot last week will not seek a post - “We highly appreciate the mediation efforts of ponement to this month’s election to the United States and are confident that during avoid the risk of further instability in the your tenure the US, along with the Russian former Soviet republic, his lawyer and Federation and France, will further contribute to other backers said on Tuesday. the peaceful settlement of the conflict between Hayrikyan was shot in the shoulder on Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabagh based on prin - January 31 near his home in Yerevan. ciples of international law, respect for human rights He could have asked the and fundamental freedoms.” Constitutional Court for a two-week post - Mirzoyan also expressed his gratitude for the assis - ponement of the February 18 vote, which tance the US rendered to the people of Artsakh. would have raised the prospect of insta - bility in the republic in the volatile South Caucasus region that carries oil and nat - Istanbul Street to Be ural gas to Europe. Hayrikyan did not want to let that hap - Presidential candidate Paruyr Hayrikyan gets a visit from fellow candidate and current Named after Hrant pen, a spokesman said. president, Serge Sargisian. See ELECTION, page 2 Dink ISTANBUL (Armenpress) — The Malatia Municipality has made a decision to name the street where Hrant Dink, the former editor-in-chief Armenia Accuses Azerbaijan of Making ‘False Comments’ on Paris Meeting of the Istanbul-based Agos newspaper was born, YEREVAN (ArmeniaNow) — Armenia has any suggestion during the recent meeting own public, which is so characteristic for after him. Agos , in a report said that Malatia Mayor accused Azerbaijan of making false com - of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Azerbaijan.” Ahmet Çakir had communicated the decision. ments after an official in Baku said his Republic of Armenia and Azerbaijan and “The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Çakir noted that there are a number of streets in country made new suggestions regarding the co-chairs in Paris. Moreover, the Azerbaijan is right only in one thing: in Paris Malatia bearing the same names and that while the the Karabagh settlement at the latest meet - Azerbaijani side still has not publicized on the approaches of the Armenian Foreign municipality was discussing renaming them, they ing with international mediators in Paris. the website of the Ministry of Foreign Minister did not differ decided to pay attention to the people who were Answering a media question regarding Affairs the agreement agreed upon by the from the approaches born on those streets and renaming the streets for the statement by Azerbaijan’s deputy for - ministers and the co-chairs. And the expressed previously. them. eign minister that the Armenian side spokesman of the Azerbaijani Ministry of That is natural; Dink was killed on January 19, 2007. turned down certain suggestions put for - Foreign Affairs attempts to render false Armenia’s position ward by the Azerbaijani side during the comments regarding the meeting. The has been and is in line Armenian School meeting in France, Armenian Foreign same happened with the agreed message of with the approaches Ministry Spokesman Tigran Balayan said: the previous meeting in Paris. This is noth - of the international Damaged in Aleppo “The Azerbaijani side has not put forward ing more than an intention to mislead its community expressed by the three co- ALEPPO (Armenpress) — Aleppo was the site of sev - chairs,” continued Tigran Balayan eral armed clashes on January 31. Berio National Balayan. “Yet, the Primacy Press Secretary Jirayr Reisyan said one of Azerbaijani side obsti - the Armenian schools located in Ashrafie district nately continues to reject or attempts to was damaged, with several windows broken in the revise all the proposals made by the Co- blasts. The pupils were evacuated for security rea - Chairs, which were repeated also during the sons. latest meeting in Paris.” The explosions did not take place in Armenian- populated districts, though they did occur in areas directly neighboring the Armenian communities. Regarding plans to open the Aleppo airport, Reisyan said, “There was no clear news regarding Domestic Violence the opening, yet the state is making efforts to re- open it.” Reisyan did not confirm the news of Takes a Toll in Hovsep Abgaryan, a young Armenian, murdered and robbed days before. Armenia According to the United Nations’ data, more than Shant Hovhannisyan as Gen. Garegin Njdeh 60,000 people were killed during 22 months ongo - ing clashes in Syria, including four dozen By Gayane Abrahamyan Armenians. Film Based on Life of Garegin Njdeh YEREVAN (Eurasia.net) — Increasingly, Is Hit With Audiences in Armenia the issue of domestic violence in Armenia is a topic for public discussion. Yet, greater INSI DE FILM YEREVAN (ArmeniaNow) — PanArmenian Media Group compa - attention to the issue has not yet translat - ny’s film “Garegin Njdeh,” dedicated to the 21st anniversary of ed into an expansion of programs to alle - the Armenian army, tells the story of viate suffering and address policy short - national hero, Gen. Garegin Njdeh, his life comings. Gutenberg and military path. By Nazik Armenakyan In 2012, Armenia set a grim record for The film premiered at Moscow Cinema on domestic violence when six women, rang - January 27 and 28, but social networks and ing in age from 21 to 50, died over the Exhibit media have been discussing it for the past two weeks. The most criticized part is a course of six months in incidents involving fragment (misjudged from the trailer) where the actor embodying Njdeh, Artashes their husbands or fathers-in-law. Page 10 Alexanyan, fiercely responds “I am Garegin Njdeh.” A number of mocking videos Collectively, the six dead women left behind were made and placed on Youtube, which also fed the Azeri media. 12 children. No official registry of domestic- “Only after watching the film one can be entitled to criticism or praise. But it’s a violence attacks exists in Armenia. But a trailer. It is used for advertising purposes, it is unacceptable to take that one sen - 2008 survey of 1,000 Armenian women by INDEX tence and make a big deal out of it. I see it as betrayal and desecration. Azerbaijan Amnesty International found that more Arts and Living . 10 proclaims a murderer as national hero, and we, like traitors, defame our prophet,” than three out of 10 had suffered from Armenia . 2 Alexanyan told ArmeniaNow. “And by the way, the audience stood up and applaud - physical abuse, and 66 percent from psy - Community News. 5 ed after both showings, which speaks about their good impressions of the film.” chological abuse. Editorial . 14 International . 3, 4 see NJDEH, page 16 The outcry over the recent deaths prompted activists to believe that the see VIOLENCE, page 2 2 S ATURDAY , F EBRUARY 9, 2013 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Hayrikyan not to Seek Delay in Election ELECTION, from page 1 “The goal of the attack was to kill State Youth Orchestra of Hayrikyan and organize a new election. Perform in Gumri Taking that into consideration, we want to make sure they do not attain their GUMRI (PanArmenian.net) — The State Youth goal,” Karo Yeghnukyan, a spokesman for Orchestra of Armenia, led by artistic director and the candidate, said at a news conference. conductor Sergey Smbatyan, presented a new con- Stability is vital to the nation of 2.3 cert program on February 7 at Vardan Achemyan million to woo investors and boost an State Drama Theater. economy struggling with regional isola - The orchestra performed classical compositions tion and the effects of a war with neigh - and music from Hollywood movies. boring Azerbaijan in the 1990s. The program included pieces by Alexander Violence flared after Sargisian’s elec - Arutiunian, Dmitri Shostakovich, Edward tion in 2008, leaving 10 people dead Mirzoyan, Edvard Grieg, Monty Norman, John when police clashed with supporters of Williams, Hans Zimmer, James Horner, Ennio former president and opposition candi - Morricone and Nino Rota. date Levon Ter-Petrosian who protested Paruyr Hayrikyan at a press conference for days on the streets of the capital. Armenia to Get $51.4 The government imposed a state of emergency during the unrest in the land - military base on its territory. ensures that these elections go forward Million From IMF After locked nation that borders Turkey, Hayrikyan, 63, leads a moderate oppo - in a way that is free and fair and protects Azerbaijan, Iran and Georgia. sition party, the National Self-determina - the rights of all candidates”, she said. Passing Loan Review Hayrikyan’s lawyer, Levon tion Union and ran for president in 2003. Sargisian visited the wounded candi - Baghdasaryan, confirmed that he date at the St. Gregory the Illuminator WASHINGTON (Bloomberg) — The International would let the election go ahead as Washington Concerned Medical Center to meet Hayrikyan. Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a disbursement of planned despite difficulties in contin - Washington is concerned over the Hayrikyan repeated his opinion voiced $51.4 million for Armenia after completing a fifth uing his campaign.