APRIL 7, 2018 Mirror-SpeTHE ARMENIAN ctator Volume LXXXVIII, NO. 37, Issue 4532 $ 2.00 NEWS The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 INBRIEF Sargsyan Privatizes Three HALO Trust Workers Killed in Artsakh Official Residence STEPANAKERT — Three local employees According to a state- YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — In a move condemned by of the HALO Trust, an organization tasked ment from HALO, the opposition, the Armenian government has with demining land in Artsakh, were killed “We are working granted the outgoing President Serzh Sargsyan by an explosion of an anti-tank landmine in closely with the local ownership of a mansion in Yerevan where he and Ghazanchi on March 29. police and authorities his predecessors have lived while in office. Two others were seriously injured. and have called in The government formally approved the free pri- Those killed were Pavel Akopov, Samson external investigators vatization of the property and specified its address Avanessian and Marat Petrossian. They to report on the full on March 29. A senior official from the presidential were in a vehicle conducting minefield sur- facts of the incident.” staff, Varuzh Grigorian, confirmed on Monday, vey duties at the time. James Cowan, April 2, that it is the very house where Sargsyan Doctors continue fighting for the lives of HALO’s CEO said: has lived in with his family since becoming presi- Aram Mkrtchyan and Garik Ghahriyan, the “Every day around the dent 10 years ago. two survivors of the blast. Both underwent world, more than The house is part of a secluded government com- serious surgeries. 8,000 HALO staff go pound just outside the city center which has also Artsakh’s Healthcare Minister Karine to work in places been home to other high-ranking state officials. Atayan personally visited the hospital to where no one else can Sargsyan’s decision not to leave the heavily see the victims and the doctors. tread and this tragic guarded mansion after completing his second term incident throws into A HALO Trust worker in Artsakh on April 9 is widely seen as a further indication stark relief the dan- that he will become prime minister and thus stay in gers that they face and power. Sahakyan Declares the importance of our work. Our col- Andrew Moore, HALO’s former regional leagues were killed while working to make director in charge of Artskh said on Monday, Azerbaijani Refugees the land safe for the people of Nagorno “We are conducting an investigation Prof. Ani Aprahamian Can Live Peacefully Karabakh.” see HALO, page 3 Named Director of in Artsakh Republic Physics Institute Tatosian Appointed Honorary YEREVAN (Mediamax) — Prof. Ani Aprahamian By Aram Arkun of the Physics Department of the University of Mirror-Spectator Staff Notre Dame has been appointed director of the A.I. Consul for Armenia in Chicago Alikhanyan National Science Laboratory (Yerevan Physics Institute). WASHINGTON — President Bako CHICAGO — On Thursday, March 22, States of Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, The Ministry of Education and Science reported Sahakyan of the Republic of Artsakh Chicago-area Armenians, members of the city’s and Minnesota. that the unanimous decision on this appointment came to the American capital for his consular corps and associates celebrated the Following the earlier consecration of the was made at the session of institute’s Board of first official visit on March 12 at the establishment of the city’s first honorary con- Consular Office at 120 West Kinzie St., nearly Trustees. head of a govern- sulate of the Republic of Armenia, serving the 500 guests gathered at the Union League Club During the introduction, Chair of the Board of EXCLUSIVE mental delega- of Chicago for the official Trustees Nerses Yeritsyan noted that Aprahamian tion for a week of proclamation of Oscar S. is a world-famous physicist, member of several sci- political talks and meetings. When Tatosian as the Republic of entific organizations and associations in the US asked what motivated this particular Armenia’s honorary consul and Europe (American Association for the visit, the president responded that in Chicago. Advancement of Science (AAAS), American Artsakh has enjoyed friendly rela- The evening’s program Physical Society (APS), Sigma Xi, and New York tions with the United States for many included the invocation Academy of Sciences). years and he himself has visited the and remarks by Aprahamian is the co-chair of a committee with United States on numerous other Archbishop Khajag the National Academy of Science on a US Electron occasions. However, these trips were Barsamian, Primate, Ion Collider Facility, US Liaison for the primarily connected with the work of Diocese of the Armenian International Union of Pure and Applied Physics the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund. Church in America, Grigor (IUPAP) Commission on Nuclear Science, as well as “This time,” he said, “we had the Hovhannissian, member of the IUPAP Working Group on Astro- opportunity, and we took advantage Ambassador of the Particle Physics, the Board of Directors for South of it, to meet with political circles. I Republic of Armenia to the Dakota Science and Technology Authority (Sanford am very happy that such meetings United States, and a formal Underground Laboratory), and many other science took place.” For the first time in Mayor Rahm Emanuel Speaks while from left, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Armenia’s Ambassador to the US Grigor welcome by Mayor Rahm commissions on nuclear physics. see BAKO, page 9 Hovhannissian and Oscar Tatosian listen. Emanuel of Chicago. In November 2017, President Serzh Sargsyan see CONSUL, page 20 received the foreign members of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Yuri Oganessian as well as Aprahamian. Oganessian is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Armenian Science and Bravo for Nazo as He Reaches Technology. For the Stars in Film and Music LOS ANGELES — Nazo Bravo is a true child of Los Angeles, in the sense that he is both INSIDE Armenian and in show business. Bravo, né Aslanian, was born in the city to parents who are from Yerevan. He is also working hard to advance his career in music and movies. Domestic This month he has a film By Alin K. Gregorian coming out, “Dead on Arrival,” Mirror-Spectator Staff which has been picked up by Violence Talk Sony. Emmy-nominated Billy Flynn Page 5 stars in an ensemble cast as Sam Collins, a pharmaceutical sales representative who visits a small town in Louisiana to close the business deal of a lifetime. He finds himself in a dark world of sex, corruption and murder as he is poi- INDEX soned with no antidote to save his life. Desperate for Arts and Living . 14 answers, with less than 24 hours to live, Sam turns to Armenia . 2 a local girl Jesse. Their path leads to a voodoo priest- Community News. 5 ess who only confirms Sam’s doomed fate. On the run, Editorial . 18 see NAZO, page 11 International . .. 3,4 2 S ATURDAY, A PRIL 7 , 2 0 1 8 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Harout Chitilian Named as New Aurora CEO YEREVAN — The co-founders of the Initiative is not just a new presence in Council of Montreal, is an engineer by Aurora Humanitarian Initiative the Armenian world and within the training and that comes through as he announced on April 3 that Harout humanitarian community, but it is a speaks about Aurora. “Not only is Defense Minister Honors Chitilian, a citizen of Canada, will come new kind of enterprise, an NGO creat- Aurora innovative and ambitious, but I Victims of Azeri War on board on July 1, as Aurora’s next ed with a new spirit and a new vision. am drawn to it because it is very sys- CEO, succeeding Arman Jilavian, who Aurora was established three years ago, tematically planned and creatively YEREVAN — Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan, has held the position since the incep- as the outcome of our very ambitious developed. When I was in government, Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed that was the approach I used in almost Forces, Colonel-General Movses Hakobyan, the high- every action. I am very impressed by est leadership of the Armenian Forces, visited the what Aurora has accomplished in such Yerablur Pantheon on April 2 to pay tribute to the a short time,” he said. servicemen killed in the four-day war in April 2016. “I am excited by the prospect and Speaking to reporters, Sargsyan said “army-build- view this as an amazing opportunity ing is a non-stop process like state-building.” for both the Co-Founders and myself to “People who think they have done everything for collaborate and bring the Aurora mis- the current stage should pave the way for the contin- sion to another level — to make it sus- uation of the process with new ideas. I think the his- tainable, successful, and on the fore- tory of our army-building is exceptional. It is a histo- front of expressing gratitude and ry of formation of a victorious army. No matter how addressing the critical situation of tragic and painful the April events were in terms of Harout Chitilian today’s people in need.” loss of our compatriots, no army in the world has yet Chitilian speaks five languages — created a different way of protecting the country,” he Armenian, French, English, Arabic and said. tion of the unique global undertaking. goals – to express gratitude to the Spanish. In addition to his experience “I think we have realized that protection of the “Aurora was born of Armenia but is memory of those who helped save in Canada, he has worked in Latin country is the everyday duty of the whole country, now a global project.