21 YEAR The #6 Noah’s Ark (1046) 9 February 2015 Published Since 1993 Weekly Newspaper HIGHLIGHTS ÜáÛÛ³Ý î³å³Ý ß³μ³Ã³Ã»ñà (³Ý·É. / ýñ³Ýë.) Armenian-Azerbaijani Fighting Claims More Lives Two Armenian and Azerbaijani sol- diers and one Armenian civilian have been killed in fresh ceasefire violations along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and "the line of contact" around Nagorno-Karabakh reported over the past day. Vanik Ghukasyan, a 60-year resident of Nerkin Karmiraghbyur, was shot dead late on February 5 after his border village in Armenia's northern Tavush province came under fire from nearby Azerbaijani army positions. Many local residents reportedly spent the night in their base- ments. The Armenian Defense Ministry said Azerbaijani forces also opened "inten- sive" fire overnight on virtually all other Tavush villages close to the Azerbaijani border. Artsrun Hovannisyan, the min- istry spokesman, said on February 6 that the Armenian troops stationed in the area shot back. "If we don't respond to every Azerbaijani ceasefire violation then we war with civilians. We know our enemy heavy Armenian gunfire targeting will start suffering defeats," well: it's the [Azerbaijani] soldier in the Alibeyli, an Azerbaijani village located Hovannisyan told a news conference in trenches." just several kilometers northeast of Yerevan. "But unlike them, we are not at News reports from Baku spoke of continued on page 3 In This Issue Gyumri massacre suspect Noyan Tapan Printing House 'has history of mental Illness p.4 is offering coloured and black and white offset and digital Tsarukyan plans renewed printing of books, brochures, booklets, journals, etc with anti-government protests p.5 high quality and low prices Tel: 060 27 64 62 Address: Isahakyan 28, 3rd floor, Yerevan 0009 French "Politique Internationale" Journal publishes article by Armenian FM p.10 Noyan Tapan Video Studio Serj Tankian talks is offering professional video and photography for indoor 'Wake Up the Souls' tour, '1915' p.12 and outdoor events such as weddings, birthday parties, How Kim Kardashian's ancestors official events, seminars and conferences. Tel: 060 27 64 62 escaped the Armenian Genocide p.15 Address: Isahakyan 28, 3rd floor, Yerevan 0009 9 February #6 (1046) 2015 2 www.nt.am The Noyan Tapan Highlights POLITICS President Sargsyan Armenia seeks jurisdiction meets with CSTO over Gyumri massacre suspect Secretary General Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan received CSTO Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha and Head of the Russian Federal Migration Service Konstantin Romodanovski, who have arrived in Armenia to participate in the meeting of the Coordinating council of heads of agen- cies in charge of fighting illegal migration Armenia has formally asked Russia to ed by many residents of Gyumri. The lat- in the CSTO member states. extradite a Russian soldier accused of ter believe that a Russian trial would The President welcomed the conduct murdering seven members of an facilitate a cover-up of the gruesome of the sitting in Yerevan. He stressed the Armenian family in Gyumri. crime. importance of joint discussion of issues on Prosecutor-General Gevorg About 2,000 Gyumri citizens staged a the agenda and search for effective means Kostanyan's office announced on series of protests outside government of fighting migration. February 3 that he has sent a letter to his buildings and Russian facilities in The guests briefed President Sargsyan Russian counterpart, Yury Chayka, say- Armenia's second largest city last month. on the results of the discussions held at the ing that the high-profile case should be Some of them clashed with riot police sitting. Reference was made to the imple- transferred to Armenian jurisdiction. near the local Russian consulate on mentation of the decisions made during the The office said Kostanyan invoked a January 15. session of the CSTO Collective Security 1997 Russian-Armenian treaty regulating Responding to the unprecedented Council in December 2014. the presence of a Russian military base in protests, the Russian authorities assured CSTO Secretary General Nikolay Armenia. It gave no other details of the Armenians that they will spare no effort Bordyuzha reported on the activity of the letter. to solve the killings. Later in January, the organization, the CSTO Joint Staff, the The Office of the Prosecutor-General heads of powerful Russian and Armenian preparation for the meeting of the statuto- revealed Kostanyan's petition just hours law-enforcement bodies pledged to coor- ry bodies of the CSTO, as well as issues of after a Russian news report said that dinate their separate criminal investiga- ensuring security in the Caucasian region. Valery Permyakov, the Russian conscript tions into the slaughter. Armenian inves- charged in the massacre, will be tried by tigators were subsequently allowed to Azerbaijan a Russian military court in Armenia. interrogate Permyakov. Citing an unnamed source close to the Kostanian pledged to appeal to the launches large- investigation into the January 12 mas- chief Russian prosecutor when he was sacre, the Interfax news agency said that confronted by angry demonstrators in scale military drills the court will consider evidence collected Gyumri on January 15. They were Azerbaijani armed forces have not only by Russian investigators but also incensed by his earlier statement that the launched large-scale operational and tacti- their Armenian colleagues. Armenian side is not seeking cal exercises attended by all types of Permyakov has been kept under arrest Permyakov's handover because Russia's troops on February 2, the country's at the Russian base's Gyumri headquar- constitution forbids the extradition of Defense Ministry said. ters ever since being arrested, in still Russian citizens to foreign states. Nearly 15,000 personnel, up to 300 unclear circumstances, 12 hours after a The treaty cited by Kostanian in his armored vehicles, as well as over 200 local couple, their daughter, son, daugh- letter stipulates that Russian military per- means of missile and artillery troops and ter-in-law and 2-year-old granddaughter sonnel charged with crimes committed about 20 aircrafts of the air forces, air were found dead in their home. The sev- outside their installations in Armenia defense units and sophisticated anti-air- enth member of the Avetisyan family, a 6- shall be prosecuted by Armenian authori- craft missile complexes are involved in the month-old baby boy, died of his stab ties. It requires Russian investigators to exercises. injuries a week later. deal with offenses happening within the About 5,000 reservists and 300 auto- Kostanyan's letter means that the military base. The Russians have charged motive vehicles are also engaged in the Armenian authorities want Permyakov to Permyakov with not only multiple mur- exercises to check the implementation appear before an Armenian court and to der but also desertion, meaning that the level of the mobilization tasks of the for- be tried under Armenian law -- some- 18-year-old can technically fall under mations and units during the exercises. thing which has for weeks been demand- both Russian and Armenian jurisdictions. 9 February #6 (1046) 2015 POLITICS The Noyan Tapan Highlights www.nt.am 3 Turkish NGOs call on world leaders to go to Yerevan, not Gallipoli northwestern province of Çanakkale to leaders to visit the genocide memorial in join the ceremony. Yerevan instead of Gallipoli in The associations (Human Rights Çanakkale. Association (IHD)'s Commission Against Following the press statement, IHD Racism and Discrimination, Izmir Vice Chairperson Eren Keskin said the Assyrian Friendship, Culture and following: Solidarity Association, Nor Zartonk, "The mentality that founded the www.suryaniler.com Culture Platform Republic of Turkey is the very mentality and Zan Social, Political, Economic that committed the Armenian - Assyrian Research Foundation) made the state- Genocide in 1915. Five Turkish NGOs urged world lead- ment protesting Erdo?an's invitation at "For us, 24 April 2015 has a huge ers "not to accept President Recep Tayyip IHD Headquarters in Istanbul. importance. We want to face our history. Erdo?an's invitation to Gallipoli on the "April 24 worldwide symbolizes the We want this understanding to be ques- 100th Anniversary of Armenian beginning of Armenian Genocide," IHD tioned as it has been told us wrong and Genocide but to visit Yerevan instead," Vice Chairperson Meral Ç?ld?r said in a brought up our children with lies. We bianet.org reports. statement. know that the Genocide in 1915 is still Previously, President Erdo?an "As the 100th anniversary of not openly mentioned by many countries announced that they will commemorate Armenian Genocide draws near, we, but we we are asking a bit of conscience. on April 24 the defense of Gallipoli - a groups and peoples that struggle against "This invitation is mocking with vic- ceremony observed on March 18 every the denial of the Genocide, protest the tims of Armenian Genocide. Go to year. He also invited world leaders to the president's invitation and urge world Yerevan where the real pain is." Armenian-Azerbaijani Fighting Claims More Lives From page 1 Babayan told RFE/RL's Armenian serv- The U.S., Russian and French co- Nerkin Karmiraghbyur. The APA news ice . "The enemy has suffered many casu- chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group agency said a 32-year-old Azerbaijani alties but they won't admit that." appeared to have held Azerbaijan prima- woman living there was wounded in the Karabakh's Defense Ministry claimed rily responsible for the latest escalation arm and hospitalized. It quoted the vil- to have destroyed two Azerbaijani army when they met with Azerbaijani Foreign lage mayor as saying that dozens of posts in "punitive" raids carried out on Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in Poland Alibeyli houses were damaged by the Saturday. The Azerbaijani military denied the following the day.