“Only 20% of European Union’s Commission has a broad-outlined idea of South Caucasus. Despite that, the EU has interests in our region, especially in Georgia”, Vigen Chitechyan, Armenian Ambassador in Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg and the head of Armenia’s missions in EU and NATO, said Wednesday speaking at a “Armenia - EU: Development Prospects” discussion.{BR} In...

Justice Minister David Harutyunyan, speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, failed to answer journalists’ question whether Armenian authorities are going to comply with PACE-adopted resolution, demanding to refrain from applying administrative detention to rallies’ and demonstrations’ participants, or not.{BR} “There is some misunderstanding between us and the CE”,...

Armenian National Assembly Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan, referring to clause 18 of National Assembly’s Charter, issued a statement on Wednesday.{BR} In his statement, Baghdasaryan attached great importance to the PACE-adopted resolution offering both the opposition and the authorities to start a dialogue and invited all parliamentary fractions to discuss the situation in the country on May 6 at 16:00.

Armenian Apostolic Church’s Ararat Diocese authorities said Wednesday an agreement is reached with Moscow and Nairi cinemas, according to which before each show of the Passion of Christ movie the audience will be warned that people outside the cinemas, who offer to discuss Christianity-related issues are numbers of sects and have nothing in common with Armenian Apostolic Church.{BR}

On Wednesday, Court of Appeal continued considering the first instance court’s decision, under which general-lieutenant Vagharshak Harutyunyan, who has been charged with three counts of attempting coup, making seditious calls and making insulting remarks toward the authorities, will remain kept in preliminary detention facilities while awaiting trial.{BR} The Appeal Court upheld the first instance court decision.

“We demand the issue of liberation of Getashen, Martunashen and other Armenian villages to be raised during negotiations over Karabakhi conflict”, Shahumyan-Getashen patriotic union’s leader Edik Balayan said at a news conference held Wednesday. He said in 1991, 20,000 Armenians had been driven from Karabakh-bordering territories.{BR} In his words, 17,000 people driven from their...

Police has already wrapped its investigation into the last month’s violence against journalists and handed it over to Yerevan’s Prosecutor Office, said the Prosecutor General Office’s official Gurgen Abrahamyan on Wednesday.{BR} He declined to confirm or deny the information, according to which Deputy Armenian Police Chief Hovhannes Varyan had been formally charged in connection...

President Kocharyan upheld Tuesday the law on procedure of rallies, demonstrations and marches passed by Armenian National Assembly.{BR} It should be noted that European experts have taken the bill negatively because of many restrictions it contains.

As it was expacted, after the rally-march policemen «kidnaped» several people, taking part in opposition rally. 10 participants of the peaceful rally and march were taken to police departments. {BR} «Hanrapetutyun» party and Armenian People's party are trying to find out the place their «missen» «brothers-in-arms» are held.

For the time being the rally participants headed by Opposition leaders are marching. {BR} The protestors demand to release the political prisoners. They are holding placards of Vagharshak Harutyunyan, Aramazd Zaqaryan and Suren Surenyantc photos. They marched near Police and National Security jail, demanded spelling to set free the political figures who are in that building now and to stop political...

Meeting ended. Albert Bazeyan reconfirmed the nationwide demand to carry out power change in a constitutional way. {BR} He announced if Opposition demands Authorities to fulfill CE requests, Opposition must compromise to CE formula, too. So Opposition announced for a 10-day-long break. The next rally will take place on May 14.

Despite the dull weather and rain, the rally in Freedom Square continues. People don’t disperse. {BR} Communist Party of Armenia in particular expressed a strict stance saying it rejects Opposition-Authorities dialogue. “The dialogue must be conducted between Authorities and people”, CPA First Secretary Ruben Tovmasyan said. His party voiced full support to the activity of Opposition...

Opposition rally in Freedom Square started at the scheduled time. All Opposition leaders are on the stage. A few thousands of people are in the square. But the number of participants grows. {BR} Strasburg events are the main topic of the meeting. At last Opposition has a chance to inform the public how the Armenia issue was discussed, that Turkish and Azeri delegates didn’t partake in the discussion...

”Armenia can correspond to the European standards only in case of possessing a political will”, Karo Hakobyan, Chair for Assembly of Armenians of Europe, residing in Sweden, thinks. {BR} He is discontented with the fact that they are not aware of the events in Armenia. Mr. Hakobyan says the Armenians of Europe are more interested in the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide...

”Competition in our region increased so it is necessary to mobilize the efforts of all the Armenians to work more efficiently and to achieve positive results for welfare of our people”, Armenian Foreign Affairs Minister Vardan Oskanyan announced after the meeting with the Armenian businessmen from Diaspora. {BR} On May 3-4 in the framework of Armenia-Diaspora conference a meeting a Working...

Today Review Court has heard in private the appeal of Robert Grigoryan, Attorney of Lieutenant-General, ex Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan, over changing preventive punishment of 2-month-long detention. {BR} After staying in the consulting hall for 1,5 hours judges went out and announced the decision would be made the following day, at 3:00 PM. This proves that a political decision instead...

Justice parliamentary fraction MPs say the opposition rally scheduled for Tuesday will be held in Yerevan despite it isn’t authorized by the municipality.{BR} The Justice Secretary Victor Dallakyan said at today’s news conference the municipality, ignoring the CE calls, keeps on denying authorization of opposition peaceful rallies. Not a single European institution can announce election...

Socialist Forces leader Ashot Manucharyan, who was attacked and severely beaten on April 22, then rushed to a hospital with major injuries, where underwent a seven-hour surgery, is released from the hospital.{BR} He is still unable to eat because of broken teeth. The case is under investigation now but nobody is taken in police custody so far.

National Club’s Chair Narine Mkrtchyan said Monday precipitous regression was seen in media field that due to growing harassment of media, outrages against journalists. Among harmful moves from the authorities’ side she pointed out the Mass Media Law adoption.{BR} She said Freedom House international organisation considered our press as unfree. In her opinion, PACE’s last resolution...

If Armenia wants to become a truly democratic country it needs freedom of speech, especially in struggle against corruption, the head of World Bank’s Armenian office Roger Robinson said at the discussion dedicated to International Freedom of Speech Day held Monday in Yerevan Press Club.{BR} The Club Chair Boris Navasardyan said to put into practice freedom of speech principle many issues, such...

Armenian National Press Club held Monday annual traditional ceremony of announcing names of press foes. Two persons – president Kocharyan and head of parliamentary commission on culture, science and education Hranush Hakobyan - are given press foe title this year. {BR} This is the third time Robert Kocharyan has been “awarded” the title, this time for adopting the Mass Media Law...

On Monday, a march supporting freedom of speech and A1+ TV Company’s right for broadcasting was held in Yerevan. The march ended with a rally outside Charles Aznavour Square.{BR} The action participants – media outlets’ representatives and ordinary people – condemned recent violence against journalists. Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper’s editor-in-chief Nicol Pashinyan...

Armenian National Assembly Vice-Speaker Tigran Torosyan, who headed Armenian delegation to PACE session held last week in Strasbourg, said Monday what happened at the session threw Armenia one step back.{BR} A resolution has been adopted at the session, in which Armenia is obliged to settle domestic political turmoil till the next PACE session in September, otherwise, its CE membership will be called...

Armenian Apostolic Church leader Garegin II received Sunday Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan and heads of Armenian diplomatic missions overseas. {BR} Garegin II expressed appreciation of cordial relations between Armenian diplomats working in foreign states and leaders of Armenian Apostolic Church dioceses’ all over the world and attached great importance to their joint efforts to...