RA Ombudsman Larissa Alaverdyan has been to Gyumri on official duty recently. {BR} About 20 citizens had come to receive the Ombudsman. The reception took place in the Gyumri branch of the non-governmental organization of the “Armenian Center of Defense of Human Rights after A. Sakharov”. The main issue the residents of Gyumri were concerned by was of course the housing problem. According to...

RA Ombudsman Larissa Alaverdyan had a meeting with the representatives of the Shirak region non-governmental organizations and Mass Media and citizens. {BR} According to him, the activity realized by the Human Rights Defender Institute in Armenia is far from international criteria. Although there is not any country where human rights are not violated, democratic and non-democratic countries differ...

Today at noon in the Equatorial Guinea Justice Ministry the ceremony of giving the 6 forgiven Armenian pilots to the official representative of Armenia took place. {BR} The Justice Ministry Secretary General Javier Aseco Abeso read the decree of President Nguema after which RA Foreign Ministry representative Gevorg Petrosyan thanked the President of Equatorial Guinea on behalf of the President and...

Today at noon in the Amiryan street an accident took place. 2 people fell down from a height of 3 meters from the building near the Yerevan National Security Service. The brigadier of the construction who did not want to introduce himself informed that they had fallen down from the wooden columns on which workers stand while working. {BR} According to the brigadier, «it is not serious, they fell...

“The press is not free enough”, this was the answer of 500 representatives of the Yerevan State University – lawyers, sociologists, economists, historians, and journalists, to the question of the “National Center for ” about the reasons of the non-effective highlighting of corruption by Mass Media. {BR} The surveys found out that when it comes to corruption, the Mass Media pay more attention to education and health fields. During today’s...

This morning from 10:00 a.m. numerous policemen defended the Presidential Residence from the participants of the demonstration. They were the residents of several center streets (North Avenue, Buzand, Koghbaci, Erznka streets and Kond) who are evicted from their houses because of the construction works realized “for state needs”. They had difference posters in their hands. Their main question to Robert Kocharyan was, “Where shall we go?” “We...

The workers of the Georgian Ministry of Internal affairs, driving away hundreds of Armenians gathered near the Akhaltskha comprehensive school N3 after H. Toumanyan, entered the school building. {BR} The people gathered near the school building after the incident on June 3, when the representatives of the Akhaltskha power structures, head of the educational department Zaritse Yura and people sent...

“Bob Perilla’s Big Hillbilly Bluegrass Band” will perform several concerts in Gyumri, Dilijan, Lake Sevan, Vayots Dzor, and Yerevan, at the invitation of the U.S. Embassy in Armenia. Bluegrass, a uniquely American form of music, is vibrant, fast and fun. Known for the distinctive sound of the banjo, four-part harmonies, and raucous fiddle playing, the bluegrass sound originated among 18th century settlers in the Blueridge Mountains (which...

“The Armenian pilots are still in prison. The Guinean party promised to convey them to the representative of the Armenian Foreign Ministry during the day. The terms of their return and the route will be determined later”, press secretary of the RA MFA Hamlet Gasparyan reported. {BR} Last night representative of the RA Foreign Ministry Gevorg Poghosyan departed for Malabo. This morning...

According to formal data, about 11 000 pensioners in Yerevan do not receive pensions because of the absence of social cards. {BR} Human Rights Defender Larisa Alaverdyan attended to the problem. The issue has been discussed at the sitting of the Expert Council under the Ombudsman. The participants came to the conclusion that the problem can be resolved legislatively however they did not present any...

Today in Yerevan 50 handicapped people received new and modern wheelchairs. The action was initiated by Latter Day Saints organization jointly with the US Fund of Wheelchairs. To noted, within the frames of the action about 500 handicapped people will receive wheelchairs. {BR} US Ambassador John Evans, who was also present at the event noted that he is well aware of the importance of a wheelchair...

The Tufenkian Foundation today announced a generous gift by Dr. Alber Karamanoukian toward its ongoing efforts to promote Karabagh’s resettlement. Dr. Karamanoukian’s gift of $20,000 will underwrite the construction of one house and associated facilities in Arajamough, a new village the Foundation is building in Karabagh’s border regions. {BR} Begun in 2004, Arajamough currently houses 25 resettlers,...

Official representative of Armenia, worker of the Foreign Ministry Gevorg Petrosyan left for Equatorial Guinea capital Malabo today to organize the return of the Armenian pilots. {BR} According to the official information spread by the Armenian Foreign Ministry Armenia is very much pleased with the fact that the Armenian pilots have been released and expresses its gratitude to the Equatorial Guinea...

In the central park of the town Plesi-Robenson near Paris Eduard Nalbandyan, Armenian Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to France and the French Parliament deputy Phillip Pemseque officially opened the monument of Captain Andranik. {BR} The monument was presented to the town Plesi-Robenson by the Arabkir community. Ambassador Eduard Nalbandyan has mentioned that the monument of National...

According to Karen Afrikyan, head of the non-governmental organization “Forests of Armenia”, the road to be constructed through the Shikahogh state reserve to Iran is a huge danger strategically and ecologically. {BR} According to him, the road will be a target for Azerbaijan. As for the ecological harms, not only 26 000 big and 117 000 small trees will be chopped down, but also 70 plants recorded...

On Sunday the President of the Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Obiang Nguema granted freedom to the 6 Armenian pilots who were imprisoned for a long time with the accusation of participating in an attempt of political revolution in the African country. {BR} According to the Radio station “Azatutyun” the forgiveness was granted as a humanitarian act in connection with the 63rd anniversary of the President...

During the previous week the readers of the A1+ internet site tried to find out who must appoint the RA Ombudsman. The participants voted mainly for two variants – President, and People via elections. 328 people participated in the voting. The final results of the voting are as follows: {BR} «Who should appoint the Ombudsman? » People via elections – 36.6%; President – 30.8%; Parliament – 30.2%; Undecided – 2.4% This week the theme...

Yesterday the third and final tour of the Aram Khachatryan violin International competition took place. 7 violinists from Armenia, Georgia, France and USA played the violin concerto of Aram Khachatryan. Late in the evening the Jury among which are famous violin players from different countries, announced the results. {BR} The first place was given to Yavryan Martin (Armenia) and Khourdoyan Satenik...

At the beginning of the year in the Yerevan municipality and the communities the principle of “one window” was introduced. That is, another “opportunity” was created for the citizens and their application-letters to reach the authorities “quickly”. {BR} Today the guest of the municipality briefing was Souren Koshetsyan, head of the Yerevan mayor staff and the program “One Window”. According to him, up to May 31 there have been 6766...

“The Armenian Government has allowed us to realize 3 flights a week”, said Gunten Ott, regional director of the aviacompany “Lufthansa” in Russia and CIS countries in today’s press conference. Let us remind you that the head of the RA Civic aviation has announce that “Lufthansa” has the right to realize only two flights. Today with the flight “Munchen-Yerevan” “Lufthansa” started its activity in Armenia. {BR} The company which...

The Georgian Parliament is discussing the new draft Land Code which has been adopted by first reading. {BR} In the draft law a number of deputies have offered to introduce a special point. According to it, the only land-owner in the 5-kilometre border zone can be recognized the country. If the offer is accepted, it will have e negative effect on the grave social conditions of the Armenians and Azeris...

During the meeting of RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan with the Georgian Parliament President Nino Burjanadze and Prime Minister Zourab Noghaideli the sides spoke about the improvement of the social –economical condition of Javakhq. {BR} The RA Prime Minister offered to help the reconstruction of the roads of Javakhq and the improvement of the social-economical conditions of Javakhq. The Georgian...

The acting period of the working group investigating the issue of the deposits of the Armenian citizens has been prolonged for two months. Let us remind you that the working group was formed on February 5, 2005 on the basis of the decree of Robert Kocharyan. The acting date of the Committee was 4 months and the time was up at the beginning of June. {BR} The Committee accounted for the prolonging of...

- Was the National Security Service supposed to let you know about the secret shooting of Serob Antinyan and the seizure of the Ombudsman office computer? - The Criminal Code envisages that he must be caught, but the Law on the Ombudsman says nothing about it. This question is still open, as the Criminal Code envisages punishments for such kind of actions, and the Law on the Ombudsman does not speak...