Archive - 2008

Վանաձորի թիվ 1 երաժշտական դպրոցի շենքը կանգնած է փլուզման եզրին: Դպրոցում տիրում է անհրապույր միջավայր, դասասենյակների պատերը փլվում են, իսկ երաժշտական գործիքները խոնավությունից և սառնությունից անպիտան դառնում: Տարեցտարի պակասում են երաժշտական խմբակների, ինչպես նաև աշակերտների թիվը:1934 թ-ին հիմնադրված այս երաշժտական դպրոցը, որը հետագայում կկրի իր հիմնադիր Էդուարդ Կզարթմյանի անունը, Լոռու մարզի առաջին երաժշտական դպրոցն է եղել, իսկ նրա համերգային դահլիճը ակուստիկայի տեսակետից հանրապետության մյուս դպրոցների դահլիճների շարքում երրորդ լավագույնն է համարվել, սակայն համերգային դահլիճն այսօր մատնված է անգործության:«Քաղաքի աչքի լույս դահլիճ ենք ունեցել, իսկ այսօր մարդիկ խուսափում են այստեղ համերգներ անցկացնեն», - վրդովված նշում է դպրոցի նախկին սան, ...

Նախկին դատապարտյալ' 48-ամյա Վահե Սարգսյանը, արդեն երեք տարի է տաքսի ծառայությունում աշխատում է որպես վարորդ և վստահ է, որ վերջնականապես կարողացել է կյանքում իր տեղը գտնել:Վահեի ներկան կարելի է հուսադրող համարել, քանի որ նա իր կյանքի մեկ չորրորդ մասն անց է կացրել կալանավայրում' առաջին անգամ դատապարտված լինելով խուլիգանության և մեքենա գողանալու, իսկ երկրորդ անգամ մարդասպանության համար:«Ազատությունն ամենաթանկ բան է», ասում է Վահեն: «Բայց որ երկար տարիներ նստած ես լինում, ոնց որ դուրս գալուց չկարողանաս տեղավորվել շրջապատի մեջ: Որ նոր էի դուրս եկել բանտից, ասում էի' այնտեղ ավելի լավ էր, քան ազատության մեջ: Մի քանի անգամ միլիցեքը եկել-տարել են, ասել եմ' ինչ ա պետք, գրեմ, դատեք, տարեք բանտ: Շատ խորթ էր դրսի աշխարհը: Ուր գնում էի, աշխատանք չկար, թաղայիններն էլ ...

December 10 is recognized as Human Rights Day all over the world. In 1948 that day Universal Declaration of Human Rights was ratified at Palais de Chaillot, Paris. In the 60th anniversary of the Declaration “Journalists for the Future” NGO is covering a number of issues related to human rights violations in Armenia presenting the reader articles prepared by 14 journalists within the framework of a three-day seminar on “Raising the Role of the Media in Covering Justice and Law Enforcement System”. The seminar was conducted on 27-29 October in Yerevan by our Luthuanian colleagues Dainius Radzevicius, President of Lithuanian Journalists Union and Audrys Antanaitis, famous TVreporter on TV5 channel of Lithuanian television and radio anchor of the program “Raktas”. They presented developments of Lithuanian democracy in establishing free media and other democratic institutions in the transitional period. Also representatives from Prosecutor General’s Office Lilit Tadevosyan, prosecutor, Sona Truzyan, General Prosecutor’s press secretary, and Shahen Tonoyan, head of Public Relations Department of Prosecutor’s Office, as well as the head of Helsinki Committee of Armenia and human rights advocate Avet Ishkhanyan were invited to meet with the reporters within the framework of the seminar. Topics for the issue articles have been proposed by the ...

Armine Arakelyan, a citizen of Kentron district of Yerevan who pays conscientiously the rates for public services demanded by Kentron condominium every month, wanted once to know what the money collected of the inhabitants is spent on. So she applied to the condominium with a questionnaire made by herself receiving however a denial.Without delay Armine applied to the court and brought in an action against Kentron condominium.“It is my right to know what the money is spent on, and if the condominium administration act legally, it won’t be difficult for them to hand information to the habitants,” says Armine.The court verdict was for Arakelyan and Kentron condominium was obliged to give the information demanded by the citizen, however the condominium managing staff didn’t change their opinion.“Are we the law victims?” asks Robert Galoyan, head of Kentron condominium. “If so, let all the habitants come and demand an account. And we’ll leave our job and answer their questions. Our state budget is created of the citizens’ taxes. Go and ask the president to give an account. Say that it’s your right and see whether he gives information or not.”The Law on Freedom of Information was adopted in 2003. However a few citizens enjoyed their rights assigned by this law during the past 5 years. One of the reasons is that the number of the citizens aware of their ...

For already five months a state program of delivery aid is conducted in Armenia, according to which each pregnant woman is given an identity card to enjoy any kind of medical services related to pregnancy and obstetric free of charge. But according to the complaints addressed to the special hot line of the Ministry of Healthcare illegal collection of money is still continued at maternity hospitals.According to the Ministry in July of this year 60 people out of 140 applying to the hot line complained of the medical institutions’ work realizing obstetric.Karine Saribekyan, head of Mother-Baby Healthcare Department of the Ministry of Healthcare says people have complained of both extortion and confusion caused at medical institutions, particularly in regard to free and paid services.“The woman is offered a paid ward, telling as if the free ones are busy. Moreover sometimes it is offered also to share a paid ward with another patient. This is illegal and people should be aware of this. In this respect many complaints were especially received to the address of the medical center “Shengavit”,” says Karine Saribekyan.In accordance with the government special decision an “Obstetrical-Gynecological Hospital Aid” program has been invested since July of this year, and in this respect 1 billion drams has been added to 2, 9 billion drams already allocated out of the 2008 ...

There is a disputable problem in Ayrum village of Lori region which hasn’t been solved for years because the village management has rather means than courage to struggle against the authoritative officials of the region and the republic.The village has about 400 hectare land, more than half being in hands of former and present officials. And not only the reserve, but also the peasants’ properties are concerned.“If the peasant’s land is taken away and given to the rich, how will the peasant feel?” asked Manvel Vardanyan and gave the answer to his question, “For already several years I can’t stand for my own land. My living conditions are terrible.” And he told that once he used to have an orchard with 80 trees in it. The new “owners” of his own land have rooted them up and now are sowing corn instead.These events began 10 years ago. Then the mayor of Lori region was Henrik Kochinyan (executing from 1998 to 2007). Some of the peasants unable to cultivate their lands, as well as to pay the taxes once saw their lands to be cultivated by the mayor’s brothers. (One of them, Hovhannes Kochinyan, is a former parliamentarian of the National Assembly, the other one - Haykaz Kochinyan – the head of neighboring village Shnogh.) The peasants mentioned also Artush Boshyan’s name, head of the RA Police Department of Alaverdi, as a famous village land user.Some ...

“Every day President Sargsyan speaks on developing the small and medium size enterprises. Now we are the representatives of that branch, but we are thrown away and the huge area is given to one owner for money making and for only an oligarch getting rich. Maybe later on we would work for him as a slave. But why? I don’t want to give them my property,” says Nikolay Melikyan.Nikolay is one among those 28 businessmen, who have privatized properties near Botanic Park, an area conterminous to Acharyan Avenue and Tsarav Aghbyur Street. Here there are shops of building materials and car spares, a lot of service centers, but their existence is no longer under threat.On April 21, 2005 the government came to a decision to separate the mentioned area, 9400square meters, for state needs – for construction. The mayor was assigned to provide realization of the construction projects from 2005 to 2009.For this reason in July 2006 mayor Yervand Zakharyan adopted Decision 1119-A and assigned the “Investment Project Implementation Unit of Yerevan Construction” (PIU) to realize the construction projects.“I wanted to sign a contract and involve a partner in my business. I went to cadastre to take the corresponding document, but I wasn’t given it. I knew the area was sequestrated,” tells Nikolay Melikyan. So together with the other businessmen convicted to the same fate he ...