December, 2016

• 22 December

  Armenia’s Agriculture Ministry Finally Acknowledges Grape Farmers Are Being Deceived

  Note, grape farmers from the village of Kaghtrashen in Armenia’s Ararat province – who after an unusually rich harvest in the fall of 2015 had to sell their grapes...
• 21 December

  Arrested Ex-Defense Minister with Deteriorating Health Refuses Prison Medication

  The lawyer had previously reported that Shirkhanyan had acquired a disability in the 11 months that he has spent in prison, claiming that if authorities did not take effective action to help the arrestee, he would not make it to his trial date...
• 21 December

  Prominent TV Host Fired After Throwing Shade at Ruling Party

  Although Ghazaryan had written the day before on his Facebook page that he was on vacation, our sources tell us that he will not return to his job. He has been personally been taken care of by [Armenian president] Serzh Sargsyan]...
• 21 December

  Armenia’s Ombudsman Sees No ‘Political Pressure’ in Musician’s NSS Questioning

  Note, in his appeal the musician had asked the ombudsman to clarify whether being invited to the National Security Service on the phone, without an official summons and a subsequent meeting protocol, did not contain a political pressure element and a free speech violation...
• 21 December

  Nairit Employees to Receive Month’s Salary to Stop Blocking Roads

  “We told Asatryan that we would not organize any strikes or protest actions until New Year; if, however, they fail to keep their part of the agreement, we will resume our demonstrations and start blocking roads again,” Sargsyan said...
• 20 December

  Yerevan Men Arrested for Alleged Violence against Police Expect No Justice from Armenian Authorities

  Liparit Simonyan, a lawyer for several of the men, in turn, stated that it is still unclear what they are being blamed for, and that in previous court hearing, the defense has filed numerous motions with the request to clarify the ...
• 20 December

  Lawyers Ask European Court to Stand Up for Seriously Ill Yerevan Prisoner

  Nubarashen officials, however, are not providing him with the required medications, nor do they give him meals for his special dietary needs. Instead, they urge Sargsyan to turn to his relatives for help, yet at the...
• 19 December

  Woman, Two Minor Children Found Dead in Armenian Town

  According to information available to Epress.am sources, the woman was in a dire financial state and was fighting for spousal support from her former husband...
• 19 December

  

  ‘Is Aurora Compatible with Amulsar Mining?’ Armenian Environmentalists’ Open Letter to Aurora Co-Founders

  Given the above-mentioned facts, as well as principles declared by projects and institutions led by you in the present and in the past, also given your direct responsibility in the possible exploitation of Amulsar, please explain...
• 19 December

  

  Appeals Court Upholds Life Sentence for Russian Soldier Convicted of Murder of Armenian Family

  Six members of the Avetisyans’ family, including a 2-year-old girl, were found shot to death in their house on January 12; the family’s seventh member, a 6-month-old boy who had been stabbed with a bayonet, died a week later in hospital...