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Charges Against Young Activist Upgraded; Demonstration Called for Tomorrow[ 2009/08/18 | 17:03 ] society http://hetq.am/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/18_08-M-Sukhudyan1.jpgIn the last two days, the Erebuni Investigative Unit of the RoA Police Department’s Criminal Affairs Division has upgraded its indictment against Mariam Soukhudyan, a young environmental activist. On August 13, Mariam Soukhudyan received a subpoena to appear in court two days later to testify on the charge of “slander”. But on August 15 she was told that the charge had been changed to one of “false denunciation for personal gain”; a charge that punishable by up to five years imprisonment. According to the environmental NGO “Ecolur”, Mariam Soukhudyan has been ordered to appear in court on August 19. The “false denunciation” charge stems from a “Haylur” TV broadcast on November 13, 2008, in which a female ward of Boarding School No. 11 in Yerevan’s Nubarashen suburb alleged sexual harassment by one of their teachers, Levon Avagian. “According to the stories from the girls, there was at least one case of rape,” it charged. Soukhudyan was among about a dozen young people who worked as volunteers at the Boarding School No. 11 in Yerevan’s Nubarashen suburb in April-June 2008 as part of a United Nations project to boost educational standards in Armenia and recorded one of the girl’s allegations. She took the report to the media. A demonstration will take place outside the Erebuni Investigative Unit (162 Movses Khorenatsi Street) tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. to protest the charges levied against the young activist.

Backstory here: http://unzipped.blogspot.com/2009/08/armen...-of-sexual.html Demand to stop the criminal case instituted against Mariam Sukhudyan[ 2009/08/19 | 17:20 ] society (HETQ) http://hetq.am/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/18_08-M-Sukhudyan1.jpgStatement of NGO's of Armenia The authorities of Armenia relying on law enforcement bodies and judicial system freely carry out any order and continue the policy of intimidation and violence towards the disagreeable citizens. Arrests, beatings and judicial punishment of journalists and human rights defenders, disgraceful trials related to the events of March 1, 2008 over oppositional leaders of Armenia, arrests and beatings of youth movement members struggling for their rights are sanctioned by provost regime of Armenia. The commencement of a criminal case instituted against Mariam Sukhudyan, one of the leaders of ecological movement is another vivid manifestation of policy of impatience towards the dissidence. We, the undersigned non-governmental organizations of Armenia which are members of South Caucasian Network of Human Rights Defenders - demand the competent bodies to stop the criminal case instituted against Mariam Sukhudyan, - demand the competent bodies to punish the ones who instituted the criminal case - address the international organizations with a request to support our demands and exert pressure on the authorities of Armenia. Helsinki Association Socioscop Helsinki Citizen Assembly Journalist Club "Asparez" Women Resource Center Vernatun- Wives of Political Prisoners PINK Armenia Democracy Today Helsinki Citizen Assembly of Vanadzor

Dance Me to the End of Love

Vahe on facebook "Sagayn Serves Up Satire" Vahe Berberyan is performing his Sagayn (Sakayn) comedy routine for the last time tonight, at 7:30 p.m. I highly recommend the show. Being held at Brandview Collection in Glendale. Then I recommend drinks just below at Left Coast Wine Bar.

I saw this, too. They had one additional production due to demand. I especially liked the "performance" the actors put on as guests were arriving prior to the show. Very talented and nice group pf people. I hope Arena Productions puts on more shows in the future.

From what I have heard, I gather that he had personal troubles relating to unpaid alimony and/or child support to the ex-wife that may in some way have hindered his ability to leave the country. Not certain what the exact reason is that he is yet to leave for Armenia. I used to find him very abrasive and a bully in nature, but upon spending time with him, my personal gut feeling is that he does truly care. I know we deserve and need better "intellectuals" in the community, yet someone like him, with his tactics, is getting through to a certain type of individual. (A friend calls them "Gagos". No offense meant toward anyone named Gagik . To get through to them, one must speak their language. No? I think Stepan is attempting to do just that.

Gna Movses. Ameninch vaghvan enq toghnum, bayc morranum enq qani "vagh@" ekan u ancan. I found it in flickr. Ararat over Yerevan

Me too. I am game. Where does one sign up? Maybe I can suspend time and my life and go.

This was funny. "..start your own list." LOL.

Met Stepan Partamian recently. I found him to be very intelligent and soft-spoken. He recently began a cross-country trip looking for Armenians in the states. He is lecturing and also presenting his book "Yes, we have" along the way. He intends to make a pictorial book of the rare Armenians and towns carrying Armenian names he encounters on this trip. Should be interesting. Stepan's facebook page Armenian in America

Happy Birthday Anoushik! All best for you always. How's the cooking going? Hope yu didn't have to do so on your own b-day.

If If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you But make allowance for their doubting too, If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or being hated, don’t give way to hating, And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise: If you can dream–and not make dreams your master, If you can think–and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools: If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breath a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!” If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings–nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much, If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And–which is more–you’ll be a Man, my son! –Rudyard Kipling

Somebody said as much to you...

Happy, happy birthday to all of you. Hope you guys enjoyed it and may it be a good year.

I have so much hope for the future of our people and my generation. Some people I have met recently are doing such great things behind the scenes for the betterment of Armenia's future! Almost makes me want to pack up and relocate to Yerevan to help....

LOL. 1. No comment. 2. We will text you before calling so you pick up! 3. I'm trying to guess who that may be. ~~~~~~~~~ Today a young Armenian woman came into the office in the a.m. From first impressions and her jumbled speech it was obvious she was very high. She was so loud and obnoxious that two males approached her and asked her to calm down. She was walking around the suite and getting into people's faces. She smelled and she was just pitiful. The attorney she had the appointment with was still stuck in court, so she was asked to wait or come back. She became enraged and started cursing in Armenian and English and spat in front of the receptionist's shoes- on the carpet. I have never seen anyone on drugs before. It was truly a very sad thing to witness. She was not in control of her basic faculties. On the way home from work, I was thinking that she most probably had driven herself to our office. It prompted me to be more cautious and slower on the road. Very sad...

I just saw this. But my family has been discussing Nazo's death for a while now. He had been doing business in Armenia since the late 70s. But not on the scale of his recent endeavors. He became very succesful in antique rug sales and renovation and built his wealth on that passion. I remember him as a permanent fixture of my childhood as he was my grandfathers apprentice in rug renovation and close friend to our family. He was a very benevolent person. The cisumstances of his death are very disheartening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O8Eg2bwhIE...feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O8Eg2bwhIE

http://www.alextheatre.org/calendar/events...09&month=05 Thursday, May 21, 2009 Starts at 9:00 PM MGN/Paradise Inc. presents TAXI ELI LAVA, a full-length feature film produced and directed by ten Armenian Directors and starring some of the most popular Armenian actors. Moments of action, of drama, of love, of hate - all these and more are part and parcel of this story of Eerevan, Armenian's capital, and the people who live there. The film is in Armenian with no subtitles. Running time is approximately 1 hour 40 minutes with no intermission, and the event is suitable for ages 18 and older. Photo/Video recording by patrons is not allowed. Tickets: ORCHESTRA $25 TERRACE $25 BALCONY $20

https://www.alexandani.com/index.php

Movses, how do you directly post the videos? Poshmanel Em- Silva Hakobyan Mi Togh- Arminka

I will take responsibility for praying for it. I thought it was a beautiful day. I hope it stays like this for a while.

Movses jan, Nanen shat jisht banner asec. Ir het liovin hamadzyn em. Yes mer "kuys" aghchikneri mej hamestutyun yev MAQRUTYUN chem tesnum. Kuzen togh irenc @ntaniqner@ mi tona karmir xndzor stanan. Miayn dranov im hamar vochinch chi voroshvum. Ayl togh aghchka tsnogh@ partsena nranov vor xnaminerr@ harrsin iskapes hargum yev sirum en vorpes irenc@. Vor chen anitsum en or@ vor et aghchik@ irenc tann@ vot drec. Karcumem da aveli shat arzheq uni. Verji verjov eti mi gisherva banna, bayc lav mart linel@ da aveli dzhvar. Noric asem. Yes shat em arzheqavorum kuysutyun@. Chem asum da vat ban e..hakarrak@ yes kasey yerevei te aveli lav liner vor mer tghanernel mi kich maqur mnayn. Bayc karcumem vor arten es "tradition@" ir zamketin e hasel. Lav, arten shat xosaci. Naneyi asaci pes, arten jur enq tsetsum. Bayc yes noric asem yes shat em hargum en protest anogh aghchiknerin!

Movses jan, I, personally believe this practice is very outdated and belittleing to the couple involved. I hope you understand this has nothing to do with kuysutyun but actually the practice of congratulating the bride's family and putting on a whole show. I think at this point we have all understood that the decision of sleeping with one another is a decision made by a couple and should stay amongst them. Neither side of the family has any reason to be involved in these matters or find out if they waited till the wedding night to sleep with each other. And this practice is not a Christian one. It was adopted from our lovely Muslim neighbors. There are very many things that our religion dictates that is forgotten, or conveniently ignored-more important traditions and rituals. Maybe those can be brougt back instead of this one?

The practice is very common and still practiced in Armenia and in L.A. Anoushik, I am glad that you are surrounded by progressive Armenians.