41 residents of the village of Artavaz, in Kotayk Marz, say they are sticking to their guns in the class action lawsuit they have brought against the Armenian government.

On February 25, 2010, the government declared 96 hectares of village land as “eminent domain” and to be turned over to the A&M Rare Company to build a bottling facility for local spring water. The company’s director is Muhammed Mousallam, a Saudi Arabian sheikh. »»»»»

At a press conference held earlier today, Karapet Rubinyan, a former Deputy Speaker of the RoA National Assembly, said that the sale of C-300 antimissile defense systems to Azerbaijan by Russia can be construed as an outright anti-Armenian move.

“Such a move turns Azerbaijan, our enemy, inviolable and frees its hand when striking at Armenia and Karabakh. In response, if Russia assumes the security of Armenia, that of Karabakh remains an open question,” Mr. Rubinyan noted. »»»»»

In the course of their inspection at the Haghtanak Old Age Home, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has uncovered a serious of health and sanitary violations and has directed the institution to immediately take steps to remove them

In a recent article, Hetq covered conditions at the home and had informed the Ministry of what reporters had observed. Twenty days later, the Ministry responded to our inquiry. Most of the health and sanitary violations uncovered by the Ministry were at the wing housing bedridden residents and the organization of meals. It seems that meals were being delivered to patients in their rooms and that this lead to the creation of unsanitary conditions.

While there are no official statistics, the number of Armenians residing in Belgium today is said to number from 10,000 to 12,000.

Gevorg Minasyan, President of the Federation of Armenian Organization in Belgium and the Chief Editor of the Armenian language Lragir periodical says that the number might even reach 20,000. »»»»»

Where the food isn’t great and ants come and go as guests

You can get to the old age home located just over the border of Yerevan, in the village of Haghtanak, by taking the #56 mashkrutka (minivan). After alighting, you still have to walk about the distance of two bus stops to get to the home. Sitting on a piece of land that is fenced in with an old guard house, the place resembles a military camp, even though you can freely walk inside. »»»»»

Contrary to recent reports in the Armenian press, the Akhalkalak Educational Resource Center says that the classroom hours for Armenian language instruction haven’t been cut in Samtskhe-Javakhk Armenian schools.

The Center says that while one hour of Georgian language instruction will be added to the five taught weekly, Armenian language and literature classroom hours will remain at five. Apparently, it is up to the individual teacher to decide the time devoted to each.

In its July 9 decision, upholding the suit of the Ijevan Municipality and the Ijevan Mayor against the “Investigative Journalists” NGO, presiding Judge Gagik Khandanyan of the Kentron and Nork-Marash District Court ruled that the two articles that originally appeared in Hetq, and which were the basis for the slander suit, contained “baseless information”.

Thus, the court ordered the “Investigative Journalists”, NGO to publish an official retraction. The “Azg” newspaper was also ordered to print a retraction since the articles in question were published in the daily as well. »»»»»

Ijevan Municipality to Receive “Slander” Retraction

On July 9, the Kentron and Nork-Marash Districty Court, Judge Gagik Khandanyan presiding, sustained the claim of the Ijevan mayor against the Investigative Journalists, NGO.

The decision obligates the Investigative Journalist, NGO, the “Azg” daily and the Hetq website to issue a retraction of two articles written by reporter Voskan Sargsyan that, “contained baseless information defaming the professional credibility of the Ijevan Municipality and the good name of Ijevan Mayor V. Nersisyan, and to proclaim that such information has no basis in reality.” »»»»»

The building has not been repaired since it opened some thirty years ago. Its foundations were shaken by the 1988 earthquake that jolted this section of northern Armenia. Seismic specialist examined the building only after Hetq wrote about the situation in an article entitled “Vardenis Diary: Structurally Unsound School Not Slated for Renovation“, back in February. Government officials from the Social Investment Fund now say a new school must be built since it is pointless to repair the existing building. »»»»»

Ups and Downs of Two Year Slander Suit Coming to a Close?

“The scores of Ijevan cabbies who ply their trade along the pot-holed roads of the regional district center always have a few “choice words” to remember the Mayor by.” »»»»»