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School for Scandal
Tol.cz
Critics say school directors, who receive funding on a per-capita basis, oppose government plans to return children to their biological parents, or place them in foster care, and integrate them into mainstream education. That plan is backed by international children’s organizations such as UNICEF and World Vision, who argue that a focus on inclusive education is better for many learning-disabled kids than effectively hiding them away in residential institutions. >>
ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION TO BE INITIATED ON MARIAM SUKHUDYAN CASE
Armtown.com
Additional investigation will be initiated on “S.O.S Teghut” movement activist Mariam Sukhudyan’s case. Investigator Vigen Mesropyan, responsible for case-related investigative actions, was put in charge of additional investigation. As lawyer Nona Galstyan reported, this was the first time in the whole preliminary investigation period when law enforcement agencies granted defense-submitted petitions.>>
Mariam Sukhudyan - Activist Under Investigation
Keghart
“According to the children’s accounts, they are subjected to beatings and other forms of physical punishment,” the group wrote in a joint statement posted online. “We personally witnessed needlessly harsh treatment of children by teachers and night guards. The school director and other administrative workers use children as a free labor force in their homes and summer houses,” continued the statement signed by Sukhudyan and eight others. >>
Defiant Activist Spurns Police Amnesty
Radio Liberty
A young civic activist who triggered a scandal about alleged sexual and other abuse at a Yerevan boarding school said Wednesday that she has turned down a police offer to ask for a pardon and thus avoid trial on controversial libel charges. >>
INVESTIGATORS DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MARIAM SUKHUDYAN
EcoLur
During the two months of preliminary investigation the investigators at Erebouni Criminal Investigation Department of RA Police triply changed the article of the charge filed to Mariam Sukhudyan, the activist of the youth green movement. >>
S.O.S Teghut movement activist persecuted, lawyer states
Osservatorio Balcani
Mariam Sukhudyan, a local environmental activist, faces up to 5 years imprisonment after alleging cases of child abuse in a Yerevan boarding school. This seems to be part of a growing trend of governments in the region targeting youth activists >>
Gathered for Mariam
A1+
"End to violence, assaults and tolerance in special schools", "Special Attention to special schools", "Education and not violence", "Mr. Ashotyan, your ministry shuts its eye on child abuse", "Sexual abuse is a crime"-these were the signs of the activists who were standing in front of the building with the desire to call the ministry's attention to special schools. >>
MOVEMENT IN SUPPORT OF MARIAM SUKHUDYAN INCREASES
Ecolur.org
The criminal case initiated by RA Police against Mariam Sukhudyan, the activist of green youth movement, provoked public outrage. Let’s remind that Mariam Sukhudyan is charged with false crime reporting in accordance with Clause 3, Part 2, Article 333 of the Criminal Code of RA. >>
Charges against Sukhudyan have no serious grounds, her lawyer finds
Panarmenian.net
Touching upon law enforcement agencies’ gross violations, lawyer Nona Galstyan said the criminal case had been filed within nine days after the broadcast, whereas law envisages a period of three month for launching such proceedings. “That too, is an unquestionable evidence that law enforcement agencies attempt to conceal what happened at school, accusing Mariam Sukhudyan of libel.”
The lawyer also denied accusations that her defendant was allegedly guided by personal interests. She worked as project coordinator in school No. 11, within the frames of “Top 10 schools” program funded by UN Office in Armenia. >>
S.O.S Teghut movement activist persecuted, lawyer states
News.am
The story, which evoked public response, had its onset on November 13, 2008, after a Haylur TV report. One of the girls living in Boarding School #11 in the Nubarashen neighborhood, Yerevan told about sexual harassment on the part of a teacher. The video record was provided by active members of the S.O.S. Teghut movement. The Erebuni investigation department conducted an investigation and initiated criminal proceedings on August 11- against Sukhudyan, who was charged with false denunciation. >>
Armenian Activist Faces Jail After Alleging Child Abuse
Radio Liberty
Sukhudian 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. In their subsequent public pronouncements, they accused the school administration of failing to ensure the minimal standards of teaching and hygiene and routinely ill-treating and malnourishing students. >>
Child abuse allegations lead to action against activist
Frontlineclub.com
International organizations, diplomatic missions and critics of the regimes in both countries consider the detentions and legal action against such activists as being politically motivated and as attempts to silence emerging youth movements in the region. Now, environmental activist Mariam Sukhudyan faces charges of defamation after being one of those involved in revelations about abuse in one of Armenia's many Soviet-era boarding schools -- institutions established to cater for children with disabilities or health problems, but which also serve as the main depository for children from socially vulnerable families.>>
Police interrogate ecological activist
U.S Embassy in Armenia
The police continued to pursue the criminal case against Mariam Sukhudian, a leader of the environmental protection group SOS Teghut. She is accused of making a "false denunciation." The charge carries up to five years in prison. Sukhudian was interrogated by police in the presence of her defense lawyer but refused to testify. "I wrote a statement saying that I need to familiarize myself with the entire case before giving any testimony," she told journalists afterwards. At a second interrogation, several dozen members of various Armenian non-governmental organizations picketed outside. >>
Rights Groups Condemn Case Against Armenian Activist
Radio Liberty
Avetik Ishkhanian, the chairman of the Armenian Helsinki Committee, described the accusation leveled against Sukhudian as “absurd.” “Knowing Mariam as an ecological activist, I am convinced that she would not have said such things out of the blue,” he said. “We must not allow her prosecution. I just find no words to characterize this affair.” >>
Green movement activist Mariam Sukhudyan from a witness became a defendant
Panarmenian.net
On 13 November 2008, the Public TV Channel prepared a program where one of the pupils at Nubarashen Boarding School № 11 told about sexual harassment by the teacher. The TV program used video fragments submitted activists of S.O.S Teghout who are also engaged with the protection of the rights of vulnerable social layers.
As Mariam Sukhudyan told a PanARMENIAN.net reporter, the video material, for which I am accused, is shot based on testimony of children from the Boarding school. “I am sure, the reason for such absurd accusation is my active participation in the movement to protect environment, and Teghout forest, in particular”. >>
CHARGE TO GREEN ACTIVIST MARIAM SUKHUDYAN AGGRAVATED
Ecolur.org
Criminal Investigation Department of Erebouni Community of RA Police changed the article of the charge filed to Mariam Sukhudyan, the youth green movement activist, during two days. On 13 August Mariam Sukhudyan received a summons to an interrogation dated on 15 August as an accused. >>
Demand to stop the criminal case instituted against Mariam Sukhudyan
Hetq Investigative Journalists
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. >>
Charges Against Young Activist Upgraded; Demonstration Called for Tomorrow
Hetq Investigative Journalists
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.>>
Double move over Teghut: What are the former and current first ladies of Armenia against?
gab-ibn.com
However one of the environmental campaigners, Mariam Sukhudyan, insists the
ladies were aware what they were signing, moreover, Rita Sargsyan, as she
says, made a clarification: `You mean the problem of Teghut mines?' And she
got an affirmative reply, according to Sukhadyan. >>
SAVE JRVEZH, SAVE YEREVAN, SAVE YOURSELF
Ecolur.org
“Jrvezh” forest park acquires new supporters. On 5 August S.O.S. Tegout youth environmental movement, “Ecodar” NGO and the Institute for Rights Democratization famous for their moves for nature protection held a trip to “Jrvezh” forest park. “We saw what a huge wealth Jrvezh forest is. This is the only preserved forest, a kind of “green zone” for our city that protects Yerevan from dust and provides oxygen,” Mariam Sukhudyan, the representative of the youth movement, said. >>
PUBLIC RELATIONS’ DEPARTMENT OF THE POLICE OF RA WAS QUICK TO REACT ON MARIAM SUKHUDYAN’S ISSUE
Ecolur.org
More and more tension is generated around the issue connected with the charge in a criminal offence of Mariam Sukhudyan, activist of “Save Teghut” environmental youth movement. On August 19th, when Mariam was interrogated at Erebouni Criminal Investigation Department on charge in a false denunciation, aggravated by an intension of prompting to a profit (article 333, paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code of Armenia), members of youth movement and non-governmental organizations organized a protest which was widely covered in press. In response, on the same day, the Public Relations’ Department of the Police of Armenia publicized a statement containing detailed information on the bill of particulars concerning Mariam Sukhudyan, although investigation has not been completed yet. >>
GREEN MOVEMENT ACTIVIST CHARGED WITH LIBEL
Ecolur.orgOn 13 November 2008, the Public TV Channel prepared a program where one of the pupils at Nubarashen Boarding School № 11 told about sexual harassment by the teacher. The TV program used video fragments submitted activists of S.O.S Teghout who are also engaged with the protection of the rights of vulnerable social layers. Based on this TV program, Erebouni Criminal Investigation Department conducted an investigation, and as a result, the criminal case №12105809 was initiated on 11 February 2009. >>
Activist charged with falsely claiming administrative abuses at a school for children with special needs
U.S Embassy in Armenia
. A young civic activist is facing criminal proceedings and the possibility of up to two years imprisonment for bringing to light alleged sexual and other abuses at a Yerevan school for children with special needs. The Armenian Police formally charged Mariam Sukhudian of the environmental protection group SOS Teghut with a “false denunciation” this past weekend after months of investigation into the allegations circulated by local media, including state television. Sukhudian 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. In their subsequent public pronouncements, they accused the school administration of failing to ensure minimal standards of teaching and hygiene and routinely ill-treating students and leaving them malnourished. >>
Teghut Defense Movement appealed administrative court decision
Transparency International
On July 21, 2009, Transparency International Anti-corruption Center and "Ecodar" environmental NGO appealed against a decision of the Administrative Court of the Republic of Armenia with respect to dismissing the NGOs' lawsuit against exploitation of Teghut mine on the grounds that the plaintiffs were not legally authorized to debate the mentioned issues. The appeal is based on the fact that the plaintiffs are "the public concerned," which is as well confirmed by the Findings and Recommendations with regard to Compliance by Armenia with Its Obligations under the Aarhus Convention in relation to the Development of the Dalma Orchards Area, adopted by the Aarhus Convention's Compliance Committee in March 2006. >>
Demonstrators protest attempt to silence young activists
Transparency International
Sona Ayvazyan, Project Director of Transparency International Anti-corruption Center, who took part in the protest action, claimed that the case highlights a broader suppression of dissent by the authorities in Yerevan. "It looks like active citizens are not encouraged in our country," she said. "The authorities seem to be trying to eliminate such citizens one by one. Mariam is simply the latest victim, and we don't know who will be the next." >>
Eurasia Partnership - Armenia : Hetq investigative journalists help to protect natural monument from destruction
Eurasia Partnership
“Local authorities are there to take care of natural and historic monuments, not to sit back while destruction and vandalism happens on their watch,” says environmental activist Mariam Sukhudyan with indignation. In October 2007 Mariam and her friends were visiting Garni, a first-century pagan temple in the Kotayq region of Armenia. Near the temple, there is a natural rock formation known as the “symphony of stones.” She witnessed local residents cutting away the unique basalt stones to use as construction material. Mariam took photos of what she saw in Garni, and upon her return to Yerevan posted them on her blog and sent them via emails to several different environmental activists and organizations. >>
Mariam Sukhudian toujours poursuivie pour calomnie/in french/
Armenews.com
Sukhudian a de nouveau été entendue par les enquêteurs mercredi au Ministère de l’Intérieur en présence de son avocat. Malgré on refus de répondre aux questions des enquêteurs, elle y a été retenue pendant deux heures et demi. « J’ai écrit une déclaration stipulant que je voulais prendre connaissance de l’ensemble du dossier avant de me prononcer sur les faits qui me sont reprochés », a-t-elle déclaré aux journalistes. >>