2007 in Armenia

Events from the year 2007 in Armenia

Events

January

*January 1: The Armenian government detains citizen Vahan Aroyan for allegedly plotting a coup d'état against Armenian President Robert Kocharyan. The Association of Armenian Volunteers, a political opposition group, denounces Aroyan's detainment, saying the move is an attempt to silence dissidence. [cite news | url=http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/12/700B15C8-C42C-4041-927B-8FEF2818727B.html | title = Authorities Detain Suspect In Coup Probe | publisher = "RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty" | accessdate=2008-03-02]

*January 19: Hrant Dink, an Armenian-Turkish writer, is shot dead in Istanbul. Dink was convicted in 2005 of 'insulting Turkishness' in an article on Armenian-Turkish relations. [cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6279241.stm | title = Turkish-Armenian writer shot dead | publisher = "BBC" | accessdate=2008-03-02]

*January 20: A man named Ogün Samast is arrested in Samsun by Turkish authorities for killing Armenian-Turkish writer Hrant Dink. [cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6283477.stm | title = Hrant Dink murder suspect caught | publisher = "BBC" | accessdate=2008-03-02]

*January 24: Over 100,000 Turkish citizens, including those of Armenian descent fill the streets of Istanbul to mourn and mark the assassination of Hrant Dink, editor of the dissident newspaper "Agos". [cite news | url=http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=160286 | title = - | publisher = "Turkish Press" | accessdate=2008-03-02] [cite news | url=http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/F70690D7-38BE-4097-A008-CFBF3776310D.htm | title = Thousands attend Dink funeral | publisher = "Al-Jazeera" | accessdate=2008-03-02]

*January 31: Ross Wilson, the Ambassador of the United States to Turkey, says the Bush administration opposes a bill in the United States Congress that will recognize the Armenian Genocide, which the United States Government does not recognize. [cite news | url=http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/01/57355D7E-4809-42BE-AA39-9142FFA687D6.html | title = White House Opposes Resolution On Armenian 'Genocide' | publisher = "RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty" | accessdate=2008-03-02]

February

March

*March 9: Doğu Perinçek is found guilty of genocide denial by a Swiss district court, making him the first person ever convicted for denial of the Armenian Genocide by a court of law. [cite news | url=http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/front/detail/Turkish_politician_fined_over_genocide_denial.html?siteSect=105&sid=7603245 | title = Turkish politician fined over genocide denial | publisher = "swissinfo" | accessdate=2008-03-02]

*March 25: The Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan dies of a heart attack. [cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6493229.stm | title = Armenian PM dies of heart attack | publisher = "BBC" | accessdate=2008-03-02]

April

*April 16: The offices of the Prosperous Armenia political party in Yerevan are bombed. No one is killed and no one has claimed responsibility. [cite news | url=http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/4/DF90E859-DDDA-458A-91FB-0E9DCFEA0CA5.html | title = Blasts Hit Offices Of Armenian Pro-Presidential Party | publisher = "RFE/RL" | accessdate=2008-03-02]

May

*May 12: Voters in Armenia go to the polls to elect a new National Assembly of Armenia. [cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6648935.stm | title = Polls close in Armenian election | publisher = "BBC" | accessdate=2008-03-02]

June

July

*July 2: The trial over the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink opens in Istanbul, Turkey. [cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6259762.stm | title = Dink murder trial opens in Turkey | publisher = "BBC" | accessdate=2008-03-02]

August

eptember

October

*October 11: Turkey recalls its ambassador to the United States due to anger over an upcoming House of Representatives vote on recognizing the Armenian Genocide. [cite news | url=http://edition.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/11/us.turkey.armenians/index.html | title = Turkey recalls ambassador over genocide resolution | publisher = "CNN" | accessdate=2008-03-02]

*October 25: Supporters of a U.S. congressional resolution condemning the Armenian genocide drop calls for a vote. [cite news | url=http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/10/25/us.turkey/index.html | title = Vote on Armenian 'genocide' resolution put off | publisher = "CNN" | accessdate=2008-03-02]

November

December

Deaths

*January 19: Hrant Dink, 52, editor, journalist and columnist, shot.
*March 25: Andranik Margaryan, 55, Prime Minister since 2000, heart attack.
*May 16: Gohar Gasparyan, 83, soprano opera singer.
*August 14: Jirair S. Hovnanian, 80, home builder.

References