Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 29.11.2019:

·       Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s has challenged Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, world-renowned American Armenian musician Serj Tankian, and businesswoman Kim Kardashian of transferring $22-23 a month to the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund.

Serj Tankian and Alexis Ohanian have already accepted the challenge.

By the way, former Deputy Chief of Armenian parliament’s staff Arsen Babayan who is persecuted now said he also decided to join the challenge.

“I challenge SIS investigator Vazgen Avetisyan who launched illegal criminal persecution against me and illegally arrested me, judge Farkhoyan who kept me in prison for 22 days as political hostage and SIS chief Sasun Khachatryan who headed all these illegalities,” he noted.

The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund has held its 22nd annual telethon under this year’s slogan, “To my beloved Armenia…Water and Sun for Communities.” A total of $9,856,000 have been raised, while in 2018, $11,109,633 were raised.

·       The preventive measure selected for former chief of the Compulsory Enforcement Service of Judicial Acts of Armenia Mihran Poghosyan in Russia has been lifted, as reported the Public Relations Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Armenia.

Earlier, the Prosecutor General’s Office had reported that, as a result of cooperation between the Armenian and Russian Prosecutor Generals’ Offices, on April 23, a Russian court had granted the motion of the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office to remand Mihran Poghosyan for 40 days in order to consider the issue of his extradition to the Republic of Armenia.

·       One person was arrested as a suspect in the criminal case initiated on the cases of illegal adoption of children in Armenia, official representative of Investigation Committee Naira Harutyunyan wrote on Facebook.

The resident of Yerevan is suspected of organizing trafficking of two children, she said, adding that they will provide additional information.

Earlier, Armenia’s National Security Service issued an official statement in November revealing numerous cases of illegal adoption of children by foreigners that have been revealed in Armenia.

Two Armenian citizens, using their contacts, has organized the adoption of more than three dozen Armenian citizen children by Italian nationals, the NSS press service reported.

·       A middle-aged man tried to set himself on fire in front of the Armenian government building, the Ministry of Emergency Situations reported.

According to him, the man claimed to have done business but was deceived.

"They deceived me, I did business, I paid taxes and dues, and, eventually, the banks deceived," he told reporters. “Former police officers, including the prosecutors, there is a ‘monster’ named Hrach Grigoryan, who was ‘untouchable;’ they couldn’t [do anything] on that man.”

Subsequently, the police took him to the police station in a police car.