Glendale Armenian convicted for shipping vacuum pump equipment to IranJuly 8, 2011 - 10:54 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A 59-year-old Glendale man was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for his role in shipping vacuum pump equipment that could be used in nuclear projects to Iran. Jirair Avanessian was accused, along with two other Iranian men, of violating a trade embargo and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act for smuggling the specialized vacuum and pump equipment via a free-trade zone in the United Arab Emirates, according to an indictment. He pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charges last year. Avanessian was also accused of laundering more than $500,000 from the scheme, using international money transfers to his U.S. bank account, Glendale News-Press reported. Avanessian, who has a degree in chemical sciences, was arrested at his Glendale home in January 2010. In sentencing Avanessian, the federal judge reportedly acknowledged that the defendant may not have had nuclear ambitions, but that he did knowingly violate international trade laws.   Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.   Partner news |  Latest news Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims  Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide.Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed.Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham).Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |
