LOS ANGELES, SEPTEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN - ARMENIANS TODAY. The decision of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled that the California law on the payment of compensation sums to heirs of the Armenian Genocide victims is anticonstitutional, does not cover the process launched by filing a lawsuit against AXA, a French life insurance company, the RA Ministry of Justice reported. The Ministry of Justice has completed its part of the process of receiving applications concerning the lawsuit against AXA: since mid 2007 the ministry has provided legal advice, prepared claims and sent them to the following address: Kurkijian and Ouzounian v. AXA Settlement Administrator AXA Settlement Fund 900 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 614 Los Angeles, CA 90017. Within the established period, all the claims submitted to the Ministry of Justice were sent to the regulatory commission until January 7, 2008. In accordance with the applications sent, the fact of being (not being) recognized an heir will be approved by a court decision. Executive Director of AXA's regulatory commission B. Gartalian apologized for the extension of the deadline, noting that upon the end of the legal procedure (according to him, it will finish by the end of 2009), they will immediately enter into correspondence with the claimants - without the mediation and knowledge of the RA Ministry of Justice. The claimants will receive letters informing them whether their claim was sustained or not and about the amount of compensation.

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