Month: February 2012

NICOLAS SARKOZY ORDERS NEW ARMENIAN GENOCIDE LAW

28 Feb 2012

President Nicolas Sarkozy has ordered his government to draft a new
law punishing denial of the Armenian genocide after France’s top
court struck it down as unconstitutional.

Mr Sarkozy was accused of pandering to an estimated 400,000 voters
of Armenian origin ahead of an April-May presidential election

Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their forebears were killed in
a 1915-16 genocide by Turkey’s former Ottoman Empire. Turkey says
500,000 died and ascribes the toll to fighting and starvation during
World War I.

France had already recognised the killings as a genocide, but the new
law sought to go further by punishing anyone who denies this with up
to a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros (£38,000).

However, the Constitutional Council labelled the law an
“unconstitutional attack on freedom of expression” and it said it
wished “not to enter into the realm of responsibility that belongs
to historians”.

Turkey quickly welcomed the ruling on the law which Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denounced as “tantamount to discrimination
and racism”.

Bulent Arinc, Turkey’s deputy prime minister, said on Twitter the
ruling “has averted a potentially serious crisis in Turkish-French
ties”.

Related Articles Turkey threatens to retaliate against France over
Armenian genocide bill 24 Jan 2012 Turkey attacks France over Armenian
‘genocide’ bill 24 Jan 2012 Israel discusses recognising Armenian
genocide 26 Dec 2011 Turkey accuses France of genocide in Armenia row
23 Dec 2011 Turkey and France in diplomatic row over genocide bill
22 Dec 2011 The decision “does not indulge political concerns,” Arinc
said after Mr Sarkozy was accused of pandering to an estimated 400,000
voters of Armenian origin ahead of an April-May presidential election.

The top court “gave a lesson in law to the French politicians who
signed the bill, which was an example of absurdity,” said Arinc.

Turkey’s EU Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis said France had averted a
“historical mistake”, and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called
the decision “an important step that will legally avert future
exploitations”.

However, Mr Sarkozy’s office quickly put out a statement saying the
president “has ordered the government to prepare a new draft, taking
into account the Constitutional Council’s decision.”

Mr Sarkozy noted “the great disappointment and profound sadness of
all those who welcomed with hope and gratitude the adoption of this
law aimed at providing protection against revisionism.”

After winning passage in the National Assembly and Senate, the law
was put on hold in January after groups of senators and MPs opposed
to the legislation demanded that its constitutionality be examined.

The groups gathered more than the minimum 60 signatures required to
ask the council to test the law’s constitutionality.

At least two ministers, Foreign Minister Alain Juppe and Agriculture
Minister Bruno Le Maire, had spoken out against the bill.

Ankara has already halted political and military co-operation with
France and had threatened to cut off economic and cultural ties.

Trade between the two states was worth 12 billion euros ($15.5 billion)
in 2010, and several hundred French businesses operate in Turkey.

Valerie Boyer, the MP from Mr Sarkozy’s party who proposed the bill,
said she was “sad but determined” following the council’s ruling,
noting that under French law it was a punishable crime to deny the
Holocaust.

“Today under French law there are two types of victims and two types of
descendants of victims … Some are protected from revisionist acts
and some are not, and I think this is a serious double standard,”
Boyer said.

From: A. Papazian

PROCESSION TO TSITSERNAKABERD COMMEMORATING SUMGAIT VICTIMS

Panorama.am
29/02/2012

Twelve Armenian NGOs moved from Sport & Concert Complex to
Tsitsernakaberd, Memorial of Armenian Genocide victims, where a
monument commemorating victims of Sumgait slaughter in 1988 is erected.

The participants of the procession put flowers near the monument. The
initiative of the precession belongs to “Alert” NGO which was joined
by people who survived those massacres.

The participants of the procession complained that day commemorating
victims of Sumgait is defined by the state. Hrayr Ulubabyan, one
of the participants, said the National Assembly hasn’t yet assessed
those events appropriately.

“Massacres carried out in Sumgait and Baku should be defined as
Genocide,” he said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IRANIAN MP: IRAN TO REVISE POLICY TOWARDS NAKHIJEVAN

Panorama.am
29/02/2012

Iran should revise its policy towards Nakhijevan, Iranian arannews.ir
quotes Hossein Ebrahim, deputy chairman of Iran’s Mejlis committee
on national and foreign policy, as saying.

“This isn’t the only contract signed between Baku and Tel Aviv, but
in this respect Azerbaijan has become a center of hostility for Iran,”
Iranian MP said.

Developing the topic Hossein Ebrahim warned if Azerbaijan continued
its policy, Iran would exercise all the measures to neutralize it.

FARS news agency reported earlier that Azerbaijan’s anti-Iranian policy
was getting severe. “20 years ago when Azerbaijan lost its connection
with Nakhijevan in the aftermath of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict
over Nagorno-Karabakh, hundreds of cargos and buses drive through
Nakhijevan every day saving the territory from humanitarian disaster.”

ARE U.S. CLAIMS TO ARMENIA POSSIBLE?
Igor Muradyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 14:18:31 – 29/02/2012

It is hard not to notice the U.S. has not made any claim to Armenia for
the period of 1995-2011 for the development of its relations with Iran.

Americans were interested in a number of issues of the Armenian and
Iranian relations of a particular character and solved these issues
without any harm to Armenia. Moreover, the U.S. was also interested
in this to some extent in connection with hopes to create arenas for
American-Iranian contacts in the Armenian environment.

Armenia was one of the first countries where “alternative”,
practically, unofficial contacts between the representatives of
diplomatic and intelligence services of the U.S. and Iran were held.

In November-December 2001, the U.S. twice tried to pressure Armenia
for its relations with Iran. It is strange, and it does not fit into
the U.S. regional policy. Americans has not explained the essence of
their claims.

The political leadership of Armenia did not retreat since retreating
from scheduled steps in the Iranian direction, it would have been
deprived of important levers of foreign policy. Right after the
successful visit of R.Kocharyan to Iran, the U.S. ambassador said in
a private meeting with Armenian experts that the Armenian leadership
understood wrongly what the U.S. was striving for. Taking into account
that tense relations between Azerbaijan and Iran, lack of any relations
between Georgia and Iran satisfy the U.S., then only Armenia has not
intervened in the U.S. policy.

But the explanation of these attempts to make claims to Armenia means
to aspire to consistently pursue a policy of a new “new blockade” and
regional isolation toward Iran. If the U.S. has previously considered
Armenia mainly in the wake of the U.S.-Russian and partly U.S.-Iranian
relations, the new conditions of Armenia are increasingly viewed by
the U.S. in the light of the U.S.-Turkish relations.

It is characteristic that Americans and their European partners gave
up raising the issue on the Meghri “corridor”, stopped insisting
on the opening of some transport directions, and apparently, are
not interested in the construction of the Kars-Akhalkalak railway,
since the American policy supposes for geopolitical and political
isolation of Turkey. Great Britain considers the Iranian-Armenian
relations exceptionally proceeding from the security tasks of energy
communications.

Before making claims to Armenia, the U.S. should solve the issues of
large trade relations of Iran with Turkey, Azerbaijan and many other
countries. Besides, it would be absurd to repress the U.S. because
of Armenia since the Western community supports in economically and
there is no sense to undermine its economy.

From: Baghdasarian

RUTHLESS AND MINDLESS VOTING
HAKOB BADALYAN

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 11:03:42 – 29/02/2012

On February 29, the consideration of the draft law on 100%
proportional representation will be discussed in the parliament. The
Republican Party is against it, which means the OYP is against too.

Heritage and ARF Dashnaktsutyun support the bill, and a different
position of theirs would be strange because they are the authors of
the draft.

Gagik Tsarukyan lets the party members free in their choice and each
member should vote in accord with their conscience and mind, as member
of the parliamentary group of the party Naira Zohrabyan stated.

So, we find out there are also cases when the MPs don’t vote in accord
with their conscience and mind but under the pressure of someone else.

In other words, the party leader instructs the party members to vote
this or another way.

This situation is present not only within the BHP but also in all
other political forces of Armenia, especially those governmental. For
example, the Republican Party does not differ at all in this sense and
takes each step as Serzh Sargsyan says.

But in these cases, we cannot be sure that the MPs vote against their
conscience and mind. After all, MPs are also possible to have no
conscience or mind.

In general, the situation looks like a paradox when it is stated that
the leader of a party lets free the MPs to vote in accord with their
conscience and mind. Does it mean that if the party leaders want they
can force MPs a ruthless and mindless voting?

The issue on the lack of democracy within the parties is a priority in
terms of the lack of development of the system in Armenia, one of the
major vices of the political system when the parties fighting for the
establishment of democracy in the country, have not created democratic
mechanisms inside their own parties, and having a different opinion
means betrayal.

While, the party is a union of people with common values and ideas,
and not a sample forcing the same opinion to everyone and once out,
one will be punished.

The mechanisms of internal party democracy are seen among the
political unions in Armenia as attempts to intervene in the internal
affairs of the party. In other words, if there is no strong fist and
common behavior, the party can be destroyed from outside.

The same approach is present also in relation to the democracy of the
country when it is perceived as global treachery and a measure to
intervene in internal affairs of the country. In this context too, the
false idea on national unity is forced when any ideas on democracy and
rights are immediately assessed as an encroachment on the national
unity.

This situation in the parties and in the country makes clear the
prevalent thinking of the greater part of the Armenian parties
rendered them attaches of the Armenian ruling criminal-oligarchic
system even if these parties dwell on democracy, freedom of speech and
civil freedoms.

ARMENIAN EXPERT SAYS TURKEY BECAME HOSTAGE OF ITS POLICY

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 29, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 29, ARMENPRESS. After the ruling of the
Constitutional Council of France Turkey says it has won but in reality
it has become the hostage of its policy, Turkologist Ruben Melkonyan
told the reporters on Wednesday, stating that the recognition of the
Armenia Genocide is inevitable.

In his words, France has already given its political assessment to the
fact of the Armenian Genocide, recognizing it as undeniable reality.

The other issue is legislative field. “This ruling will promote the
growth of nationalism in Turkey. Members of the Constitutional Council
of France do not reject the fact of the Armenian Genocide but they
are against of giving it a legislative status,” he said.

Melkonyan noted that if frank legal approach exists the Constitutional
Council of France should have such ruling over the Holocaust too.

The Turkologist said in case the bill is circulated again, Turkey
will apply all the rest tools. He said Sarkozy will use the bill in
the pre-electoral period to show that he keeps his promise.

“Steps made by Turkey promote wider discussion of the Armenian Genocide
with it increasing the number of countries learning about this crime,”
he said.

ARMENIAN “ARMMONO” THEATRICAL FESTIVAL KICKS OFF

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 29, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 29, ARMENPRESS. “ARMMONO” tenth international
theatrical festival of mono performances will kick off on February 29
and last till March 5 in capital of Armenia, Yerevan. Deputy minister
of culture Arthur Poghosyan told the reporters today that the festival
has justified itself being accompanied with interesting developments.

“The festival is not being expanded from geographical point of view
but with its format as well. More than 50 mono performances have been
staged within the framework of the festival,” the deputy minister said.

The core of this year’s festival, like it has been earlier reported,
is the Lithuanian program. At the invitation of the minister of culture
of Armenia official delegation headed by the Lithuanian vice culture
minister Deividas Staponkus will arrive in Armenia.

“Mono performances are more complicated than common performances as
the audience sees the actor like in his/her palm,” honorary guest of
the festival, USSR people’s artist Regimantas Adomaitis said.

The festival will host a number of distinguished theatrical figures.

POGROMS OF ARMENIANS IN SUMGAIT IS A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 29, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 29, ARMENPRESS: Sumgait pogroms have remained in
past but Turkey and Azerbaijan continues such like policy till now,
co-author of the “Common Genocide: Sumgait, February 1988” film Marina
Grigoryan told the reporters today.

MP, another co-author of the film Larisa Alaverdyan said it is
necessary to give appropriate assessment to what happened in Sumgait
and present the legal consequences of it to the international
community. Alaverdyan noted that she is not going to reject her
statement put into circulation in the NA on recognizing all the
activities of Azerbaijan as genocide and subject that country to
responsibility. “Sumgait is a crime not only against Azerbaijani
Armenians or all Armenians, it is a crime against the whole humanity,”
the MP said. She said one cannot keep silence and wait till the truth
appears. Moreover, the false information spreads more rapidly.

Marina Grigoryan rated high Diaspora’s participation in the solution
of the issue. The potential of the Diaspora must also be used in
confronting the challenges.

Grigoryan offered to apply to the European Court of Human Rights on
behalf of the victims of Sumgait.

Within the framework of “Common Genocide” project starting from
November 2009 already four documentary films have been presented. Soon
another film will be presented about the forcible displacement of 27
Armenian-populated villages of Artsakh.

EXPERT SAYS NEW BILL TO BE PRESENTED IN FRANCE WILL BE APPROVED

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 29, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 29, ARMENPRESS: The Constitutional Council of France
recognized the bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide
unconstitutional, which was rather expected. Speaking to Armenpress
director of Oriental Studies Institute of National Academy of Sciences
Ruben Safrastyan said the decision was the result of pressures by
Turkey. “This decision has no sensible logic. There is no explanation
why the bill penalizing the denial of genocides does not correspond
to France’s Constitution,” Safrastyan stressed. He said the offer
of President of France Nicolas Sarkozy to draft a new bill was quite
expected but it would hardly be done before the elections.

If President Sarkozy be successive for the second time as well and
starts the process, it will be approved by the National Assembly
and the Senate and the Constitutional Council will not take such
responsibility any more.

MP OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF FRANCE VALERIE BOYER TO CONTINUE HER FIGHT

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 29, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 29, ARMENPRESS: The decision of the Constitutional
Council of France was a great disappointment not only for French
Armenians but French people fighting for human rights as well, MP from
the National Assembly of France Valerie Boyer wrote in her statement.

“Like any decision of the Constitutional Council, this one as well is
based on the comment of the Constitution but even if it is impossible
to appeal this decision, it must be considered very disputable,”
Boyer said, stressing that many Constitution experts consider this
bill constitutional but unfortunately their voice was not heard.

The French MP also stresses that the inequality France displays toward
the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide is inadmissible.

In her opinion the Constitution is being commented with discrimination,
thus a new bill should be drafted like President Sarkozy has
assigned. “This legislative process is very crucial for our country
and I am proud that I have participated in it in spite of pressures
I have been subjected to,” Boyer stressed.

The MP said the decision of the Constitutional Council is another
impediment which will force to focus efforts for continuing the fight.

“The pressures of a foreign state harm the greatness of France. As
to me, I will continue the fight till the end,” Valerie Boyer stressed.