Month: April 2016

On 14 April NKR President Bako Sahakyan was present at the Republican Divine Liturgy served by Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I at Shushi’s Ghazanchetsots Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Chairman of the NKR National Assembly Ashot Ghoulyan, Prime Minister Arayik Haroutyunyan, other high-ranked official, representatives from Armenia and Diaspora were present at the event.

On Sunday, April 24, 2016 from 2-4 pm, thousands of devoted Armenian-Americans and their friends and supporters will gather in Times Square to commemorate the first genocide of the 20th Century, The Armenian Genocide (Medz Yeghern). In recognition of Genocide Awareness Month (April), Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah) will also be commemorated, as well as other genocides that have occurred since then.

The theme of the Armenian Genocide Commemoration is “Truth, Recognition, and Justice.”  This historic event will pay tribute to the 1.5 million Armenians who were annihilated by the Young Turk Government of the Ottoman Empire and to the millions of victims of subsequent genocides worldwide. Speakers will include civic, religious, humanitarian, educational, cultural leaders, and performing artists. This event is free and open to the public. Attorney R. Armen McOmber will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

Dennis R. Papazian, PhD, past National Grand Commander of Knights of Vartan and Founding Director of the Armenian Research Center at the University of Michigan-Dearborn affirms the Armenian Genocide. “These killings, which were labeled “crimes against humanity and civilization” at the time, exactly fit the definition of the word genocide, which was coined by Raphael Lemkin, a Polish-Jewish lawyer in 1943,” explains Papazian. “It is only proper to bring the terminology up to date and apply the international laws for genocide to the Armenian case.”

Papazian headed the Armenian Assembly of America in 1975, when a non-binding resolution recognizing the mass killings of Armenians as genocide, passed through Congress.  On April 22, 1981, then-President Ronald Reagan issued Proclamation #4838 that summoned Americans to commemorate the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camps. The proclamation stated, “Like the genocide of the Armenians before it, and the genocide of the Cambodians which followed it—and like too many other persecutions of too many other peoples—the lessons of the Holocaust must never be forgotten.”

Papazian further observes that President Barack Obama used the Armenian phrase “Medz Yeghern” (“Great Crime”) in his annual April 24 proclamation issued on Armenian Remembrance Day, words which the Armenians use as the equivalent of their genocide. “But the U.S. position is kept slightly ambiguous since our country fears alienating Turkey, an important and unpredictable country in the Middle East,” he adds.

“In the long run,” stresses Papazian, “it is Turkish recognition of the Armenian Genocide which is crucial, since Turkey is the responsible successive government of the Ottoman Empire. In recent years there have been some positive developments among progressives. Examples of progressives are Turkish intellectuals, including the grandson of one of the chief perpetrators; so it is within the realm of possibility that Turkey itself will recognize the Armenian Genocide and make some sort of restitution,” he concludes.

The 101^st Commemoration is organized by the Mid-Atlantic chapters of the Knights & Daughters  of Vartan (), an international Armenian fraternal organization headquartered in the United States, and co-sponsored by the Armenian General Benevolent Union (), the Armenian Assembly of America (),  the Armenian National Committee of America (),  the Armenian Council of America, and the Armenian Democratic League (Ramgavar Party).

Participating organizations include the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, Prelacy of the Armenian Church of America, Armenian Missionary Association of America, Armenian Catholic Eparchy for U.S. and Canada, the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA), the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF-YOARF), several Armenian youth organizations and university and college Armenian clubs.

About 300 people demonstrated in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Wednesday April 13 to protest the aggression initiated by Azerbaijan against the people of Nagorno Karabakh, reports.

“This happened days ago in Buenos Aires and Cordoba, in Argentina. It will replicate in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and has happened in all other major capitals of the world,” said Federico Waneskahian member of Armenian National Committee of Uruguay, to EFE agency.

“This will keep happening if measures are not taken to punish and define clearly who is the aggressor in this case and condemn the aggression of Azerbaijan,” he added.

The demonstration was attended by Tourism Minister Liliam Kechichian, Senator Ruben Martinez Huelmo, Deputy Daniel Radio and former Vice Chancellor Belela Herrera.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay issued a statement days ago in which they expressed a “serious concern” over the matter and urged the parties to “respect the cease-fire and end hostilities.”

Following the debate in the European Parliament, two members of Parliament (MEPs) from two different political groups – Salvatore Pogliese and Remo Sernagiotto – that could not participate in Tuesday’s debate on Nagorno-Karabakh, have tabled a written question to Federica Mogherini, EU High-Representative/Vice-President.

In the document, they underline that the Azerbaijani attacks “are accompanied by gross violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, particularly the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977, and the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child.” They especially deplore civilian victims of the conflict, saying that “Civilian infrastructures and civilian population have been the main targets of the Azerbaijani offensive. In particular, among the first victims was a 12-year-old boy. In addition, cases of mutilation, execution and torture of civilians have been registered and documented.”

They conclude by asking Ms Mogherini if she is going “to propose sanctions to be taken against Azerbaijan, given the breaches of the above-mentioned international law and the very basis of the EU-Azerbaijan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement”. Lastly, they ask for EU’s support to “the OSCE Minsk Group proposal on the creation of a cease-fire violations monitoring mechanism, to avoid continuous breaches of this only self-regulated truce in Europe.”

European Friends of Armenia () welcomes this initiative. “Written questions are an important tool of oversight, including also EU’s foreign policy” comments EuFoA Director, Mr Eduardo Lorenzo Ochoa. “More than 6 questions have been tabled on the different hostilities that Nagorno-Karabakh has suffered in the last 12 months, which shows the deep concern of the House on this matter”.

According to the European Parliament’s rules of procedure, written questions must be answered within 6 weeks of their submission.

MEP Pogliese is member of the EPP group, the largest group in the European Parliament. MEP Sernagiotto is member of the ECR group, the third biggest group in the Parliament.

EU-Turkey cooperation on migration should be uncoupled from the EU accession negotiating process, say MEPs in a resolution voted on Thursday. MEP praise Turkey for hosting the largest refugee population in the world, and note that it remains a “key strategic partner for the EU” but nonetheless call for progress on rule of law and fundamental values and “a structured and more frequent political dialogue on key thematic issues”.

“The overall pace of reforms in Turkey has not only slowed down but in some key areas, such as freedom of expression and the independence of the judiciary, there has been a regression, which is particularly worrying”, said rapporteur Kati Piri (S&D, NL). In this report “we also express our concern about the escalation of violence in the southeast of Turkey, which caused almost 400,000 people to leave their houses,” she added.

“Outsourcing the refugee crisis to Turkey is not a credible long-term solution to the problem”, say MEPs who add that “it is crucial to put in place safe and legal routes for refugees”. They believe that the EU-Turkey Joint Action Plan on refugees and migration management should be implemented immediately, but only as “part of a comprehensive cooperation agenda based on shared responsibility, mutual commitments and delivery”. Furthermore, “EU-Turkey cooperation on migration should not be linked to the calendar, content and conditionality of the negotiation process”. “Only a political solution to the Syrian crisis can provide a lasting response to this humanitarian crisis”, says the text.

The resolution was passed by 375 votes to 133, with 87 abstentions.

Serious backsliding on fundamental freedoms

MEPs urge Turkey to act against intimidation of journalists in all its forms, condemn its violent and illegal take-over of several newspapers including Zaman most recently and highlight its serious backsliding, over the past two years, on freedom of speech, expression and opinion, both on-line and off-line.

To match the EU’s commitment to the rule of law and fundamental values, which are core European values, reforms of the judiciary and fundamental rights and of justice, freedom and security are urgently needed in Turkey, says the text.

Kurdish peace process

MEPs call for an immediate ceasefire in southeast Turkey and the resumption of the peace process. They urge the Turkish government to shoulder its responsibility to resume negotiations for a negotiated, comprehensive and sustainable solution to the Kurdish issue. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), on the EU’s list of terrorist organisations, should lay down its arms, abandon terrorist tactics and use peaceful and legal means to voice its expectations, they add.

Cyprus reunification talks

Welcoming the considerable progress made in the Cyprus reunification talks, MEPs pledge support for the evolution of the Republic of Cyprus into “a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality between the two communities and equal opportunities for all its citizens”. They urge both parties to implement all agreed measures without further delay, emphasing that non-settlement of the Cyprus issue affects the development of EU-Turkey relations.

Cyprus’ Armenian community has expressed optimism that the Armenian Genocide will get international recognition very soon, its representative Vartkes Mahdessian, said at the Cyprus Parliament on Thursday, reports.

Addressing Parliament, and referring to the 101 years since the Armenian Genocide took place, Mahdessian stated that thus far 29 countries have recognised it, eight coming in 2015.

According to Mahdessian, 2015 was a pivotal year for Armenians, since new dynamics were created to raise awareness among public opinion.

In addition five countries have criminalised the denial of recognition of the Armenian Genocide, opening new paths for Armenians, outlined Mahdessian.

The Armenian community’s representative underlined the fact that Cyprus was the first European country, and second in the world, to recognise the Armenian Genocide by a Parliament resolution and also passed a law criminalising its denial.

Mahdessian closed by saying that Armenians “stand by the Cypriots` side and show solidarity in their efforts to reunite the island,” divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion.

 

– A pride of starving lions on the brink of death are being nursed back to health after being freed from their tiny cages in which they were slowly being driven mad, thanks to the generosity of MailOnline readers.

For the first time in their miserable lives, lioness Mary and her two cubs Zita and Geeta padded tentatively into more space than they had ever known when they were released into purpose-built compounds in the Caucasus Mountains, constructed with £30,000 of donations.

Finally they had room to move, to stretch, to see beyond the single row of steel rods which imprisoned them in what was nicknamed ‘the saddest zoo in the world’ in Armenia.

The cuts on their heads – suffered from repeated banging against the bars and sides of their prison – are now gone.

Mary has piled on a massive 100lb in weight since January and her ribs no longer protrude through her thick, glossy coat.

And their eyes shine bright thanks to good food, added vitamins and a love they have never experienced before.

MailOnline’s story of their suffering in cramped, filthy cages built from truck containers touched the hearts of readers worldwide.

Alan Knight OBE, the CEO of East Sussex-based animal welfare charity International Animal Rescue (IAR), said in all his years of fundraising he had ‘never known of such a swift response’ to an appeal for help.

But while the lions are safe and will never endure such suffering again, more money is needed to get them to the end of their journey: England.

IAR needs to raise an estimated £15,000 to fly them home while the UK’s The Nature Foundation is appealing for more than £200,000 to construct an enclosure in a Peak District sanctuary where the lions can live out their days in peace.

But so much has changed for the beautiful lionesses already. When MailOnline reported their plight in January, there were fears that any help would come too late because the wheels of animal charities can often turn with sclerotic – and lethal – slowness.

Mary, seven, and cubs Geeta, four, and Zita, two, were among the seven residents of the private zoo that had fallen into decay and squalor in the city of Gyumri – the place where the family of Armenian-American superstar Kim Kardashian and her sister Khloe stem from.

Bears Masha and Grisha from the same zoo were taken under the wing of Libearty Sanctuary in Romania, funded by Foundation Brigitte Bardot, where they are now being cared for under the auspices of the Armenian government’s Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets.

Moscow’s Zamoskvoretsky District Court on Thursday sentenced prominent Armenian businessman Levon Hayrapetyan to 4 years in prison for embezzlement of $700,000, reports from the courtroom.

Hayrapetyan was found guilty of stealing $700,000 from the mother of former Bashkortostan senator Igor Izmestyev sentenced to life for terrorism.

According to investigators, the businessman has misled the woman by promising a reduced sentence for her son. In practice, he could not influence the judgment.

A prosecutor earlier asked the court to sentence Hayrapetyan to 7 years in jail and to collect from him 20.8 million rubles ($316,000) in damages in favor of the victims.

The businessman has pleaded not guilty. According to his lawyer, the case has been framed up.

Hayrapetyan also stands charged with involvement in an embezzlement case under which Ural Rakhimov, son of the former head of Bashkortostan Murtaza Rakhimov, sold Bashneft, a midsized oil company he headed for three years, to the oil-to-telecoms conglomerate Sistema in 2009 at a huge “discount” of $500 million.

Airapetyan holds dual citizenship, has assets abroad and was until recently living in Monaco. Prosecutors presented this information as grounds for arrest. In early October 2014, Airapetyan was placed under house arrest. His defense attorney asked the court to release him, citing health problems.

Amenia’s Nazik Avdalyan won the European Weightlifting Championship in the women’s 69 kg category with a total result of 237 kg.

Nazik lifted 105 kg in the snatch and 132 kg in the clean & jerk.

She dedicated the victory to the all Armenian soldiers fighting in Karabakh.

Two other Armenian weightlifters Andranik Karapetyan and Tigran Martirosyan won gold and silver respectively in an all-Armenian competition for the European title.

The European Weightlifting Championships are under way in Norway.

 

 continues its annual Armenian Genocide commemoration campaign in various Massachusetts cities during the month of April with digital billboards dedicated to the 101st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The first billboard “double-themed” went up in Foxboro on April 2 near Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots.  The first screen is a group Photo of Armenian orphans who survived the genocide.  Its bright yellow text says: “1.5 million victims. 150,000 Orphans.”  The letter O was replaced by a bouquet of yellow roses.  The follow-on screen says: “In Remembrance of the Victims of All Genocides, 101st Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.” The floral background with forget-me-not flowers represents the demanding eyes of the victims screaming for recognition and justice.

“On April 24, 2015 at the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide memorial in Yerevan, I participated in the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.  I witnessed Armenian children presenting a yellow rose to each of the many foreign leaders and dignitaries, including French President Francois Hollande, Russian President Vladimir Putin, the presidents of Serbia and Cyprus.  Together they placed their roses into the main Centennial wreath.

It would have been wonderful to see the U.S. president himself in attendance, placing a rose in memory of the 1.5 million Armenian Christian victims of 1915 to 1923.  Unfortunately, President Obama has yet to make good on his widely-publicized 2008 campaign promise to formally acknowledge the Armenian Genocide,”  said Daniel Varoujan Hejinian, president and founder of Peace of Art, Inc.

Since 1996 Hejinian has been sponsoring the Armenian Genocide Awareness billboards campaign, and this project was taken over in 2003 by Peace of Art.  While in the past the constant message was “Recognize the Armenian Genocide,” this year the message is of remembrance.  The Centennial memorial wreath and its central floral bouquet, constructed rose by rose by world leaders, served as our visual inspiration.

“Despite the bitter rain, cold, and body-piercing wind in Yerevan on April 24, the children of the free and independent Armenia stood as honor guards, paying the world’s respects to the memory of the victims and survivors of the Armenian Genocide.  Images of the youngest victims of that genocide resurfaced before my eyes; thousands of defenseless and frightened beings, screaming FORGET ME NOT…” said Hejinian.

In 2015, Peace of Art, Inc. launched its Centennial genocide awareness billboard campaign, “100 Billboards for 100 Years of Genocide,” in the U.S. and Canada to commemorate not only the victims of the Armenian Genocide but also the victims of all genocides.