19:39, 1 April, 2021
YEREVAN, APRIL 1, ARMENPRESS. The meeting between Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazian and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has kicked off in Moscow, ARMENPRESS reports press secretary of the MFA Armenia Anna Naghdalyan wrote on her Facebook page.
The meeting is in the sidelines of the session of the Foreign Ministers of the CIS member states.
19:48, 1 April, 2021
YEREVAN, APRIL 1, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov met with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov in the sidelines of the session of the Foreign Ministers of the CIS member states.
ARMENPRESS reports, citing the press service of the Russian MFA, the interlocutors discussed the implementation process of the agreements reached on November 9, 2020 and January 11, 2021, which mainly refer to the solution of Nagorno Karabakh’s humanitarian issues and unblocking of economic and transport infrastructures.
Meeting between the Russian and Armenian FMs is currently underway in Moscow.
Armenian, Russian FMs discuss unblocking region’s infrastructures
20:44, 1 April, 2021
YEREVAN, APRIL 1, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov met with his Armenian counterpart Ara Ayvazian in Moscow in the sidelines of the session of the Foreign Ministers of the CIS member states. ARMENPRESS reports, citing the press service of the Russian MFA, the sides discussed the implementation process of the agreements reached on November 9, 2020 and January 11, 2021 reached between the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan.
A special reference was made to the humanitarian rapid response issues in Nagorno Karabakh and unblocking of the economic and transport infrastructures of the region.
The Ministers exchanged views on the cooperation between Armenia and Russia, as well as referred to a number of international issues of bilateral interest.
Thursday, April 1, 2021
Prosecutors In No Rush To Seek First Asset Seizures
• Naira Bulghadarian
Armenia - An abandoned hotel complex in the resort town of Tsaghkadzor
nationalized by the Armenian government in 2019.
A senior prosecutor indicated on Thursday that Armenian law-enforcement
authorities will likely wait until the end of this year before trying to
confiscate assets of former officials suspected of illegal enrichment.
A controversial law enacted by the Armenian government last year allows
prosecutors to seek asset forfeiture in case of having “sufficient grounds to
suspect” that the market value of an individual’s properties exceeds their
“legal income” by at least 50 million drams ($95,000).
Courts can allow the confiscation of such assets even if their owners are not
found guilty of corruption or other criminal offenses. The latter will have to
prove the legality of their holdings if they are to retain them.
The politically sensitive process is handled by a special division formed within
Armenia’s Office of the Prosecutor-General last September.
The head of the division, Siro Amirkhanian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that
it has investigated more than 200 individuals and believes that at least five of
them had illegally enriched themselves or their families.
“There is already enough evidence to file lawsuits [against them] in courts,”
said Amirkhanian. He refused to name any of those individuals, saying only that
they are well-known figures.
Amirkhanian said his team is planning to appeal to new Armenian courts that will
deal only with corruption cases. The special courts are due to be established by
the end of this year.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has repeatedly portrayed the law on asset
forfeiture as a major anti-corruption measure that will help his administration
recover “wealth stolen from the people.” Pashinian has indicated his intention
to use it against the country’s former rulers and their cronies.
Opposition groups and figures, among them supporters of former President Serzh
Sarkisian, have condemned the law as unconstitutional and accused Pashinian of
planning a far-reaching “redistribution of assets” to cement his hold on power.
Sarkisian, several other former senior officials and their relatives are already
facing corruption or fraud charges rejected by them as politically motivated.
None of them has been convicted so far.
One former official, who used to run the Armenian customs service, decided to
“donate” a luxury hotel belonging to his family to the government in late 2018
to avoid prosecution on charges of illegal entrepreneurship and money
laundering. The government has repeatedly failed to auction off the property
which was valued at $15.8 million before the coronavirus pandemic.
Authorities Unfazed By Concerns About AstraZeneca Vaccine
• Narine Ghalechian
Vials labeled "AstraZeneca COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine" and a syringe are seen
in front of a displayed AstraZeneca logo, March 10, 2021.
Health Minister Anahit Avanesian said on Thursday that Armenian authorities will
start administering AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine later this month despite
lingering questions about its safety.
Armenia received on Monday the first 24,000 doses of the vaccine from COVAX
Facility, the World Health Organization’s global vaccine-sharing scheme. The
Ministry of Health said they will be made available to medical workers, care
home personnel, persons aged 65 and older as well as younger people suffering
from chronic diseases.
More than a dozen European countries halted use of the AstraZeneca vaccine last
month after reports linked it to a rare blood clotting disorder in a very small
number of people. Some of them, including Germany and France, resumed
inoculations after the European Union’s drug regulator said it is safe.
Avanesian said that there has been no scientific evidence of grave side effects
caused by the vaccine.
“We will use AstraZeneca and all other vaccines which are effective and meet all
safety requirements, according to the findings of international expert bodies,”
she told journalists.
“Some countries have temporarily stopped using a certain amount [of vaccine
shots] while others have again started doing that. There are also countries that
never refused [the AstraZeneca vaccine,]” she said.
Armenia -- Health Minister Anahit Avanesian speaks during a cabinet meeting in
Yerevan, March 11, 2021.
Avanesian said the Armenian health authorities will therefore start distributing
the vaccine to policlinics across the country on Monday. Policlinic medics are
already being trained to properly inoculate individuals eligible for the first
shots, added the minister.
The authorities are launching their first vaccination campaign amid what they
describe as a third wave of coronavirus infections that has overwhelmed Armenian
hospitals.
The Ministry of Health reported earlier on Thursday that 28 more people infected
with COVID-19 have died in the past 24 hours. It registered almost 1,100
single-day coronavirus cases.
Avanesian said that the hospitals will set up this week an additional 300 beds
for COVID-19 patients in need of intensive therapy. “Hospital beds are not
unlimited,” she warned.
Armenia -- Healthcare workers wearing protective gear are seen outside the Nork
Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Yerevan, June 5, 2020.
So far only several hundred people have been vaccinated against the coronavirus
in the country of about 3 million.
The Armenian government reportedly plans to buy 15,000 doses of the Russian
Sputnik V vaccine. It is also understood to expect more vaccine deliveries
through the COVAX scheme.
But the government has given no indications that it is planning to inoculate
most Armenians this year. Avanesian implied in February that people not included
in “high risk” categories of the population will have to pay for their
vaccination at private medical centers.
Armenian Parliament Approves Changes To Electoral System
• Naira Nalbandian
Armenia - The Armenian parliament debates amendments to the Electoral Code,
Yerevan, April 1, 2021.
The National Assembly approved on Thursday major amendments to Armenia’s
Electoral Code which some opposition parties say are aimed at helping Prime
Minister Nikol Pashinian win snap parliamentary elections expected in June.
The government-backed amendments passed in the first reading changed the legal
mechanism for electing the country’s next parliament.
Armenians have until now voted for not only parties and blocs but also their
individual candidates running in nationwide constituencies. In the last two
general elections, parliament seats were equally distributed among candidates
picked through national party lists and individual races.
The amendments backed by only pro-government lawmakers mean that the forthcoming
elections will held only on a party list basis.
Pashinian announced last week his administration’s decision to switch the
electoral system to a fully proportional one. He claimed that none of the two
opposition parties represented in the current parliament objects to that.
However, one of those parties, Bright Armenia (LHK), spoke out against changing
the electoral system.
LHK leader Edmon Marukian accused Pashinian and the ruling My Step bloc of
resorting to partisan gerrymandering when he spoke during a short parliament
debate on the proposed amendments. He said the authorities must not hastily
change the “rules of the game” less than three months before the anticipated
elections.
“I am officially declaring that from now on the legitimacy of the elections is
in doubt,” Marukian said. “With your new Electoral Code you are digging your
political grave. This will be your end.”
Marukian also said that earlier this year the parliament’s pro-government
majority drafted different amendments to the Electoral Code and sent them to the
Council of Europe’s Venice Commission for examination. “You have fooled the
Venice Commission,” he charged.
Ruben Rubinian, a senior My Step lawmaker, rejected the criticism. “Yes, the
rules of the game are being changed right before the elections, but they are
being liberalized,” he said.
Rubinian argued that Marukian himself advocated the abolition of individual
constituencies as recently as in 2018.
The other parliamentary opposition party, Prosperous Armenia (BHK), has not
publicly backed or opposed the amendments. BHK deputies did not take part in
Thursday’s debate and ensuing vote.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2021 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
By Emilio Luciano Cricchio
The US State Department has affirmed Turkey’s involvement in the Second Karabakh War in its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, noting that numerous human rights violations were committed against Armenians by Azerbaijan, “with Turkey’s backing.”
The report raised issue of the treatment of Armenian POWs, as well as other unlawful actions committed during the Second Karabakh War by Azerbaijan. These included arbitrary killings, torture, harsh prison conditions, and the killing of civilians.
The Country Reports on Human Rights Practices is an annual publication submitted by the United States Department of State to Congress. It looks into a whole range of rights areas, including individual, civil, political, workers, minority, women’s, and other human rights focus points.
The report cited a number of examples to substantiate its findings regarding the Karabakh War, including video footage showing two Armenian POWs being executed in the village of Hadrut in Nagorno-Karabakh, an Amnesty International report focused on two Armenian civilians who nn were decapitated by Azerbaijani servicemen, the bombing of a hospital in the town of Martakert, and the targeting of civilian areas and infrastructure in Stepanakert with cluster munitions.
Azerbaijan’s bombing of the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi, its targeting of journalists and press, including those from CivilNet and other international media outlets, also made it into the list.
The report furthermore lamented that the Azerbaijani government had not pursued prosecution for officials who committed abuses stating that “impunity remains a problem.”
03/31/2021 Turkey (International Christian Concern) – Footage has surfaced depicting Azerbaijani troops vandalizing St. Yeghishe Church in Nagorno-Karabakh (Armenian: Artsakh). The video, originally posted by Armenia’s Human Rights Defender, Arman Tatoyan, shows the men defacing items inside the church and mocking the faith as they enter the building.
The Turkish flag can be seen on the Azeri servicemen’s uniform as well, indicating the involvement and rhetoric from both countries. Tatoyan expanded on this idea saying, “the state-supported hatred and enmity toward Armenia and the Armenian people not only has not diminished in Azerbaijan or Turkey, but due to lack of any responsibility, it is taking on new manifestations.” He cited Azeri President Aliyev’s comments in early March where he proudly stated, “the younger generation has grown up with hatred toward the enemy,” meaning Armenians. On the Turkish side, President Erdogan compared the Nagorno-Karabakh war with the Armenian Genocide and that the December military parade was a day for “glorifying the souls” of the Islamic army.
This vandalism is the third church in the past two weeks that has been abused, including St. John the Baptist Church in Shushi and the Zoravor Surp Astvatsatsin Church in Mekhakavan. According to reports, all vandalism actions were taken after the surrender of areas following the November 9 ceasefire.
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ANKARA, March 31 (Xinhua) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that he planned to visit the city of Shusha in the Nagorno-Karabakh region in May.
"We hope that we will celebrate another festival in Shusha as soon as possible when we visit it after Eid al-Fitr," Erdogan said via a video link.
Last November, Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders agreed on a ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Enditem
Fourteen years later, there is some resolution for the family of the assassinated Turkish-Armenian journalist, Hrant Dink.
But not enough.
“The judgment given today is quite far from the truth,” said the family in its official statement on March 26.
“Not the evil itself but its leakage was punished.”
In 2007, Dink was shot four times in front of the Istanbul office of his bilingual newspaper, Agos. A proponent of reconciliation between Turks and Armenians, he aroused official opposition through his passionate focus on the 1915 genocide. Two years earlier he had been arrested and convicted of “insulting Turkishness.”
The killer, a 17-year-old unemployed youth, was given a 23-year sentence in 2011.
But one week before his death, Dink had written an article stating he felt “like a pigeon,” targeted by the deep state “to make me know my place.“
Around 100,000 people attended his funeral, chanting, “We are all Armenians.”
Last week, the Turkish judiciary put 76 people on trial, convicting 26 and handing out 4 sentences of life imprisonment. Two were given to the former director of police intelligence and his deputy, for murder and the subsequent cover-up.
The family is not convinced this includes the entire “mechanism.”
“Some officials are still at large,” said Erol Önderoglu, the representative of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in Turkey.
“This partial justice … leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.”
RSF ranks Turkey No. 154 out of 180 nations in its 2020 index on respect for press freedom.
Soner Tufan, spokesman for the Association of Protestant Churches in Turkey, said the verdict was “not surprising.” It fits the pattern of accountability whenever a crime is directed at the Christian minority.
“There were so many connections to the murder, with penalty given only to some,” he said. “This is not real justice.”
Born, married, and buried in the Armenian Apostolic Church, Dink was also a member of the Gedikpaşa Armenian Evangelical church. At age 7, he and his two younger brothers were sent from rural Anatolia to be raised in its Istanbul orphanage.
“I praise the Lord for that church,” Dink told the United Armenian Congregational Church in Hollywood, California, in 2006. “To this day, I consistently apply what I learned there.”
Born in 1954, Dink helped build the church’s Tuzla summer camp in the 1960s. He met his wife, Rakel, at the orphanage, and together they raised their children while serving on the camp staff. In 1978, he took over leadership when the camp founder, Hrant Guzelian, was arrested on charges of “raising Armenian militants.”
For five years he kept the facility open, preaching on Sundays. But in 1983, the state confiscated the property, which became the site of luxury beachfront villas on the Asian side of Istanbul’s Marmara Sea.
“[This] left such a deep scar on the psyche of Hrant,” said Zaven Khanjian, executive director of the Armenian Missionary Association of America, in a 2015 speech commemorating both Hrants.
“[It] went on to be the driving force in his struggle for justice, for fairness, freedom of _expression_, minority rights, and true democracy for all Turkish citizens under Turkish law.”
The camp was returned to the evangelical church in 2015, after decades of pressure and lawsuits. Today, plans exist to rebuild a cultural center there for Armenian youth.
Khanjian’s friendship with Dink began only four months before his murder.
Armenian evangelicals, he said, received Dink with “total enthusiasm.” But in Turkey, there were no expectations the trial would bring closure.
“Since the premeditated genocide of Armenians living peacefully in their ancestral home,” said Khanijan, “justice has never seen the light of day in Turkey.”
Dink worked to make it so, respectful of all.
Agos, named after the Turkish and Armenian word used to describe the tilled soil where a seed can be planted, was the nation’s first bilingual publication. Dink founded it in 1996, as accusations stirred that the Armenian community was allying with the Kurdish PKK, designated a terrorist organization.
Created to forge solidarity between the two ethnicities, Agos advocated for neighborly relations between Turkey and Armenia, and in support of ongoing democratization.
Of the genocide, Dink shifted the discussion from an accusatory focus on raw numbers to an empathetic memory that recognized the trauma of the period for both sides. He received criticism from Armenians in the diaspora for his strong opposition to France’s law that criminalized genocide denial.
April 24 is Genocide Remembrance Day in Armenia and its worldwide diaspora.
Upon Dink’s assassination, journalist Robert Fisk labeled him the genocide’s 1,500,001st victim.
Early investigations into the assassination focused on the nationalist Ergenekon organization, suspected of linkage with Turkish security. Accused of plotting a coup in 2003, in 2013 hundreds of alleged members were imprisoned. Led by current president Recep Erdoğan’s AKP party, support was lent by the network of popular Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen.
Since then, the two allies have clashed. Gülen took exile in Pennsylvania, and his network was branded the FETO terrorist organization and accused of plotting the 2016 attempted coup. Hundreds of alleged members have been imprisoned.
At Dink’s trial, public prosecutors stated that the clues point to FETO involvement. A new case was opened against four defendants.
“The FETO link is the joke of the trial,” said Khanjian. “A ridiculous and comical end to 14 years of deceitful coverups.”
Dink’s family will appeal the verdict.
Meanwhile, the hearts of many Turks and Armenians go out to them.
“I’m so sad,” said Tufan. “How can his wife and family live here, waiting so long for justice, without result?”
But Rakel, his wife, is resolute.
“A climate and ideology similar to when Hrant Dink was murdered prevails today,” said the family statement. “We will never give up our legal struggle, until the whole mechanism is exposed.”