Author: Albert Nalbandian

Armenian penitentiary medical staff expanded their knowledge on documentation and reporting on cases of ill-treatment

Albert Nalbandian
Council of Europe
Sept 28 2021
ARMENIA 28 SEPTEMBER 2021

A total of 146 medical staff of the penitentiary system in Armenia completed the programme on prevention of ill-treatment in prisons. The training programme was tailored to professional needs of penitentiary medical staff in line with legal amendments recently introduced by the Ministry of Justice on reporting of allegations of ill-treatment cases in prison facilities.

 

As a result of the programme, participants strengthened their skills on recognition of signs, reporting on ill–treatment cases, recording of injuries, intervewing of alleged vicitms in order to ensure proper handling of the cases of ill-treatment in line with the Council of Europe and other international standards.

 

The programme was rolled out from 16 March to 26 September 2021 with ten two-day cascade sessions completed online and two sessions that were held in-person on 18-19 September in Tsaghkadzor and on 25-26 September 2021 in Aghveran.

 

Last two offline sessions were attended by the head and deputy head of the Prison Medicine Center, heads of the Prison Medicine Center subunits, as well as the representative of the Ministry of Justice and served as a forum for open discussion proving unified approach in documentation and reporting of ill-treatment case in penitentiary institutions. These sessions covered, inter alia, the development of skills on interviewing, psychological examination, and work with vulnerable groups.

 

The programme was organised under the framework of the project “Enhancing health care and human rights protection in prisons in Armenia” implemented by the Council of Europe and funded through the Action Plan for Armenia 2019 -2022.



Armenian FM, Bulgarian Ambassador highlight peaceful settlement of NK conflict within Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship

Albert Nalbandian

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 15:19,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan received today Ambassador of Bulgaria to Armenia Kalin Vasilev Anastasov, the ministry told Armenpress.

The officials in their remarks praised the rich agenda of the Armenian-Bulgarian relations and exchanged views on the expansion of cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

Ararat Mirzoyan and Kalin Anastasov highlighted the positive dynamics registered in commercial sector, the ongoing works for opening direct flights between the capitals of the two countries, as well as emphasized the role of the bilateral inter-governmental commission on economic cooperation for the further development of the partnership.

The Armenian FM and the Bulgarian Ambassador discussed also the further development of the Armenia-EU partnership and the cooperation within the Eastern Partnership.

The meeting also touched upon the current humanitarian problems facing Artsakh caused by the Azerbaijani aggression.

Both officials emphasized the necessity of the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Torchlight procession to be held in Stepanakert on Sunday

Albert Nalbandian
Panorama, Armenia
Sept 25 2021

A torchlight procession in memory of all those, who were martyred in the 44-day war, will be held in Stepanakert, Artsakh’s capital, on Sunday, September 26.

The march will start from the yard of St. Hakob Church. Before the procession, a requiem service will be held at the churchyard for the war dead at 6pm.

Afterwards, the participants will march to the Stepanakert Memorial to pay tribute to the fallen heroes. 

Holy Etchmiadzin: Requiem services to be held September 27 for fallen Armenian defenders

Albert Nalbandian
News.am, Armenia
Sept 25 2021
17:00, 25.09.2021

ECHMIADZIN. – Requiem services will be held on September 27 at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the diocesan-seat churches—and for the peace of the souls of the Armenian defenders who have fallen in the 44-day Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war last fall, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin informed.

The respective requiem service presided over by the Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II, will take place at the Saint Gayane Church in Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin).

Asbarez: St. Peter Armenian Church in Van Nuys Vandalized

Albert Nalbandian
by Ara Khachatourian

 

 

 

in Community, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

One of the shattered windows of the St. Peter Church in Van Nuys

BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN

The St. Peter Armenian Church in the San Fernando Valley was vandalized on Thursday, with an assailant observed shattering eight very rare stained glass windows of the church, located on 17231 Sherman Way in Van Nuys.

St. Peter parish priest Archpriest Fr. Shnork Demirjian said in a telephone interview the security footage revealed that at around 1:30 a.m. Thursday the assailant was clad in black and carrying a bag, put on a cap and with a baseball bat began breaking the stained glass windows, on the Sherman Way side of the compound.

Father Demirjian and the church board became aware of the vandalism in the early hours of Thursday and immediately informed the Los Angeles Police Department, which said it is actively investigating the incident. According to Father Demirjian, the police have categorized the incident as “vandalism.”

The Armenian National  Committee of America-Western Region strongly condemned the vandalism and called on law enforcement agencies to investigate.

“We call on the Los Angeles Police Department and other relevant law enforcement agencies to undertake a swift and thorough investigation to bring those responsible to justice,” remarked ANCA-WR Executive Director Armen Sahakyan. “This act of vandalism is especially concerning as we recently marked one year since the Armenophobic hate crimes that took place in San Francisco.”

“There is significant amount of stained glass implosion on the property,” said the church on its Facebook page on Thursday. “There has also been vandalism done to the sign of the neighboring church on our property. No one has been harmed.

“The Parish Priest and the Parish Council are taking immediate measures to secure and protect St. Peter Armenian Church,” added the church.

This is a developing story.




Armenia opposition MP not allowed to leave for Strasbourg to attend PACE session, fellow deputy doesn’t attend

Albert Nalbandian
News.am, Armenia
Sept 24 2021
Armenia opposition MP not allowed to leave for Strasbourg to attend PACE session, fellow deputy doesn’t attend
22:51, 24.09.2021

A little while ago, I found out that Judge Anna Danibekyan has rejected the appeal of deputy of the National Assembly of Armenia Armen Gevorgyan and has actually obstructed the participation of a member of the delegation of the National Assembly to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in the plenary session of the PACE. This is what secretary of the opposition “With Honor” faction of the National Assembly of Armenia, member of the Armenian Delegation to the PACE Hayk Mamijanyan wrote on his Facebook page, adding the following:

“In solidarity with my colleague, I declare that I also refuse to leave for Strasbourg. Taking into consideration the fact that the protection of our country’s interests on international platforms is above the low domestic political games of the authorities, I will participate in the plenary session of the PACE online.

I would like to remind that this isn’t the first case (no opposition MP has been a part of the delegations of the National Assembly of Armenia that leave for the Russian Federation for the same reason).

We will always find an option to support the national agenda and state interests abroad.”

Senator Menendez congratulates Armenia on Independence Day

Albert Nalbandian

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 12:01,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. US Senator Bob Menendez has addressed a video message congratulating Armenia on the Independence Day, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said.

The message says:

“It is an honor to be asked to address the Embassy of Armenia on this 30th Anniversary of Armenia’s Independence Day.

I understand that this message will be shared with the people of Armenia, so I’d like to speak to you directly.

I’d like to extend my best wishes as you observe this important milestone in your nation’s history, one made even more meaningful by the generations of Armenians who longed to see their vision of an independent Armenia realized.

It has been a long and arduous path for the people of Armenia as you struggle for freedom. You first bravely asserted your right to self-determination when the Armenian National Council declared independence in 1918, not long after Armenians joined together to resist the atrocities committed by the Ottoman Empire.

During the years of Soviet rule, you remembered the ideals that you set forth in establishing the First Republic of Armenia, a source of hope and you could once again secure a free and democratic homeland for your people.

You then voted overwhelmingly for independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, establishing a sovereign state that I am proud to stand by today as a partner and a friend. Armenians understand the importance of this history in attaining the long-sought goal of a homeland of your own.

I too believe in the importance of understanding our past as a means to inform the future. That is why I fought for many years to recognize the truth of the Armenian genocide a part of the Armenian experience denied by the descendants of those who perpetrated it.

After numerous attempts to overcome obstruction by my colleagues seeking too obscure the truth, I finally overcame this obstacle in the Senate in 2019. We recognize and in doing so, honored the victims of this tragic chapter in Armenian history. We declared “We remember” I was gratified when President Biden joined me in acknowledging the past earlier this year on Armenian Remembrance Day.

Here in the United States, we value immensely the contributions made by Armenian- Americans, with who we join in celebrating Armenian Independence Day.

In my home state of New Jersey, we are privileged to have a strong Armenian American community whose contributions I am immensely grateful for. The United States honors the robust participation of Armenian-Americans in all facets of our society and benefits from the rich culture that they share.

The United States values its relationship with Armenia, one that is founded on mutual respect and shared ideals.

On this Independence Day I want to thank you, the Armenian people for your enduring friendship.

Thank you, God bless you and happy Independence Day”.

Armenia commences proceedings against Azerbaijan over persecution and rights violations

Albert Nalbandian
JURIST
Sept 19 2021

Vishwanath Petkar | Paris II Panthéon-Assas U., MU
SEPTEMBER 19, 2021 01:40:39 PM

The Republic of Armenia on Thursday instituted proceedings against the Republic of Azerbaijan at the International Court of Justice, the United Nation’s top judicial organ, over alleged violations of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) by Azerbaijani authorities.

In its application, Armenia contended that “for decades, Azerbaijan has subjected Armenians to racial discrimination” and that as a result of such State-sponsored of Armenian hatred, Armenians have been subjected to systemic discrimination, mass killings, torture and other abuse. Armenia also alleged that these violations were directed at individuals of Armenian ethnic or national origin regardless of their actual nationality.

Armenia further claimed that such practices came into action following Azerbaijan’s aggression against the Republic of Artsakh and Armenia in September 2020, during which Azerbaijan committed grave violations of the ICERD. It also contended that even after the end of hostilities, following a ceasefire which entered into effect on 10 November 2020, “Azerbaijan continued to engage in the murder, torture and other abuse of Armenian prisoners of war, hostages and other detained persons”, and that Azerbaijan has continued to systematically destroy, erase and falsify Armenian cultural heritage in the region.

Through its application, the Republic of Armenia has requested the Court to take provisional measures “as a matter of extreme urgency” in order to “protect and preserve Armenia’s rights and the rights of Armenians from further harm, and to prevent the aggravation or extension of this dispute” until it is able to decide the dispute in the merits. This includes measures such as the return of all release immediately all Armenian prisoners of war and
hostages, measures to protect Armenian culture and dignity and an order to close the Military Trophies Park, which has been heavily criticized as an crude means of depicting Azerbaijan’s victory. Under Article 74 of the Rules of Court, “A request for the indication of provisional measures shall have priority over all other cases”.

The present dispute comes as a result of a Russian-brokered ceasefire on November 2020, following a six-week war that claimed more than 6,500 lives. The ceasefire was largely considered as a victory for Azerbaijan, as it gave theformerly Armenian-occupied territory back to Azerbaijan. The region had been a territory under dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan since the early 1990’s, owing to the fact that it was located within Azerbaijan but made up of a majority Armenian ethnicity population.

In a Communique, the Azerbaijani ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that it would launch its own legal proceedings against Armenia in relation to Armenian’s own systematic violations of CERD.

Two residents of Armenia’s Kotayk province end up in territory under Azerbaijani control

Albert Nalbandian
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 19 2021
, 12:26

 Less than a minute

Two residents of Kasakh community of Armenia’s Kotayk region turn off the highway while driving along the Goris-Vorotan road and ended up in the territory under Azerbaijani control.

The National Security Service (NSS) was alarmed about the incident on September 18, at 9 pm.

The NSS is working with the Federal Security Service of Russia to find them.

The results will be announced later.

Renaud Muselier: In the face of ongoing barbarism Armenians turn to the international law to defend their right to live in peace

Albert Nalbandian
Panorama, Armenia
Sept 17 2021

French politician Renaud Muselier, serving as President of the Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and former Member of the European Parliament (MEP), has commented on the case filed by Armenia against Azerbaijan before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).  

“I support Armenia’s case against Azerbaijan filed at the International Court of Justice. Mass killings, torture, the use of chemical weapons and continuous border violations cannot go unpunished.

In the face of the ongoing barbarism, Armenians appeal to the international law, institutions, to defend their right to live in peace in Artsakh and Armenia. The Hague-based  International Court of Justice must now live up to this challenge, and face with dignity the Aliyev-Erdogan axis alongside the Armenians calling on it!” Muselier wrote on his Facebook. 

As reported earlier Armenia filed a case at the ICJ accusing Azerbaijan of violating the international treaty on racial discrimination.