Author: Andranik Taslakhchian

Armenia cannot but worry about Turkey’s aggressive expansionist policy

Andranik Taslakhchian
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 14 2020

In recent years, the ongoing instability and crisis situations in the region pose threats and risks both to the security of Armenia and to Armenian communities in the Middle East, Adviser to the Foreign Minister Ruben Karapetyan said in an interview with Russian Riafan.ru.

Therefore, he said, we cannot but worry about Turkey’s aggressive expansionist policy, which is aimed at open confrontation in different parts of the region and thereby exacerbates the already extremely aggravated situation in the region, further destabilizing it.

“Information on the training of Syrian militants on the territory of Azerbaijan to participate in hostilities against Armenia and Artsakh is a vivid example of this. Taking into account the precedents of Azerbaijan’s use of extremists and Turkey’s export of terrorists to various regions, we take such a threat very seriously,” Karapetyan said.

“For many years, Armenia has been raising this issue both on international platforms and in the format of bilateral discussions with our partners. We have repeatedly warned about the catastrophic consequences of this policy, especially after the April 2016 aggression, when Islamic State militants and radicals from Turkish nationalist groups were thrown against the civilian population of Karabakh,” he added.

The diplomat noted that as a responsible member of the international community, Armenia is committed to de-radicalization in the region.

“We have called and will continue to call for more decisive measures to prevent the spread of radicalism and extremism in the region, especially when the use of terrorists serves as a means of achieving the political goals of individual states or their leaders,” Karapetyan stated.


Three new judges elected to Armenia’s Constitutional Court

Andranik Taslakhchian
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 15 2020


<img width=”1200″ height=”675″ src=””https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/xConstitutional-Court.jpg.pagespeed.ic.OscSKwRLdF.jpg” class=”attachment-full size-full wp-post-image” alt=”” srcset=”https://en.armradio.am/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/xConstitutional-Court.jpg.pagespeed.ic.OscSKwRLdF.jpg 1200w, 300w, 1024w, 768w, 390w” sizes=”(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px” data-pagespeed-url-hash=”1592147778″/>

The Armenian National Assembly voted today to elect three new judges to the Constitutional Court.

Yervand Khundkaryan was nominated by the General Assembly of Judges, Arthur Vagharshyan and Edgar Shatiryan were nominated by the President and the Government respectively.

The two opposition factions – Prosperous Armenia and Bright Armenia – did not participate in the voting.

The seats were left vacant after the National Assembly voted unanimously in June to pass a bill on Constitutional amendments.

The judges who had not yet completed a term of office of 12 years stayed in office until completion of this term, while the tenure of the three judges who had already served a term of 12 years were terminated.

It was earlier planned to hold a referendum on Constitutional amendments, but it was cancelled because of the state of emergency declared due to the coronavirus pandemic.


Armenian commercial banks make certain reduction in deposit interest rates

Andranik Taslakhchian

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 16:30,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s Central Bank has information that some commercial banks have already started reducing the interest rates of deposits. In other words, new deposits are attracted at lower interest rates, CBA President Martin Galstyan told reporters today.

“As for the possible influence of the reduction of refinancing rate on the loans, it’s difficult to make any notifications, because, in fact, uncertainty still remains in the economy. In terms of restraining the risks banks can carry out various policies”, he said.

During today’s session the Board of the Central Bank of Armenia decided to reduce the refinancing rate by 0.25%, setting it at 4.25%.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Moody’s warns of crisis as it cuts Turkey’s debt rating

Andranik Taslakhchian 
Aljazeera
Sept. 14, 2020
Moody's warns of possible balance-of-payments crisis as it cuts Turkey
debt rating deeper into junk.
by Sydney Maki, Netty Ismail and Cagan Koc Bloomberg
Turkey had its debt rating cut deeper into junk by Moody's Investors
Service, which warned of a possible balance-of-payments crisis in
assigning the lowest grade it's ever given to the country.
The sovereign credit rating was cut to B2, five levels below
investment grade and on par with Egypt, Jamaica and Rwanda. The
company kept a negative outlook on the rating, saying fiscal metrics
could deteriorate faster than currently expected.
"Turkey's external vulnerabilities are increasingly likely to
crystallize in a balance-of-payments crisis," London-based Moody's
analysts Sarah Carlson and Yves Lemay said in a report Friday.
Moody's, which last downgraded Turkey more than a year ago, now ranks
it one level lower than S&P Global Ratings and two notches below Fitch
Ratings. Turkey held an investment-grade score from two of the three
major credit assessors prior to the July 2016 coup attempt against
Presidet Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkey's standing with investors has suffered as Erdogan pursued an
approach that prioritized growth above all else. The reliance on
credit stimulus has exposed the vulnerabilities of the $750 billion
economy and came at the expense of inflation and currency instability.
Turkey's credit-default swaps, local-currency debt and the lira have
been the worst performers in emerging markets this quarter. The nation
has spent its foreign-exchange reserves faster than any other major
developing economy this year, with state-run lenders intervening in
the market to support the lira as it slid to successive all-time lows.
The government's dollar bonds have returned 0.5% since end-December,
trailing the 2.4% gain across emerging-market sovereign debt,
according to Bloomberg Barclays indexes.
But authorities have shown little sign of backing away from the
unorthodox policies that are compounding an outflow of foreign
capital. Erdogan declared Turkey to be under "economic attack"
following Fitch's decision last month to revise the outlook to
negative.
Turkey's economy is on the rise and not dipping at the moment, but
"they are downgrading our ratings again," Erdogan said in Istanbul on
Saturday after the Moody's announcement. "Do what you want to do, your
ratings are of no importance."
Moody's rationale for its decision included concern about the level of
Turkey's foreign-currency reserves, growing dollarization and the
erosion of fiscal buffers, once a source of strength.
The rating company also warned that Turkey's return to growth after
this year's shock won't be enough "to offset the impact on the upward
debt trajectory of primary deficits of around 2% and an increasing
interest burden."
Other highlights from the report:
    The government debt burden is forecast to increase from 32.5% of
gross domestic product in 2019 to 42.9% in 2020 and then above 46% of
GDP in the coming years
    Reserves excluding gold have fallen more than 40% this year to
$44.9 billion as of Sept. 4
    If lenders' required reserves for lira and foreign-exchange
liabilities are netted out, net reserves "are now close to zero"
    Rising geopolitical risks "could be an accelerant for any crisis"
    While Turkey's recent gas finds may provide some relief to the
current account balance, Moody's said they are unlikely to come on
stream quickly enough to ease threats to Turkey's external accounts
"As the risks to Turkey's credit profile increase, the country's
institutions appear to be unwilling or unable to effectively address
these challenges," Moody's said.
Source: Bloomberberg

Armenia National Institute of Health to open chapter in Artsakh

Andranik Taslakhchian

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 13:00,

STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan received Armenia’s Healthcare Minister Arsen Torosyan on September 14 in Stepanakert.

The President told Torosyan that they are planning to ramp up healthcare spending to have free and high-quality medical services for all. In this context the President attached importance to deepening cooperation with Armenia’s Healthcare Minister and medical centers for involving experts and organizing continuous training for personnel.

He also thanked the Government of Armenia for donating ambulances to Artsakh’s health authorities, noting that the equipment is “an unprecedented gift for the Artsakhi healthcare system and will solve issues of vital importance.”

Torosyan welcomed the health reforms in Artsakh and said that the Government of Armenia will continue taking steps for supporting them. He said that the National Institute of Health of the Armenian Healthcare Ministry will soon open a branch in Artsakh where medical personnel will undergo training and specialty lectures.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

CivilNet: Survey: More Than 50% Respondents State that Their Economic Situation Has Worsened Since Covid-19

Andranik Taslakhchian
CIVILNET.AM

22:05

✓The International Committee of the Red Cross started dialogue with Armenia and Azerbaijan over the issue of an Armenian officer.
✓According to the newly released report by the Caucasus Research Resource Center, more than half of respondents perceive coronavirus as the main factor causing the economic crisis in their lives.
✓Rumours are spreading that Armenia’s Minister of Health, Arsen Torosyan has submitted a resignation letter.

The California Courier Online, August 20, 2020

Andranik Taslakhchian

1 –        Cautiously Optimistic about Success of
            Biden/Harris in Presidential Elections
            By Harut Sassounian
            Publisher, The California Courier
            www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2-         Armenia Sends Humanitarian Aid to Beirut, Welcomes Repatriates
3 –        Armenian Gov’t plans to end state of emergency, reopen
schools in September
4-         Letters to the Editor
5-         Commentary: Dismantling Dasaran: Armenian Minister of Education
            Undermines Award-Winning Armenian-Made Ed-Tech Solution

*****************************************
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1 –        Cautiously Optimistic about Success of
            Biden/Harris in Presidential Elections
            By Harut Sassounian
            Publisher, The California Courier
            www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

On November 3, 2020, the American public, including
Armenian-Americans, will vote for the next President of the United
States.

As to whom should we elect on Nov. 3 to be President and Vice
President is a highly controversial subject. There are strong and
passionate feelings for and against Biden or Trump, often expressed in
rude and offensive terms.

Given Pres. Trump’s pro-Turkishness; non-existent position on Armenian
issues; and his erratic behavior, I decided to vote for the
Biden/Harris ticket. In doing so, I am motivated not just by the
merits of their candidacies, but even more so by the failings of the
Trump/Pence duo. Therefore a vote for Biden/Harris is necessarily a
vote against Trump/Pence. Four years ago, I did not vote for either
Trump or Hillary Clinton, given my total disappointment with both
candidates. However, I cannot remain neutral this time around because
four more years of Trump would be the death knell of democracy in the
United States and American relations with the world. The United States
cannot continue to be held hostage by the minority of radical
right-wing U.S. citizens who form Trump’s base. Trump was saved in
2016 by the Electoral College, despite getting three million less
votes than Hillary Clinton.

As far as Armenian issues are concerned, given the Armenian
community’s disappointment with previous U.S. Presidents’ lavish
pre-election promises which they ignored afterwards, I am not
optimistic that what Biden/Harris are promising now will be fulfilled,
should they be elected. Nevertheless, we have repeatedly witnessed
Trump’s love affair with Turkey’s dictator Recep Tayyip Erdogan—which
is not about to end any time soon.

However, Turkish leaders are clever enough to woo Biden/Harris, if
elected, to their side as they have done to Trump and many other
previous presidents. This will be a critical battle between Turkish
and Armenian lobbyists which regrettably has been won repeatedly by
Turkey.

Presidential candidate Joe Biden and Vice Presidential candidate
Kamala Harris have clearly expressed their strong support for the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

In a letter to the Armenian National Committee of America on Sept. 16,
2019, Presidential candidate Biden stated: “The United States must
reaffirm, once and for all, our record on the Armenian Genocide. We
must never forget or remain silent about this horrific and systematic
campaign of extermination that resulted in the deaths of 1.5 million
Armenian men, women, and children and the mass deportation of 2
million Armenians from their homes. If we do not fully acknowledge,
commemorate, and teach our children about genocide, the words ‘never
again’ lose their meaning. The facts must be as clear and as powerful
for future generations as for those whose memories are seared by
tragedy. Failing to remember or acknowledge the fact of a genocide
only paves the way for future mass atrocities.”

While this is a very supportive statement, Biden has left out from his
text the name of the perpetrator of the Armenian Genocide: Ottoman
Empire or Turkey. Biden has a long record of supporting various
Armenian genocide resolutions as a U.S. Senator, but when he was Vice
President, President Barack Obama thwarted all efforts in Congress to
recognize the Armenian Genocide, breaking his multiple campaign
promises. Instead, Pres. Obama repeatedly used the term “Meds Yeghern”
(Great Crime) to describe the Armenian Genocide, which was copied by
Pres. Trump in the past four years. It is ironic that the two
Presidents disagree on almost everything, except for their agreement
to avoid the term Armenian Genocide.

Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris, as a U.S. Senator, sent a
letter to the Armenian Assembly on Sept. 16, 2019, expressing her
support for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Harris wrote: “I
am proud to be an original cosponsor of Senate Resolution 150, which
ensures that American foreign policy appropriately reflects and
acknowledges the horrors of the Armenian genocide. When it comes to
crimes against humanity, we can never be silent—we must always speak
uncomfortable truths about the past, lest we repeat it.”

Given the adoption of Armenian Genocide resolutions by the U.S. House
of Representatives and the U.S. Senate last year, Armenian issues are
no longer limited to the reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide. There
are several other important issues such as providing a larger amount
of foreign aid to Armenia and Artsakh, improving U.S.-Armenia
relations, supporting the independence of the Republic of Artsakh, and
pressuring Turkey to remove the blockade of Armenia. These are some of
the key issues that Armenian-Americans should demand that Biden/Harris
take a strong position on before they are endorsed for President/Vice
President.

Ali Chinar, President of Turkish Heritage Organization, wrote in the
Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah on August 12, 2020, describing Biden’s
negative views about Turkey:

“– He is against storing nuclear weapons at the Incirlik Air Base [in Turkey].

– He is against Turkey’s military operations in Syria and stated that
YPG/PKK was betrayed by the U.S.

– He made statements relating to concerns about freedom of the press
and human rights in Turkey.

– He emphasizes that, in collaboration with its allies in the Eastern
Mediterranean, Turkey must be isolated.

– He sides with Turkey’s withdrawal of Russian S-400 missiles;
otherwise, he demands sanctions.

– He has not made any statements about the Gülenist Terror Group
(FETÖ) or the extradition of its members to Turkey, and nothing was
done on the issue during his vice presidency.

– He criticized the decision to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

– He said that he would recognize the so-called Armenian genocide.”

Between now and the Nov. 3, 2020 Presidential election, there is much
more to be said in future articles about Biden and Trump and their
positions on Armenian and Turkish issues.

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2-         Armenia Sends Humanitarian Aid to Beirut, Welcomes Repatriates

            By Raffi Elliott

YEREVAN (The Armenian Weekly)—At least three planeloads full of
emergency supplies from Armenia have been delivered to Lebanon this
week, with most of the aid destined for the city’s Armenian
neighborhoods most heavily affected by the explosion that rocked
Beirut on August 4.

Thus far, the number of Armenian dead stands at 13, with at least 300 injured.

Aircraft chartered by the Armenian government unloaded 36 tons of
medical equipment, medicine, construction material, masks and
foodstuffs—including several boxes from Artsakh—on the tarmac at
Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport before returning to
Armenia with Lebanese-Armenian refugees looking to resettle in
Armenia.

According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs,
over 100 ethnic Armenians were ferried from Beirut to Yerevan aboard
the three relief flights. At least 300 Lebanese-born Armenians had
repatriated to Armenia in the days immediately before the explosion,
fleeing the worsening socio-economic situation which has rocked the
Mediterranean country for months.

High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan, who was in
Beirut as part of an Armenian government delegation to coordinate aid
delivery and refugee evacuation, estimates that several hundred more
Armenians have expressed a desire to repatriate to Armenia in the
coming months once personal matters are settled. Sinanyan announced
the Armenian government’s intention to assist them as well. “We’re
ready to help those who want to remain and will tell those who wish to
come to Armenia that the homeland is waiting for all Armenians with
open doors,” the High Commissioner said.

Notably, in contrast to previous evacuation efforts by the Armenian
government in war-torn Syria and Iraq, Sinanyan announced that
evacuation flights and resettlement packages to Armenia were open to
all Lebanese citizens and not limited to ethnic-Armenians. This
announcement was not universally well-received in Armenia. However,
political scientist Emil Sanamyan pointed out on Twitter that
Armenians would benefit from tolerance towards other cultures. “What
insular, xenophobic people around the world need to understand is that
best measure of success of your society is desire of others to be part
of it,” Sanamyan tweeted.

The Armenian Embassy in Beirut has facilitated the arrival of affected
people in Armenia, lifting visa and even passport requirements for
some. Annie Tarpinian, a repatriate from Beirut now living in Armenia
told the Armenian Weekly that her elderly mother Shoghig Vodalazian
lived in an apartment building directly across from the port in the
city’s now-obliterated Mar Mikhael neighborhood. “My mother’s building
was completely destroyed,” she said. “My mom’s survival was nothing
short of a miracle.” However, like many of the victims from the blast,
Mrs. Vodalazian lost virtually all her possessions, including travel
documents. Eleven people in her building were killed in the explosion
with 30 more in her neighborhood. Her daughters were initially
informed that their mother had also died in the blast. They were very
relieved to hear she had survived.

According to Tarpinian, the Armenian Embassy immediately arranged for
a seat for her mother—a Lebanese citizen with no legal status in
Armenia—on the first flight to Yerevan last Sunday morning, without
any paperwork. Her son-in-law was also allowed to accompany her to
Armenia at no expense before returning to Beirut several hours later
on the next humanitarian flight.

While grateful to the Armenian government for its decisive response,
the experience has nonetheless shaken Tarpinian and her mother. “When
I saw my mother at the airport in Yerevan, she was visibly disturbed,”
she recalled. Having since recovered from her mild physical injuries,
Mrs. Vodalazian continues to show some signs of lingering trauma,
being slow to respond, seemingly in a daze at times.

Several other survivors from Mrs. Vodalazian’s building were also on
the flight and were greeted by representatives of the Diaspora High
Commission and the Repat Armenia foundation. Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinyan announced that Armenian authorities had been conducting a
needs assessment study for those arriving in Armenia who have lost all
their possessions, being rendered effectively homeless in order to
facilitate their comfortable resettlement in Armenia. “Welcome to
Armenia, dear compatriots,” Pashinyan posted on Facebook, “We are
happy to receive all of you, and we’ll do everything possible to
organize the return of the citizens who want to return to Armenia.”

A relief fund established by the AGBU to assist those affected by the
blast has raised over $2 million in less than a week. “We have been
impressed by the surge of impressive contributions in less than one
week,” noted AGBU President Berge Setrakian. The Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (ARF) has also mobilized to help rebuild
critical structures in Beirut—including the Shaghzoyan Center in Bourj
Hammoud, which houses the ARF Bureau and Central Committee offices,
editorial offices of the Aztag Daily Newspaper, and the Armenian
National Committee (ANC) of Middle East—all of which suffered damage
in the disaster.

In Yerevan, volunteers from United Armenian Relief, a local youth-led
grassroots initiative providing humanitarian aid to impacted
communities in Lebanon, have set up several donation distribution
points. Organizer Katya Hovnanian Alexanian has been asking donors to
collect medical supplies and non-perishable food items, as well as
household necessities such as battery-powered radios, flashlights,
garbage bags and matches. Collected goods will be flown to Lebanon on
chartered Middle East Airlines planes with assistance from the
Tovmasyan Foundation and distributed on site through local charities
Offer Joie and Bonheur de Ciel.

Despite these overtures, Tarpinian says she is still trying to reach
the relevant state bodies in order to clarify her mother’s legal
status in Armenia and receive other forms of assistance. “There are a
host of issues we still have to deal with, from arranging my mother’s
documents, purchasing clothes, and finding the locally available
equivalents to her prescription medication,” she says.

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3 –        Armenian Gov’t plans to end state of emergency, reopen
schools in September

(Azatutyun)—As of Monday, August 17, Armenia has recorded a total of
41,701 COVID-19 cases. A total of 34,655 of these patients have since
recovered while 6,222 remain active. The death toll as a direct result
of complications from COVID-19 stands at 824.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on August 12 that Armenia has the
chance to be in a “state of overcoming” in autumn as the coronavirus
safety guidelines are showing results and the numbers are dropping.

“Today we have a chance to be in an entirely different state in
autumn, in a state of overcoming, regardless of what will be happening
in the world. This is in case we learn to live with the coronavirus.
This means one thing—an exclusive discipline of mask wearing. If we
secure a proper level of mask wearing we can note that practically
we’ve solved the coronavirus problem. If not, we will once again
return to what we had in July,” the PM said at a Cabinet meeting,
referring to the high numbers of new infections during the previous
month. However, even if that were to happen, the healthcare system is
ready for it, he added.

Pashinyan said the healthcare sector has been supplemented with new
capacities lately, which will help it be ready for various health
issues regardless of the coronavirus.

Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan said on August 12 that hopefully
the coronavirus-related state of emergency won’t be extended again
after it ends in one month.

“I hope today the state of emergency is being extended for the last
time,” Avinyan, the head of the COVID-19 response task force in charge
of enforcing the state of emergency restrictions told lawmakers in
parliament. “Today we assess the epidemiological situation in the
country to be as average to mild. In terms of the healthcare system
the situation is under full control,” Avinyan said, noting however
that the daily new cases are still high, 100-200 people on an average.

The government extended the state of emergency, originally declared in
mid-March, until September 11.

Schools in Armenia that have remained closed due to the coronavirus
pandemic since March will open their doors to students on September
15, according to Education Minister Arayik Harutiunian.

Harutiunian said on August 10 that the issue was discussed by senior
government officials coordinating the coronavirus state of emergency
earlier that day.

The minister added that vocational training colleges, music and art
schools will also reopen on September 15.

All establishments must comply with sanitary and hygienic rules set by
the government, Harutiunian stressed.

According to the minister, decisions on universities and a number of
other educational institutions will be made within the next week.

“Authorities overseeing the state of emergency, other our colleagues
and the ministry have jointly developed detailed procedures and
guidelines on all issues, which will be published and shared in the
coming days,” Harutiunian said in a Facebook post.

“Dear teachers, parents and students, in the coming weeks we must work
together to ensure a successful start and a smooth course of the
academic year, taking into account the restrictions caused by the
pandemic and excluding media provocations,” the minister added.

All schools, universities and other general education institutions
have remained closed since the beginning of the coronavirus epidemic
in March when they switched to distance learning to ensure the
continuity of the educational process.

The extended coronavirus-related state of emergency will also have
milder restrictions than before, Justice Minister Rustam Badasyan said
at a Cabinet meeting on August 12.

Armenia is also open to foreign travelers as the ban on entry of
non-citizens is being lifted.

“At the same time, it is envisaged that upon entering Armenia, if the
traveler isn’t hospitalized they must self-quarantine for 14 days,
however there is one innovation, they can get tested during these 14
days and in case of a negative result the self-quarantine regime is
changed,” Badasyan said.

The nationwide ban on assemblies and strikes are also lifted and
replaced with a regulation on authorization, with the condition of
maintaining safety guidelines. Assemblies can take place only if
participating persons wear masks and maintain 6-feet distance from
each other.

Organizing celebrations and entertainment events are also allowed, but
with a maximum of 40 participants and maintaining coronavirus
guidelines.

The possibility of enforcing restrictions on shipments through the
customs border is also lifted. The electronic surveillance regulation
is narrowed down.

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4-         Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

Harut Sassounian knows Zareh Sinanyan much better than I do.
Sinanyan has been in charge of the Diaspora Office for well over a
year and I know nothing about what he or his staff have done. I have
been a very active Diasporan in Toronto, yet I have not heard a word
or a single e-mail from that office.
We already have a problem in Armenia where Iranians and Indians are
coming with money and marrying the Armenian girls. And because of the
lopsided demographics where our boys are in Russia for work, our girls
are marrying non-Armenians because they are worried that they will not
find anybody to marry.
This so-called Diaspora Office should be totally revamped, with a new
director who will focus on the Diaspora proper, as Harut Sassounian
says in your column (August 13, 2020), before more damage is done.

I am very frustrated.

Migirdic Migirdicyan
Toronto, Canada

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5-         Commentary: Dismantling Dasaran: Armenian Minister of Education

            Undermines Award-Winning Armenian-Made Ed-Tech Solution

By Suren Aloyan

Amidst Covid-19 disruptions to the lives, businesses and economies of
nations worldwide, daily public education for over 350,000 public
school-students across Armenia didn’t have any disruption.

That’s because as Armenia went into an emergency shutdown on March 16,
the EdTech platform DASARAN launched distance learning feature to
allow over 37,000 public-school teachers to administer online lessons
and quizzes to over 350,000 students across Armenia and Artsakh.
DASARAN’s team worked around the clock to accommodate the distant
learning feature, to maintain, under dire financial strains, its
mission to democratize education for all children across Armenia.

Now Armenia’s Education Minister is threatening to dismantle
DASARAN—to build their own platform from bottom-up.

Having at its disposal a national educational platform—which unifies
all the country’s public schools and serves all school-students,
parents, teachers, administrators and educational decision-makers
(over 1.2M users, one-third of Armenia’s population)—as DASARAN, the
Ministry made a decision to force another hastily made solution onto
schools and push the privately owned DASARAN out of the market.

This untimely decision, amidst COVID19-affected education systems—with
schools closed in 138 countries and 1.37 billion out-of-school
students (UNESCO)—totally disregards DASARAN’s contributions over the
last decade as the largest educational platform in Armenia, which has
greatly mitigated challenges inside Armenia. The Minister also
disregards the fact that relying on DASARAN platform, teachers and
students ensured uninterrupted learning process—bringing large
international notice and praise.

Since its founding in 2009, DASARAN has empowered Armenia’s K-12
education ecosystem with an award-winning ed-tech system. DASARAN,
recognized among world’s top 5 innovative enterprises by UNDP’s
Accelerate 2030 Initiative, received highest praises from SAP experts,
and recently received the EdTech Breakthrough Award for “Student
Information System” Solution of the Year.

DASARAN always suggested Public-Private partnership model as a proven
standard to create long-term gains in terms of cost-efficiency and
result-oriented effectiveness. Coming to power in 2018, the incumbent
Government incorporated democratization strategies, declared citizens
as central to power and private enterprises as pivotal to economic
growth. And so, we leave it to the public’s judgment to conclude
whether it’s beneficial to keep among its members high-level officials
who work against these values and undermine principles of “Velvet
Revolution” which Armenians fought hard to achieve.

So, based on grounds of anti-competitive conditions created for
DASARAN, RA State Commission for the Protection of Economic
Competition initiated a proceeding against the Ministry, and the 1st
hearing was already organized.

From my perspective, in the new, more democratic Armenia such actions
shouldn’t have any place as they undermine the potential and
motivation of highly talented local expertise to advance their
initiatives locally and to benefit national development. Such
undermining actions from the Ministry will undoubtedly and potentially
lead to further brain-drain from Armenia.

As Armenia’s IT sector is the fastest growing and globally recognized
industry, it’s also a top priority in the Government’s strategic
vision for economically profitable future. Even if a priority requires
close collaboration with the private sector, what we rather see is
hindrance of local private initiatives.

Suren Aloyan is the Founding President/CEO of DASARAN Ed-Tech Company.

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California Courier Online provides viewers of the Armenian News News Service
with a few of the articles in this week’s issue of The California
Courier.  Letters to the editor are encouraged through our e-mail
address, . However, authors are
requested to provide their names, addresses, and/or telephone numbers
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, or by phone, (818) 409-0949.

Newspaper: Crisis at Armenia Constitutional Court deepening

Andranik Taslakhchian
news.am, Armenia
Aug 22 2020

10:25, 22.08.2020
                  

HRW: Azerbaijan: Relentless Crackdown on Opposition

Andranik Taslakhchian
Human Rights Watch
Aug 19 2020

Halt Abuses, Ensure Due Process, Investigate Ill-Treatment

Berlin) – Azerbaijani authorities arrested numerous opposition activists and leaders on spurious criminal charges following a July 14, 2020 unsanctioned rally in Baku, Human Rights Watch said today. Thousands of people gathered that day to support the country’s armed forces amid an escalation of military tensions with neighboring Armenia. The charges range from violating lockdown rules related to the Covid-19 pandemic to destruction of property and an attempted coup.

Late on the evening of July 14, a small group of protest participants briefly broke into the parliament building and damaged property before police removed them. The authorities claimed it was an attempt masterminded by the political opposition to violently overthrow the government, and rounded up dozens of activists over the following days.

“The latest wave of arrests in Azerbaijan follows the well-documented pattern of politically motivated arrests and prosecutions and threatens to decimate one of the country’s oldest opposition parties,” said Giorgi Gogia, associate Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities should immediately end the crackdown, release those unjustly imprisoned, and investigate law enforcement’s conduct.”

Human Rights Watch spoke with 11 lawyers and reviewed the court documents of 10 people detained since July 15 and the authorities’ official statements.

The arrests followed a nationally televised speech by President Ilham Aliyev, accusing the opposition Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP) of instigating the violence, calling them “traitors,” “enemies,” and the “fifth column” and promising to “resolve” the issue.

Following minor clashes between a small group of the rally participants and the police outside parliament, police violently dispersed the crowd, using teargas, water cannons, and rubber bullets. According to an official statement, at least seven police officers were injured, and 16 cars damaged, two of them destroyed.

The authorities opened an investigation into “violating public order and resistance or use of force against a government representative.” Activists say that at least 80 people were detained on spurious administrative and criminal charges, although the exact figures are unknown.

Among them are 17 APFP members, none of whom, the lawyers said, were in the group that broke into the parliament. Many were not even at the rally. Yet 16 face criminal charges of using violence against an official, violating public order, and destruction of property, and one is accused of spreading an infectious disease. Five detainees – Asif Yusifli, Mammad Ibrahim, Fuad Gahramanli, Bakhtiyar Imanov, and Ayaz Maharramli – are members of the party’s presidium, a decision-making body; Gahramanli and Ibrahim face an additional charge of attempting to overthrow the government, punishable by up to 20 years or life in prison.

Four of the detained presidium members say that they did not participate in the rally. Courts sent all but one of the arrested party members to pretrial custody for up to four months. One, Elvin Mammadov, was released on his own recognizance.

One of the imprisoned party members, Mahammad Imanli, is facing criminal prosecution for “violating anti-epidemic, sanitary-hygienic or lockdown regimes,” with the authorities falsely alleging that he spread the Covid-19 virus. Imanli’s lawyer said that a district police officer detained Imanli at his apartment on July 16 and said he had to speak with the district police chief. He was arrested at the station.

Although Azerbaijani law prescribes that detainees must be brought before a judge within 48 hours of arrest, Imanli’s hearing took place six days later, on July 22. To cover up the violation, police claim in both the police report and the court’s pretrial detention decision document, reviewed by Human Rights Watch, that they apprehended Imanli on July 20 on a Baku street for not wearing a mask, tested him in a police station, and after the test came back positive, charged him with spreading the disease and endangering lives. Imanli’s lawyer said that his client had no symptoms when they met in custody, and Imanli denies the charges.

Mehdi Ibrahimov, son of the APFP deputy chairman Mammad Ibrahim, is also facing charges of violating sanitary-hygiene rules and remains in pretrial detention, based on a police claim that he had tested positive. Mehdi Ibrahim participated in the rally. His lawyer said that police rounded him up with over 100 participants the next day. Most were released within 24 hours, but Mehdi was kept in detention after it became known that he is the son of a well-known opposition member.

On July 22, a district court placed Ibrahimov in pretrial custody for three months and the authorities transferred him to the Penitentiary Service’s Specialized Medical Facility No.3, which used to be a tuberculosis ward, but currently houses inmates who have tested positive or have Covid-19 symptoms. On July 31, a doctor at the facility informed Ibrahimov’s lawyer that his client is in good health, that he does not have Covid-19 symptoms, and that the test taken in custody came back negative, leading Ibrahimov and his lawyer to question the grounds for the charges. The authorities did not share the tests results with lawyers for Ibrahimov and Imanli. Ibrahimov’s family members said that he is on a hunger strike, protesting his wrongful imprisonment.

In March, Azerbaijan toughened criminal sanctions for violating the health/hygiene and lockdown rules, making transgressions punishable by a fine up to 5,000 manat (approximately US$3,000) or up to three years in prison. Transgressions leading to the spread of disease or negligent death or other grave consequences could lead to three to five years in prison. Human Rights Watch has urged governments not to arrest or detain people for violating Covid-19 restrictions on movement.

Laws creating criminal sanctions for spreading Covid-19 are not a legitimate or proportionate response to the threat posed by the virus, Human Rights Watch said. Criminalization of exposure to and transmission of Covid-19 might also have negative public health consequences, including by discouraging people from seeking testing and care, and the use of such laws by authorities to target marginalized populations, minorities, or dissidents. The use of these laws against Imanli and Ibrahimov seems like clear retaliation for their political activity.

Police detained Mammad Ibrahim on July 26, as he carried a food parcel for his detained son. On July 28, a court sent him to four months in pretrial custody on charges of public disorder, damaging property, resisting police, and attempting to violently overthrow the government, even though Ibrahim was not at the July 14 rally.

Serious due process violations followed the detentions of the APFP members. The authorities provided state-appointed lawyers, even when the detainees requested and could have retained lawyers of their own choosing. At least three detainees’ lawyers tried to access their clients from the early hours of detention and presented the required official document. However, several investigators refused to accept them and demanded sending them by registered mail. As a result, the initial interrogations and the remand hearings took place in the presence of state-appointed lawyers, who are not regarded as independent in Azerbaijan. The police also did not allow most detainees to inform their families of their whereabouts.

Such blatant due process violations raise concerns of the risk of torture and ill-treatment. Human Rights Watch is aware of at least two allegations of ill-treatment and torture in custody. Seymur Ahmadov, a senior APFP politician detained on July 16, filed a complaint with the prosecutor’s office describing severe beating in custody. In his letter, publicized by the Voice of America (VoA) Azerbaijan service, Ahmadov says that he was repeatedly and severely beaten in a pretrial detention facility. “When the plain-clothed officer got the truncheon, he beat me continuously for an hour,” the complaint said. “It was so bad that I could no longer feel the pain … the plain-clothes man … shouted and threatened that if I did not apologize in front of the camera, I would be subjected to worse violence and beaten to death”

One of the lawyers shared another case of credible ill-treatment in custody, but requested confidentiality, fearing further retaliation against the detainee.

Azerbaijan is a party to a number of international treaties, including the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits arbitrary detention, guarantees the right to a lawyer, including one of the detainee’s choosing, during police custody, and provides for the absolute ban on ill-treatment in custody, Human Rights Watch said. The European Convention on Human Rights also guarantees the rights to freedom of _expression_ and assembly, both of which take on particular importance in connection to political speech, organizing, and participation.

On July 31, the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly rapporteurs on Azerbaijan expressed “grave concern” regarding “the troubling pattern of arbitrary arrest and detention of government critics,” and urged the authorities to “ensure full respect for the freedoms of _expression_ and assembly, the prohibition of torture, and the rights to liberty and security and to a fair trial.”

During his July 15 speech, President Aliyev emphasized that he would “not pay attention” to criticism from the Council of Europe and other international organizations about the crackdown.

“Azerbaijan’s international partners should not be intimidated by Aliyev’s belligerent speech and should speak up against the crackdown,” Gogia said. “They should urge the authorities in Azerbaijan to do the right thing – end the crackdown and release all those unjustly imprisoned.”