Author: Andres-Papazian

Daily Sabah, Turkey
Dec 27 2014

Said Halim Pasha: Aristocrat and philosopher

HAKAN ARSLANBENZER

Said Halim Pasha (1864-1921), an aristocratic statesman, received both
Islamic and Western education and was a brilliant analyst of
contemporary social problems

Islamism is a reactionary and populist ideology in general. The
majority of Islamists come from the lower classes of society, and they
tend to hold points of view that favor a return to a certain previous
state. This previous state is often the Asr al-Saadah (Age of
Felicity), taking as example the life and teachings of Prophet
Muhammad. And the reaction is against Westernization, modernization,
secularism and nationalism.

Rare Islamist thinkers have tried to make critical analyses of the
social behaviors of their fellow Muslims concerning their reactions to
problems. Sociological criticism has not been common among Islamists.
Said Halim Pasha was a rare critic of the mentality of the Muslims of
his age. He was a statesman of aristocratic origins, a very well
educated man both in the Islamic and Western meanings of the word
“education” and a brilliant analyst of the contemporary problems of
Ottoman Muslims with regard to the material superiority of European
states.

Life of an Ottoman aristocrat

Said Halim Pasha was born “Mehmed Said” on Feb. 19, 1864, as the son
of Prince Halim Pasha, the youngest son of Kavalalı Mehmet Ali Pasha
(the “Muhammad Ali of Egypt”). His grandfather was a successful
Ottoman commander and self-declared “hedive” of Egypt, though an
illiterate man. Mehmet Ali established a dynasty that ruled Egypt and
Sudan until the Egyptian Revolution in 1952 and is seen as the true
founder of modern Egypt because of his strict reforms concerning the
military, the economy and culture.

Mehmet Ali Pasha wanted the males of his family to acquire the utmost
education they could get. Thus, his sons and grandsons became
well-educated statesmen of the time. Prince Halim, for instance,
attended the General Staff school in France.

Meanwhile, Prince Halim moved his family to Istanbul since he had
disputes with Hedive Ä°smail Pasha. The Ottoman State settled the
family in a yalı in Baltalimanı, Istanbul.

Said Halim was taught Arabic, Persian, English and French from special
tutors. After that, he and his little brother Abbas Halim were sent to
Switzerland to get a higher education. Said Halim studied political
science, while Abbas Halim, who also spoke several Eastern and Western
languages, worked as the Public Works Minister in the cabinet
established by Said Halim Pasha in 1913.

In 1888, Said Halim returned to Istanbul and was assigned to “Ã…?ura-i
Devlet” (Council of State) membership by Sultan Abdülhamid II. He also
was honored with several ranks and medals, including a Mirimiran
(general rank given to non-military pashas), a “Mecidi” (in the name
of Sultan Abdülmecit) plaque of the second-degree, an “Osmani”
(Ottoman) plaque of the second-degree and an Osmani plaque of the
first-degree. Abbas Halim was also assigned to the Council of State.

Though he worked as an aristocrat bureaucrat for the Abdülhamit II,
Said Halim was not a great admirer of the sultan. He was discontented
with the sultan like many of his peers. He called the sultan “the
oppressor.” And the sultan turned against him. He was investigated for
treason; however, the inquisition yielded nothing, and Said Halim was
not charged.

Said Halim Pasha Yalı

Said Halim had a yalı (mansion on the Bosporus) constructed for his
family, which is now among the most precious private buildings in
Istanbul and Turkey and named after the grand vizier. Historians
record that the Said Halim Pasha Yalı was constructed after he became
Rumeli Beylerbeyi (General Governor of the Ottoman State for the
European provinces).

The pasha was an intellectual statesman. He collected countless
manuscripts in all three major languages of Islam, namely Arabic,
Turkish and Persian. He had a library full of European books and spoke
the languages too. He was said to be a good reader. History and
humanities were his main areas of interest.

Said Halim was also an art collector. He gathered many Islamic works
in his yalı. He was fond of music and collected musical manuscripts,
too.

Exile and return

Eventually, Said and his brother Abbas were exiled to Egypt in spite
of their innocence. There is no evidence that he had a connection with
Ä°ttihat-Terakki Cemiyeti (Union and Progress Association) members
while he was in Turkey. The two brothers contacted Ä°ttihat-Terakki
members in Europe. They provided help to the Young Turks in both
monetary and philosophical aspects.

After “Hürriyet” (freedom) was announced by Sultan Abdülhamid in 1908,
Said Halim returned to Istanbul. He received his previous position in
the Council of State, but this lasted just a few months. He worked as
the Yeniköy mayor for a while. In December 1908, he was assigned by
the Sultan as a member of the Ayan Meclisi (Assembly of Notables, a
kind of senate).

Said Halim attended the Ä°ttihat-Terakki Congress held in Selanik
(Thessaloniki) in 1909. Meanwhile, he wrote his first book. The Pasha
always wrote in French, and his articles and books were translated
into Turkish and published in “SebilürreÃ…?ad” magazine, which was owned
by EÃ…?ref Edip and edited by Mehmet Akif. This was an article on
fanaticism. In this article, Said Halim argues that Islam is the real
freedom and illumination, that Europe’s approach to Islam and the
Ottomans is biased, that backwardness in the Islamic world is due to
not living according to the rules of shariah and not because of Islam
and shariah.

Politician

In 1912, Said Halim was assigned as the Chairman of the Council of
State. He represented the Ottoman State in Lausanne in peace meetings
with the Italians for the Trablusgarp (Libya) War. However, after the
Ä°ttihat-Terakki cabinet resigned, he returned to Istanbul and left
office in the Council of State. He became the General Secretary of the
Ä°ttihat-Terakki party.

In 1913, Said Halim was assigned as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in
the Mahmut Ã…?evket Pasha Cabinet. After Mahmut Ã…?evket Pasha was
assassinated, Said Halim was first assigned as Deputy Grand Vizier
(Deputy Prime Minister) for a while, and after that he became the
Grand Vizier of the Ottoman State.

Said Halim’s becoming grand vizier in the Ä°ttihat-Terakki period is
interesting since the Pasha was an Islamist despite the nationalism of
the Ä°ttihat-Terakki leaders. Said Halim was a critical thinker and he
always criticized westernization. He sought a return to a classical
understanding and performing of Islam, both in the religious and
social sense. In his articles, Said Halim Pasha defines a crisis in
our society, compares our situation to that of Europe, shows our
backwardness and proposes an Islamic revival to cope with contemporary
progress.

As for politics, the Said Halim Pasha Cabinet was an exceptional one
since Turkey was in a process of coup d’états and wars. Said Halim was
in office for four years, three during World War I. Said Halim Pasha
did not want the Ottoman State to enter the war, and he made great
efforts to keep the State out of this. However, Britain did not accept
allying with the Ottoman State, and the Ottomans had to establish an
alliance with the Germans.

Martyr

Said Halim Pasha left the office of Grand Vizier in 1917 because of
disputes with the triumvirate of the Ä°ttihat-Terakki, namely Enver,
Talat and Cemal pashas. Said Halim Pasha resigned from the office of
Grand Vizier and was succeeded by Talat Pasha. He returned to writing
his social and Islamic thoughts. He had his works translated and
published, now under his own name.

After World War I ended, Enver, Talat and Cemal pashas escaped, and
Said Halim was also offered an escape, but he preferred to stay and
continue to struggle for the country in Istanbul. He tried to
establish a new political party, but the occupation forces of Britain,
France and Italy prevented any political resurrection in Istanbul.

Said Halim was tried three times after the war. First, the Ottoman
Senate established a Commission of Investigation that questioned Said
Halim Pasha for World War I. Second, he was arrested and tried by the
Martial Law Court during the period of the Damat Ferit Pasha Cabinet.
Third, he was interrogated by the occupation forces. The British and
the French wanted Said Halim Pasha to accept responsibility for the
forced emigration of Ottoman Armenians and the associated crimes. Said
Halim Pasha’s statement against that allegation is a piece of art.

The occupation forces imprisoned Said Halim Pasha with many other
prominent Ottoman politicians and exiled them to Malta. In 1921, the
Malta exiles were released by an agreement between Britain and the
Ankara Cabinet of Mustafa Kemal. Said Halim and his brother were sent
to Italy. Abbas Halim returned to Istanbul; however, Said Halim was
not allowed by the Istanbul Cabinet to return.

Said Halim Pasha stayed in Rome, Italy, and was martyred by Arshavir
Shirakian, an Ottoman Armenian and member of the Dashnaktsutyun
(Armenian Revolutionary Federation), on Dec. 6, 1921. His corpse was
taken to Istanbul and buried in the Sultan Mahmut Tomb.

From: A. Papazian

CSTO countries, including Armenia, will respond to cybercrime

11:37, 27.12.2014

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states [,
including Armenia,] have agreed to take action against the information
security threats to their countries, CSTO Secretary General Nikolay
Bordyuzha told Vesti 24 television.

He noted that the key issue for this organization is information
security, and therefore the CSTO will have a coordination center for
cyber incidents.

As per Bordyuzha, Internet security must be ensured, and, accordingly,
the CSTO will also have special operations forces within the rapid
response by the organization.

He added, however, that the CSTO will not be enlarged at present.

“But there are a large number of countries with which joint operations
are carried out,” the Collective Security Treaty Organization chief
said, in particular.

Armenia News – NEWS.am

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA: FARMERS LOOK FOR WAY OUT OF DEBT TRAP

EurasiaNet.org
dec 26 2014

December 26, 2014 – 11:52am, by Marianna Grigoryan

This has been a year that many Armenian farmers would like to forget.

First, unfavorable weather led to a poor harvest, and now, thanks
in part to the significant devaluation of the national currency,
the dram, many farmers are struggling to repay their debts.

The dram’s decline mimics that of the Russian ruble, which has lost
about 50 percent of its value against the US dollar this year due
to economic sanctions and lower oil prices. The last few weeks have
been particularly volatile for the Armenian currency. In November, the
exchange rate stood at about 420 drams to the dollar before going into
a free fall. In mid-December, the rate plunged to roughly 620-to-one
before climbing back to about 470-to-one. The financial roller coaster
ride has left many, especially those with loans outstanding, shaken.

The situation in the village of Jrashen, located approximately 30
kilometers from Yerevan, typifies the plight faced by farmers all
across the country. Most village residents depend on income generated
from harvesting apricots. According to Jrashen Mayor Artyom Ghazarian,
90 percent of the village’s 452 households have taken out agricultural
loans to help tend their orchards, as well as buy fertilizers and
other necessities. The combination of crop failure and currency
fluctuations has left many farmers in a deep financial hole.

“Every family in our village has taken a loan,” Ghazarian said to
EurasiaNet.org. “We used to export at least 2,000 tons of apricots
annually from our village only, mostly to Russia, but this year was a
damned one for us; in addition, we have these loans that the farmers
cannot possibly repay now.”

Margarita Harutyunian, owner of one-hectare apricot orchard from
Jrashen village, is among those who is “at a loss what to do.”

“Every year our apricot orchard provided for an income worth $10,000.

But frosts in 2014 left us with hardly 10 apricots at all,” Harutyunian
told EurasiaNet.org. “Now, we have to pay the interest rate of the loan
interest, we borrow money to pay the debts, one loan causes another,
and there seems to be no end to this.”

In past years, Russia was the main market for Armenian agricultural
exports. But Russia’s economic crisis has caused its appetite for
foreign fruit and vegetables to wane. Estimates compiled by Armenia’s
Ministry of Finance project the volume of agricultural exports to
Russia to decline by at least 7 percent this year. The decline is
magnified by the fact that exports rose 21 percent and 24 percent in
2012 and 2013, respectively.

Agricultural loans in Armenia tend to be for short terms at high
interest rates – up to 20 percent for dram-denominated loans.

Dollar-denominated loans are also available at lower interest
rates, but such notes have become much more expensive due to the
declining value of the dram. “Agriculture is not a profitable sphere
in Armenia,” said Aramayis Mkhitarian, the mayor of Aygeshat village
in the Armavir Region.

Garnik Petrosian, deputy minister of agriculture, acknowledged that
farmers have been hit hard this year. He indicated that the government
was working to develop an assistance package.

“The agricultural sphere is not attractive due to high risks; still,
certain measures should be taken,” he said. “We’re trying to create a
more favorable environment. The minister of agriculture has discussed
the situation with the prime minister; some steps have been outlined
with regard to subsidizing 6 percent for loans starting next year.”

Another farmer from Jrashen, one who asked for anonymity, had little
faith that a government bailout could save farmers from financial
ruin. He predicted that the hard times of 2014 would spur a tsunami
of labor migration next spring.

“Things couldn’t get any worse,” he told EurasiaNet.org. “People will
just leave in spring since they will have no other option.”

Editor’s note: Marianna Grigoryan is a freelance reporter based in
Yerevan and editor of MediaLab.am.

From: A. Papazian

WE’RE THE BENEFICIARIES OF REGION’S LAST SURVIVOR

Miami Herald, FL
Dec 25 2014

By HAROUT JACK SAMRA

Annually, Armenians around the world gather on April 24 to commemorate
the Armenian Genocide. Survivors of this national calamity stand at the
front of each assembly as symbols of a people’s capacity to survive.

With each passing year in South Florida, with the commemoration
reaching its centennial, survivors have grown fewer. Two weeks before
Christmas, South Florida’s last known Armenian genocide survivor died.

Harry Pilafian was born in Tekirdag, in Thrace, during the final
years of the Ottoman Empire. His mother and father had fled their
home to Damascus in 1918. Their first son, James, was born in that
ancient city.

During a period of calm, the family, like so many others, tried to
return home. This is when Pilafian was born.

Before long, the genocidal campaign resumed, and the family was forced
to leave home for the last time. With the support of an American
sponsor, the family came to the United States.

Raised in Massachusetts, Pilafian enrolled in the U.S. Navy at 17
and served in World War II and the Korean War. His service in the
European theater — the site of history’s next genocidal atrocity,
the Holocaust — began off the coast of North Africa during Operation
Torch, the first significant U.S. offensive of the Second World War.

Just four days after the beginning of Torch, Pilafian’s ship, the
USS Hugh L. Scott, was torpedoed by a German U-boat. Pilafian , the
ship’s communications officer, remained on board to signal SOS until
ordered off the ship by his commander. Fifty-nine officers and crewmen
were killed. Pilafian was among the last to escape the sinking ship.

After the war, Pilafian settled in Miami, which he had first visited
during training. During 65 years of marriage to Audrey, their family
grew to four children, five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

After two decades in the Navy, his service continued as a public
school teacher.

In his influential book, Man’s Search for Meaning, the psychologist
and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl wrote of the human capacity to
survive, even in the face of existential anxiety.

As with the survivors of the Holocaust, whose numbers are shrinking
steadily, the survivors of the Armenian genocide represented a
historical link. They were our “greatest generation.”

Despite witnessing unspeakable evil, with every laugh or smile they
confirmed Frankl’s affirmation that “everything can be taken from a
man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s
attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

Each survivor invariably chose his or her own way in the face of
circumstances that we, the beneficiaries of their courage, can only
describe as unimaginable. In some measure, we begin to realize fully
only when they are gone how much they have affected our lives and
communities.

Over the years, perhaps it was easy to take for granted the gathered
survivors whose very presence was a rebuke to the destructive
aspirations of their persecutors. They were, after all, parents and
grandparents, friends and neighbors.

They were ordinary in every way, except they were extraordinary.

In his final days, Pilafian’s family recorded his recollections. Early
in the video, he briefly mentioned his birth in Tekirdag and described
his family’s passage to the United States.

Remembering the generosity of the American sponsor who made this
journey of a lifetime possible, he paused, looked directly into the
camera, and seemingly past the camera, at the faces of his gathered
family.

As if reflecting on the preceding 90 years, he whispered, “Thank God.”

Harout Jack Samra is a Miami-based attorney focusing on international
dispute resolution and arbitration.

From: A. Papazian

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Missionary Association of America
31 West Century Road
Paramus, NJ 07652
Tel: 201-265-2607
Fax: 201-265-6015
Email: [email protected]

AMAA to present a lecture on Hrant Dink by Zaven Khanjian, Executive
Director/CEO

2015 marks the Centennial Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and
Armenians throughout the world will be commemorating this special
anniversary through events and programs to keep the light of Justice
and Truth shine in the midst of darkness. In a series of activities
undertaken by the Armenian Evangelical Community on both Coasts, Zaven
Khanjian, the Executive Director/CEO of the Armenian Missionary
Association of America (AMAA) will present a lecture on Friday,
January 30, 2015, 7:30 PM, at the Armenian Presbyterian Church, 140
Forest Avenue, Paramus, NJ 07652. The topic of the lecture will be
Hrant Dink, the Man, the Mission, the Martyrdom — the man who became
the voice of the voiceless and fought for Justice and Truth. There
will also be a video presentation of SWALLOW’S NEST, (Hrant Dink at
the Armenian Evangelical TUZLA Camp).
The Dink brothers, Hrant, Hosrof and Orhan grew up and were
educated in the Bolso Badanegan Doun (Istanbul Youth House) of the
Armenian Evangelical Church of Gedik Pasha, Istanbul. Bolso Badanegan
Doun was administered by Hrant Guzelian, an unsung Armenian
Evangelical hero, who had embarked on a mission of search and rescue
of endangered Armenian families,
specially the Armenian youth of Anatolia.
Light refreshments will be served after the event. For more
information please call AMAA at 201.265.2607

From: A. Papazian

FOREIGN POLICY IN 2014: TENSIONS IN KARABAKH, EEU MEMBERSHIP, NO PROGRESS IN TURKEY-ARMENIA RELATIONS

POLITICS | 26.12.14 | 11:16

RELATED NEWS

Paris Meeting: Hollande-hosted Armenian-Azeri talks differ from other
rounds of Karabakh negotiations

Putin signs Armenia’s Eurasian Union deal

Sargsyan invites his Turkish counterpart to Armenia on Genocide
Centennial Day

2014 has become a crucial year for Armenia in terms of foreign policy
developments. It was marked by escalation of tensions in the Karabakh
conflict zone in summer against the background of Armenia’s moving
towards membership in the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

On the year marking the 20th anniversary of Karabakh ceasefire the
situation along the Line of Contact in the conflict zone almost got
out of hand amid repeated Azeri incursions and commando raids in late
July-early August. Azerbaijan lost dozens of troops in its attempts to
break Karabakh defenses at some sections of the heavily militarized
frontline, and the Armenian side also suffered several casualties
in repulsing the attacks. Relative calm came only after a Russia
President Vladimir Putin-mediated meeting between the presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan on August 10.

With the next three months or so Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev
would meet two more times (on September 4, upon the initiative of U.S.

Secretary of State John Kerry, and on October 27 – upon the initiative
of French President Francois Hollande) and when it seemed that progress
in the peace talks was as tangible as ever, within days after the Paris
talks, on November 12, the Azerbaijani side shot down an Armenian
helicopter, which, according to the Armenian side, was operating a
training flight along the Line of Contact with Azerbaijan.

The Armenian side managed to recover the bodies of the three pilotswho
were killed in the incident only due to a special operation in no man’s
land 10 days later. This became the most serious incident after the
1994 ceasefire and the international mediators voiced concern over
increased violence in the conflict zone.

Tensions at the border with Azerbaijan also remained high throughout
the year as Armenia was completing its process of membership in the
EEU. Some experts also blamed Russia for the tensions considering
that Armenia’s number one military and political ally continued to
sell weapons to Azerbaijan.

Meanwhile, another hotly debated topic in Armenia was whether there
will be a customs checkpoint at the border between Armenia and
Karabakh after Armenia’s become an EEU member. Authorities in both
Yerevan and Stepanakert deny any such checkpoints will be installed.

On October 10, Armenia finally signed the treaty to formally accede
to the EEU, an emerging trade bloc of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

And in late December Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the law
according to which from January 2, 2015 Armenia will become a full
member of the Union.

Towards the centennial of the Armenian Genocide the year was full of
preparations for the commemorations to take place on April 24, 2015.

Meanwhile, on April 23, 2014, the eve of what was marked by Armenians
around the world as the 99th anniversary of the first genocide of
the 20th century committed by Ottoman Turkey, the-then Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a first-of-its-kind statement on
the “Armenian Issue” addressing “shared pain” endured during the
“1915 events” and expressing condolences on behalf of the Turkish
state to the grandchildren of Armenians who lost their lives “in the
context of the early 20th century.”

In what was perhaps a response to Erdogan’s statement, Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan officially invited his Turkish counterpart
to Armenia for the anniversary of the Genocide on April 24, 2015.

Erdogan, who was elected president of Turkey in August, has not yet
replied to the invitation.

Meanwhile, on November 26, both chambers of the Plurinational
Legislative Assembly of Bolivia unanimously passed a resolution
recognizing the Armenian Genocide and condemning its denial. In
September the Greek Parliament adopted a bill criminalizing the
rejection of the Genocide.

From: A. Papazian

LE CATHOLICOS DE TOUS LES ARMENIENS A RECU LES MEMBRES DU PARLEMENT JUIF EUROPEEN

ARMENIE

Le 8 Decembre au Saint-Siège d’Etchmiadzin, Sa Saintete Karekin II,
Patriarche Supreme et Catholicos de Tous les Armeniens a recu M. Vadim
Rabinovich, co-president du Parlement juif europeen et une delegation
du Parlement juif europeen. Ils etaient accompagnes par le M. Ara
Abrahamyan du Congrès mondial armenien et president de l’Union des
Armeniens de Russie.

Felicitant les membres du Parlement juif europeen, le Catholicos de
Tous les Armeniens a exprime sa confiance que leur visite en Armenie
va promouvoir des relations plus etroites, ainsi que transmettre un
desir de collaboration efficace. Dans ses remarques Sa Saintete a
reflechi sur les liens ente les deux pays, soulignant ce qu’ils ont
subi au cours de leur histoire, mais ont ete capables de surmonter
tous les types de defis et de restaurer leur Etat independant. Sa
Saintete a note qu’aujourd’hui, dans les defis actuels du monde,
le peuple armenien et juif sont unis et se soutiennent mutuellement.

Le Catholicos de Tous les Armeniens a parle de l’Holocauste, ainsi que
du besoin de reconnaissance du genocide armenien et la condamnation
par la communaute internationale, soulignant que c’est seulement de
cette facon ; grâce a des efforts mondiaux, que la repetition de tels
crimes contre l’humanite peut etre evitee.

Lors de la reunion, le Catholicos de Tous les Armeniens a repondu aux
questions des invites qui se rapportaient a la mission de l’Eglise
armenienne dans la vie des Armeniens a travers le monde, et de
son rôle dans la preservation de l’identite nationale. En outre,
les relations inter-religieuses ont ete discutees, et l’importante
mission de renforcer l’amitie entre les deux nations, et la protection
des droits de l’Eglise armenienne dans les lieux sacres de Jerusalem.

vendredi 26 decembre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

RUSSIA TO LEND $270 MILLION TO ARMENIA FOR EXTENDING NUCLEAR POWER PLANT’S SERVICE LIFE

YEREVAN, December 26. /ARKA/. Russia’s government has confirmed its
intention to extend a $270-million loan to Armenia for extending the
service life of the second unit of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant,
Novosti-Armenia reported today referring to the Cabinet minister’s
information released by RIA Novosi.

Earlier, Russian and Armenian governments signed an agreement of
cooperation in this area, and Russia offered a loan for this purpose.

The loan will be provided for 15 years.

The service life of the second unit’s operation expires in September
2016. The Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant located some 30 kilometers
west of Yerevan, was built in the 1970s but was closed following a
devastating earthquake in 1988 that killed some 25,000 people and
devastated much of northern Armenia.

One of the plant’s two VVER 440-V230 light-water reactors was
reactivated in 1995. The Armenian government said earlier it wants
to build a new facility that is supposed to operate at twice the
capacity of the Soviet-constructed facility. The plant currently
generates some 40 percent of Armenia’s electricity. The construction
of the new facility is estimated as much as $5 billion. Experts say
the plant can operate until 2016. —0—-

From: A. Papazian

MOSCOW AND BRUSSELS SHOULD AGREE OVER FORMAT OF ARMENIA-EU REVELATIONS- EXPERT

YEREVAN, December 25. /ARKA/.Moscow and Brussels should agree over
format of revelations between Armenia and the European Union, Tatul
Manaseryan, an economist, told journalists on Thursday.

>

The Eurasian Economic Union treaty, signed by Russia, Belarus and
Kazakhstan on May 29 in Astana, takes force on January 1, 2015.

Armenia signed its accession agreement on October 10, 2014. The
agreement is already ratified by Russian, Belarusian and Kazakh
parliaments. It was planned earlier that Armenia would sign the EU
Association Agreement in November 2013 at an Eastern Partnership
summit in Vilnius, but this didn’t happen. —0—-

From: A. Papazian

RA POLICE AND INVESTIGATION COMMITTEE WILL BE COMPLAINED OF AT ALL INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

December 25 2014

Chairman of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor Artur Sakunts is
going to present reports to international organizations pertaining
to concealing by the police and investigative committee the cases
of violence against war veterans and other activist citizens. “We
regularly talk about the acts of violence by the police in our reports,
and we are going to present the recent cases to the UN, the Council of
Europe and the European Union”, said Artur Sakunts to Aravot.am. He
believes that the police concealed the acts of violence against the
war veterans by silence. “Media reports on crimes and the materials
that contain information about the crime or offense are enough grounds
to file criminal cases. Regardless of whether there would be written
appeals by war veterans about the crime or not, the investigation
committee should have filed a criminal case at once.

When a reference is made that there is no appeal by the persons,
and the appeal is transferred to the private domain, this more comes
to conceal dangerous crimes from the public view.” According to human
right defender, deputy police chief Levon Yeranosyan’s statement about
cutting off the ears was a public threat. “He publicly threatened
that if someone says anything about Serzh Sargsyan, he would cut
off the ears. Yeranosyan already testifies that he has heard someone
saying something, which upset him. These words were enough to file
a criminal case by SIS. Law enforcement agencies are inactive and
reasoned that the war veterans have not complained. On the other hand,
the war veterans, who are acting as defenders of public interests,
who submit a claim of solving the matter of the citizens and the
country, should have been proactive and submit a complaint; there
is an issue of legal consciousness here, it’s not a private case,
but an act of violence addressed to the public.” He does not consider
the argument of the war veterans that they do not submit a claim to
the police about the crime because they have no confidence in the
law enforcement system justified.

Arpine SIMONYAN

Read more at:

From: A. Papazian