Author: Andres-Papazian

LA CROIX-ROUGE A RENCONTRE UN SOLDAT ARMENIEN EN CAPTIVITE

AZERBAIDJAN

Des représentants du Comité international de la Croix-Rouge (CICR) se
sont réunis avec le prisonnier de guerre arménien Hagop Injighulyan
et une famille de cinq membres détenue en Azerbaïdjan. Lors de
la réunion a Bakou, les prisonniers détenus en Azerbaïdjan ont
recu des informations sur leurs familles. Les messages contenant
des informations a leur sujet seront transmises aux membres de leur
famille.

En 2013, dans la nuit du 7 AoÔt, Hagop Injighulyan, un citoyen
arménien et conscrit de l’armée, a traversé la frontière azérie
et a ensuite été capturé par des soldats azéris. Selon les
informations préliminaires, Injighulyan avait perdu ses repères
sur le terrain et a franchi par inadvertance la ligne de contact.

Injighulyan a ensuite défilé a la télévision azerbaïdjanaise,
en disant, sans doute sous la contrainte, qu’il avait volontairement
fait défection.

L’armée arménienne a rejeté cette déclaration, disant que le
jeune de 22 ans a été contraint de présenter une fausse version
des événements.

Elle a également condamné l’apparition télévisée comme une
violation des conventions internationales relatives au traitement
des prisonniers de guerre.

Le ministère de la Défense arménien a également offert a Bakou
un échange de prisonniers, mais l’offre a été refusée. Le CICR
a également rencontré une famille de cinq citoyens arméniens –
Yeghishe, Ruzanna, Alfred, Gayane et Petros Gevorgyan – qui sont
également détenus en Azerbaïdjan. Le 10 Janvier 2010, Yeghishe
Gevorgyan a échappé a la justice, avec sa famille, en traversant
la frontière vers le Nakhitchevan. Gevorgyan, 56 ans, a déja
été condamné huit fois pour vol, vol qualifié, et plusieurs
autres crimes.

vendredi 16 mai 2014, Stéphane ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

RAPPORT DE FREEDOM HOUSE : L’ARMENIE BAISSE D’UN POINT EN TERMES DE LIBERTE DES MEDIAS

ARMENIE

La dernière enquête de l’ONG Freedom House met l’Arménie en 134e
position sur 197 pays dans la liberté de la presse.

Selon l’évaluation des experts de Freedom House, l’Arménie reste
dans le nombre de pays avec des médias non-libres. Chaque année,
Freedom House évalue l’état de la presse en donnant des remarques
particulières a chaque pays, et des points en fonction de l’état
de la presse dans le pays. Ã~@ cet égard, en 2012 l’Arménie a recu
65 points.

Dans le rapport 2014 l’Arménie a reculé avec 62 points.

Selon le rapport, parmi les trois pays du Sud Caucase l’Arménie
occupe le poste de milieu – pas ” libre ” comme la Géorgie, mais
plus “libre” que l’Azerbaïdjan. (Avec la Géorgie étant le seul a
obtenir un classement d’avoir une presse libre.)

Le Chef du Yerevan Press Club Boris Navasardyan a expliqué la
régression de l’Arménie par les élections présidentielles dans
le pays, qui, selon Navasardyan étaient problématiques et en 2013
cela a formé une situation de monopole politique qui, a son tour a
touché les limites de la liberté de la presse.

” Dans ce cas, l’adhésion de l’Arménie a l’Union douanière doit
également être considérée, nous entrons dans un tel environnement
où la liberté d’expression n’est pas une priorité ”, a déclaré
Navasardyan.

vendredi 16 mai 2014, Stéphane ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT’S SETTLEMENT STILL ONE OF TOP PRIORITIES FOR EU’S FOREIGN POLICY

Trend, Azerbaijan
May 15 2014

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 15
By Sabina Ahmadova – Trend:

Stefan Fule, the European Commissioner for Enlargement and European
Neighbourhood Policy, spoke to the ‘The Business Year – Azerbaijan
2014’ magazine.

In his interview with the magazine, Fule touched upon such
issues as resolving regional conflicts and the settlement of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Speaking to the magazine, Fule said the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict’s
settlement remains one of the top priorities for the foreign policy
of the European Union.

“The EU is fully committed to supporting the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
settlement process,” Fule said. “Only a peaceful, negotiated settlement
can allow the entire region to move toward a secure and prosperous
future and can help unleash the full potential of the South Caucasus
region as a gateway between Europe and Asia.”

He also said the EU is concerned about the lack of tangible progress
on the settlement of the conflict.

“In this context, we welcomed the meeting of the President of
Azerbaijan and President of Armenia in Vienna on November 19, 2013,
and commended the OSCE Minsk Group Co Chairs for their efforts in
facilitating the resumption of top level meetings,” Fule underscored.

He stressed that the EU called upon Azerbaijan and Armenia to step up
their efforts toward agreement on the Madrid Principles as a basis for
peace, in accordance with the commitments undertaken by the presidents
within the OSCE Minsk Group.

“Concerned about the escalation of tension due to confrontational
rhetoric and serious incidents along the line of contact and along the
international border between the two countries, the EU has urged both
sides to respect the ceasefire agreement, fulfil their commitments
made in the framework of the Minsk Group, and refrain from actions
and statements that could heighten tension and undermine the peace
process,” Fule added.

He also said the engagement of Azerbaijan with the EU is based on
the European Neighborhood Policy and on the Eastern Partnership,
adding that the current legal framework for bilateral relations is
the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, signed in 1999.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied
20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and
seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently
holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

From: A. Papazian

FREEDOM HOUSE REPORT ON TURKEY MISGUIDED

AL MONITOR
May 15 2014

Author: Rasim Ozan KutahyaliPosted May 15, 2014

Turkey obviously has problems with its freedom of press and
expression. I had acknowledged this reality in my two previous
Al-Monitor articles. But it is also true that significant progress has
been achieved in freedom of expression over the past 10 years. Until
a few years ago, “Kurdistan” was a taboo word. Anyone who used it
would instantly be declared a traitor by the mainstream media, and
prosecutors would seek prison sentences for the offenders.

Turkey today may still have some problems, but the former Kemalist
regime was an outright hell. The Turkish press had to call Kurdistan
“Northern Iraq.” This nonsense is done with. Today, many writers freely
refer to Turkey’s southeast as North Kurdistan. In the old Turkey,
if you called Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan “Mr. Ocalan,” your media
career would have ended right there. If you spoke of Ocalan, you had
to add “master terrorist.” Today, many commentators appear on major
TV channels and praise Ocalan’s political attitude.

Only extreme nationalists and the pro-Fethullah Gulen movement media
denounce Ocalan and the Kurdish movement these days.

One of the major problems for freedom of press and expression in
Turkey has been the issue of the 1915 Armenian genocide. Under the
former regimes, you were required to outright deny it. Those like me
who said there was genocide would be tried under Article 301 of the
penal code. I have been there myself.

Turkey’s Nobel Prize-winning author Orhan Pamuk had to leave Turkey
because of this situation. Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was made
an object of hate by the mainstream media and in the end, he was
assassinated.

Today, there is no legal risk in acknowledging the Armenian genocide.

Everyone is free to say what they want. I wrote eight successive
columns in mainstream daily Sabah, and said as a Turkish society,
we have to face the reality of the genocide. Five years ago, if I
wrote anything remotely like it, I would be taken to court.

But that there is a bizarre relationship between the government and
media bosses when it comes to freedom of the press cannot be denied.

This is nothing new, and hasn’t changed under the Justice and
Development Party (AKP) rule. These media bosses want financial
perks and benefits from the state and use their media organs as
instruments of pressure and blackmail. The government, of course,
exploits the situation and frequently intervenes with the content of
their newspapers. These people frequently call on the prime minister
to intervene, which he does. As long as the media owners continue to
do business with the government, this bizarre situation will continue.

They must be legally banned from doing business with the state. This
is the real issue of press freedom in Turkey.

The Freedom House report did not even touch on this crucial issue. To
list Turkey behind Kuwait in its latest report is unfair. How can it
claim that the Kuwaiti media is freer than the Turkish one?

Let me expand on this with concrete examples. In Turkey, we have 40
daily newspapers with a total circulation of about 5,000,000. About
65% of this total (about 3,300,000) belongs to opposition newspapers.

Newspapers close to the ruling AKP have a total circulation of
1,200,000. Sports newspapers have a readership of 500,000.

The style of newspapers opposing Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is
extremely brutal. Dozens of daily newspapers constantly refer to him as
a “murderer,” “thief” or “dictator.” The pro-Gulen media label Erdogan
as “pro-al Qaeda” and “pro-Iran.” According to newspaper headlines
from the extreme right and left, Erdogan is an American and Israeli
agent. Can the Kuwaiti media say anything similar about Kuwait’s emir?

There is another interesting element. Freedom House was recognized
in Turkey because of the efforts of political science professor
Atilla Yayla, who is also the chairman of the Association for Liberal
Thinking. Western liberals should read Yayla’s views carefully. The
winner of the Anthony Fisher Prize, Yayla was also given the Person of
the Year Award by the Stockholm Network in 2007. I personally think
that Freedom House project director Karin Deutsch Karlekar should
have consulted with Yayla when writing the report on Turkey.

As Turkish journalist Yildiray Ogur noted, the daily circulation of
opposition papers such as Sozcu, Yenicag, Cumhuriyet, Taraf, Sol,
Aydinlik, Yurt, Yeni Mesaj, Birgun, Today’s Zaman and Orta Dogu is
above 700,000. They appear every day with the apparent motto of “What
did you do today to get rid of Erdogan?” They are dedicated to this
cause. There are about 1,000 columnists in the national press. These
writers, unlike any other group in the world, write between one to
eight articles a week, mostly on politics. Yesterday, the Turkish
newspapers printed 187 political columns. Of them, 123 were against
the government, while 64 supported it.

Meanwhile, we have heard Karlekar respond to the Turkish criticism
of the Freedom House report. She said the report was written by
a journalist-analyst who is well-known in the country and who is
well-informed about what is happening. His suggestions were discussed
at length and his points cross-checked with other sources, she said.

Who is this well-known and well-informed journalist-analyst who
wrote the Freedom House report? Karlekar said that unfortunately,
the analyst had to remain anonymous out of fear of the pressure he
may face, and had asked that his name not be disclosed.

As Ogur asked in his article, how can one be afraid of writing such
a polite report in a country where the mainstream media can suggest
spitting on Erdogan’s grave and put Turkey in the same category as
North Korea?

How can we say that an analyst who gave Turkey the same points as
Egypt, which had a coup in 2013, is objective? How can that so-called
neutral, objective journalist claim that journalists who had been
released are still in prison? Karlekar responded saying that the
journalists in question were released at the beginning of 2014,
after the report was written.

The Freedom House report cited the number of detained journalists prior
to Dec. 1, 2013. But strangely, the report then talks of journalists
who were fired from their jobs after Dec. 17.

Why do we say the Freedom House report is unjust? According to liberal
Turkish intellectual Ali Bayramoglu, the Freedom House report is a
product of the same distortion as that which produced the negative
views of Turkey in the United States. This perspective is actually
tied to the AKP’s Arab and Israeli policies, but distorted to appear
to emanate from anti-Westernism and a lack of press freedom.

There are many problems in the Turkish media, but to categorize Turkey
alongside North Korea as a non-free country is not a just approach.

Freedom House’s report on Turkey’s media was neither objective nor
impartial.

From: A. Papazian

PRODUCTION DEAL INKED FOR EAST OF BYZANTIUM

Wednesday, May 14th, 2014

A scene from the mini-series production of ‘East of Byzantium’

East of Byzantium: War Gods & Warrior Saints Epic Documentary
Mini-Series Announced

LOS ANGELESâ?”Visual Effects Veteran Roger Kupelian (Lord of the Rings
Trilogy, Flags of Our Fathers), Emmy Nominated Documentary Filmmaker
William Martens, and multiple international award winning producer
Seda Melkoni of Journey Pictures, have teamed up to produce the epic
documentary mini-series “East of Byzantium: War Gods & Warrior Saints.”

Inspired by the graphic novel created by Roger Kupelian, forensic and
exacting historical research will guide the telling of this epic true
story. If ever there was a real “Game of Thrones,” this is it. The
visually stunning documentary mini-series will explore the little known
but pivotal era in world history spanning Rome’s last era of glory,
the birth of Christianity as an organized and state supported religion,
the myriad cultural and religious tides of the time, and the battles
between the ruling empires and houses of nobility that would decide the
fate of the Caucuses, the real Middle Earth, and ultimately the fate of
the Western World. War Gods and Warrior Saints brings heroes, heroines,
barbarian hordes, and epic battles to life in this true telling of
the tug-of-war that profoundly affected the future of humankind.

Privately financed, production is set to begin in June and will be
presented to the networks by early fall 2014. Grammy winner Serj
Tankian (System of a Down) is in talks to compose the score.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA’S INTENTION TO JOIN CUSTOMS UNION RELATED TO ITS LONG-STANDING TIES WITH RUSSIA – PRESIDENT SARGSIAN

Interfax, Russia
May 13 2014

YEREVAN. May 13

Yerevan’s intention to join the Customs Union is related to
long-standing ties between Armenia and Russia, Armenian President
Serzh Sargsian said.

“The basis of the Armenian-Russian relations is friendship. For a long
time we lived in one state system related culturally and economically.

This is the basis of our relations and no one should be surprised
by Armenia’s decision to join the Customs Union,” Sargsian said at
a news conference with his French counterpart Francois Hollande in
Yerevan on Tuesday.

Armenia has not terminated economic relations with the EU, Sargsian
said. “It is desirable that Armenia be offered a certain association
agreement,” he said.

France does not condemn this integration decision of Armenia,
Hollande said.

Of course, France would like Armenia to be completely associated
with the EU but Paris can not make Yerevan terminate economic ties
with Russia – Armenia lives in exceptional conditions, the French
president said.

As to the Karabakh conflict, Hollande said he was ready to make every
effort to resolve it peacefully.

The existing truce is not a solution – it is necessary to find a real
solution for the conflict and France is ready to have the Armenian
and Azerbaijani presidents visit in order to search for solutions,
the French president said.

The approaches to resolving conflict differ, Sargsian said.

“The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
Minsk group co-chairpersons declared a single stance several times,
in particular, that the final status of Nagorny Karabakh should be
decided on the basis of the existing free declaration of will of
people, which has legal force. This principle has no alternative,
however Azerbaijan is trying to interpret different principles its
own way but nothing will come out of it,” the Armenian president said.

Holland has raised the Crimean issue at the news conference as well.

France is committed to international law in resolving various issues,
in this case, to the principle of territorial integrity, and the French
stance regarding Crimea assumes namely this principle, Hollande said.

It is necessary that Turkey recognize the Armenian genocide, Hollande
said. The French president said he would come to Armenia on April 24,
2015, when the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide in Ottoman
Turkey will be marked.

ez cm

From: A. Papazian

MEMBER OF POLITICAL BOARD OF AZERBAIJANI RULING PARTY: HEYDAR ALIYEV POPULATED KARABAKH WITH AZERBAIJANIS

23:18 14/05/2014 ” REGION

Heydar Aliyev changed the ethnic composition of Baku and Karabakh in
the Soviet era by inhabiting the areas with the Azerbaijanis. Thus,
during 13 years, the percentage of Azerbaijani population in Baku
increased from 40% to 80%, stated Ahabek Askerov, member of the
ruling “Yeni Azerbaijan” party and director of the publishing house
“Azerbaijan”, in an interview given to the Azerbaijani portal
“Haqqin.az.

“Heydar Aliyev, started building Azerbaijan since the Soviet era. The
main thing he succeeded in was changing the demographic situation in
Baku. Do you know what the percentage of Azerbaijanis living in Baku
then was? I’ll tell you – 40%,” Askerov noted.

According to the party functionary, the Azerbaijanis constituted a
tiny percentage in industrial regions, and since the 70s of the last
century a gigantic resettlement program of the rural Azerbaijani
youth started in Baku. “Thus, in 1982, after Heydar Aliyev left for
Moscow, the percentage of Azerbaijanis in Baku reached 80%. Imagine,
he managed to do this in just 13 years!” Askerov said.

Member of the political board of the Azerbaijani ruling party “Yeni
Azerbaijan” also admitted that in the Soviet times the leader of
Azerbaijani SSR Heydar Aliyev had changed the demographic situation
in Nagorno Karabakh, inhabiting this region with Azerbaijanis.

“By the way, Heydar Aliyev has rapidly changed the demographic
situation in Nagorno-Karabakh too, populating this region with
Azerbaijanis. Unfortunately, he did not manage to finish his political
mission, because he was succeed by very weak people who destroyed
his political legacy,” Askerov said.

Note that Heydar Aliyev has publicly admitted that he had deliberately
pursued a policy of increasing the number of Azerbaijanis in Karabakh
which was inhabited by Armenians.

Thus, during the meeting with the representatives of the Azerbaijani
media on July 22, in 2002, the then President Heydar Aliyev admitted,
“Nagorno Karabakh conflict arose in 1988. This is not a new conflict.

Rather to say, it is a sharp conflict. But this problem continues since
the beginning of the XX century … It was not normal in the Soviet
period as well…. However, despite this fact, we were controlling
the situation in Nagorno Karabakh. At what cost? Firstly, the Soviet
system allowed it itself.

Secondly, I’m talking about the period when I, as the first secretary,
promoted the development of the Nagorno Karabakh a lot in that time.

At the same time I was trying to change the demographic situation
there. Nagorno Karabakh had raised the issue of opening an institute,
university there. Everyone was against it here. I thought over it
and decided to open one. But with a condition that there were three
sectors there – Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian. It was opened. The
Azerbaijanis from adjacent regions were sent there instead of
Baku. We opened a large shoe factory there. There was no labor force
in Stepanakert. Azerbaijanis from the surrounding regions were sent
there. By this and other means, I tried to bring more Azerbaijanis
to Nagorno Karabakh and to decrease the number of the Armenians there.

Those who worked at that time in Nagorno Karabakh, know about it.

Anyway, due to my will and other qualities, my word served as a law
for its leadership.”

Later, the citations of Heydar Aliyev were removed from the Azerbaijani
websites, but the links of the original were preserved in numerous
books and articles of various authors.

Moreover, the original quote made by Heydar Aliyev was preserved
in “Echo” newspaper of 24 July 2002 Number 138 (383) (Screenshot
)issue and in other sources, to which
the adepts Azerbaijani propaganda have not reached yet.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA AND EU CAN AND WANT TO COOPERATE IN POLITICAL FIELD, GERMANY’S AMBASSADOR SAYS

by Marianna Lazarian

ARMINFO
Wednesday, May 14, 18:24

Armenia and EU can and want to cooperate in the political field,
Germany’s Ambassador to Armenia Reiner Morell told journalists
in Yerevan on Wednesday when asked about French President Francois
Hollande’s statement on the need to create a special model of Armenia’s
European integration.

Ambassador Morell said that some statements and words should be
perceived abstractly. He added that very often the mass media misquote
his words, too, therefore, he thinks it is necessary to make speeches
carefully. Reiner Morell said that Europe and Armenia had thoroughly
discussed and worked out an AA/Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area.

That Agreement cannot be signed now but it can be transformed into
a new text, but it will no longer be called an Association Agreement.

Ambassador Morell believes that Armenia and the European Union can
and want to cooperate in the political field. He added that French
President Francois Hollande also stressed it.

To note, during a state visit to Armenia, French President Francois
Hollande stressed the need to find a model of Armenia’s European
integration, which would not run counter to Armenia’s accession to
the Customs Union.

From: A. Papazian

CONVERSE BANK’S EMPLOYEES JOIN CHARITY CAMPAIGN TO SUPPORT ARMENIANS OF KESSAB

by Erik Abrahamyan

Wednesday, May 14, 21:44

Converse Bank’s employees have taken part in the charity fundraising
organized by the Jinishian Memorial Foundation to support the
Armenians of Kessab. The press service of the Bank has told ArmInfo
that an account has been opened at Converse Bank and the funds will
be transferred to the Jinishian Memorial Foundation.

The source says that on Converse Bank’s initiative, two families from
Latakia will be provided with leased housing and food for 2 months. If
the situation in Syria does not improve over the specified period of
time, the Bank will consider extending the project of support to the
Armenian families of Syria.

“Converse Bank feels it its duty to support not only the compatriots
who have found shelter in Latakia but also all those who prefer
returning to the historical Motherland. The Bank gives high priority to
this charity campaign and welcomes all steps taken by the Jinishian
Memorial Foundation. In the current difficult situation in the
country the Syrian Armenians should feel Armenia’s support”, says
Tigran Davtyan, CEO at Converse Bank.

In the meantime, Converse Bank has worked out a special package of
banking products for the Syrian Armenians. “These products will be
provided on favorable terms, which will give an opportunity to our
compatriots from Syria to easily pass the first stage of settlement
in Armenia”, Davtyan says.

To recall, the Jinishian Memorial Foundation has a representative
office in Syria and can promptly take all measures to accept donations.

From: A. Papazian

DAVE’S 24 HOURS TO GO BROKE DRAWS JUST 213,000 VIEWERS

Show featuring David Baddiel and Richard Herring fails to entice,
with channel’s audience down 20%

John Plunkett theguardian.com, Wednesday 14 May 2014 11.48 BST

David in a dress … David Baddiel and Richard Herring travelled
to Armenia in order to go broke in 24 hours for the Brewster’s
Millions-inspired show. Photograph: UKTV

The prospect of watching David Baddiel and Richard Herring spending
as much money in as little time as possible drew just over 200,000
viewers to Dave’s new series, 24 Hours to Go Broke.

Baddiel and Herring travelled to the Armenian capital of Yerevan for
the opening episode of the Brewster’s Millions-inspired show which
was watched by 213,000 viewers, a 1.4% share of the audience from 10pm
on Tuesday. It was down 20% on the channel’s three-month slot average.

Another new Dave series, Sin City Motors, featuring Steve Darnell’s
efforts to make oddball cars out of junk, began with 314,000 viewers
(1.6%) at 8pm, down 43% on the slot average.

Other new series included Ben Fogle’s Animal Clinic on Channel 5
at 8pm, watched by 846,000 viewers (4.2%), down 20% on the channel
average.

Elsewhere, the third episode of BBC1’s Sally Wainwright drama Happy
Valley had 5.7 million viewers, a 26.8% share between 9pm and 10pm.

It was up against ITV’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix,
the latest showing for the JK Rowling adaptation watched by 2.6
million viewers (12.6%) between 7.30pm and 10.10pm.

Idea for new show: Embarrassing Allotments

The penultimate episode of BBC2’s The Big Allotment Challenge had
1.9 million viewers, a 10% share, between 8pm and 9pm, prevailing
overChannel 4’s Embarrassing Bodies: Live from the Clinic, which
could only manage 1.4 million viewers (7%).

At 9pm, however, BBC2 docusoap Watermen: A Dirty Business, watched
by 1.5 million viewers (7.1%), was edged out by Channel 4’s Mr Drew’s
School for Boys, with 1.6 million (7.4%).

From: A. Papazian