Author: Andres-Papazian

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT DECLINES INCLUSION OF NIKOL PASHINYAN’S PRESIDENT IMPEACHMENT BILL IN AGENDA

YEREVAN, February 23./ARKA/. The National Assembly of Armenia decided
not to include opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan’s president impeachment
bill in its next session’s agenda, Novosti-Armenia correspondent
reports.

Only four members of the parliament voted for putting the bill on
the National Assembly’s floor, while 68 voted against that.

None of the Armenian National Congress’ MPs took part in the vote.

Levon Zurabyan, head of the Armenian National Congress’ faction, said
the faction can’t vote for this imperfect and vulnerable version of
the bill.

“I wonder why our colleague [Nikol Pashinyan] submitted the bill
contrary to our arrangements,” he said. “I think that approval of
this version of the bill would be a great gift to Serzh Sargsyan.”

Pashinyan, on his side, said that not a single proposal has come
from opposition political parties over several months of the bill
discussion in the committee.

On the past Friday, members of the National Assembly’s committee on
state and legal affairs, voted down the president impeachment bill
proposed by Nikol Pashinyan, opposition MP.

Pashinyan accuses Serzh Sargsyan of committing treason against the
state, abusing powers eight times and exceeding authority one time.

He considers the signing by Sargsyan the Armenian-Turkish protocols
in Zurich as treason.

Turkey and Armenia have had no diplomatic ties since Armenia became
independent from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in a show of support
for its ally, Azerbaijan, which had a dispute with Armenia over
Nagorno-Karabakh, the ethnic Armenian enclave of Azerbaijan.

There are several sensitive issues complicating the establishment of
normal relations between the two countries, particularly Ankara’s
blatant support of Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
resolution process and Turkey’s refusal to acknowledge the mass
killings of Armenians the Ottoman Empire as genocide.

The thaw in relations between the two countries began in 2008 at the
Armenian president’s initiative. In 2009 October 10 Armenia and Turkey
signed “Protocol on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations” and
“Protocol on the Development of Bilateral Relations” in Zurich which
were to be ratified by the parliaments of both countries.

However, on 22 April 2010, the President of Armenia signed a decree
suspending the ratification of the protocols, stating that Turkey
was not ready to continue the process.

One week ago, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, in his letter to
National Assembly Speaker Galust Sahakyan, informed the latter about
his decision to withdraw Armenian-Turkish relationship normalization
protocols from the parliament.

Pashinyan said that the president abused his power when in June 2009
ordered dismissal of the group set up for collecting facts of the
bloody events of March 1 and 2, 2008.

After the 2008 presidential election, Armenian opposition headed by
the first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who lost the then race for
presidency, staged protests saying the election had been fraudulent
and the results had been rigged.

The rallies ended in clashes between protesters and law enforcement
agencies. As a result, ten were killed and 200 injured. Many were
arrested.

Pashinyan also accused Sargsyan of doing absolutely nothing for
confirming the information he himself voiced on February 12 about
billion-dram tax evasion by the Prosperous Armenia party leader.

Relations between Gagik Tsarukyan and Serzh Sargsyan worsened after
the latter, speaking at a meeting of the executive board of the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia, lashed out at his former coalition partner
describing him as ‘a scourge for the country who lacks intelligence,
skills and education to govern Armenia.’ Sargsyan told Prime Minister
Hovik Abrahamyan to instruct corresponding bodies to thoroughly
investigate the veracity of “unverified reports” implicating Tsarukyan
in large-scale tax evasion.

In retaliation to Sargsyan’s crackdown, the leader of the Prosperous
Armenia Party said the following day that the current situation in
the country requires solution and ‘the only solution is a complete
change of power through extraordinary presidential elections.’

Gagik Tsarukyan said also he was offered the post of president of
the country but only after constitutional reforms that would turn
Armenia into a parliamentary republic.

He claimed that the reform is aimed at enabling Sargsyan to stay in
power after the end of his second and final presidential term in 2018.

Tsarukyan said he declined the offer causing Sargsyan’s anger.

—0—–

From: A. Papazian

Azerbaijan again spreads disinformation

12:59, 21 February, 2015

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. The statement issued by the Defense
Ministry of Azerbaijan saying as if the Armenian side has carried out
subversive act is yet another disinformation. The Press Spokesman of
the Ministry of Defense of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Senor
Hasratyan stated this in a conversation with “Armenpress” reflecting
on the statement issued by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on “the
attack of the subversive group of the Armenian Armed Forces” on
February 20-21, due to which an Azerbaijani soldier died.

Among other things, the Press Spokesman of the Ministry of Defense of
the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Senor Hasratyan underscored: “The front
units of the Defense Army of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic protect the
ceasefire regime and carry out their military duty along the entire
frontline. This is yet another Azerbaijani disinformation.”

In addition, the Press Spokesman of the Ministry of Defense of the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic Senor Hasratyan noted that Azerbaijan
regularly violates the ceasefire regime and the Defense Army of the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic carries out responsive actions only in case
of extreme necessity.

From: A. Papazian

Relatives of the Avetisyan family threaten to surround the Russian
military base: Aravot

16:25 | February 21,2015 | Social

Today is the 40th Day of the brutally murdered Avetisyan family. It is
impossible to describe the situation in front of their house. Only the
mourning of the relatives was heard from the house, who, on coming out
of the gates and seeing “Heritage” leader Raffi Hovhannisyan and the
NA deputy Zaruhi Postanjyan, started begging, “Find the real
murderer.”

“We want to know the real murderer, we beg to find, what can do one
person? You know who it was, but you don’t say. I am begging to say
who murdered our family. We are informed that you are satisfied with
the response, how? Say who it was so that we can calm down. We are
afraid of entering, approaching the gates. We will wait for some more
days, but if the case isn’t revealed, we will surround the Russian
military base… We have nothing to lose anymore, if you are unable to
resolve, we will apply to Russia… If Armenia can’t help us, if Serzh
isn’t standing by us, he even didn’t express condolences, what are we
to do?,” say two sisters of murdered Hasmik Avetisyan.

The whole article here

From: A. Papazian

Azerbaijan violates ceasefire regime for about 900 times in a week

13:23, 21 February, 2015

STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. In accordance with the operative
data of the Defense Army of Nagorno Karabakh Republic, within the
period ranging from February 15 to February 21, the rival violated the
ceasefire regime for about 900 times on the line of contact of
Karabakh-Azerbaijani opposing armies. More than 10 thousand bullets
were fired towards our troops during this period.

The Press Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic informed “Armenpress” that the frontier units of the Defense
Army gave relevant response to the rival’s actions and took necessary
steps to organize steadfast protection of the military positions along
the entire line of contact.

From: A. Papazian

Arte.it- Italia
18 feb 2015

Avetis Vighen. La Madre dell’Armenia

Dal 19 Febbraio 2015 al 19 Febbraio 2015
Cavriglia | Arezzo
Luogo: Palazzo comunale
Telefono per informazioni: +39 055 966971
E-Mail info: [email protected]
Sito ufficiale:

Comunicato Stampa: Da Piazza del Duomo a Firenze dalla sede della
Misericordia ai piedi del campanile di Giotto è arrivata a Cavriglia
ed è stata collocata di fronte al palazzo comunale la statua del
grande scultore armeno Avetis Vighen “La madre dell’Armenia” (bronzo,
2,80 mt X 1,80 mt), fusa qualche mese fa in occasione del centenario
del genocidio degli armeni del 1915. L’Amministrazione Comunale
tramite il maestro senese Massimo Lippi, molto legato alla nostra
terra, aveva proposto a Vighen di concedere a Cavriglia l’onore di
ospitare per alcune settimane un’opera d’arte di grandissimo valore e
quando l’artista ha accettato la notizia è stata accolta con enorme
piacere e gratitudine. Basti pensare che “La madre dell’Armenia”, dopo
essere stata già stata esposta in Piazza del Duomo a Siena ed a
Firenze, durante tutto il 2015 farà il giro delle più importanti città
d’Europa (tra le altre Venezia, Marsiglia, Parigi, Ginevra e
Copenaghen). Ed è stato proprio il forte legame con i tragici fatti
del passato che accomuna il popolo armeno a Cavriglia ad individuare
“La madre dell’Armenia” come un’opera ideale per proseguire nel
percorso di sensibilizzazione nei confronti della cittadinanza
sull’importanza della Memoria avviato lo scorso anno con le
celebrazioni del 70° anniversario degli eccidi nazisti del luglio 1944
dove vennero uccise nel Comune di Cavriglia 192 vittime civili
innocenti. Per non disperdere gli insegnamenti lasciati in eredità dai
tragici fatti del passato e tramandare questo patrimonio di
generazione in generazione, prendendo spunto dall’arrivo dell’opera di
Avetis Vighen, l’Amministrazione Comunale di Cavriglia coinvolgerà i
giovani studenti cavrigliesi in una serie di iniziative sulla Memoria
in cui verrà fatto un parallelo tra gli eccidi nazisti del 1944 e il
genocidio del popolo armeno. “La bellezza simbolica e illuminata di
una madre che salva con il proprio abbraccio i suoi quattro figli da
un strage annunciata, quella degli armeni nel 1915 – ha affermato il
Vicesindaco di Cavriglia Filippo Boni -, ha raggiunto anche la nostra
comunità e ne siamo profondamente orgogliosi. L’opera del grande
artista armeno Vighen che resterà esposta di fronte al palazzo
comunale di Cavriglia proviene da piazza del Duomo di Firenze e
precedentemente era situata in Piazza del Duomo a Siena. Dopo aver
fatto tappa da noi, ripartirà tra poco più di un mese alla volta di
Piazza San Pietro a Roma dove Papa Francesco l’accoglierà il 12 aprile
con una messa per gli armeni. Quindi ripartirà per Piazza San Marco a
Venezia ed infine, prima di essere definitivamente collocata in una
piazza di Copenaghen, in Danimarca, farà sosta in centro a Parigi.
Dobbiamo essere doppiamente fieri di questa opportunità poiché gli
armeni, che vennero sterminati cento anni fa, hanno subìto in massima
parte ciò che anche la nostra popolazione, per tutt’altri motivi, subì
il 4 luglio 1944 con il massacro nazista. E anche le nostre donne,
nella ricostruzione del tessuto sociale di questa comunità, ebbero un
ruolo straordinario e fondamentale. Ecco perch̩ questa Madre Рha
concluso il Vicesindaco Р̬ anche la nostra Madre e rappresenta nella
sua luce questa terra feconda dei suoi figli e che ancora oggi
nonostante tutto, è salvata dalla bellezza tramite coloro che provano
a seminarla nel mondo”.
L’opera verrà inaugurata al palazzo comunale di Cavriglia giovedì 19
febbraio alle 15 alla presenza delle autorità civili e religiose,
dell’artista armeno, di Massimo Lippi e di tutta la cittadinanza che è
caldamente invitata a partecipare.

L’opera:
Di proprietà della Fondazione “DAR” l’opera (bronzo, 2,80 mt X 1,80
mt) è stata realizzata qualche mese fa in memoria del centenario del
Genocidio degli Armeni. Vighen Avedis ha realizzato la scultura dal
grande impatto emotivo partendo dall’allegoria dell’Armenia come madre
di tanti 4 figli sparsi ai 4 punti cardinali, ai 4 continenti.
Sul retro della statua un particolare ne svela la provenienza e
l’intensità storica e non solo allegorica della descrizione. Il
vestito della donna è chiuso da una spilla sul retro. Essa come cammeo
ha la Chiesa di Santa Croce, il monumento assoluto al Genocidio
Armeno. L’antica chiesa armena della Santa Croce sorge sull’isola
Aktamar posta al centro del lago di Van, nella Turchia dell’est a
confine con l’Armenia, ed è oggi solo un museo. Questa suggestiva
chiesa è uno dei più pregevoli esemplari di arte armena del Decimo
secolo ma è soprattutto tristemente nota alle cronache per essere
stata uno dei luoghi dove gli armeni furono massacrati durante il
genocidio del 1915. E ancor oggi per qualsiasi armeno, dovunque si
trovi, Aktamar è un luogo particolarmente caro da vedere e visitare
prima di morire.

Vighen Avetis è nato a Yerevan nel 1968 da un’antica famiglia che ha
sempre coltivato l’amore per le più alte tradizioni culturali della
sua terra. Ha studiato all’Accademia di Belle Arti della sua città e
nello studio di un grande artista, ma non ha ricevuto nessuna
influenza esterna perché ha un forte carattere che lo porta
spontaneamente al confronto con i Maestri della tradizione italiana.
Ha completato i suoi studi all’Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze e,
fin da giovane, ha eseguito importanti opere in bronzo e marmo. Vince
alcuni concorsi nazionali di scultura; primeggia a Carrara nei
prestigiosi laboratori del marmo dove si distingue per la sua indomita
energia creativa e per la tecnica raffinata che lo segnala tra i
migliori scultori del marmo degli anni Novanta. Nonostante il suo
percorso di vita lo abbia spesso allontanato dal suo Paese, Avetis
Vighen è sempre stato molto apprezzato in Armenia dove ha realizzato
importanti come fontane, monumenti oltre ad essere l’inventore e il
Direttore di vari edizioni del Simposio di scultura internazionale.
Impegnato attivamente per elevare le sorti culturali della sua patria
è ritenuto, per unanime consenso, uno dei maggiori artisti del suo
popolo, capace di dialogare con i più importanti movimenti culturali a
lui contemporanei. Tra i più prestigiosi riconoscimenti ottenuti
dall’artista nella sua brillante carriera citiamo la 32esima edizione
del “Premio Firenze” sezione scultura grazie proprio a “La Madre
dell’Armenia”.

From: A. Papazian

L’e-media 05
20 fevr 2015

Gap : un film sur l’Arménie d’aujourd’hui à l’occasion de la
commémoration du génocide

Par sortir.lemedia05.com le 20 février 2015 Expositions/projections

SAMEDI 28 FEVRIER, 17H, LE ROYAL A GAP. A l’occasion du centième
anniversaire de la commémoration du génocide arménien, l’association
culturelle des Arméniens de Gap et des Hautes-Alpes organise une
projection du film > suivie d’un débat
avec le réalisateur Hervé Magnin.

Ce documentaire apporte un éclairage global sur l’Arménie
d’aujourd’hui en s’appuyant principalement sur l’histoire, la
sociologie, l’anthropologie, l’économie, la politique et la
psychologie. Il est constitué de témoignages, d’images d’archives et
de réflexions du réalisateur. Il y est question d’articuler le passé
et le futur et de les conjuguer au présent de l’Arménie et de son
environnement mondialisé.

Écrivain humaniste français, Hervé Magnin est aussi comédien, musicien
et psychothérapeute. Cet aventurier vient de parcourir 8000 kilomètres
en autostop pour rencontrer le peuple arménien et réaliser un film qui
tente de le faire mieux connaître et reconnaître, par-delà les
quelques clichés qui circulent à son sujet dans le monde.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIDJAN
Nouvelles accusations contre la célèbre journaliste Khadija Ismaïlova

De nouvelles accusations fallacieuses ont été portées contre la
journaliste azerbaïdjanaise Khadija Ismaïlova, en détention depuis le
5 décembre 2014. Elles lui font encourir jusqu’Ã douze ans de prison.

Le 13 février 2015, de nouveaux chefs d’accusation ont été portés
contre la figure de proue du journalisme indépendant en Azerbaïdjan,
Khadija Ismaïlova, placée en détention provisoire depuis plus de deux
mois. Arrêtée le 5 décembre 2014 pour avoir soi-disant `incité au
suicide` un de ses collègues, elle est désormais accusée de
`détournement de fonds à grande échelle’, de `commerce illégal’,
d”évasion fiscale’ et d”abus de pouvoir’, sur la base des articles
179.3.2, 192.2.2, 213.1 et 308.2 du code pénal. Elle risque pour ces
charges jusqu’Ã douze ans de prison.

`Nous réitérons notre appel à la libération immédiate de Khadija
Ismaïlova et à l’abandon de toutes les charges qui pèsent contre elle,
déclare Johann Bihr, responsable du bureau Europe de l’est et Asie
centrale de Reporters sans frontières. Le seul tort de cette
journaliste est d’avoir enquêté sur la corruption au sommet de l’Etat
et d’être venu en aide aux prisonniers politiques qui remplissent les
geôles azerbaïdjanaises’.

Les nouvelles accusations ont été portées suite à la perquisition, le
26 décembre 2014, des locaux de Radio Azadlig, le service
azerbaïdjanais de Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), que
Khadija Ismailova a dirigé avant de le quitter il y a plus de quatre
ans. Les locaux de Radio Azadlig ont été placés sous scellés à l’issue
de cette intervention.

Selon l’avocat de la journaliste, Fariz Namazly, les autorités ne
cherchent qu’Ã compenser l’inconsistance des premières accusations. Il
relève que les nouvelles charges portées contre Khadija Ismaïlova sont
`standards’, dans la mesure où les défenseurs des droits de l’homme
Intigam Aliev, Rassoul Djafarov et Anar Mamedli, entre autres, sont
incarcérés sur des bases similaires.

L’Azerbaïdjan figure à la 162e place sur 180 du Classement mondial
2015 de la liberté de la presse de Reporters sans frontières. Suite Ã
la campagne d’éradication sans précédent que les autorités mènent
contre les dernières voix indépendants, le pays a enregistré l’une des
chutes les plus importantes du Classement mondial en performance
absolue.

Signez la pétition : `Monsieur Aliev, libérez Khadija Ismaïlova !’

?lang=fr

samedi 21 février 2015,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

L’Essor Loire – Rhône – Isère, France
19 fevr 2015

Lancement du centenaire du génocide des Arméniens

Loire le 19 f̩vrier 2015 РDaniel BRIGNON

Les commémorations du centenaire du génocide des Arméniens ont été
lancées dans la Loire mercredi 18 février à Saint-Étienne par le
vernissage d’une exposition tenue dans les salons de l’hôtel de ville.

>, explique Raffi Krikorian, président de la Mission
2015 du CCAF Centre1, chargé de la coordination des événements du
centenaire en Rhône-Alpes particulièrement. , précise Raffi Krikorian, qui a déterminé un
pré-programme centré dans la Loire sur Saint-Étienne et Saint-Chamond,
même s’il doit se diffuser à terme dans d’autres communes. Un
programme principalement orienté sur la culture, car, >, poursuit le président.

D’ores et déjà on peut noter au calendrier le concert de la chorale
Gomidas, choeur de l’Église apostolique arménienne de Lyon, le 1er mars
à l’église Saint-Pierre de Saint-Chamond, un pèlerinage rhônalpin des
Arméniens à Rome, du 10 au 13 avril à la rencontre du pape qui doit
tenir une célébration spécifique le 12 avril.

Le sommet des commémorations aura lieu les 23 et 24 avril, le 24 avril
étant la date anniversaire du déclenchement du génocide dans son
ampleur radicale. Une messe oecuménique aura lieu jeudi 23 avril à 18 h
45 à la cathédrale Saint-Charles, suivie d’une veillée sur le parvis.
Le vendredi 24 avril, à Saint-Chamond : dépôt de gerbes suivi d’un
défilé ; à Saint-Étienne : Requiem en l’église arménienne, suivi d’un
dépôt de gerbes place d’Arménie.

D’autres événements suivront, dont des représentations thétrales, une
conférence à l’université Jean-Monnet, présidée par l’historien Yves
Ternon, en septembre, et un événementiel intégré à la Fête du livre de
Saint-Étienne en octobre.

Daniel Brignon

Exposition du musée du Génocide des Arméniens, hôtel de ville de
Saint-Étienne, jusqu’au 3 mars

From: A. Papazian

Meeting? No thanks!: Ter-Petrosyan says talks with Sarkisian “no
longer necessary”

POLITICS | 21.02.15 | 15:11

Reply Open Letter: Sargsyan ‘ready’ to invite Ter-Petrosyan for meeting

Opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan
no longer considers a meeting with President Serzh Sargsyan as
necessary, a spokesman for the opposition party said on Saturday.

Through ilur.am Arman Musinyan disseminated a report in which he said
that the first president was “fully satisfied” with Sargsyan’s reply
to his open letter that concerned some of the aspects of the
Pan-Armenian Declaration adopted ahead of the Armenian Genocide
Centennial.

In reply to this open letter made available to the media on Friday
President Sargsyan said he was ready to accept Ter-Petrosyan’s offer
for a meeting. Though, he categorically rejected the ex-president’s
claims that the document contradicts Armenia’s Constitution as well as
international legal documents.

“Sargsyan thinks that the Declaration is a wonderful document and that
it reflects the will of all Armenians. Meanwhile, Ter-Petrosyan thinks
that the Declaration is a document fraught with dangers for Armenia
and Karabakh and that it cannot express the will of all Armenians
unless it is adopted through a referendum. It is for the public and
generations to judge about all the rest,” Musinyan said. “Since this
is a public debate, Ter-Petrosyan no longer sees a need for a private
conversation.”

From: A. Papazian

KARABAGH
Bako Sahakian a reçu Yair Auron

Le Président du Haut-Karabagh (Artsakh) Bako Sahakian a reçu samedi
Yair Auron, un historien israélien spécialisé dans les études sur le
génocide et l’Holocauste et professeur agrégé à l’Université ouverte
d’Israël.

Selon un communiqué de presse par le bureau présidentiel du Karabagh,
les deux parties ont parlé de l’histoire du peuple arménien, discuté
entre autres choses du règlement du conflit du Haut-Karabagh et des
développements régionaux.

Le Président Sahakian a hautement loué les recherches du chercheur
israélien sur l’histoire du génocide arménien, en soulignant ses
aspects académiques et moraux et sa contribution sérieuse à l’étude et
la reconnaissance internationale du génocide arménien. Il a également
souligné la valeur de l’oeuvre du professeur Auron pour cimenter des
liens d’amitié entre les peuples arménien et juif.

Vardan Hakobyan, le président de l’Union des écrivains du Karabagh
était également présent à la réunion.

dimanche 22 février 2015,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

From: A. Papazian