Author: Andres-Papazian

FOUNDING PARLIAMENT MEMBERS SEVERELY BEATEN UP: ZHIRAYR SEFILYAN TRANSFERRED TO HOSPITAL

19:05 | January 31,2015 | Politics

During today’s automobile march organized by 100th Anniversary
without the Regime opposition movement, special forces attacked the
participants of the event after breaking all cameras. People were
being pulled out of their cars and severely beaten up, the Founding
Parliament said on its Facebook page.

The condition of Zhirayr Sefilyan’s condition has deteriorated after
today’s beating. He complains of severe pain in the upper right side
of the abdomen. He is being taken to a hospital in Vayk.

From: A. Papazian

Turkologist: Armenia managed to bring Turkey to bay

The Pan-Armenian Declaration on the Centennial of the Armenian
Genocide was drawn up correctly, with provisions of the Declaration of
Independence of Armenia and the UN Conventions being indicated,
Turkologist Hakob Chakryan told a press conference today.

“The circumstance that the UN convention on genocide has a retroactive
effect is of importance because Turkey’s representatives constantly
say that the convention was adopted in 1948 and is not applicable for
the 1915 events. Armenia has managed to bring Turkey to bay. Having no
counter steps, Turkey resorts to unbalanced actions, while Erdogan
makes silly statements,” Chakryan said.

“In parallel with the progress of the Armenian Genocide recognition
process, Turkey’s denial policy is becoming more and more aggressive,”
he said.

31.01.15, 14:56

From: A. Papazian

PHILATELIE ARMENIENNE
La poste arménienne émet une série de deux timbres sur les costumes
traditionnels d’Erévan et Gumri – Photos

Dans la série des

From: A. Papazian

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Jan 31 2015

Armenian leader watches premier of Turkish-German Akın’s ‘The Cut’ amid debates

MOSCOW

Armenian leader Sargsyan attends the Moscow premier of Turkish-German
director Akın’s ‘The Cut’ amid fresh exchange of words on 1915 events

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan attended Jan. 30 the Moscow premier
of `The Cut,’ the latest movie from Turkish-German filmmaker Fatih
Akın which centers on an Armenian father who travels from the 1915
Ottoman Empire to the U.S. in search of his daughters.

Members of an Armenian state commission, which works on the
anniversary of 1915 events, and other guests accompanied Sargsyan at
the Moscow theater, Armenian Press news agency reported Jan. 30.

Along with Akın, Armenian-American screenwriter Mardik Martin, who has
also worked with legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese, penned the
screenplay of the drama.

The film, which competed for the coveted Golden Lion award at the 71st
Venice Film Festival and received a special mention award there, had
an estimated budget of 16 million euros, according to the website
imdb.com.

The move came amid fresh steps and exchanges of words between the
leaders of Turkey and Armenia, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip
ErdoÄ?an said during a live interview on public broadcaster TRT Haber
that accusing Turkey of committing `genocide’ is a form of execution
without trial. However, Ankara is `ready to pay for any misdeed’ if an
`impartial board of historians’ concludes that it was at fault for the
events of 1915, he said.

`We are not obliged to accept that the so-called Armenian genocide was
`made-to-order,” ErdoÄ?an said.
He mentioned that during his period as prime minister, he had sent a
letter in 2005 to former Armenian President Robert Kocharian,
proposing that historians investigate the 1915 killings of Anatolian
Armenians during the Ottoman era.

ErdoÄ?an’s recent invitation to ceremonies marking the centenary of the
Battle of Gallipoli in Çanakkale in late April, which coincides with
the remembrance day for the victims of the 1915 mass killings, was
`cynical and shortsighted,’ Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said a
day before the Russia premier of the movie.

`They say any measures are suitable in politics, but I believe Ankara
offered a bad service to itself in this matter,’ Sargsyan said on Jan.
29, according to ArmeniaNow.com.
ErdoÄ?an sent out invitations to the leaders of 102 countries,
including Armenian President Sargsyan and U.S. President Barack Obama,
for the Gallipoli event.

Sargsyan rebuffed the invitation in letter addressed to ErdoÄ?an,
recalling an invitation extended to the Turkish president to attend
ceremonies to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1915 deportation and
killing of Ottoman Armenians, which is considered `genocide’ by
Armenians.

January/31/2015

From: A. Papazian

Sport
Marie-Arlette Carlotti demande l’organisation du match amical
France-Arménie à Marseille

Dans un courrier adressé à Patrick Kanner, ministre de la ville, de la
jeunesse et des sports, la députée de la 5ème circonscription des
Bouches-du-Rhône, Marie-Arlette Carlotti, demande que le match amical
entre la France et l’Arménie, programmé le 8 octobre 2015, soit
organisé à Marseille.

Le Maire de Marseille, Jean-Claude Gaudin, avait lui-même fait cette
requête auprès du président de la Fédération Française de Football
Noël Le Gräet au mois de novembre dernier.

Voir document

samedi 31 janvier 2015,
Jean Eckian (c)armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

REVUE DE PRESSE
Mémorial de la Shoah : Hollande évasif au sujet des génocides

Par Sylvie Matton, journaliste et écrivain

En ce 27 janvier, dans le cadre du Mémorial de la Shoah, François
Hollande a rendu un respectueux hommage aux survivants de la
déportation et des camps d’extermination, chaque mot étant pesé :
l’exercice consistait à exprimer une profonde compassion tout en ne
froissant aucun groupe ni individu, mais aussi à oublier l’inavouable
responsabilité des gouvernants occidentaux qui, durant la seconde
guerre mondiale, savaient et ont laissé faire.

Car, des décennies avant les satellites et les drones, les avions de
reconnaissance avaient, dès 1941, rapporté dans les capitales des
Alliés des images des camps en construction ; plus tard d’autres
témoigneront de l’arrivée des trains, des colonnes des déportés, de la
fumée s’échappant des hautes cheminées…

Ainsi, en ce 70e anniversaire de la > du camp
d’Auschwitz–Birkenau, le Président Hollande a–t–il rappelé
l’instant du 27 janvier 1945 vers 15 heures, quand les armées
soviétiques en ont ouvert les portes : >.

DES COMPLICES PASSIFS

Ce le fut sans le moindre doute pour les jeunes et moins jeunes
soldats russes, les premiers à être confrontés aux survivants de
l’enfer et aux multiples traces de la déshumanisation criminelle et de
l’extermination. Quelque temps plus tard, entre chuchotements et
incrédulité exprimée, ce sera une révélation pour les populations
civiles. Mais ce n’en était pas une, en janvier 1945, pour les
responsables à la tête des Etats et des chancelleries du monde dit
civilisé.

.

est une litanie
récurrente dans le cadre de nombreux génocides, et d’autant depuis que
la Convention citant leur prévention et leur répression contraint
(dans le texte) les Etats membres de l’ONU à intervenir dès qu’un
génocide est avéré. Est-ce pour cette raison que le Président Hollande
a omis de citer un autre génocide, de la fin du XXe siècle, dans
lequel les membres permanents du Conseil de s̩curit̩ Рnotamment la
France et la Grande Bretagne Рont une immense responsabilit̩ ?

Très solennel, François Hollande affirme dans son discours que >.

Certes, le 24 avril 2015 est la date du centenaire du génocide du
peuple arménien, à commémorer et confirmer sans plus d’atermoiement…
Quant à la vingtième commémoration du génocide au Rwanda, elle a eu
lieu en 2014. Mais pour quelle raison, le génocide perpétré en Bosnie,
dont les massacres en juillet 1995 de la population de Srebrenica ont
été reconnus, sans controverse sémantique possible, par deux cours
internationales de justice, est-il oublié dans cette courte liste ?

Est-ce parce que le Président français n’a pas l’intention de se
rendre le 11 juillet prochain à Srebrenica, en compagnie de nombreux
autres chefs d’Etat, pour une commémoration qui ressemblera à une
auto–absolution ? Ou parce qu’il est désormais avéré, après de
nombreux aveux de responsables des années 1990, que, contrairement au
déni obsolète, tous savaient. Ils ont su que le génocide s’organisait,
ils ont su que les massacres étaient en cours. Et en refusant
d’intervenir, en sacrifiant la population à ses bourreaux (et à
l’accord de paix que Slobodan Milosevic acceptait enfin de signer) ils
prenaient le risque d’être complices d’un génocide.

Sylvie Matton est l’auteur de >,
Editions Flammarion, 2005.

En savoir plus (voir ICI) : Le Monde

samedi 31 janvier 2015,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Feast of St. Sarkis

17:33, 30 Jan 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Tomorrow the Armenian Apostolic Church will celebrate the Feast of St.
Sarkis the Captain, Patron of Love and Youth.

By the order of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians, the Feast of St. Sarkis the Captain and
his soldiers-companions is proclaimed day of blessing of the youth.

Captain St. Sarkis is one of the most beloved saints among the
Armenian nation. Together with his 14 soldiers-companions he was
martyred for the sake of Christian faith.

During the period of reign of the king Kostandianos the Great
(285-337) St. Sarkis, being very courageous, was appointed the prince
and General in chief of the region of Cappadocia bordering Armenia.
When during the period of reign of the king Julianos the Betrayer
(360-363) the persecutions against Christians started by God’s will
St. Sarkis and his only son – Martyros, came to live in Armenia, and
the Armenian king Tiran, grandson of Tiridates, received them very
well. From Armenia St. Sarkis and his son went to Persia, and started
serving in the army of the Persian king Shapouh as the captain of
regiments. Become aware of the fact that Sarkis was Christian the king
Shapouh ordered him to worship the fire and offer sacrifice to the
heathen gods. But the captain immediately refused to obey the order
saying, “We should worship one God – the Holy Trinity, which has
created the earth and the heaven. Whereas fire or idols are not gods
and the human being may destroy them.” After these words the saint
destroyed the temple. The annoyed crowd fell on the saint and his son.
First the son of the saint was martyred. The saint was put into prison
and remaining unshaken in his faith was beheaded. After the martyrdom
of the saint light appeared over his body. 14 soldiers-companions of
the saint also were martyred for the sake of Christian faith.

For the Armenian nation St. Sarkis is one of the most beloved. It
isn’t casual that St. Mesrop Mashtots brought the relics of the saint
to the village Karbi (Ashtarak Region) and the Church of St. Sarkis
was built over his relics.

Sts. Atomians were the Armenian captains Atom Gnouni and Manajihr
Reshtouni who together with their regiments served in the Persian
royal court during the period of reign of the idolater king Hazkert.
Upon the excitation of archimagi king Hazkert started persecutions
against Christians in order to eradicate Christian faith in Persia.
Captains Atom Gnouni and Manajihr Reshtouni received an edict from
Hazkert inviting the captains together with their regiments to the
royal palace with the intention of forcing them to apostasy. At first
the Armenian captains obeyed the order, but being aware of the trap
prepared by the king they started back home and on their way home they
stopped in the province of Andzevatsyats. Becoming aware of the
numerous Persian Army persecuting them soldiers of the captain Atom
Gnouni, encouraged by the prophesy of a saint hermit living on the
mountain preferred voluntary martyrdom. Persian Army reaching the
Armenian regiment surrounded them and killed the saints by words.
Whereas Manajihr Reshtouni and his soldiers reached his native land –
Reshtounik, where he confessed his being Christian and was martyred in
449 AD.

In Armenia it is accepted to celebrate the Feast of St. Sarkis not
only according to church rites and prayer, but also according to
various folk traditions. St. Sarkis the Captain is the patron of
youth. Many miracles happen thanks to his intercession. On the day of
the feast young people pray the saint asking him to make their prayers
audible to God. St. Sarkis is the realizer of the love longings.

There are many legends about St. Sarkis and one of them is the following.

Poor bard Gharib loved Shah-Sanam who was the daughter of a very rich
man. Shah-Sanam loved him, too, but because the bard was poor, the
Shah-Sanam’s father was against their marriage as he wished to marry
his daughter to a rich man. Bard Gharib decided to go to foreign
countries to earn money and to accumulate wealth. But before leaving
for foreign countries bard Gharib asked Shah-Sanam to promise to wait
for him for seven years providing that if he were late even for one
day the young woman might marry according to her father’s will.

That seven-year-period was a very difficult period for bard Gharib. He
couldn’t see his beloved, had no news of her, and nevertheless, he
wasn’t disappointed and waited for the time when they would meet, make
up family and live together all their life.

Working day and night for seven years bard Gharib accumulated wealth
and started his way back to the motherland. However, on his way back
he faced many difficulties and hardships. It seemed to him that he
wouldn’t be able to reach his beloved. So, he prayed with honest heart
and righteous mind for the help of St. Sarkis asking.

Listening the prayer of the bard St. Sarkis immediately appeared
sitting on his white horse, seated him on the back of the horse and in
one moment brought him to Shah-Sanam. Seeing the bard’s strong will,
their sincere and deep love and devotion, Shah-Sanam’s father blessed
their union.

Fast of Catechumens established by St. Gregory the Illuminator
precedes the feast. On the eve of the feast, in the evening, young
people eat salty cookies and relate the appearance of their future
bride or bridegroom in their dream to eating of the salty cookie.
Also, on the night preceding the feast of St. Sarkis the faithful
people place a tray full of gruel before the door believing that while
passing near their door at dawn St. Sarkis will leave his footprint on
the gruel symbolizing the fulfillment of their dreams.

People in love present each other cards, flowers or sweets on the
occasion of the feast.
On the day of the feast a Divine Liturgy is celebrated in all churches
named after St. Sarkis. Following the Liturgy a special ceremony of
blessing of young people will be offered.

Source: Qahana.am

From: A. Papazian

Derby hosts Armenian Genocide recognition event, Turkish embassy tries
to interfere

To give the whole occasion the due respect it deserved, I invited a
representation from the Armenian Embassy in London to join the day.

Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) takes place on January 27 each year to
remember the Nazi atrocities during the Second World War, and
subsequent Genocides throughout the world. It is an important day
marked in many of the major cities in the UK, and governed by a
central committee in London.
January 30, 2015

PanARMENIAN.Net – In January 2014, I challenged the Chair of the
committee in my home city of Derby, as to why none of the planned
events dealt with the Armenian Genocide. His response was twofold;
firstly, the UK committee does not endorse the reference to any
genocides prior to 1939, and secondly, Derby does not have an Armenian
community to justify any change to that policy. Despite this, he made
the offer to me to join the committee, for the 2015 events, and work
with the team to make sure that we did recognize the Armenian
Genocide.

As 2015 is the 70th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the
HMD UK committee commissioned a special candle from Sir Anish Kapoor (
Indian sculptor living in London). Just 70 candles were made and they
were only given to those cities who could demonstrate that their
events would be of sufficient high standard to qualify for this
important artefact. Derby was successful in being awarded one of the
candles.

Although officially, the HMD UK event was remembering the Holocaust
and the 20th Anniversary of the Srebrenica massacres in Bosnia, the
Derby committee jointly agreed to change the scope of our events to
include the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. This was
reflected in all of the publicity surrounding the occasion.

HMD in Derby focuses its events in 3 locations, and it was decided,
that we would take the opportunity to light the candle on 3 occasions
for the 3 Genocides. It was decided that the lighting of the candle in
the Derby Cathedral, the seat of the Church of England in the City,
would be to remember the Armenian Genocide. The most fitting of places
for this.

The candle was first lit in the Bosnia-Hercegovina Centre by 2
survivors of the massacre of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica. Their
moving stories were read out to a shocked and silenced audience.

As the second lighting of the candle, and the carrying of it to the
front of the Cathedral, was a solemn and important moment in the
proceedings, I wanted that to be performed by an Armenian. Mr Ara
Nahadedian, from Crewe, attended to perform that, resplendent in
traditional Armenian costume.

The final lighting of the candle, on behalf of those Jews who perished
in the Holocaust, was in the QUAD Arts Centre, the venue for the main
event of the day, with an audience of over 300 people.

After that ceremony I was given the opportunity to make a 10 minute
presentation on the Armenian Genocide.

To give the whole occasion the due respect it deserved, I invited a
representation from the Armenian Embassy in London to join the day. I
am pleased to have welcomed Mr Hayk Khemchyan to Derby in that
capacity. We were also joined by others from the Armenian community
who were able to travel from Manchester, Crewe and London.

Throughout all of the planning, the committee had never wavered from
the fact that we were going to refer to the Armenian Genocide. We
never discussed using any other euphemisms. In Derby, the planning
committee is an independent group of people, not formally linked to
any political structure. In the few days prior to the HMD itself, the
Mayor of Derby received an email from the Turkish Embassy complaining
about the fact that we were making overt references to the killings in
1915 as “Genocide”, and that we should change our position and use
less provocative language.

For the few brief references made by the Mayor, and one other
official, the script was changed, on the instruction of the local
Council. The script for the main event, including my presentation
remained totally unchanged. We were resolute that we were not going to
be dictated to.

Ironically, the fact that the Turkish Government had tried to
influence our events proved to be helpful in highlighting to the
audience, the gravity of the political situation, even 100 years on.

The purpose of my presentation was to make the link from 1915, to the
plight of the Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, today, and how the policy
of denial was the last act of Genocide.

I highlighted the fact that the iconic Mt Ararat being in Turkey is

“a daily reminder of the injustice of their situation….and the
weakness and possible corruption of politics in the post- WW1 period
which resulted in a treaty and division of lands that rewarded those
who committed the crime of Genocide.”

The theme of the HMD events this year was “Keep the Memory Alive” and
I used this to emphasise that

“.. for the Armenians it is worse than forgetting…..it is the denial
that it is taking place. Today is not just about a historical
remembrance of something that happened 100 years ago… Today is about
recognising and understanding that the Genocide of the Armenians is
unfinished business for Turkey and Azerbaijan….”

Bearing in mind the antics of the Turkish Embassy with respect to our
events, and the extent to which Governments avoid holding Turkey to
account, and comply with perceived pressure, I went on to say:

“The Nazi Holocaust happened because too many people stood by and did
nothing – this is happening today for the Armenians. We must not allow
ignorance and political expediency to facilitate the Genocidal
intentions of Turkey and Azerbaijan.”

The local committee were shocked about the conduct of the Turkish
Embassy and it has simply reinforced our resolve to ensure that we
will remember and recognize the Armenian Genocide, and its impact on
Nagorno Karabakh every year. For many, this experience has highlighted
the reality of the plight of the Armenians in a way which I could
never have planned and, perversely I am grateful to the Turkish
Embassy, for their actions, on this occasion.

Russell Pollard is an English journalist and photographer, who has
visited Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh 10 times over the past 4 years.
He is the founder of the website and writes
regularly on issues relating to Artsakh. He is active in promoting
recognition of the current situation from an Armenian perspective and
also in influencing an understanding of the truth about the events in
and around Khojalu in 1992.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIE
Le soldat russe accusé des meurtres de Gyumri interrogés par les
enquêteurs arméniens

La commission d’enquête arménienne a publié une vidéo montrant
l’interrogatoire de Valery Permyakov, un militaire russe à Gyumri
accusé du meurtre d’une famille de sept membres plus tôt ce mois.

Sur la vidéo muette les enquêteurs arméniens semblent mettre être en
cause le soldat de 19 ans, qui est maintenu en garde à vue dans la
base militaire russe dans la ville du nord-ouest de l’Arménie depuis
son arrestation par les gardes-fronti̬res russes le 12 Janvier Рmoins
de 24 heures après le meurtre de six membres de la famille Avetisyan,
dont une fillette de deux ans, et blessant mortellement un bébé de six
mois.

Permyakov aurait admis les accusations portées contre lui de meurtre
par la commission d’enquête arménienne.

Le Comité a déclaré que des échantillons avaient été prélevés sur
Permyakov afin de les comparer aux traces et échantillons trouvés sur
la scène du crime. En outre, un certain nombre d’examens médico-légaux
ont été nommés, selon le rapport.

“L’interrogatoire de Permyakov a eu lieu avec la participation de son
avocat et d’un interprète. L’interrogatoire était une vidéo
enregistrée selon la loi, “a déclaré le Comité.

vendredi 30 janvier 2015,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

World Bulletin, Turkey
Jan 30 2015

Azerbaijan says it shot down Armenian drone
Nagorno-Karabakh officially refutes this information.

World Bulletin / News Desk

Azerbaijan said on Thursday it had shot down an Armenian drone near
the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, a report dismissed by Armenia
as “absurd”.

Renewed violence this year along the border between Armenia and
Azerbaijan and around Nagorno-Karabakh, which lies inside Azerbaijan
but is controlled by its majority ethnic Armenians, has underlined the
risk of a wider conflict breaking out in the South Caucasus, which is
crossed by oil and gas pipelines.

The Azeri Defence Ministry said the drone had been shot down over
Azeri territory but Artsrun Hovhannesyan, the Armenian defence
minister’s press secretary, denied the report.

“Nagorno-Karabakh officially refutes this information. It is absurd,” he said.

Fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh erupted in 1991 as the Soviet Union
broke up and a ceasefire was called in 1994. But Azerbaijan and
Armenia have regularly traded accusations of further violence around
Nagorno-Karabakh and along their border.

Nagorno-Karabakh has run its own affairs with heavy military and
financial backing from Armenia since the war that killed about 30,000
people. Armenian-backed forces also hold seven Azeri districts
surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh.

Efforts to reach a permanent settlement have failed despite mediation
led by France, Russia and the United States.

Oil-producing Azerbaijan, host to global majors including BP , Chevron
and ExxonMobil, frequently threatens to take the mountain region back
by force, and is spending heavily on its armed forces.

Armenia, an ally of Russia, says it would not stand by if
Nagorno-Karabakh were attacked.

From: A. Papazian