Author: Andres-Papazian

WHAT TYPES OF LEGAL VIOLATIONS EXIST IN RELATION TO THE GYUMRI MURDER CASE

01.26.2015 13:19 epress.am

If the Prosecutor General of Armenia Gevorg Kostanyan stated that
the suspect in the murder of the 7 members of the Avetisyan family
Valery Permyakov will be subject to criminal liability on Armenian
territory, then does that mean that the court decision related to the
case would convene at an Armenian court. The latter issue was raised
by lawyerHarutyun Baghdasaryan in an interview with Epress.am.

Baghdasaryan stressed that otherwise it would be considered a violation
of the Armenian constitution.

The lawyer cited the 91st article of the RA Constitution which states
that “In the Republic of Armenia justice shall be administered solely
by the courts in accordance with the Constitution and the laws. The
final acts of the court shall be adopted in the name of the Republic
of Armenia.”

The Constitution’s 92nd article defines which courts function on
territory of the Republic of Armenia: the Court of First Instance,
Court of Cassation, and Court of Appeals, while the law also specifies
specialized courts. The Constitution of the Republic of Armenia states
that establishing emergency tribunals is forbidden.

“Furthermore, articles 1 and 3 of the Criminal Judicial Code notes that
the definitive decision for events that take place on the territory of
the Republic of Armenia are to be tried in the Republic of Armenia’s
courts. While the 14th article of the Armenia’s criminal code clearly
defines that an individual who commits a crime on RA territory is
subject to liability of the RA criminal code. And it isn’t to be
forgotten that according to the 19th article of the RA criminal code,
that trials taking place in RA are conducted in Armenian language. In
fact, in relations to the Gyumri murder incidents, the Constitution
and judicial codes claims that trials taking place on RA territory
must only be implemented by a RA court,” said Harutyun Baghdasaryan.

The latter recalled that according to the 4th article of the August 29,
1997 agreement between Armenia and Russia, those Russian military base
members who commit crimes outside the military base are subject to
be investigated by Armenian law enforcement, while the 5th article
states that the Russian Federation investigates crimes that take
place in Russian military installations.

“However the 5th article of the agreement is also problematic and the
Constitutional Court must also deal with that and re-examine the issue
of the agreement’s constitutionality. The military base’s territory
is rented out by the Russian Federation, and that doesn’t mean that
that territory falls outside of the Republic of Armenia. The latter
is confirmed by the 31st article of the Constitution, which notes
that foreigners do not benefit from private land rights. In fact,
the 5th point of the article states that crimes that occur must be
investigated by the Armenian law enforcement and by Armenian courts,”
noted Baghdasaryan.

In relations to the Gyumri incidents, Baghdasaryan believes it is
important to stress the National Security Service’s (NSS) role or lack
there of. The latter importance is in regards to Valery Permyakov’s
attempt of crossing the Armenian-Turkish border, where he was supposed
to be subject to investigation by the NSS.

“If we, citizens of the Republic of Armenia, went to the border,
were located, threatened to be shot, and laid on the ground
(like Permyakov), would we have also been taken to the Russian
military base? The border guards are required to hand over the
suspect of crossing the border to the Armenian National Security
Service. Or how did they know exactly that the person was Permyakov,
who essentially had no personal identification on him. He could have
been an Argentinian,” said Baghdasaryan.

According to him, territorial jurisdiction and responsibility exists
on Armenian territory and it is not conditioned by the individual’s
residency or citizenship. The lawyer raised the issue of whether
the NSS opened a case against the attempt of illegally crossing the
border because judicial law (190 article) reserves that right to
NSS investigators.

“This is a fundamental issue. Maybe they did open a case, but they
haven’t stated it. While if they haven’t opened a case, then the
criminal code’s article 329.3 about illegally crossing the state border
needs to be implemented; “this Article is not extended to cases when a
foreign citizen or stateless person enters the Republic of Armenia to
enjoy the right for political asylum stipulated by the Constitution
of the Republic of Armenia.” Basically, if the NSS hasn’t opened a
criminal case, then it means that Permyakov has appealed for political
asylum,” said the lawyer.

From: A. Papazian

ANALYSIS: ARMENIA WARY OF NEW RUSSO-TURKISH ALLIANCE BASED ON NEOCOLONIALIST POLICIES

Analysis | 26.01.15 | 10:57

By Naira Hayrumyan
ArmeniaNow correspondent

Armenia, which was once divided under Russian-Turkish agreements,
is not interested in another alliance between Moscow and Ankara, but
it cannot back international policies aimed at restraining Russia or
Turkey by force of its current “allied” relations with the Russians.

The world press has recently described the behavior of the presidents
of Turkey and Russia as a policy of gambling. Some observers say that
both leaders, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin, are carrying
out aggressive neocolonial policies, trying to save the remnants of
the Ottoman and Soviet empires, respectively.

Several years ago Putin initiated the project of the Eurasian Union,
a Russian-led grouping that currently also includes Kazakhstan,
Belarus and Armenia. Experts believe this project allows Moscow to
keep under its control at least several of the post-Soviet states.

Erdogan, meanwhile, revived many of the attributes of Ottomanism
– he built a huge palace where guests are greeted by warriors in
traditional Ottoman clothes, he also proposed the introduction of
Ottoman language teaching at schools.

Over the weekend, Erdogan issued an ultimatum to the European Union.

“We are testing Europe. Will Europe be able to digest and to accept
Turkey, whose people are Muslims? If you oppose Islamophobia, then
you must admit Turkey into the EU,” he said.

He added that “Turkey is a strong country today, and it will not stand
at the door of the EU and ask for membership.” Erdogan emphasized
that if Turkey is not admitted to the EU, it will go its own way.

Will there be a new alliance between Turkey and Russia, which
traditionally would end up in the division of Armenian lands? In this
context, media are discussing the role of the Armenian Question in the
matter of pressure on Turkey and Russia. The first lawsuits against
Turkey in connection with the return of estates seized from Armenians
as a result of the 1915 Genocide have already been filed with courts.

Ninety-four-year-old Zvart Sujyan has submitted a lawsuit for the
hereditary possession of the land on which the airport of Diyarbakir
(Tigranakert) is now located.

The Turkish press already writes that it is easier to give the
Armenians the private property seized from them a century ago than
take the matter as far as the fragmentation of the country.

The Sabah newspaper reminds that 41 out of the 50 U.S. states,
as well as the parliaments of 22 countries have recognized the
Armenian Genocide. “The small state of Armenia has no influence,
but the Armenian Diaspora has… the grandchildren of the families
deported from the Ottoman Empire 100 years ago are carrying out a
serious campaign. Let’s see what kind of response Ankara will give
to the noise that will be raised in New York, Washington and Paris,”
the newspaper writes.

In his turn, representative of the Turkish opposition Nationalist
Movement party Oktay Vural, referring to the information about the
Armenian Diaspora’s making land claims to Turkey, said that Erdogan’s
party, by returning back to Turkey the Armenians who had gone abroad,
is working on a program on returning lands to them.

He noted that the return to Armenians of the Ataturk Airport and the
Cankaya Palace, which Armenians consider to be theirs, is impossible,
but wondered whether the publication of such claims was accidental.

On the eve of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, which is
to be marked on April 24 this year, a situation has formed where the
main issue is not the claims of the Republic of Armenia to Turkey,
but the possible support by the US administration of the demands of
the Armenian Diaspora to Turkey.

From: A. Papazian

LAKE SEVAN ENDANGERED WITH MERCURY POLLUTION

17:30 January 23, 2015

EcoLur

Lake Sevan in endangered with mercury pollution. Mercury demonstrations
were detected in the upper reach of Masrik river basin flowing into
Lake Sevan in the area of Sona spring and Verin Shorzha still in
1974-1978. Gold was also detected in the same area.

Currently ‘Alluvial Gold Mining’ CJSC has been issued a permit for
gold prospecting in the upper reach of the Masrik River, while
‘International Gold’ Company is undergoing the process of gold
prospecting permit.

‘Alluvial Gold Mining’ Company will carry out prospecting in 81.8 ha
area in Verin Shorzha community. ‘International Gold’ Company will
be carrying out prospecting in 695 ha of the administrative area of
Akunq community. It’s foreseeable that prospecting works will lead
to the leakage of mercury to the basin of the Masrik River.

From: A. Papazian

The Early Temples and Monuments of the Alban People in Ancient Azerbaijan

Sir,

In the title of the above mentioned article posted on 22 January 2105,
the writer refers to Ancient Azerbaijan as the region north of the
Arax River and in the last paragraph he/she mentions the Christian
monuments located there, which are said to belong to the ancient Alban
people.

It is correct that the Albanian tribes lived in the area in pre
Christian times but during the the 7-9th centuries AD they converted
to Islam. The region was ruled at medieval times by various Seljuk and
Oghuz Turkic and Mongol rulers until the 17-19th centuries when Muslim
Khans ruled it under either to Ottoman or Persian rule. During this
time some of the Armenian Meliks (Landowner families) living in the
inaccessible regions of Karabagh retained their relative independence.
During this period the region was known as the Khanates of Shaki,
Gyanja, Talish, Salian, Baku etc., under the generally known name of
Shirvan. The name Azerbaijan was given to the region in 1918, under
pressure from the Ottomans and the Ultra Nationalistic Musavat party
leader A. Rasulzadeh.
Therefore I suggest you note the following and erroneous and
misleading information in your article.

1 – From ancient times until 1918, the name Azerbaijan referred to the
Persian north-western province, located south of the Arax River. In no
document or map the region north of the Arax river has ever been named
Azerbaijan. A quick look into ANY map or history book will confirm
this.

2 – In the last paragraph the writer mentions the names of the
churches of Agoglan (correct Armenian name is Tsitsernavanq), Agtala
temple (Monastery of Akhtala), Yenivang temple (Monastery of
Noravanq), Sanain temple in Western Azerbaijan (Sanahin Monsatery and
University, north Armenia), Gancesar Monastery (Gandzasar- the seat of
the Armenian Catholicos), Qoshavang temple (Goshavanq Monastery and
University, west of Lake Sevan in Armenia) and Dadavang Temple (Dadi
Vanq Monastery). These are listed as Albanian Temples and not churches
and monasteries.

Please note that all of these monuments were built during the 11th to
18th centuries, when the Albanians people had already accepted Islam.
The question arises – WHY WOULD MUSLIM ALBANS BUILD CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
AND MONASTERIES?

Would it not be proper to provide the name of the people who actually
built and maintained them and left hundreds of inscription on the
stone walls of these buildings? The Armenians?

Regards,
Rouben Galichian – Guest
London

25 JANUARY, 2015

PS – For further detailed analysis please the following books
available form Amazon etc.

Rouben Galichian – The Invention of History, London. Gomidas Inst.,
2009 and 2010
Rouben Galichian – Clash of Histories in the South Caucasus. London,
Bennett and Bloom, 2012
Rouben Galichian – Countries South of the Caucasus n Medieval Maps,
London, Gomidas Inst., 2007

From: A. Papazian

Remembering the Last Hero of Arara

This is the translation of the eulogy by Alex Kalaydjian at the
funeral of the Battle of Arara hero Hampartsoum Nazrian who died in
Jerusalem in 1984. The Armenian version was published in “Õ. Ôµ. Õ?.”
Armenian quarterly, Number 1 to 4, 1984)’Editor.

Former Legionnaire Hampartsoum Nazrian was born in Hajn in 1889. The
youngest child, he lost his father when he was only six-years-old. In
1896’when he was seven–he witnessed the hanging of his older brother
Haygazoun during the Hamidian massacres of the mid-1890s. Other than
his innate nature, perhaps the slaying of his brother is the event
which made him resolve to avenge the injustice.

When he was a young boy difficult financial and political
circumstances forced him to seek a career rather than attend school.
Growing up, he became more immersed in political-revolutionary
pursuits, and as a young man joined the Social Democrat Hnchagian
Party. In adolescence and later as a member of the Hnchagian Party, he
became a secret messenger and revolutionary worker from Armenian
centres in Cilicia to various regions of the Arab world. As a result,
he established strong friendships with Arab political activists and
leaders.

As is well known, immediately prior to the WWI, the Arab world had
risen against the Ottoman regime and demanded independence. In 1916
the Allies had made many promises to the Arab leaders so that the
latter would rise against Ottoman Turkey. Among the more famous of the
Arab rebel leaders was Sharif Hussein (the great-grandfather of King
Hussein of Jordan) and his son Prince Faisal, the future king of Iraq.
Because of his advanced age, Sharif Hussein had appointed Prince
Faisal as leader of the Arab revolutionary-military movement.

Just prior to the start of the war, Prince Faisal, having known of Mr.
Nazrian’s reputation and his loyalty, invited Mr. Nazrian to join his
bodyguards, along with six other Armenians. Nazrian accepted the
invitation and for the next three years, along with his six comrades,
participated in the Arab liberation struggle, from Mecca-Medina to
Iraq.

In 1917, when they heard of the French government’s plan to form an
Armenian Legion, alongside its Foreign Legion, Nazrian and his armed
companions were among the first to volunteer. Prince Faisal, who by
then had achieved his goal [driving the Ottoman Turks from Arab lands]
allowed his Armenian bodyguards to resign and join the struggle on
behalf of the Armenian people.

By coincidence, the Armenian Legion was ordered to concentrate and
hold positions across from the Arara hills (northern Palestine), where
a Turkish-German united army had established a most important defile.
>From their positions, for eight months, they had managed to halt the
advance of the Allied forces to the south and the east. The head of
the Allied forces was General Allenby while French Commander Jolie had
assumed immediate charge of the Armenian brigade. The months of
inactivity had made the Armenian fighters impatient for action.
Finally, a special delegation, including Nazrian, following long and
arduous negotiations, persuaded a reluctant Jolie to allow them to
attack the enemy positions, according to a plan designed by the
Armenians.

The Armenians, made up of around 200 fighters, went on the attack on
Sept. 10 of 1918. Nazrian and 40 others rushed the enemy’s military
headquarters and surprised its leadership and fighters. The foe, whose
soldiers numbered six to eight times the number of Armenians,
surrendered to a handful of Armenian fighters. Twenty-one Armenians
legionnaires lost their lives in the battle that day. The victory
opened the way to the Allies to advance south, east, towards Jerusalem
and Port Said.

Upon the declaration of Armistice, General Allenby proudly talked of
the bravery of the Armenian fighters. At the end of the war, the
Armenian Legion, including Nazrian, moved to Cilicia upon the promises
of the Allies according to which the Armenians would be granted
freedom.

Nazrian and his friends continued their volunteer work in Adana’s
Yenni Mahalle neighborhood until 1921 when the deportations and the
massacres of Armenians resumed. Together with his mother, older sister
and niece Nazrian hit the road to the Arabian desert’the road which he
had traveled during more hopeful and optimistic circumstances.

Months later the Nazrians settled in Jerusalem. The former warrior
married in the Holy City and had six children. A few years after
settling in Jerusalem, while roaming through the villages around the
city, he discovered that Arara wasn’t too far. After some difficulty,
but with the support and blessing of Patriarch Yeghishe Turian,
Nazrian succeeded in exhuming the 21 Armenian warriors and
transferring their bones from the obscure Arara village to the Saint
Savior National Cemetery, just outside the Armenian Quarter in
Jerusalem.

Years later he would tell that the happiest day in his life was the
day he helped bring his comrades’ relics to Jerusalem and to witness
their burial with prayer, Holy Mass, and incense of Armenian clergy.

>From that day on for the next 59 years the Genocide Day was the
holiest day of the calendar for Nazrian. Every year, on April 24, he
led the national procession, medals on his chest, with a laurel and
group photograph of his comrades in his hands. He maintained the
tradition until he was 95–the last year of his life.

In 1933 the French ambassador, in the name of the French government,
pinned the Croix de Guerre medal on the chest of Nazrian. The ceremony
was attended by religious and government leaders.

In his eulogy of Nazrian Alex Kalaydjian said: ` You are one of the
last ones, who through beautiful coincidence, come to rest next to
your martyred comrades-in-arm, who on a beautiful day, fell on foreign
soil, giving their lives for freedom, justice, and human rights, which
were exiled from this region for centuries.

`This is how Arara’soaked with Armenian blood–speaks to us,’ added
Kalaydjian: `I am a symbol of the vigor of the 20th century Armenian,
his bravery, self-sacrifice, selflessness, martyrdom and patriotism.
There were before me and there will be after me other mountains and
hills, fields and valleys, not to mourn for the tribulations of the
Armenians, but to sing for their unexcelled bravery and heroism. I am
a stranger to you and will remain stranger to you. My slopes are
painted with the blood of many other nations, but I was called to life
only when you blessed me with your blood: with pure Armenian blood.
You made me eternal and immortal. On my slopes, with their death, 21
heroes left an inheritance’to maintain the pure Armenian soul, to
nurse over traditional Armenian sanctities and to protect with my life
everything that belong to the Armenian as a right’character, vigor,
manhood, religion, language and fatherland. This is the Arara soul,
which doesn’t recognize defeat, and which is immortal.’

For 68 years Hampartsoum Nazrian lived in Jerusalem as an ideal
Armenian, always holding high his nation’s integrity, the success of
his fatherland, and the unity of the Armenian Nation. That’s how he
lived. And just an hour before his death, Nazrian asked me to extend
that same message to you.

`May God rest your tired bones and may the earth be light on you.’

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIE
La construction de la ligne haute tension entre l’Arménie et la
Géorgie devrait démarrer cette année

la construction d’une ligne haute tension de 400 kvt entre l’Arménie
et la Géorgie devrait être lancé en 2015 a annoncé le vice-ministre
arménien de l’énergie et des ressources naturelles Ara Simonian.

Une ligne d’alimentation transitoire sera construite en première étape.

“Cela nous permettra de travailler avec le système énergétique de la
Géorgie en même temps”, a déclaré le vice-ministre.

La deuxième étape comprend la construction de la principale liaison
électrique de Hrazdan à Ayrum où le deuxième module de la ligne de
transition sera construit apportant des capacités d’échange entre les
pays de 200 à 700 mégawatts, a-t-il dit.

La troisième partie est liée à la construction de la nouvelle centrale
nucléaire en Arménie et, par conséquent, devrait commencer en 2026.

dimanche 25 janvier 2015,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

ITALIE
La Turquie essaie de détourner l’attention sur le génocide selon le
journal italien La stampa

Selon le journal italien “La Stampa” Erdogan espère que le centenaire
de la campagne de Gallipoli, lorsque les Turcs dirigé par Mustafa
Kemal Atatürk ont résisté à l’invasion franco-britannique dans les
Dardanelles, contribuera à éteindre les projecteurs sur le massacre
des Arméniens. Les festivités ont toujours été célébré le 25 Avril, la
date du début de l’opération en 1915, mais cette année, elle aura lieu
du 23 Avril au 25 avril, soit aussi le jour où nous nous souvenons du
génocide arménien. Le gouvernement turc a invité à la célébration les
chefs d’Etat du monde entier, y compris le président arménien Serge
Sarkissian.

From: A. Papazian

Variety
Jan 24 2015

Sundance Film Review: ‘Tangerine’

‘Starlet’ helmer Sean Baker delivers another compassionate portrait of
life on the L.A. margins with this big-hearted, low-budget tale of two
transgender prostitutes.

Justin Chang

Chief Film Critic@JustinCChang

Even those who don’t count themselves among the
transgender-prostitute-movie-shot-on-an-iPhone demographic will want
to try “Tangerine,” an exuberantly raw and up-close portrait of one of
Los Angeles’ more distinctive sex-trade subcultures. Centered around
two sharply drawn transgender women who find the resilience of their
friendship tested and affirmed over the course of one busy Christmas
Eve, writer-director Sean Baker’s sun-scorched, street-level snapshot
is a work of rueful, matter-of-fact insight and unapologetically wild
humor that draws a motley collection of funny, sad and desperate
individuals into its protagonists’ orbit. The result is a big-hearted,
stripped-down yet technically innovative feature obviously destined
for a limited audience (even in the age of Amazon’s very different
“Transparent”), but it should be enthusiastically embraced on and
beyond the LGBT fest circuit.

Following “Starlet,” his 2012 drama about the unlikely friendship
between a 21-year-old aspiring porn actress and an octogenarian woman
who missed her own shot at Hollywood celebrity, Baker has once more
delivered a tender yet tough-minded look at little-remarked-upon lives
in the margins of L.A.’s sprawling sex industry. In terms of style and
energy, however, the director has gone in a viscerally exciting new
direction. Working again with d.p. Radium Cheung, Baker opted to shoot
the entire film on Apple iPhone 5s cameras equipped with brand-new
anamorphic adapters, allowing for not only a more intimate,
caught-on-the-fly feel, but also a bracingly cinematic widescreen look
that takes on an almost radioactive glow in the harsh glare of an L.A.
winter. The title, the meaning of which is never explicitly spelled
out, could just as well refer to the sizzling orange of the sky that
stretches over the characters’ heads.

The action spills out across several seedy, crime-riddled blocks near
the intersection of Highland Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard, an
area where johns can get their fix from transitioning male-to-female
prostitutes like Alexandra (Mya Taylor) and her best friend, Sin-Dee
Rella (Kiki Kitana Rodriguez), whom we first meet hanging out at a
doughnut shop that will serve as one of the movie’s key locations.

It’s Christmas Eve, and Sin-Dee has happily just emerged from a 28-day
prison stint, but she flies into a rage upon learning that her
boyfriend/pimp, Chester (a fine James Ransone, not seen until later),
has been two-timing her with a “fish,” vulgar slang for a biological
female. Alexandra urges her to forget about it, but Sin-Dee, not for
nothing named after a downtrodden fairy-tale heroine, sets out on a
quest to track down the other woman, Dinah, and let her and Chester
both have it.

And so off they go, with those smartphone cameras in rapid pursuit,
tracking their separate paths as they diverge and converge over the
course of several hours. Early on, Alexandra decides to abandon
Sin-Dee to her own highly impulsive devices, not least because she has
a few errands of her own to run — and a few transactions to complete —
before her scheduled nightclub performance later that evening. But
while she’s ostensibly the mellower, more composed of the two,
Alexandra is hardly one to be trifled with: One of “Tangerine’s”
funnier sequences shows she’s not afraid to get rough when it comes to
dealing with a john who tries to renege on payment. (“You forget I got
a d–, too,” she mutters before going in for the kill.) Meanwhile,
Sin-Dee eventually lays hands on Dinah (Mickey O’Hagan), yanking her
out of a filthy, overcrowded motel-room brothel and then dragging her
by the hair across what seems like half of Hollywood, the two of them
apparently hellbent on setting a new record for uses of the word
“bitch” in a motion picture.

Interspersed with these two threads is the tale of a third character,
a middle-aged Armenian-American cab driver named Razmik (Baker regular
Karren Karagulian, also an associate producer here) who spends most of
the same afternoon wearily picking up his own series of fares.
Razmik’s path will eventually cross with those of Alexandra and
Sin-Dee, although exactly how is not immediately apparent. For much of
the early going, he seems to be there mainly to break up the narrative
monotony, though this also results in a messier, choppier feel to
Baker’s editing.

Still, even when it seems to be going nowhere in particular,
“Tangerine” teems with the sort of wry, deceptively offhand details
that convey an authentically fascinating sense of place — whether it’s
the blase attitude of two police officers toward the prostitutes in
their midst, with whom they’re practically on a first-name basis, or a
man’s irritated realization that the girl he’s picked up doesn’t have
the precise equipment he was expecting. (He ejects her from his
vehicle with the disgust of someone who can’t believe people don’t
know their L.A. street corners.)

Taylor and Rodriguez, real-life friends who were familiar with the
area in question, provided significant input on Baker and Chris
Bergoch’s screenplay, which drew upon the experiences of several
transgender prostitutes whom the four befriended during their
collaboration. Yet all that research would amount to little were the
first-time thesps not so naturally compelling onscreen, and Baker’s
adoration for his two lead characters — their attitude, their saucy
colloquialisms, the brassy self-assurance with which they carry
themselves — could scarcely be plainer from the way his camera races
to keep up with them, while high-energy trap music erupts on the
soundtrack in loud, propulsive bursts. (The women’s generally unflashy
attire is the work of costume designer, production designer and
producer Shih-ching Tsou, who also has a small, pitch-perfect onscreen
role.)

Rodriguez is fierce, alert and seemingly always on the move; Sin-Dee’s
revenge quest is more than a little exasperating, but you can see why
this wild, irrepressible figure would be so irresistible to so many in
her midst, even as she stubbornly demands that she and others like her
be treated and addressed with respect. Yet it’s Taylor who earns the
film’s most affecting moments, particularly a scene where she softly
croons to a virtually empty nightclub — in its own way, an apt
metaphor for a life of defiant self-expression. And of all the
outlandish sex scenes that have flooded Sundance screens so far this
year, few are more poignant than a perfectly timed sequence of
Alexandra and a regular client going through a car wash, their
activity obscured from view by soap, water and automated brushes.

Not to be left out of the filmmakers’ sympathies are Dinah and Razmik
(well played by O’Hagan and especially Karagulian), who may not have
to deal with the specific stigmas and abuses that plague Alexandra and
Sin-Dee on a regular basis, but who turn out to be, if anything,
leading even more frustratingly constricted lives. Even when the
film’s multiple lines of action converge at an insanely melodramatic
climax — voices are raised, insults are thrown, and barriers of every
kind are erected and torn down — Baker manages to suggest that all
this clashing noise might be a necessary hurdle to a greater level of
understanding. It’s this bigger-picture compassion, born of an impulse
to place the unique struggles of sexual and ethnic minorities in
conversation with each other, that elevates “Tangerine” from a raggedy
little group portrait to a generous and surprisingly hopeful vision of
humanity.

From: A. Papazian

Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Jan 22 2015

Russian foreign minister’s annual address, news conference

Excerpt of “Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s address and annual news
conference on Russia’s diplomatic performance in 2014, Moscow, 21
January 2015”

Address

Ladies and gentlemen,

Welcome to our annual meeting on Russia’s diplomatic performance.

[parts omitted]

Gyumri tragedy in Armenia

Question: The image of the Russian soldier has traditionally been
respected in Armenia. However, a tragedy occurred in the city in
Gyumri, where a Russian soldier killed an entire family. How was that
possible? Has Russia done all it could to resolve this conflict? Has
the issue been over-politicised?

Sergey Lavrov: First of all, I would like once again to express our
profound condolences over the horrible crime that has been committed
against the Avetisyan family. Completely innocent people have been
killed. Yesterday, six-month old Seryozha also died. I called my
Armenian counterpart Edvard Nalbandyan regarding this, and once again
expressed our feelings.

Importantly, the perpetrator has been arrested and has already
confessed to the crime. Our countries’ presidents have been in contact
by telephone. Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Russian
Investigative Committee, went to Yerevan and yesterday met with
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan. We confirm that a joint, maximally
open judicial investigation and trial will take place in Armenia. I am
confident that the court will quickly deliver an objective verdict
that will be proportionate to this horrible crime.

As for the general context of our relations, I will say this: “There’s
a rotten apple in every barrel.” This is precisely the attitude that
is being shown today by all military servicemen and commanding
officers at the Russian military base in Armenia. I will not cite
examples of people going mad for totally incomprehensible reasons and
doing the unthinkable. There are plenty such examples in other
situations and in other countries.

We are seeing attempts to politicise this situation that are coming
not from the Armenian or Russian leadership. There is no shortage of
those willing to use this tragedy to obtain some geopolitical
advantages. This is disgusting, unacceptable and unworthy of the proud
Armenian people who, I am sure, will never fall for this kind of
provocation.

We are grieving together with Armenia and we will do all we can to
ensure that this crime does not go unpunished, that the perpetrator is
punished severely and that such things do not happen again. Naturally,
it is impossible to ensure a 100 per cent guarantee against any
inconceivable excesses, but everything that needs to be done will be
done. I am confident that Russian-Armenian relations of alliance and
strategic partnership will not be damaged.

[parts omitted]

Detained Russian citizen

Question: This question may not be on Russia’s agenda, but it remains
relevant for Azerbaijan. I’m talking about an ethnic Azerbaijani,
Dilgam Askerov, a Russian citizen, who was detained on Azerbaijan’s
occupied territory and is still held in an Armenian prison. Why has
Russia shown no interest in the fate of its citizen? Why has Russia
failed to make a single statement calling for Askerov’s release?

Sergey Lavrov: You mean that he is a Russian citizen who was detained
by Armenia? If so, we will discuss this issue with Armenia. A number
of Russian citizens are detained in various countries. We are
constantly monitoring what’s happening to them. Taking into account
that we need to receive information on the reasons that led to the
detention and based upon these data, our assessment of the gravity of
accusations against Russian citizens, as well as understanding the
conditions in which they are being held and the plans of the country
regarding Russian citizens it holds in detention, we take the
necessary decisions through channels that exist to this effect within
the framework of Russia’s bilateral relations with the relevant
country.

From: A. Papazian

Cross Map
Jan 24 2015

Russian Evangelical Bishop Grieves with Armenian Gyumri

By , Christian Telegraph On January 24, 2015

The head bishop of the Russian Church of Christians of Evangelical
Faith (RC of CEF), Edward Grabovenko expressed condolences to the
relatives of the Avetisyan family, killed in the Armenian city Gyumri,
reports The Christian Telegraph.

“On behalf of the Russian Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith,
we express sincere condolences to the relatives and friends of the
Avetisyan family, killed in Gyumri, as well as to the President of
Armenia and all Armenian people. The news about the terrible murder of
innocent people has caused grieve. Together with brotherly Armenian
people, we are upset about this tragedy, and hope that centuries-old
friendship with these people will stand this uneasy test,” said the
appeal, posted on the Church’s website.

“We pray for wisdom for everyone, who is responsible for the
investigation, and believe, that those responsible for the crime
against the peaceful family will be punished,” noted Edward
Grabovenko.

On January 12, 2015 six people were killed in Gyumri, Armenia. The
Armenian Investigative Committee named Valery Permyakov, a Russian
servicemen, who deserted the base, stationed at the Russian 102nd
Military Base in Gyumri, as a suspect. Among the victims were a
couple, their son and daughter-in-law, a 2-year-old granddaughter, an
unmarried daughter and infant, who died of wounds on January 19 in a
Yerevan hospital.

Mass protests took place both in Yerevan and Gyumri on January 15. The
protesters demanded to extradite Permyakov to Armenia and judge him
under the Armenian laws. At least 14 people were injured during the
clashes in Gyumri. Dozens of protesters tried to burn the Russian
flag.

From: A. Papazian