Author: Babajanian Karo

SECURITY COUNCIL HAD BETTER FOCUS ON SAFAROV CASE – CIVILITAS DIRECTOR

26.09.12

Director of Civilitas Foundation Salpi Ghazarian recommends the
National Security Council (NSC) to handle Ramil Safarov’s case instead
of leveling conclusion-based accusations against them.

“I have one question. Wouldn’t it be more useful for the NSC to deal,
for example, with the Safarov case. From 2011 onwards, the Azerbaijani
channels would announce that there is permissibility to release him,”
she told reporters today after a court hearing.

The NSC launched a criminal proceeding against Civilatas on May 25,
accusing the foundation of money laundering. On August 18, a Yerevan
district court rejected the appeal that called for declaring the case
null and void.

Gazarian wondered whether it was Civilitas or its president (and an
ex-foreign minister of Armenia), Vartan Oskanyan, pose real hazards
to the Republic of Armenia.

“I believe the NSC has a great duty to protect my security. Is
Civilitas or Vartan Oskanyan the real threat to the security of
Armenia?,” she asked.

The Civilitas director explained an amount of $1.5 was not registered
by foundation, with most of the money having been spent with the
knowledge of the their board, director and the donor.

She said that the donor who gave the money asked Oskanyan to use
it in a manner and within timeframes as the foundation might find
appropriate at its own discretion.

Oskanyan’s lawyer had earlier asked the court to halt the proceeding.

The foundation has now turned to an appeals court which is to issue
a ruling on Thursday.

NEW ENTERTAINMENT CENTER TO BE BUILT IN KOMITIAS PARK

arminfo
Wednesday, September 26, 19:26

The Government of Armenia has taken a decision to renovate of the
building of the House of Culture in Komitas Park, as well as to expand
its area. The total area of the new building will be approximately
800 sq/m. There will be an exhibition hall in the main building and
a concert hall in the expanded part, Architect Arbak Vardanyan said
on Wednesday. He added that the Architects’ Union of Armenia has
unanimously taken a decision on construction of the new complex.

He said that the territory of the park has been specified since 2010,
and the new building will not swallow green territories. He added
that the owner of the construction is the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund.

For her part, Karine Hakobyan, a public figure, said that she will do
her best not to admit that shameful construction. She added that the
construction of the new building will be the continuation of illegal
buildings in the territory of the park.

YEREVAN TO LAUNCH ‘COUNTRIES UNDER ONE ROOF’ FESTIVAL

news.am
September 26, 2012 | 07:33

YEREVAN. – The Armenian capital city will hold solemn opening ceremony
of the festival ‘Countries under One Roof’ on Wednesday. The mission of
the Russian cooperation in Armenia will also participate in the works
of the festival. The festival participants will get familiarized with
cooperation on trade-economic, scientific, technical and humanitarian
fields, as well as the Russian language, national culture, cuisine
and traditions

The festival is held for the first time in Armenia. It aims to
unite all the embassies and consulates operating in Armenia. Armenian
businessmen, companies-exporters and international companies will also
participate in the festival, while an exhibition-sale will follow it.

LOCAL AUTHORITIES’ ELECTIONS IN 26 COMMUNITIES

Wednesday, 26 September 2012 11:38

Regular and off-year elections of local authorities in 26 communities
of the NKR have been scheduled for October 14.

As Karabakh-open.info was informed at the Central Electoral Commission
in 20 communities only heads of rural authorities will be elected,
in 4 of them both heads of rural administrations and councilors,
in the other 2 communities only councilors will be elected.

The elections will be conducted in 7 rural communities of Askeran
region, in 6 communities of Hadrout, in 3 communities of Martouni,
in 2 communities of Shahoumyan, in 1 of Shoushi and 7 communities
of Qashatagh region. As secretary of the commission Raya Nazaryan
reported nearly in every community one candidate has been nominated.

TIGRAN BALAYAN: ARMENIA EXPECTS PRACTICAL STEPS FROM HUNGARY

ARMENPRESS
26 September, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS: The Republic of Armenia expects
clear and practical steps from Hungary. This was reported to Armenpress
by the Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of
Armenia Tigran Balayan, commenting on the note, sent by the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of Hungary on renewal of the diplomatic relations. “The
position of the Armenian side remains unchanged. As it has been
recently announced, Armenia expects practical steps from Hungary”,
– said the Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.

The diplomatic note dates back September 24. “The Ministry of Hungary
wishes to declare the interest of the Government of Hungary to end
the unilateral suspension of diplomatic relations by the Republic of
Armenia without preconditions. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Hungary avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia the assurance of its
highest consideration”, – says the note.

On August 31 2012 Armenia suspended its diplomatic relations with
Hungary after the Hungarian Government extradited the Azerbaijani
assassin Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan, who axe-murdered Armenian officer
Gurgen Margaryan while sleeping on February 19 2004 in Budapest,
when they were participating in NATO English Language Courses in the
capital of Hungary, was sentenced to life imprisonment without right
to be pardoned for 30 years. Safarov was pardoned by the President
Ilham Aliyev. The murderer was advanced to mayor, provided with an
apartment and given “national hero”.

WHY DOES THE WEST TOLERATE THE ALIYEV CLAN’S EXISTENCE?

September 24, 2012 22:52

Political scientist Sahak Sahradyan expressed an idea talking about
the fact of releasing and heroizing murderer Ramil Safarov during
a conversation with that the Aliyev clan used that
episode for the reproduction of its own power. “We focus on the
emotional side of the issue disregarding the political motives. For
some reason, besides the emotional side, we don’t analyze, don’t talk
about how it turned out that the Azerbaijani government took that
step and what forces were behind it, which allowed it to cut such
a deal. Those who cut such a deal couldn’t but understand that all
this would evoke a serious international response. I would explain the
Azerbaijani government’s motives with the disposition to the Aliyevs’
megaprojects – since the 2000s, when the oil prices started to go up,
the Azerbaijani policy has been based on putting forward megaprojects
to its people, its population. Among them was the creation of the
biggest flag in the world, which, if you remember, fell and say,
the victory in the Eurovision Song Contest and releasing Safarov and
having a military budget exceeding the Armenian state budget and say,
installing Aliyev Senior statues in foreign countries like Venezuela
and Mexico. All those megaprojects are links of a logical chain,
which is based on distracting the Azerbaijani population from the
problems inside the country, the most important thing is that one
must explain to the Azerbaijani population why they live in poverty
having plenty of hydrocarbon reserves – oil and natural gas. There
is only one explanation for poverty – there is a hostile country,
Armenia, which we can defeat only by having a big military budget, we
have heroes whom we bring to the motherland by spending $2-3 billion,
giving a bribe or cutting some illicit deals, release them, we must
appear respectable and be famous around the world, for which we need
to have a big flag, win Eurovision. So the low standard of living is
legitimized,” the political scientist says.

As for what international forces and sponsors helped cut that
deal, according to our interlocutor, in order to understand this,
one should analyze on what foundation the Aliyev clan is built and
what is the logic of its existence. “The intelligence services of
the Western countries certainly couldn’t but know about the deal,
since the preparation took a rather long period of time and such
decisions are not made overnight. Azerbaijan’s place and role in the
world is conditional on not only the amount of hydrocarbon reserves,
but also the ethnic and religious composition of its population and
its demographic characteristics. Azerbaijan is the third country
around the world that has a majority Shia population. The Shias in
Iran are the majority, they are in power, in Yemen, the Shias are
the majority, but they are not in power, the power is in the hands
of the Sunnis there, in Azerbaijan, the Shias are the majority,
but since the state is established based mainly on principles of
secularism, the influence of Iran is very limited. And limiting Iran’s
influence is the main task of the West, particularly Israel, which
is perceived as the main ally of the West in the Middle East. Thus,
allowing Azerbaijan to take the path of Islamization means giving
Iran a serious source of influence in the Caucasus region.

“Let us not forget that Azerbaijan has an unsettled conflict with
Armenia, it has a potential problem with Georgia – Marneuli District,
which is populated with Azerbaijanis, may cause a conflict in the
whole Transcaspian region, because the division of the Caspian Sea
is not finished yet. The international status of the Caspian Sea is
not clarified yet – the West tolerates the existence of the Aliyev
clan only because the Aliyevs can nip in the bud any attempt of
Islamization. Certainly, it would be more desirable for the West, if
the Aliyevs were able to develop a modern state in compliance with the
European standards, but since neither the Azerbaijani elite, nor the
society are ready for it, the path of developing a nationalist state,
a dictatorship is taken instead. For the existence and development of
nationalism, one needs heroes and Azerbaijan suffers from a deficit
of heroes as a defeated party in the war.”

According to our interlocutor, in this case, Safarov 100% corresponds
to the image of a hero, because he is, using the Azerbaijani terms,
from the occupied regions, secondly, he has killed an Armenian and
thirdly, bringing him to the motherland, Aliyev showed that any
anti-Armenian deed is sponsored by the government.

“Certainly, this damages the international image of Azerbaijan.

Naturally, Azerbaijan, as well as international power centers,
couldn’t but understand this, but since it was done realizing all
this, one should assume that it is very important to keep nationalist
sentiment in Azerbaijan inflamed as a means of preventing the growth
of Islamic sentiment. On the other hand, one should mention that
releasing Safarov had an impact on Armenia’s international position and
the negotiations on Nagorno-Karabakh – the international position of
our country was strengthened, because Armenia started to be in a more
favorable position than Azerbaijan as a tolerant, democratic country
more integrated in the Western values. I think that the appeals of
those people who call for a new Nemesis or organizing a terrorist
attack at the state level are very wrong.”

Here we have Israel’s example, which organizes terrorist attacks
at the state level even beyond the country borders. There is a
consensus regarding Israel as the only internationally recognized
people, which underwent genocide – what Israel is allowed to do, no
one else can, because a serious capital and lobbyist resources are
in the hands of Israeli and Jewish organizations and those lobbyist
resources have served and have been used to allow Israel to carry
out terrorist attacks at the state level. I think Armenia doesn’t
have such a resource and it will be very wrong to take Israel’s
path. It will make Armenia closer not to Israel, but to Azerbaijan
as a state sponsoring terrorism and carrying out terrorist attacks,”
the political scientist thinks.

Sahak Sahradyan doesn’t blame the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for
Safarov’s release at all, but he thinks that this ministry should
intelligently use this incident to strengthen Armenia’s position in
the negotiations. He thinks that Safarov will soon be forgotten in
Azerbaijan, because he is a one-time hero.

Nune AREVSHATYAN

MEETING AT ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT’S STANDING COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

news.am
September 26, 2012 | 15:34

YEREVAN. – Armenian National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on
Foreign Relations Chairman Artak Zakaryan on Wednesday met with
Ernst Hillebrand, head of the unit of Eastern European offices at
the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) in Berlin, and Michael Weichert,
FES Regional Director for South Caucasus

Zakaryan noted that Friedrich Ebert Stiftung enjoys a high reputation
in Armenia. He thanked the organization’s representatives for their
great social and political contributions, and expressed a hope that
FES will cooperate with the standing committee he heads, NA press
service informs.

The Standing Committee Chairman noted that Armenia’s European
integration is of great political importance for the country. Artak
Zakaryan also reflected on regional matters, and expressed a readiness
to assist FES’ activities.

In his turn, Ernst Hillebrand thanked for the warm reception and the
high assessment of the organization’s activities.

Artak Zakaryan informed that he will be addressing at FES seminar
entitled “European Prospects of Armenia.”

The interlocutors also discussed future cooperation between Friedrich
Ebert Stiftung and NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations.

ANC PARLIAMENTARY GROUP SEEK AD HOC COMMITTEE ON ARMY CRIMES

tert.am
26.09.12

The Armenian National Congress (ANC) parliamentary group has decided
to accept complaints and documents in support from relatives of
soldiers murdered, killed or exposed to violence in Armenia’s army,
to propose setting up an ad hoc committee in Armenia’s parliament.

Lyudmila Sargsyan, Chairwoman of the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party
(SDHP) and ANC group member, will deal with complaints.

A COMMEMORATION EVENT ORGANIZED IN THE SCHOOL AFTER GURGEN MARGARYAN ON HIS BIRTHDAY

ARMENPRESS
26 September, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS: ” Menk” young initiators
union jointly with Armenian Youth Foundation launched an event in
Yerevan number 94 high school after Gurgen Margaryan axe murdered in
Budapest on the occasion of his birthday on September 26. As Armenian
Youth Foundation informed Armenpress, school children and quests
with a minute of silence honored the memory of Armenian innocent
officer.Hungary-Azerbaijani disgraceful deal shocking Armenian
society, its motives and consequences as well as protest actions
directed to Ramil Safarov extradition and international responses
pertain to the issue were envisaged with the pupils in the course of
the launched meeting.

The school children expressed their indignation referring to the case.

They are resolute aginst the fight to similar phenomena.Armenian
Youth Foundation and “Menk” youth initiators union agreed with 94
high school directorate and the pupils to launch seminars entitled
“Armenian history lessons” aimed at raising Armenian the level of
national identity among the young men.

Azerbaijani assassin Ramil Safarov, who axe-murdered Armenian officer
Gurgen Margaryan on February 19 2004 in Budapest while sleeping,
when they were participating in NATO English Language Courses in the
capital of Hungary, was sentenced to life imprisonment without right
to be pardoned for 30 years. On August 31 2012 Safarov was extradited
from Hungary to Azerbaijan and was pardoned by the President Ilham
Aliyev. The murderer was advanced to mayor and given “national hero”
title.

AMB. DJEREJIAN TO SPEAK AT ‘NAJARIAN ENDOWED LECTURE’ IN BOSTON’S FANEUIL HALL

Armenian Weekly
September 26, 2012

The third annual K. George and Carolann S. Najarian, M.D. Endowed
Lecture on Human Rights will be held on Thurs., Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. at
Boston’s historic Faneuil Hall. Free and open to the public, the
lecture is an endowed public program of the Armenian Heritage
Foundation, the sponsor of the Armenian Heritage Park on Rose
Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway in Boston.

Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian In celebration of the opening of the
Armenian Heritage Park and of the central theme of the Greenway-the
immigrant experience-it is fitting that this year’s speaker is
Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian, the founding director of the James
A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy and a former U.S. ambassador
to Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic.

A first generation Armenian-American and the son of survivors of the
Armenian Genocide. Djerejian is an outstanding example of the kind
of achievement, leadership, public service, and commitment to human
rights. Djerejian has also worked to assist Armenia and Artsakh in
their transition to democracy and peace.

Djerejian served in the U.S. Foreign Service under eight presidents,
from John F. Kennedy to William J. Clinton (1962-94). Prior to his
nomination by Clinton as U.S. ambassador to Israel (1993-1994), he
was assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs in both
the George H.W. Bush and Clinton Administrations (1991-93). He was
the U.S. ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic (1988-91) and also
served as special assistant to President Ronald Reagan and deputy press
secretary for foreign affairs in the White House (1985-86). After his
retirement from government service in 1994, he became the founding
director of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at
Rice University.

His book, Danger and Opportunity: An American Ambassador’s Journey
Through the Middle East, was published by Simon & Schuster in September
2008. Djerejian has been awarded the Presidential Distinguished
Service Award, the Department of State’s Distinguished Honor Award,
and numerous other honors, including the Ellis Island Medal of Honor
and the Anti-Defamation League’s Moral Statesman Award.

He is also a recipient of the Association of Rice Alumni’s Gold Medal,
the group’s most prestigious award, for his service to Rice University.

In 2011, Djerejian was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of
Arts and Sciences, and named to the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie
Corporation of New York by its president, Dr. Vartan B. Gregorian.

“We are honored and pleased that the ambassador has accepted our
invitation to speak in this inaugural year of Armenian Heritage Park,”
said Dr. Carolann S. Najarian, who with her husband George endowed
this lecture series in honor of her father, Avedis Abrahamian.

The lecture series was inspired by the New England women and
men-intellectuals, politicians, diplomats, religious leaders, and
ordinary citizens-who, beginning in the 1890’s at Faneuil Hall, heard
the eye-witness accounts of the atrocities taking place against the
Armenian minority of the Ottoman Empire during World War I and were
called to action. Distinguished Bostonians, among them Julia Ward Howe,
Clara Barton, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and Alice Stone Blackwell,
heard these accounts and were moved to assist the Armenians. As
a result, the American Red Cross launched its first international
mission with Clara Barton bringing aid to the Armenians.

Philanthropists nationwide raised over $100 million in aid. This was
America’s first internationally focused human rights movement. Peter
Balakian’s The Burning Tigris (HarperCollins, 2003) made many aware
of this New England history.

The lecture is being offered in partnership with historical and
academic institutions, and human rights organizations. The purpose of
the endowed series is to advance understanding of human rights issues
and the societal abuses faced by millions today, and to increase
awareness of the work of individuals and organizations dedicated to
eliminating these injustices so that we are all more actively engaged.

Governor Deval L. Patrick and Mayor Thomas M. Menino are honorary
chairs.

Co-chairs representing their participating organization are Charlie
Clements, executive director, Carr Center for Human Rights Policy,
Harvard Kennedy School of Government; Martha F. Davis, Ph.D., faculty
director, Northeastern School of Law, Human Rights, and the Global
Economy; David Hollenbach, S.J., director, Boston College Center
for Human Rights and International Justice; Michael A. Grodin,
M.D., and George J. Annas, JD and MPH co-directors, Global Lawyers
and Physicians Working Together for Human Rights, Boston University
School of Public Health; Shant Mardirossian, chairman of the Board,
Near East Foundation; Margot Stern Strom, founder/executive director,
Facing History and Ourselves; Adam Strom, director of research
and development, Facing History and Ourselves; Deborah W. Nutter,
Ph.D., senior associate dean, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy,
Tufts University; Balakrishnan Rajagopal, Ph.D., acting director,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Human Rights and Justice; and
Joshua Rubenstein, northeast regional director, Amnesty International
USA.

The lecture’s inaugural speaker in 2010 was Kerry Kennedy, founder
of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights based in
Washington. The 2011 speaker was Paul Rusesabagina, the real-life hero
of the acclaimed film “Hotel Rwanda” and the president and founder
of the Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation.

The endowed lecture is a public program of the Armenian Heritage Park
on the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway in Boston, a gift to the City
of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from the Massachusetts
Armenian-American community. The park commemorates lives lost during
the Armenian Genocide of 1915-23 and all genocides, and celebrates
the immigrant experience and contributions made to American life
and culture.

Serving on the Lecture Committee are Dr. Carolann Najarian, George
Najarian, Dr. Joyce Barsam, Phyllis Dohanian, Dr. Linda Kaboolian,
Audrey Kalajian, and Barbara Tellalian.

The Armenian Heritage Foundation, sponsor of the Armenian Heritage
Park, is a non-profit organization founded to secure the designation
and to raise funds to design, develop, and construct the park
and endow its public programs, including this annual lecture,
the reconfiguration of the park’s sculpture, and its ongoing care
and maintenance. The Board is comprised of representatives from
13 parishes and 25 cultural organizations within the Massachusetts
Armenian-American community. Honorary chairs of the foundation are
Sheriff Peter Koutoujian and Registrar Rachel Kaprielian; the president
is James Kalustian.

For more information on the Armenian Heritage Park and its program,
visit