Author: Babajanian Karo

The Daily Beast
Jan 29 2015

Mrs. Clooney Takes On the Armenian Genocide Deniers

Can the celebrity human-rights lawyer buck the tide and get
recognition of the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians?

LONDON — This time Amal Clooney is taking on one of the greatest war
crimes of the 20th century.

The star human-rights lawyer is appearing at the European Court of
Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, this week in the name of the
victims of the Armenian genocide, a slaughter that saw some 1.5
million people murdered 100 years ago.

Adolf Hitler would later claim the unprecedented massacre as an
inspiration in his brutal quest for lebensraum, but even today Turkey
claims the numbers have been inflated and insists that those who
perished died in the midst of a great war, not a systematic genocide.

One such outspoken Turkish politician was convicted in a Swiss court
in 2008 after giving an inflammatory speech in Switzerland, a country
that shares Germany’s legal ban on denying genocide. His conviction
was later overturned during an appeal, in which lawyers representing
the Turkish government argued that the Armenian genocide was not a
matter of “general consensus” like the Holocaust.

Enter Amal Clooney, who is demanding that the European Court of Human
Rights recognize the suffering of the Armenians. The tiny land-locked
country, found in the mountains west of Azerbaijan, has rarely been
championed by such an influential ambassador, assuming you don’t count
Kim Kardashian, whose great-great grandparents fled the genocide.

Despite the drab municipal setting in the notoriously dull French city
of Strasbourg, Clooney was greeted outside the court by the kind of
paparazzi presence you might see at a Kardashian product launch. The
red coat she had worn en route from Los Angeles had already inspired
reams of media coverage, so The Telegraph’s Brussels correspondent
asked what she thought of the fashion critiques. She laughed and
replied: “I’m wearing Ede & Ravenscroft.” Not a fashion house, Ede &
Ravenscroft, which describes itself as the world’s oldest tailor, is
Britain’s leading producer of graduation gowns and legal robes.

Clooney’s boss, former UN appeals judge Geoffrey Robertson, who writes
for The Daily Beast, is one of the foremost experts on the Armenian
genocide, which he has covered in two books. An Inconvenient Genocide:
Who Now Remembers the Armenians? was published last year.

He appears delighted by his protégée’s ability to generate media
interest in his legal battles. The founder of Doughty Street Chambers
said he was pleased by coverage of her court appearance. “It is not
about white gloves or yachts,” he said. “It puts the record straight:
She is a human-rights lawyer.”

Her husband, actor George Clooney, has also added the weight of his
celebrity to one of Robertson and Amal’s other legal campaigns: to
return the Elgin Marbles to Greece.

Clooney was expected in court Thursday to continue the case against
Dogu Perinçek, the chairman of the Turkish Workers’ Party. She said
the court’s decision to overturn Perinçek’s conviction for genocide
denial was “simply wrong.”

“It cast doubt on the reality of genocide that Armenian people
suffered a century ago,” she said. “Armenia must have its day in
court. The stakes could not be higher for the Armenian people.”

Perinçek’s guilt was overturned in a 2013 European Court of Human
Rights ruling on the grounds of freedom of speech. Clooney said it was
hypocritical of the Turkish government to use such a defense “because
of its disgraceful record on freedom of expression.”

She will ask the court for permission to present overwhelming evidence
that the Ottoman Turks committed genocide under cover of the First
World War. She will produce photographs from the time that show
concentration camps, beheadings, and burnt bodies. France, Great
Britain, and Russia issued a joint condemnation in May 1915 against
the “crimes of Turkey against humanity and civilization.” Only Turkey
has continued to deny that a genocide took place, although the
extermination of the Armenians has never assumed its rightful place
among the most notorious acts of human cruelty.

In a 1939 note addressing his decision to invade Poland and wipe out
the remaining Poles, Hitler reasoned that the world seemed to have
quickly forgiven the extraordinary act of Turkish barbarism. “I have
placed my death-head formations in readiness–for the present only in
the East–with orders to them to send to death mercilessly and without
compassion, men, women, and children of Polish derivation and
language. Only thus shall we gain the living space [“lebensraum”]
which we need. Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the
Armenians?”

Clooney and Robertson hope that all over the world, people will once
again speak of the Armenians.

Thousands of Protesters Give Government Deadline to Meet Demands or
Strike After February 1st (VIDEO)

01.29.2015 18:06 epress.am

Today, the Government’s Reception of Citizens and Appeals department
head Alexander Ghazaryan spoke to hundreds of business owners and
entrepreneurs protesting the Law on Turnover Tax in front of the
Government building. Ghazaryan recalled that during the protest on
Monday the Prime Minister proposed to meet with a ten person
delegation, subsequently, however, refused by protesters. Now,
Ghazaryan claims that Hovik Abrahamyan has scheduled meetings, visits,
and his work schedule does not allow him to meet with the protesters.

The latter statement angered the demonstrators. One of the
entrepreneurs said that they also give money at the trade fairs and
marketplaces and they are also paying for leaving work but they have
come to protest instead.

One of the demonstrators called on the business owners to stop stating
that they would leave the country if the law were to pass, because all
small and medium sized businesses have debts to cover and that they
would not leave them without covering them. According to him, the
entrepreneurs would be forced to sell their apartments in order to
cover their debt and leave Armenia “naked.”

According to rumors spreading among the protesters, like two days
before, buses from Gyumri to Yerevan were suspended in order to stop
businessmen from participating in the protest. According to one of the
demonstrators, some have come with their personal cars, while one bus
was able to arrive by taking a different route avoiding police at the
city’s entrance.

The protesters, after being denied access to the PM, decided to move
toward the Presidential Palace. Almost 3 thousand small and medium
business owners closed Baghramyan Avenue stopping traffic from going
through.

The protesters blocked off Baghramyan Avenue for around 40 minutes.
They gave the government a deadline of Friday (tomorrow) 11 AM to meet
their demand of nullifying the Law on Turnover Tax or not.

The protesters will go to the Government building tomorrow to receive
their response from the government. The other decision made by the
business owners was that in case of the government not nullifying the
law, the business owners would begin a strike, closing their business
activities and not legally pay their taxes, starting February 1st.

When the protesters arrived at the Presidential Palace from the
Government building to express their demands, they were confronted
with accusations from police and officials, who according to one
demonstrator said that “You are coming here to the President’s office
and politicizing a tax issue. We responded saying that weren’t
politicizing it. If the Prime Minister accepts and listens to us, then
we won’t come to the President.”

The entrepreneurs gathered near Baghramyan 26 (Presidential Palace)
spoke about the police’s role of getting protesters off the street and
onto the sidewalk.

“If the police weren’t so much in number, we would have fit here just
fine,” said one of the demonstrators.

The entrepreneurs restarted their fast growing protests from last
September-October, which were halted after the government promised to
delay the compulsory inventorization of products until February 1st of
2015. The protest restarted yesterday, because the government refused
to include other amendments to the law.

Last year, the protesters against the Law on Turnover Tax stated that
they do not have possibility of inventorizing their products, because
large distributors often do not give them invoices. In addition, in
the case of inventorizing, their turnover would be over the legal
minimum threshold of 58.3 million AMD ($126,000), so they would be
forced to pay VAT, which would be impossible for small and medium
sized businesses. Among the business owners, some demand that they
sharply increase the threshold, while others demand the law be
nullified.

Those who work in the gold trade have stressed that once the new law
comes into effect they would be forced to immediately halt their work.
Certain experts have noted that the inclusion of the Law on Turnover
Tax would entirely wipe out small and medium sized businesses, while
the members of government claim that the purpose is to fight against
the illegal practices in large businesses and that they are not
prepared to consider the law void.

During last year’s protest, the merchants received backlash from the
owners of large marketplaces they rent space from. A few large
marketplaces threatened to fire (or cancel rent contracts) those
merchants who did not show up to work and protested. The most covered
case was that of Vosku Shuka owner Vagharsh Abrahamyan who broke
tables and showcases of those merchants who participated in the
protests. the destructive behavior of Abrahamyan was not dealt with by
the police.

FRANCE
La négation du génocide arménien en débat devant la CEDH

Strasbourg (AFP) РPeut-on ̻tre condamn̩ pour avoir contest̩ le
caractère génocidaire du massacre, il y a un siècle, d’au moins
500.000 Arméniens ? La Suisse, l’Arménie et la Turquie ont exposé
mercredi leurs arguments divergents devant la Cour européenne des
droits de l’Homme (CEDH), appelée à trancher définitivement cette
question.

La CEDH rendra sa décision d’ici plusieurs mois sur cette controverse
qui oppose un homme politique turc aux autorités helvétiques, dans un
contexte de vifs débats dans le monde autour des limites de la liberté
d’expression.

Dogu Perinçek est venu lui-même mercredi plaider sa cause devant les
17 juges européens. Il se plaint d’avoir subi une atteinte à sa
liberté d’expression : en 2007, il a été condamné en Suisse à une
amende pour avoir qualifié, lors de conférences publiques, de
“mensonge international” la thèse d’un génocide arménien.

Dans un arrêt de première instance, en décembre 2013, la CEDH lui
avait donné raison. Elle avait rappelé qu’elle pouvait admettre des
limites à la liberté d’expression, à condition que celles-ci soient
solidement justifiées, ce qui n’était pas le cas selon elle dans cette
affaire. La Suisse a demandé, et obtenu, que l’affaire soit à nouveau
examinée, cette fois devant l’instance suprême de la CEDH, la Grande
chambre.

Les propos controversés de M. Perinçek équivalaient à “accuser les
Arméniens de falsifier l’Histoire, une des formes les plus aiguës de
discrimination raciale”, a argumenté mercredi le représentant des
autorités helvétiques, Frank Schürmann, évoquant un “trouble grave à
l’ordre public”.

“L’enjeu est très important pour le peuple arménien”, a renchéri Amal
Alamuddin, avocate de renommée internationale choisie pour représenter
Erevan dans cette affaire hautement symbolique.

En donnant raison fin 2013 au requérant, la CEDH a “porté atteinte à
l’honneur de ceux qui ont péri et renforcé les négationnistes”, s’est
alarmée l’avocate anglo-libanaise, devenue en septembre l’épouse de la
star hollywoodienne George Clooney . Elle a fustigé par ailleurs le
“bilan honteux” d’Ankara en matière de liberté d’expression.

Pas de “vérité d’Etat” –

Dans le camp opposé, les avocats de M. Perinçek, mais également ceux
du gouvernement turc, ont soutenu que le génocide arménien ne faisait
pas l’objet d’un “consensus général”, contrairement à la Shoah.

L’argument avait d’ailleurs été repris à son compte par la CEDH, dans
sa première décision de 2013. La Cour ne s’était pas pour autant
prononcée sur l’ampleur des massacres subis par les Arméniens en 1915
ni sur l’opportunité de qualifier ces faits de “génocide”.

La Turquie a toujours refusé d’admettre toute élimination planifiée,
évoquant la mort d’environ 500.000 Arméniens (contre 1,5 million selon
l’Arménie), lors de combats ou à cause de famines.

Cent ans après les faits, on ne peut admettre sur cette question des
“vérités historiques d’Etat” ou autres “dogmes législatifs”, a
souligné l’un des défenseurs de M. Perinçek, Laurent Pech. Son client,
a-t-il souligné, “n’a ni contesté ni fait l’apologie des massacres, ni
incité à la haine contre les Arméniens”, mais seulement nié une
intention génocidaire de la part des autorités ottomanes de l’époque.

“Le requérant n’est pas seul à défendre ces positions”, a dit le
représentant du gouvernement turc, Stefan Talmon, pour qui “les
limites de la liberté d’expression ne doivent pas se fonder sur la
sensibilité de tel ou tel groupe mais sur des normes objectives”.

En outre, si la négation de la Shoah nourrit l’antisémitisme, nier le
génocide arménien de 1915 “n’a pas le même effet” car “il n’existe pas
aujourd’hui de haine contre les Arméniens” comparable à celle contre
les juifs, a-t-il soutenu.

Pendant et après l’audience, la controverse s’est poursuivie au dehors
: quelque 600 manifestants turcs, selon la police, s’étaient
rassemblés devant le btiment de la CEDH. Ils brandissaient des
drapeaux turcs et des portraits du fondateur de la Turquie moderne,
Kemal Atatürk, et ont acclamé le requérant à sa sortie.

Sur le trottoir d’en face, de l’autre côté d’un cordon de policiers,
une vingtaine de manifestants arméniens proclamaient sur une pancarte
“Non au négationnisme, l’Europe doit agir”.

jeudi 29 janvier 2015,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

Turkey-based DurDe organization members to arrive in Armenia, pay
tribute to Armenian Genocide victims

13:17 * 29.01.15

Members of the Say Stop to Racism and Nationalism (DurDe)
organization, which is well-known for its principled position on the
Armenian Genocide, were critical of Dogu Perinçek at the Wednesday
hearing of the Perinçek v Switzerland case at the European Court of
Human Rights (ECHR).

“They are a good and brave organization, extremely consistent in
dealing with the issue of the Armenian Genocide. Among the members are
Turkish intellectuals who recognize the Armenian Genocide. Turkey’s
authorities are persecuting them, and opposition forces dislike them,”
expert in Turkic studies Hakob Chakryan told Tert.am.

The Haykakan Zhamanak (Armenian Time) newspaper reported earlier that
members of the DurDe organization plan to arrive in Armenia from
Istanbul on April 24 to pay tribute to Armenian Genocide victims.

Programs Aimed at Reducing Greenhouse Gases Discussed

12:48 January 29, 2015
EcoLur

On 27-28 January on the initiative of Nature Protection Ministry a
round table was held entitled “Towards The Twenty-first session of the
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Road to Paris” at the
Russia Hotel in Tsaghkadzor.

Under the official information provided by Nature Protection Ministry,
the aim of this event was to discuss the procedures occurring around
developing a new protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change in 2015, reduction or limitation of greenhouse gases in
Armenia, adaptation schemes, as well as current and implemented
projects aimed at enhancing the development, transfer and introduction
of technologies in the aforementioned fields, as well as enhancing
funding and capacities. The discussion shall promote the formation of
official information on Armenia’s position and actions towards the
21st session of the Convention.

On 1-2 December 2014 the main resolution of the 20th session of the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Lima, Peru, says that
the member countries to the Convention shall submit their positions on
the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, which will be
further used to specify the reduction scheme of global emission of
greenhouse gases. The clear, transparent and easily accessible
implementation of all the mentioned procedures is focused on.

The members of the Interdepartmental Coordination Council in charge of
the enforcement of all the requirements and provisions of the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change, as well as the representatives
of the international and local organizations took part in the round
table.

In his welcome speech, Nature Protection Minister Aramayis Grigoryan
outlined that starting from 2020 all member countries to the
Convention shall undertake commitments to take actions aimed at
reduction or limitation of the emission of greenhouse gases, about
which transparent and clear information shall be submitted to the
Convention and added, “Being not included in Appendix 1 to the
Convention, so far Armenia doesn’t have quantitative commitments on
reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. Nevertheless, valuing the
global efforts to reduce emissions, we voluntarily take actions to
limit greenhouse gas emissions, and, in general, to mitigate climate
change and consistently include climate change problems in the
national development programs.”

Noting that climate adaptation and mitigation measures are guarantee
for national safety, Minister Aramayis Grigoryan outlined that the
proper formulation, submission and implementation of the actions aimed
at solving the issue of climate change will significantly promote the
enforcement and development of socio-economic and environmental fields
of the Republic of Armenia.

The Minister advised that works are planned and implemented under the
coordination of different governmental departments in Armenia, which
promote the increase in adaptation to climate change and limitation of
greenhouse gas emissions.

“I think it’s very important to establish a cooperation environment
among the interdepartmental committee and the working group to
increase the effectiveness of the problem-related works. It will
significantly promote the attraction of international support and
funds for the implementation of the measures supporting the reduction
of the emission of greenhouse gases and adaptation in the Republic of
Armenia,” the Nature Protection Minister highlighted.

On the first day Aram Gabrielyan, the National Focal Point of the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change, GIZ expert Frederick Wills and
UNDP Climate Change Program Coordinator Diana Harutyunyan made their
presentations. During the discussion proposals were made on
implementing necessary actions in Armenia till the end of 2015.

Hyatt Place Hotel to host open door day for those wishing to study abroad

YEREVAN, January 29. / ARKA /. On February 27 the Hyatt Place Hotel in
Yerevan will host an event for all those wishing to study in the
United Kingdom, USA or China. The event called Open Door Day is a
joint effort by London Eye educational center in Yerevan and INTO
Foundation.

Head and founder of London Eye Gayane Yeghiazaryan told a news
conference today that INTO is a rapidly growing network of
university-based study centres, offering new and higher quality
standards of preparation for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in
the UK, US and China.

It provides an exceptional educational experience to help
international students succeed in a fast-moving, globally competitive
world, she added.

“In the UK our partners are London City, EXETER and other
universities. We also cooperate with six American universities,
particularly the University of North Florida, Arizona State University
and others, ” INTO head Sam Jones said, adding that in China its
partner is the Nankai University. The training of foreign students in
these institutions is conducted in English.

“Armenian students can also receive education in these institutions”,
he said.-0-

ARMENIE
Comité arménien d’enquête : Permyakov avoue les meurtres

Le militaire russe Valery Permyakov a admis les accusations de meurtre
portées contre lui par la commission d’enquête (IC) d’Arménie.

Les enquêteurs arméniens ont accusé le militaire gé de 19 ans qui
servait à la 102 ème base militaire de Gyumri en vertu de l’article
104 (point 1 de la partie 2) du Code pénal du pays (assassinat de deux
personnes ou plus).

Permyakov est accusé d’avoir tire et poignardé à mort les sept membres
d’une famille arménienne à Gyumri le 12 Janvier. Les raisons de
l’attaque restent encore flous. Le soldat russe qui aurait été
transféré à la base de Gyumri en Décembre est soupçonné d’avoir
déserté son unité militaire avec un fusil automatique une heure avant
d’avoir commis les meurtres.

Permyakov a été appréhendé par les gardes-frontaliers russes le 13
Janvier tandis qu’il tentait de franchir la frontière vers la Turquie
et est actuellement maintenu en détention dans la base russe.

La semaine dernière, des milliers de résidents en colère à Gyumri ont
exigé que l’accusé soit remis aux autorités arméniennes afin d’être
poursuivi et jugé en Arménie et par les lois arméniennes.

Le Procureur général Gevorg Kostanyan a cependant effectivement
reconnu que les autorités russes ont la compétence principale de
l’affaire. Le 15 Janvier, le jour qui a vu les funérailles des six
membres de la famille Avetisyan assassiné à Gyumri, Kostanyan a promis
aux citoyens qui protestaient, cependant, qu’il soumettrait une
demande formelle au procureur général de Russie sur la question du
transfert de Permyakov aux autorités arméniennes.

Plus tôt cette semaine, le président du Comité d’enquête russe
Alexandre Bastrykine était en visite en Arménie et les organes
répressifs russes et arméniens ont convenu de coordonner leurs
enquêtes distinctes sur l’assassinat de la famille.

jeudi 29 janvier 2015,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

Turkish president’s invitation inappropriate and miscalculated step –
Serzh Sargsyan

19:46 * 29.01.15

Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s invitation to events marking the
Battle of Gallipoli was an inappropriate and miscalculated step,
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan stated at the 5th sessionof the
State Commission coordinating the events dedicated to the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, on Thursday.

“When I received that inappropriate invitation I considered it
necessary to immediately and publicly respond to Recep Erdogan because
the invitation could have been misperceived and commented on by
international mass media and public. I think my response and the
resultant reaction both by the international community and in Turkey
are evidence of that miscalculated step being a vain one.

“That step, as well as all the attempts of denial, is in vain. Denial
is not only a manifestation of complexes of political impotence and
inferiority, but is also a legal category. It links Turkey’s incumbent
authorities to their predecessors that committed genocide and makes
them accomplice to that gravest crime against humanity. And it was
what the Republic of Turkey was doing at the European Court of Human
Rights yesterday,” President Serzh Sargsyan said.

FRANCE
La Cour Européenne des Droits de l’Homme appelée à trouver le point
d’équilibre entre liberté d’expression et lutte contre les discours de
haine

La FIDH intervient dans l’affaire Perinçek c. Suisse devant la Grand
Chambre de la Cour Européenne des droits de l’Homme et appelle la Cour
à trouver le point d’équilibre entre liberté d’expression et lutte
contre les discours de haine.

Paris-Strasbourg, 28 janvier 2015. Dans un contexte international où
la liberté d’expression est de plus en plus menacée, l’affaire
Perinçek c. Suisse offre à la Cour Européenne des Droits de l’Homme
une occasion rare de trancher le dilemme entre la liberté d’expression
et la lutte contre les discours de haine, notamment lorsque ceux-ci
prennent la forme du négationnisme. Compte tenu de l’importance de
cette question, la FIDH est intervenue dans l’affaire en soumettant
des observations écrites en tant que tierce intervenante, argumentant
que les discours négationnistes sur le génocide arménien et la
rhétorique de haine qui les accompagne constituent un risque avéré de
violence et peuvent ainsi justifier une restriction à la liberté
d’expression.

de
haine raciale. À l’occasion du réexamen de l’affaire par la Grande
Chambre de la Cour, la FIDH a soumis une tierce intervention proposant
des pistes de raisonnement à la Cour pour garantir au mieux
l’équilibre entre protection de la liberté d’expression et
interdiction des discours de haine.

> affirme Patrick Baudouin, Président d’honneur et
Coordinateur du Groupe d’action judiciaire de la FIDH.

Komitas Museum-Institute opens in Yerevan

15:52, 29 Jan 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Presidentof the Republic of Armenia and the Chairman of the State
Commission on Coordination of the events for the commemoration of the
100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Serzh Sargsyan, today
attended the opening of the Komitas Museum-Institute at the Komitas
Park. Under the President’s proposal, the resolution to build the
museum was passed by the Board of Trustees of Hayastan All Armenian
Fund on May 30, 2013. Prior to the opening of the museum, Serzh
Sargsyan, in company with the state commission members and guests
visited the Komitas Pantheon and placed flowers at Vardapet’s tomb.

The Armenian President congratulated everybody on the opening of the
museum-institute, extended his thanks to all the persons who have
contributed to the implementation of this important initiative and
after touring the museum and familiarizing with various displays,
wrote in the book of honorary guests:

“The Komitas Museum-Institute is the symbol of the unity and revival
of the Armenian people. Komitas Vardapet joined together what is
spiritual and worldly, noble and peasant, Western Armenian and Eastern
Armenian, thus proving the artificial nature of those, as well as many
other dividing lines. By this, he became the pioneer and guarantor of
the new march of the Armenian people as genocide survivors,
highlighting and passing on a huge layer of civilization to us.

I am glad that owing to this museum, the unexampled legacy of Komitas
can now become a subject of systematic study and wide recognition both
in Armenia and worldwide. Komitas is the living part of our cultural
life who continues to lead us through the complex crossraods of the
third millenium now.

The opening of the Komitas Museum-Insitiute is an important event for
our country and our people.”

On the occasion of the opeing, a solemn ceremony was held at the
concert hall of the newly-opened museum.