Author: Badalian Vardan

POLITICAL ANALYST SAYS AZERBAIJAN NOT TO SUCCEED IN CHANGING MINSK GROUP FORMAT

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 3, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 3, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan is trying to change the Minsk
group format, political analyst Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan told a press
conference on Tuesday, adding that with the efforts of Azerbaijan
the issue on replacing France with the EU has been raised. “Baku
understands that the war situation allows hide other crimes,”
Melik-Shahnazaryan said. According to him, Azerbaijani authorities
were dealing with the formation of totalitarian system expressed in
neutralization of political opposition, keeping people in awe. “I think
Azerbaijan will not manage to change the situation as the Minsk group
format is acceptable for all super powers. For doing it the consent
of all the parties is necessary and Armenia will never agree to it,”
he said.

MARAGHA. CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY AND CIVILIZATION

12:35 – 03.04.2012

In the history of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict, abounding in
numerous facts of atrocity and vandalism by Azerbaijan, the events in
the village of Maragha of the NKR Martakert region are one of the most
extreme manifestations of sadism and barbarity ever known to humanity.

On April 10, 1992, after a three-hour preparatory bombardment,
the subunits of the Azerbaijani regular army invaded the village of
Maragha from the Azerbaijani village of Mir-Bashir (now Tartar). As
a result of the aggression 100 people were massacred – mostly women,
children, and elderly persons. Scores of people were taken hostages
and later were exchanged but the fate of many of them still remains
unknown. Two weeks later, on April 22-23, the village was repeatedly
attacked and the people who had come back to their burnt homes were
forced to abandon the village once and for all.

The monstrous crimes in Maragha followed the Armenian pogroms and
deportations in the Northern Atsakh, Baku, Sumgait, Kirovabad and
other settlements of Azerbaijan and were aimed at frightening the
people and disabling them to live in their homeland. By the depth of
human tragedy, the level of cruelty, the number of people exposed to
violence and captured, the events in the village of Maragha occupy
a special place among the bloody crimes committed by Azerbaijan in
Getashen, Martounashen, Buzlukh, Erkej and the other Armenian villages
in the northern part of the NKR in 1991-1992.

Vice Speaker of the House of Lords of the British Parliament Baroness
Caroline Cox, who visited the place of the tragedy several days later,
was shocked at what she saw. “They are not of human race” -said the
Baroness about the Azerbaijani servicemen who had carried out the
slaughter. Baroness Caroline Cox both took pictures and video-taped
those atrocities committed by the Azerbaijanis in the village of
Maragha and also described them in her book “Ethnic Cleansing in
Progress”, as well as in her numerous interviews.

“It is impossible to describe what we saw there. The village was
completely destroyed. The people were burying the dead, rather to say
anything that was possible to bury, charred human remains, tortured,
cut or sawed parts of bodies. We saw the bloody swords by which
they had done all these brutalities. After killing the villagers
the Azeris robbed and burnt the village. By the way, they told us
that the servicemen were followed by the civilians with trunks who
were going to finish the robbery, – and we saw some of those trunks
scattered all over the land, which the looters did not manage to take
away with them”, – witnessed Caroline Cox.

Seda Poghosyan, an eyewitness of the tragic events, who was saved
by a miracle told. “The women, elderly people and children were
hiding themselves in the basements and dugouts. On the third day –
on April 10, 1992, the Azeris invaded Maragha. Several people came
up to the dugout where I along with my daughter-in-law Marine and our
two children – 4-year-old Karen and 2-year-old Vigen were hidden. The
Azeris commanded us to get out of the dugout. The first was an old man
Sasha, Asya and Zabel followed him. As soon as a man was getting out
of the dugout he was immediately killed. My daughter-in-law leaving
her children with me also walked up the stairs. The Azeri, with
a knife in his hands prepared for stab, stopped and began tearing
away her jewellery. Then he tore her dress. She broke into a run,
the Azerbaijani rushed after her. The exit from the dugout was open.

People dashed for the exit. They were noticed by the Azerbaijanis who
were busy with robbery and threw themselves to kill with axes, knives
and scythes. Masya and Ruben Ananyans were overcut immediately. I
saw how my daughter-in-law’s sister Karina was trying to escape from
the executioners.

Larisa Badalyan, a resident of the village of Maragha, was held
hostage by the Azeris from April 10 till December 2, 1992.

“Women, Zoya, Masho and Tamara, were led out of the cell by turn,
and brought back blood-stained and half-naked. In an hour the door
opened, the armed soldiers burst into the cell and pulled off the
remains of their clothes and raped.

Three days later we were brought to a prison in Kubatly, where I saw
my son Apres, who was mentally ill. His eye came out, his head was
swollen. A young Armenian from Martakert was on the floor beaten up
to death… My son served as a shepherd, I did chores. We slept in a
barrack, ate leavings. My son was often beaten up before my eyes. Once
they brought a body of a dead Azerbaijani and they wanted to overcut
us on his grave…”- she witnessed.

In 1997, a number of human rights organizations conjointly prepared a
comprehensive reference on the events in Maragha and submitted it to
the UN Commission on Human Rights. The Helsinki Watch International
Human Rights Organization officially confirmed that scores of
civilians were martyrized and tens of women and children were taken
hostages. However, the international media did not cover the massacre
of the Armenians in Maragha at all and the international community
has not given yet a corresponding assessment to these tragic events.

“You have the most powerful weapon – the truth – said Baroness Cox.

You should bring it to the international structures’ notice that
Azerbaijan attempted to commit genocide against the population of
Karabakh. You must more actively present to the world the mass crimes
perpetrated against Armenians in Maragha, Sumgait, Baku, etc. These
are crimes against humanity. I support the Armenians and comprehend
that they will never be able to live under the Azerbaijani dominion, as
the Armenians of Karabakh, who lived under the control of Azerbaijan,
suffered much”.

The massacre in the village of Maragha, which is still under
Azerbaijan’s occupation, cannot be called a military operation,
as there were no military bases in the village but only peaceful
citizens, who became the main target of the aggression. The crimes
were aimed at deporting the Armenian people from their homeland.

Summarizing the abovementioned, we should state that the slaughter
of unarmed civil population of Maragha is a crime against humanity
and civilization, without period of limitation, and the perpetrators
of this crime must carry punishment to the fullest extent of the law.

LA COALITION EST ACCUSEE D’ACHETER LES VOIX DES ELECTEURS
Laetitia

armenews.com
mercredi 4 avril 2012

L’organisation qui contrôle le bon deroulement des prochaines
elections parlementaires a affirme mardi 3 avril 2012 que les trois
partis politiques representes au sein du gouvernement de l’Armenie
s’adonnent a de la distribution de nourriture et d’autres cadeaux
aux electeurs dans l’espoir d’acheter leur voix lors des prochaines
elections parlementaires. Harutiun Hambardzumian, le chef du groupe
It’s Your Choice, a declare que le parti republicain d’Armenie (HHK)
et ses deux partenaires de la coalition sont activement engages dans
des activites de soi-disant de bienfaisance, qu’il considère comme
frauduleuses.

Hambardzumian a declare que les avantages materiels octroyes aux
electeurs a travers le pays par les trois partis comprennent des
denrees alimentaires, de l’alcool, des engrais et des services… ”
La pratique est particulièrement repandue dans les regions pauvres
et rurales “, a-t-il ajoute.

” Les partis ont affirme que cela a ete deja fait mais que cette
pratique ne concerne pas les elections du 6 mai “, a annonce
Hambardzumian lors d’une conference de nouvelles. ” Mais je considère
que cette pratique est une forme d’achat de votes “, a-t-il dit.

” Cela peut etre considere comme une activite illegale “, a convenu
Karen Toumanian, un avocat qui forme des observateurs electoraux et
les mandataires candidats.

Le code electoral de l’Armenie interdit explicitement aux candidats de
fournir des biens ou des services aux electeurs. Mais les elections
armeniennes ont longtemps ete entachees par des accusations de
l’opposition et des rapports des medias qui mentionnaient des paiements
en espèces le jour du scrutin.

Le porte-parole du HHK, Eduard Sharmazanov, a insiste mardi sur
l’affirmation que le principal parti au pouvoir n’a pas et n’aura pas
recours a des pratiques illegales. Le parti Armenie prospère (BHK), un
partenaire de la coalition dirige par le businessman Gagik Tsarukian,
a egalement fait face a des allegations concernant des achats de
votes. Les representants du BHK ont a maintes reprises nie tout
lien entre une aide materielle aux electeurs (aide de bienfaisance)
et les activites politiques de Tsarukian.

Conformement au Code electoral, les dons des organismes de bienfaisance
dont les noms peuvent etre associes avec les dirigeants du parti et
d’autres politiciens ne sont pas autorises pendant les campagnes
electorales. La campagne pour les prochaines elections debutera
officiellement dimanche.

RUSSIAN FM: MOSCOW READY TO FURTHER ASSIST IN NEGOTIATIONS OVER NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Trend
April 3 2012
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan and Russia seek to find solutions to many problems and have
repeatedly proved the proximity of positions not only in bilateral
format, but also in the international arena, Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov said at a news conference in Baku on Tuesday.

“My current visit to Baku is a good opportunity to assess the practical
development of cooperation,” Lavrov said.

He said a Humanitarian Forum project, which is being successfully
implemented, has been launched under the patronage of the two
countries’ presidents.

Regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Lavrov noted Russia is
interested in resolving it and in this matter it acts based on the
interests of the people living in the region.

“We all want to accelerate the process of conflict resolution, and
we will make additional efforts in order not to delay this process,”
the Minister said.

Lavrov said Moscow is ready to further assist in the negotiations
with the consent of Baku.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said the UN resolutions
on the withdrawal of Armenian forces from occupied Azerbaijani
territories have no statute of limitations.

“We believe that they should be fulfilled,” Mammadyarov said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the U.S. –
are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

ARMENIA: BEYOND THE SILK ROAD

Easier Travel

April 3 2012

Following a successful ‘reconnaissance’ trip with some adventurous
hikers in 2011 (and no other trekkers were encountered on the entire
trail), this unusual group trip is now a firm part of the Walks
Worldwide programme for 2012.

This is a trekking and cultural journey through Armenia’s landscapes
and history and includes a straightforward ascent of Aragats South
peak, Armenia’s highest mountain.

Armenia lies on the crossroads between East and West and for a
relatively small country has more than its fair share of diverse
landscapes watched over by mighty Mount Ararat just across the border
in eastern Turkey (once within the borders of Armenia, and lost during
the war).

Dramatic canyons, volcanic formations, turquoise lakes, lush forests,
expansive highlands and spectacular mountains rising to over 4000m
all help to create unique ecosystems and varied climatic zones.

The country is home to a rich abundance of flora and fauna too
including the Caucasian leopard, wolf, lynx, bear and Asian wild
sheep. Here amongst these wild landscapes nomadic Armenian shepherds
and Yezidi Kurds can still be encountered. Armenia has always been a
place of collisions between the great empires of antiquity and middle
ages. Rome, Persia, Byzantium, Arabs, Seljuks and Mongols have all
passed through and left their mark.

Armenia possesses a wealth of UNESCO World Heritage sites too
including ancient monasteries and churches. The Silk Road passed
through Armenia and Marco Polo is known to have travelled over
Armenia’s Sulema Mountains describing how the locals lived amongst
the rugged landscapes.

This is a trekking and cultural journey through Armenia’s landscapes
and history.

The trips depart on 3 June, 8 July & 9 September & cost from £1245 pp.

This includes all transportation, 9 nights’ accommodation (3 & 4 star
hotels), all meals, baggage transfers and an English speaking guide.

Fully-bonded, Walks Worldwide can book flights on request.

For more information, visit walksworldwide.com.

ALL WE NEED IS REGULATION
by Badrya Darwish

Kuwait Times

April 3 2012

Why people in the Middle East or in Kuwait in particular think that
building mosques is the only thing they can offer as charity? I am
writing this in the light of the news coming these days about building
mosques, churches and introducing new rules for building husseiniyas
(religious centres for Shiites). MP Tabtabaei has criticized Sheikha
Fareeha after she supported the right of Armenian Christians in
Kuwait to build a church for themselves. Some time ago she helped
Coptic Christians in Kuwait build a church in Hawally, where mainly
Egyptian Christians go. That encouraged the Armenian community to
approach the sheikha to help them out.

I am not against building mosques, churches or husseiniyas. I think
there should be municipality rules and regulations introduced for
the construction of worship places. The first thing that should be
considered is the number of worshippers who will go to that worship
house. If it is only a few people who belong to some sect, it is not
worth to build a special worship house. They can use another one.

Many people donate to build mosques but what if the area is crowded
with mosques? I think the municipality should have a say and not
just the donor. Should there be one mosque and another mosque and
yet another mosque in the same area? There are many ways to do charity.

You can build a school if the area is full of mosques. You can build
wards in hospitals and build special centres for various medical
treatments. There are hundred ways of charity in Islam and I am sure
in other religions too.

Charity can also go for sports sections for youth. I am sure if you
offer kids in the area a playground and keep them off the street, this
is a nice way of charity and investment in the health of the future
generations. Why nobody has ever thought of donating for a semi-free
nursery for working mothers for those who are on low salaries and
cannot afford nannies or maids. This is another nice way to do charity.

Even building parks for people to walk and building walking paths is
a kind of charity. Charity should not be limited. The sky is the limit.

It should not be up to a government official or an NGO to decide
which church, mosque, husseinya or worship house should be built. It
is not only about the worship house, it is about the infrastructure in
the area, the buildings, traffic and streets. You don’t put something
where there is no parking, for example. Or you might hinder traffic.

Professionals and experts from the municipality have to decide. A
committee should be formed to study thoroughly the necessities of
society. It is as simple as that.

Why are we making a big issue of simple things which only need
regulations? Or are we in Kuwait used to argue for the sake of arguing?

ATMOSPHERE OF COMPROMISE BETWEEN AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN PARTIES EMERGES AT EURONEST MEETING – ARMENIAN MP

Vestnik Kavkaza
April 3 2012
Russia

On Tuesday at a plenary meeting of the Euronest Parliamentary
Assembly in Baku Armenian lawmakers began to express protests and
dissatisfaction with the condemnation of the aggressive policy of
Armenia, Trend reports.

The delegation of the Armenian deputies said that it’s dissatisfied
with the fact that they are called fascists.

Azerbaijani MP Fuad Muradov responded by saying that during the Baku
meeting nothing new has been said.

“We stand by our positions on the issues that we raised in Strasbourg,
Brussels and Washington, and our position is confirmed by international
documents,” Muradov said.

He called on European lawmakers not to allow interference in the
assembly’s work.

Another Azerbaijani MP, Malahat Ibrahimgyzy, said that international
values and the rule of law should be mandatory for all.

“If we’re talking about the rule of law, we must also note the
international rule of law. There is no room for emotion. We refer
to documents that have been adopted by such reputable organizations
as the UN, the European Union and the OSCE. Let them express their
dissatisfaction with these documents, not speeches,” she said.

MP Azer Karimli said that until the Nagorno-Karabakh is resolved and
the occupied lands are returned, cooperation between Azerbaijan and
Armenia under the Eastern Partnership is impossible.

The head of the Armenian delegation, Vahan Hovhannisyan, spoke finally
in a different way.

“After intense discussion at the Euronest meeting, an atmosphere of
compromise between the Azerbaijani and Armenian deputies emerged. This
is favorable position between two countries experiencing tensions. I
hope that the present favorable position between the deputies of the
two countries will create a compromise between the two countries. And
it helps a constructive resolution of tensions,” he said.

The second session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly opened in
Baku on Monday.

TURKEY ENDANGERS EU MEMBERSHIP PERSPECTIVES: FOREIGN MINISTER OF CYPRUS

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 3, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 3, ARMENPRESS: The main obstacle in registering a
progress in the Cyprus issue is the Turkish position, Foreign Minister
of Cyprus Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis said at a joint press conference
with Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian.

“Turkey has occupied the 37% of the Republic of Cyprus, they keep
45000 soldiers on our land. Turkey supports creation of two independent
states, whereas international community has come to an agreement that
Cyprus must reunite and create a federal state. We stand up for that
position,” said Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis.

In answer to Armenpress’ question how she will comment on Turkey’s
threats that it will freeze the negotiations with the European Union,
if the Cyprus issue is not settled till the Cyprus’ presidency at the
Council of Europe, Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis said in this regard at a
level of the Council of Europe Turkey has been given a distinct answer.

“Turkey’s threats have been condemned by heads of European states and
Foreign Ministers. If Turkey decides not to cooperate with Cyprus’
presidency, they will endanger the perspectives for EU membership. A
country that is a candidate for membership must not adopt such a
behavior, or else the consequences are unavoidable.

WB AND IMF TO PROVIDE ARMENIA WITH $200 MILLION

Vestnik Kavkaza
April 2 2012
Russia

Armenia may receive $150 million from the World Bank, Armenian Prime
Minister Serzh Sargsyan said, News Armenia reports.

Armenia has improved its position by 6 points in the Doing Business
rating, taking the 55th position in the list.

Armenia joined the WB in 1992 and the World Development Association
in 1993. It has received $1.6 billion.

The prime minister said that the IMF concluded monitoring of programs
for expanded financing and crediting. The IMF will provide Armenia with
a tranche of $56 million by late May for the Extended Fund Facility
(EFF) and the Extended Credit Facility (ECF). The IMF will provide
a total of $279 million.

Sargsyan said that the Asian Development Bank has given Armenia $500
million for the North-South Road construction.

SWISS DROP GENOCIDE PROBE AGAINST TURKISH MINISTER

Expatica

April 2 2012
Switzerland

Swiss prosecutors said Monday they would drop a probe into alleged
remarks by Turkey’s EU affairs minister denying the Armenian genocide,
as the official enjoyed diplomatic immunity.

“After consultations with the Federal Department for Foreign Affairs,
prosecutors of canton Zurich came to the conclusion that no criminal
proceedings would be opened against Egemen Bagis, because as a Turkish
EU minister he enjoyed immunity during his entire stay in Switzerland,”
said prosecutors in a statement.

Denial of the Armenian genocide is a crime under Swiss anti-racism
laws.

Bagis reportedly made the comments to a journalist during a visit to
Zurich after attending the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in
end-January in Davos.

According to Turkey’s English-language newspaper Today’s Zaman, he
was asked about his views on a newly-adopted French bill criminalizing
denial of the Armenian genocide and responded: “Switzerland is another
country where it is a crime to deny the so-called genocide”.

“Here I am in Switzerland today, and I’m saying the 1915 incidents
did not amount to genocide. Let them come arrest me.”

The paper said a complaint had been filed by members of Switzerland’s
Armenian community.

Armenia says that planned massacres and deportations under the Ottoman
Empire left more than 1.5 million of its people dead in 1915, but
Turkey maintains there was no genocide, saying there were no more
than 500,000 fatalities as a result of civil strife and the impact
of World War I.