Author: Badalian Vardan

JEUX PARALYMPIQUES D’HIVER DE 2014 : UN SEUL ATHLETE REPRESENTE L’ARMENIE A SOTCHI

RUSSIE

Une delegation armenienne compose de quatre membres dont un seul
athlète a deja quitte Erevan pour Sochi pour participer aux Jeux
paralympiques d’hiver qui s’ouvriront dans la ville russe le 7 Mars.

Les premiers Jeux paralympiques officiels ont eu lieu en 1960, tandis
que les premiers Jeux paralympiques d’hiver ont eu lieu en 1976.

L’Armenie a participe aux Jeux depuis 1998. Lors des Jeux a Sotchi
du 7 au 16 mars le representant de l’Armenie est le skieur alpin
Mher Avanesyan âge de 33 ans, qui participe a une >, qui est delivre aux pays qui n’avaient pas de participants aux
competitions comprenant des notations.

Environ 6,5 millions de drams (environ 16 000 $) ont ete alloues par
le budget de l’Etat pour assurer la participation de l’Armenie aux
Jeux Paralympiques de Sochi.

Mher Avanesyan, qui a les deux bras amputes, est du Haut-Karabagh. Il
est handicape depuis l’âge de 6 ans, quand il a accidentellement ete
electrocute en jouant. À 12 ans, il a commence a aller faire du ski
alpin. Il a participe aux jeux paralympiques d’hiver depuis 1998. Son
meilleur resultat a ce jour a ete la septième place. Mais Avanesyan
est un multi-profil athlète car il a egalement participe aux Jeux
paralympiques d’ete de 2000 a Sydney, en Australie, a la voile.

Le Secretaire general du Comite national paralympique d’Armenie Ruzanna
Sarkissian estime que les jeux paralympiques jouent un rôle important
pour les personnes handicapees.

>, a declare
Sarkissian a ArmeniaNow.

Elle regrette que de tels evenements aient si peu de publicite car ils
pourraient encourager d’autres personnes ayant des handicaps ainsi
que rappeler une fois de plus aux employeurs et aux organismes les
droits des personnes handicapees.

Les prochains Jeux paralympiques de Sotchi ne seront pas une exception
en Armenie car aucune societe de television locale ne diffusera
les evenements.

> a declare
le fonctionnaire.

La Television Publique d’Armenie a confirme a ArmeniaNow qu’ils
n’avaient pas achete les droits de diffusion des Jeux paralympiques
d’hiver.

En outre, les athlètes participant aux jeux paralympiques n’ont
presque pas de bonnes conditions pour les entraînements en Armenie.

Zarouhi Batoyan responsable de l’ONG >, a declare Batoyan.

Par Gohar Abrahamyan

ArmeniaNow

lundi 10 mars 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
March 9 2014

Exhibition documents 600 years of dialogue between Turkey and Poland

9 March 2014 /HATÄ°CE KÃ`BRA KULA, Ä°STANBUL

To arrange a meeting with a close friend of your
great-great-grandfather in order to learn about his life is one of the
opportunities which is nearly impossible to seize in your lifetime,
even though many of us have a deep thirst to obtain knowledge about
the past experiences of our relatives.

But now, a similar experience awaits both Turkish and Polish citizens
in Ä°stanbul’s Sakıp Sabancı Museum (SSM) which is presenting its most
recent historical exhibition, `Distant Neighbor, Close Memories: 600
Years of Turkish-Polish Relations,’ from March 7 to June 15.

As its title suggests, the show is held as part of the celebratory
events marking the 600th anniversary of Turkish-Polish diplomatic
relations, which started in 1414 when King Ladislaus Jagiello of
Poland sent two envoys, Jakub Skarbek of Gora and Gregory the
Armenian, to the court of the Ottoman sultan Mehmed I Çelebi in Bursa.

The exhibition showcases a total of 348 items, including sultans’
clothes, carpets, armor and paintings, to shed light on the results of
the cultural, political and economic connection between the two
distant countries during the wars, conflicts and peace up to the end
of the 17th century.

These pieces are on loan from the collections of 35 Polish museums,
churches, archives, libraries and monasteries and Ä°stanbul-based
institutions such as the Topkapı Palace Museum, the Museum of Turkish
and Islamic Art and the Sadberk Hanım Museum.

The displayed items are placed in the three floors of the exhibition
venue in such a way that they reflect the dialogue between Poland and
Turkey, SSM director-curator Nazan Ã-lçer pointed out during the show’s
press preview on Thursday morning.

Lives of Ottoman and Polish rulers explored

`We would like to explore the personalities and families of both the
Ottoman sultan Mehmed IV, [who played a part in the 1672-76
Polish-Ottoman War] and Polish King John III Sobieski, [who played a
major role in the Siege of Vienna which resulted in the defeat of the
Ottomans],’ Ã-lçer said.

The museum director also referred to the peaceful relations between
the two countries, giving the example of the Ottomans’ refusal to
recognize the 1795 partition of Poland by Austria, Russia and Prussia.
`The Ottomans preserved the protocol place reserved for the Polish
ambassador in the palace. On formal state occasions, it was always
declared that the Polish ambassador was delayed in his journey and
unable to attend,’ according to the press release for the exhibition.

Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage Bogdan Zdrojewski
said the countries’ mutual respect is based on information and the
organizers of the exhibition have tried to provide an opportunity to
witness history. `Art events can bring us together and we have to
respect differences while doing so,’ the minister said. Zdrojewski
thinks the exhibition title perfectly reflects the character of the
relations between the two countries which have many similarities
despite geographical and cultural distances.

The travels of Polish ambassadors to the Ottoman lands, the Ottomans’
export of commercial products to Poland and the spoils of war
remaining from a defeated Ottoman army are among the main sources of
the similarities between the two countries.

As a demonstration of this, Ã-lçer drew the press members’ attention to
the design used on the materials of the Polish clergy’s clothes and
the carpets that adorned the homes of the rich Polish people of the
time. Beata Biedronska-Slota from the National Museum of Cracow wrote
an article about the same subject for a book about the exhibition.
`The best examples of Turkish handcraft, including carpets ¦ silk
fabrics with designs and clothes, had been unceasingly brought to the
lands of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth since the Middle Ages
thanks to the trade initiated by the Armenians,’ the article says.
Polish kings, nobleman and upper class citizens ordered works of art
from the Ottoman lands, according to Biedronska-Slota.

Ottoman taste influences Polish fashion

The exhibition also reveals the impact of Ottoman taste on Polish
fashion. Visitors can see the portraits of Polish people who dressed
the way Ottomans did. `Commercial and cultural relations between
Poland and Ottoman Turkey, which began in the 15th century and reached
their peak in the 17th and 18th centuries, made major contributions to
the arts in both countries, in particular influencing the manners and
dress of the Polish elite,’ Ã-lçer was quoted as saying in the press
release.

`Since a relationship going back to 600 years could not be represented
by material from Poland alone, we were obliged to find a contemporary
equivalent for every object brought from that country,’ the museum
director comments. While one wall of the exhibition space presents the
portraits of the family members of a Polish king, on the opposite wall
can be seen the family of an Ottoman sultan.

A section of the show displays objects — such as weapons, armor, a
gunpowder flask and a tent — the Ottoman army had to leave behind
following their defeat at the Second Siege of Vienna in 1683. These
items were shared by the noble families of Poland, Ã-lçer noted, and
twice expressed her gratitude to Polish institutions that have
preserved these items with the utmost care for long years.

Shedding light on diplomatic relations

A series of gravures, personal items, medals, oil-on canvas paintings
and letters along with other written documents such the 1699 Treaty of
Karlowitz — which marks of the end of the Ottoman control in a large
part of Central Europe — are among the items the exhibition uses to
inform viewers about diplomatic relations and the results of the wars
between Poland and Turkey.

`In the 17th century, changing power balances and alliances in Europe
and the policy pursued by the Habsburgs in Eastern Europe resulted in
the confrontation between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of
Poland. This culminated in the Second Siege of Vienna in 1683. The
developments that led up to this climax ¦ the First and the Second
Battle of Khotyn,’ are all revealed thanks to these series of items,
according to the press release.

The historical developments in the Ottoman Empire and Poland after the
Second Siege of Vienna are also investigated in the show. The
post-1699 period covers the partitioning of Poland, some Polish
patriots and soldiers seeking refuge in the Ottoman lands and the
Polish battalion led by Sadık PaÅ?a that fought with the Ottoman army
during the Crimean War. Some series of maps, paintings and personal
items from the exhibition also shed light on such these events.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of events, including
screenings of Polish films, discussions attended by Polish directors,
concerts by Polish musicians and educational workshops for children.

Warsaw National Museum Director Agnieszka Morowinska, who was also
present at the press review, said she hopes this exhibition will
provide further encouragement to attract more Polish people to Turkey
as Polish people are already interested in the cultural heritage of
Ä°stanbul.

For visiting hours and ticket prices, go to muze.sabanciuniv.edu.

Berman Vote Stymied in Tie

By Brandon Gee
Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
March 5, 2014

In the end, Joseph S. Berman swung only one of two votes he needed to
win appointment to the Superior Court, and his nomination died in a
4-4 tie at a meeting of the Governor’s Council this morning.

Berman’s nomination has been embroiled in controversy for months. Gov.
Deval L. Patrick held back a vote on the Looney & Grossman litigator
before ultimately withdrawing and resubmitting his nomination, which
allowed Berman to have a second hearing before the council and a
chance to address a myriad of concerns from his hefty political
donations to his leadership positions in the Anti-Defamation League.

With last year’s resignation of Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray, there was
no one to break today’s tie. Patrick presided over the meeting. The
governor said he accepted the outcome, but read a statement that
expressed support for Berman and disappointment in council members.
Patrick said it was “unprecedented and unfair” for a judicial nominee
to be punished for his involvement in politics and service
organizations.

“I think this is a sad day for the council,” council member Michael J.
Albano said. “It’s amazing that we’re talking about Mr. Berman’s
affiliation with an organization that does good things.”

Council member Jennie L. Caissie said her primary motivation in voting
against the Boston lawyer was the size of his political donations.

“I will not be part of the reality or the perceptions that judgeships
are for sale in Massachusetts,” she said.

Council member Marilyn Pettito Devaney said she remained concerned
about a call Berman placed to now-U.S. Rep. Katherine M. Clark on the
morning before his first confirmation hearing in November. Berman
initially denied calling any elected officials in connection with his
nomination when questioned about it in November before acknowledging
it when asked again later. Berman apologized at his second hearing on
Feb. 26 and said he initially misunderstood the question to pertain to
whether he placed any calls before applying to the Judicial Nominating
Commission. Devaney was not convinced.

“He lied,” she said. “Nothing else counts. He lied.”

Issue: March 10, 2014

17:15 05/03/2014 >> ECONOMY
Financial Times: French Total leaves Shah Deniz because of its unprofitability

French gas- oil company Total is in talks to sell its stake in a huge
gasfield in Azerbaijan after it baulked at the enormous cost of the
project, which would deliver Caspian gas directly to European markets for
the first time, the British paper Financial Times writes.

According to the article, the French major is likely to sell its entire 10
per cent stake in the Shah Deniz field. The move comes just months after
fellow investor Statoil of Norway reduced its stake from 25.5 per cent to
15.5 per cent.

The consortium of shareholders in the field, led by BP, in December
announced a final decision to invest $28bn on the second phase of its
development, one of the largest gas projects in the world, the Financial
Times reports. They also announced plans to build pipelines to ship the gas
3,500 kilometers across Turkey, Greece and Albania into Italy, making the
project a crucial plank of Europe’s strategy to diversify energy supplies.

Total’s decision was driven by the economics of the project, the people
said, as well as a broader asset sale programme. Including the cost of
building the pipelines, the total price tag for the project is likely to
exceed $40bn.

The article notes that Total remains committed to its other large gas
project in Azerbaijan, Absheron, in which it holds a 40 per cent stake.
However, it sees as “non-core” its 10 per cent interest in the Trans
Adriatic pipeline.

“Likely buyers for Total’s stake include Botas, the Turkish state pipeline
company, which “has been very interested for a long time in getting
involved in the upstream end of the project.” Socar, the Azeri national oil
company, may also be interested in buying the stake. Statoil’s 10 per cent
stake was sold to BP and Socar for $1.45bn,” the article reads.

Financial Times adds that Total and BP declined to comment; Socar did not
respond to a request for comment; and Botas could not be reached.

Ukraine crisis: Russia’s neighbours are nervous – but the huge costs
of intervention beyond Crimea are likely to make Moscow think twice

Despite the fears of small states, President Putin is unlikely to seek
to redraw his country’s borders

MARY DEJEVSKY

Sunday 09 March 2014

There is a view, expressed in Brussels last week with much passion by
President Dalia Grybauskaite of Lithuania, that, having occupied
Crimea, Russia will try to redraw the borders of its neighbouring
states, starting with Moldova and the Baltic states. But how realistic
is such a proposition?

Paradoxically, it is probably least likely in the Baltic states, the
very place that Russian expansionism is feared the most. It was
recognised in Moscow, even before the Soviet Union broke up, that the
annexation of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania was of dubious legality
and that the three states should be allowed to break away. That they
are now members of both the EU and Nato affords them exactly the
protection they sought when they applied to join.

Estonia, as the closest to Russia and the one with a Russian minority
concentrated at the border, might be seen as the most at risk. Russia
could, for instance, invoke the same “responsibility to protect” as it
has threatened to invoke in eastern Ukraine. Two factors militate
against this. Nato’s Article 5 – an attack on one is treated as an
attack on all – is the first. The second is the border treaty recently
agreed between Estonia and Russia, which means that the frontier is no
longer disputed.

Moving east, there is Belarus. Like Ukraine, it has developed a sense
of its own nationhood in the 20 years since the collapse of the Soviet
Union. Like Ukraine, too, its economic ties with Russia – energy
dependence, in particular – have not changed to reflect that new
reality. But there is no need at all for Russia to use force to tie
Belarus to Moscow more closely, partly because Belarus has no
equivalent of the western Ukraine which hankers after a future in the
EU, and partly because ties of all kinds could hardly be closer.

Moldova is in many ways the most vulnerable, not least because, like
Ukraine, it looks both ways and, were Romania to push for closer
relations with Moldova, Russia might interpret this as a threat.
Against that, Russia has done nothing about Romania issuing passports
to Moldovans. Nor has Moldova made any move to incorporate the mainly
Russian-speaking territory of Transnistria – whether for lack of will
or lack of power. This makes it hard for Moscow to claim security as a
pretext for seizing Transnistria with which it has no common border.

Would Russia try to reincorporate the republics of the Transcaucasus?
It had its chance to occupy and effect regime change in Georgia in
2008, but settled for leaving its troops in the two contested Russian
enclaves. Armenia is independent-minded, with a strong sense of
identity, but also relatively compliant. Azerbaijan prefers to grow
rich from oil than engage in international politics.

Different considerations apply to the five central Asian states, but
the conclusion has to be the same. Intervention would be more trouble
than it was worth. There is a large, but declining, Russian minority
in Kazakhstan that might one day seek protection from the Kazakh
majority, but the logistics would be horrendous. Russia had an
opportunity to intervene in Kyrgyzstan in 2005, but to the surprise of
many, declined.

The only possible reason for Russia to become more actively engaged
militarily in central Asia would be to combat the influence of China,
but that is some way down the line. The comparative poverty of these
states, booming populations and distance from Moscow would make them
more of a liability than an asset to Russia in almost every way.

A factor contributing to the collapse of the Soviet Union was the
reluctance of Russians to continue supporting the poor and populous
south. That same sentiment is now directed against the subsidies being
funnelled to Chechnya. Ukraine is unique in its combination of a
divided population, its strategic position and its age-old ties to
Russia. But even here, the huge costs – not just in financial terms –
of intervention beyond Crimea are likely to make Moscow think twice.

Armenian National Congress leader seeks involve PAP leader in politics
not as oligarch – Ashot Manucharyan

14:03 * 09.03.14

Opposition political figure Ashot Manucharyan cannot explain the
reasons for Armenian National Congress (ANC) party leader Levon
Ter-Petrosyan drawing parallels between Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP)
Chairman Gagik Tsarukyan and former Georgian Premier Bidzina
Ivanishvili.

Manucharyan objects to any wealthy person’s involvement in the government.

Manucharyan believes that Ter-Petrosyan appeals to Tsarukyan as leader
of an influential political force.

“My stance is that any wealthy person, a businessman has no right to
hold a government post. Otherwise, it results in oligarchic rule. In
fact, such a system has been formed in Armenia,” Manucharyan said.

However, Ter-Petrosyan is speaking in the context of reality: there is
a political force that must be involved in political processes.

“Tsarukyan is now viewed as leader of an influential political force
rather than an oligarch,” Manucharyan said.

As to the fact that most political forces see Armenia’s ex-president
Robert Kocharyan behind the PAP, Manucharyan said:

“I think that Tsarukyan may be the one feeling the most intense hatred
for Kocharyan because being so strongly dependent is a heavy burden
for a person.”

Armenian News – Tert.am

Prosperous Armenia seeking control of all political forces – experts

12:04 * 09.03.14

The Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) is seeking to gain control of all
the political forces’ activities political scientist Manvel Sargsyan
told Tert.am as he commented on PAP Chairman Gagik Tsarukyan’s meeting
with representatives of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Dashnakstutyun (ARF-D).

“The PAP was part of the ruling circles and has no problems with
Armenia’s authorities. They have repeatedly shown their unity and
favor to Armenia’s third President Serzh Sargsyan. I have never seen
that the PAP and the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) have
problems with each other. Rather, the PAP is active in the opposition
political arena thus upsetting parties’ plans. The ruling regime is
just using the PAP to gain control of all political forces,” he said.

“It is difficult to understand the forces’ aims. They are not
specifying anything. They are just holding consultations. The four
political parties’ activities are not clear, they are just speaking of
their hopes and dreams. If political forces hold consultations, they
should speak of their agenda, aims. But I have not seen it so far,”
Sargsyan said.

The non-coalition forces’ unification will not change the situation in
the country as, like during the previous years and during the
elections, the PAP supported the ruling party.

“They were doing it very well during the elections and they are doing
so now as well,” he said.

Political scientist Levon Shirinyan believes that the country must be
brought out of the current situation, and opposition forces see this
way of doing it:

“I think this issue has matured, but the opposition forces are seeking
for solutions. The forces are obviously trying to unite,” he said.
Armenia is in a stalemate now. The authorities cannot solve the
problem of large-scale emigration.

According to Shirinyan, it is to resolve “this matter of life and
death” that the non-coalition forces are trying to unite.

As to the possibility of Armenian ex-president Robert Kocharyan’s
return to politics, the expert said:

“Kocharyan may or may not return. It is up to him to decide. But of
importance is the country’s situation. Armenia’s demography is being
ruined. If Kocharyan can stop emigration, let him do it, if the
incumbent president can do it, let him do. But the authorities are not
doing anything.”

As to the possibility of a revolution as a result of the political
forces’ unification, Shirinyan said:

“Let them go away. A new generation must come. Power must change in
some way or another. It is enough! Open the way. If this emigration
goes on, a war is inevitable. The more people emigrate the more
probable is a war.”

Armenian News – Tert.am

ARMENIENS-SYRIE
Le quartier arménien Nor Kiugh à Alep (Syrie) bombardé hier après midi

Samedi 8 mars, le quartier arménien Nor Kiugh (Nouveau village) d’Alep
(Syrie) a été soumis à des bombardements selon les informations émises
par l’Archevêché de l’Eglise arménienne d’Alep. La rue centrale de Nor
Kiugh fut la cible de ces bombardements ainsi que les environs du
cimetière arménien. Plusieurs soldats des forces régulières de l’armée
syrienne furent blessés. Mais fort heureusement on ne compte aucune
victime ni blessé parmi la population civile de ce quartier arménien.
Début février, ce quartier de Nor Kiugh fut également soumis à des
tirs qui ont fait des dégts sur le complexe sportif de l’école > ainsi que de l’immeuble de l’association >.
Depuis le début des violences en Syrie il y a près de deux ans, 60 à
70 Arméniens trouvèrent la mort, dont la moitié à Alep, la ville qui
concentre la plus importante communauté arménienne de Syrie. Les
autres Arméniens sont morts à Latakia, Homs, Kamishli, Hassaké,
Yacoubia, Rakka, Kessab et Damas.

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 9 mars 2014,
Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

Edward Nalbandian: Armenian people feel moral responsibility to
contribute to the prevention of genocide

13:46 08.03.2014

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian made a statement at the
high level panel discussion dedicated to the sixty-fifth anniversary
of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of
Genocide.

“Mr. President of the Human Rights Council,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

First I would like to thank Madam Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner
for Human Rights and her Office for holding this High Level Panel
Discussion dedicated to the sixty-fifth anniversary of the Convention
on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

I would like also to thank all panelists for their willingness to
shape result oriented discussion on genocide prevention. I want to
particularly thank Madam Esther Mujawayo, a survivor of the Rwandan
genocide, the 20th anniversary of which will be marked in an
international conference in Brussels in three weeks.

Armenian people, as a nation that survived the first genocide of the
20th century, feels a strong moral responsibility to bring its
contribution to international efforts in prevention of crimes against
humanity. I should acknowledge the readiness with which many member
states lent their support to our various initiatives for this noble
goal. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all co-sponsors
of the Human Rights Council Resolution on Genocide Prevention that was
adopted by this august body last year.

Through its various actors, the United Nations plays a central role in
Genocide Prevention. I would like to mention the personal involvement
of Mr. Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General, who gives guidance to this
ongoing cooperation. We are encouraged to see the determined work of
the Human Rights Council, and other UN bodies together with the member
states. I would like to stress the valuable contribution of Mr. Adama
Dieng, Special Advisor to the Secretary General on the Prevention of
Genocide, who is with us today.

Despite the fact that the Genocide Prevention Convention was adopted
in 1948, unfortunately, new genocides, new crimes against humanity
have been committed over the ensuing decades, including recent years.
>From Cambodia to Rwanda to Darfur the terrible phenomenon of genocide
has continued seeming unabated.

This means that we need not only debates, resolutions, declarations,
conventions, but effective mechanisms and actions to prevent their
recurrence.

Genocide is a complex phenomenon and does not occur according to a
single model. Prevention must be based on an accurate understanding of
the history of genocides. This includes a thorough analysis of all
modern cases. We must understand not only what happened in each case,
but also the causes. We must be ready to learn from past failures and
be open to new ideas.

Genocide prevention requires the development of both enforcement and
preventive measures. If genocide is committed, the perpetrators should
not stay in doubt that they will definitely be held responsible. On
May 24th, 1915 in a special declaration the Allied Powers – Russia,
France and Great Britain, warned the perpetrators of the atrocities
against the Armenian people that they would be held personally
responsible for “these new crimes of Turkey against humanity and
civilization,” from which the modern concept of Crimes against
Humanity entered the international legal system.

The prehistory of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of
the Crime of Genocide is related to the most tragic page in the
history of the Armenian people. Raphael Lemkin, the author of the term
“genocide,” while defining the crime of genocide, referred to the very
policy of mass extermination perpetrated against Armenians. Lemkin
dedicated his life to the study of crimes against humanity, which,
among others, paved the way for the adoption of the 1948 Convention.

The measures foreseen in the Human Rights Council Resolution of 22nd
of March 2013 envisages the necessary preventive measures. We are all
unanimous on three pillars of genocide prevention: early warning,
human rights protection, and public campaign of education and
awareness.

First, in order for the international community to react promptly, we
must be aware of the risk of genocide as early as possible and make
the necessary preventive steps. Usually perpetrators of genocide try
to hide their intentions as long as possible. The international
community should evaluate the origins of genocidal atmosphere leading
to this heinous crime and prevent it as early as possible.

Over the course of the past decade, both the United Nations and the
regional bodies have made much progress in improving early warning and
assessment systems. We should do our utmost to ensure that these
advances continue in the years ahead. Early identification and warning
by themselves will not be effective unless they are followed by
concrete forms of deterrence.

Second, genocide prevention is a part of the complex international
mechanisms of the human rights protection. Moral values stand on the
most important defense line against these horrible crimes. Genocide is
an unthinkable crime for a society which is founded on the protection
of human rights, on the values of mutual respect, tolerance and
non-violence.

Third, one of our goals is to reinforce in the public these values
through education and remembrance. Generations should get knowledge of
the history of past tragedies, past genocides. The acknowledgement and
condemnation of committed genocides are one of the most effective
tools for their prevention in the future. Unacknowledged or preferred
ignorance of genocide, which is otherwise called denial, along with
impunity pave the way for the repetition of new crimes against
humanity. Independent of geopolitical or other interests, the
international community should stand together in the recognition,
condemnation and punishment of past genocides, especially in light of
the 1968 Convention on the Non-applicability of Statutory Limitations,
in their efforts towards its prevention in the future.

The remembrance days of the victims of genocides, Mets Yeghern, Shoah,
remembrance days in Cambodia, Rwanda, Darfur and other genocides
should be days of mourning not only for the descendents of victims,
but for the descendents of the perpetrators. These days should be
approached with willingness to move towards recognition and
reconciliation. True reconciliation does not mean forgetting the past
or feeding younger generations with tales of denial.

The civilized world resolutely rejects the incitement of hatred,
racism, dissemination of intolerance, the denial of genocide, crimes
against humanity under the guise of freedom of expression. The
prevailing opinion of the international genocide scholars is that
denial itself is a continuation of genocide.

Ladies and gentlemen,

While commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Convention on
Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide we understand that
the effectiveness of each treaty should be evaluated based on its
implementation. This panel discussion is a good opportunity for
sharing best practices in the implementation of this Convention.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to call upon those states that
have not yet acceded to the Convention, to do so in the nearest future
and to wish every success to those who spare no effort in genocide
prevention.

Ads in Swiss papers inform about ICHR ruling on Armenian Genocide denial

12:03 08.03.2014

Armenian Genocide, ECHR, Switzerland

The International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (A
Division of the Zoryan Institute) produced a full-page informational
advertisement that appeared in Switzerland’s leading German and French
language newspapers Neue Zürcher Zeitung on March 6 and Le Temps on
March 7. The advertisements were the product of collaboration between
the Switzerland Armenia Association and the IIGHRS. Links to these
articles in English, French, and German follow this article, Massis
Post reports.

The purpose of these ads was to raise awareness with the Swiss public
that the December 17, 2013 ruling of the Perinçek vs. Switzerland case
by the European Court of Human Rights, promotes racism and violence
against Armenians in Turkey and elsewhere. The statement further
argued that the Swiss government has a moral responsibility to appeal
this ruling and defend its laws against racism.

Seeing that to date the Swiss Government had not filed an appeal
against the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights, the IIGHRS
felt that it is crucial to educate the public about this critical
legal and moral issue. Switzerland was not a bystander to the Armenian
Genocide in 1915, and it should not be a bystander and allow its
denial today. In this respect, the Institute endeavored to raise
awareness of the facts of the Armenian Genocide through the speeches
of the President of Switzerland in 1922 to the League of Nations, and
in the words of the current President about the action needed against
denial of the Holocaust or any other genocide. President Burkhalter
noted that it is the duty of the Swiss people to remind people, ‘of
the facts and the historical reality’, and stressed that Switzerland
does not want to just ‘pay lip service, but to take concrete action’
to fight denial. Through the juxtaposing of these two historical
speeches, the Institute explained that while it does not disagree with
the right to freedom of speech, it takes issue with the ECHR’s highly
debatable statements about the Armenian Genocide that went far beyond
the Court’s mandate or competence.