Author: Badalian Vardan

MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT VISIT THE TSITSERNAKABERD MEMORIAL COMPLEX

30.04.2013

On April 30 the members of the delegation of the Conservatives and
Reformists Group of the European Parliament visited Tsitsernakaberd
Memorial Complex and laid flowers at the Memorial of the Armenian
Genocide victims, honored the memory of one and a half million innocent
victims with a minute of silence.

The members of the delegation had also been at the Armenian Genocide
Museum-Institute, got acquainted with the documents ensuring the
Armenian Genocide and observed the exhibit items.

The Head of the delegation Martin Callanan left the following note
in the Commemoration Book: “It’s very important that all of us, the
politicians do our best in order such thing will never happen. Those,
who forget the history, are doomed of again making mistakes.”

Sharing his impressions with the journalists Martin Callanan noted:
“Terrible events have taken place. It is important for modern policy
that we will learn lessons from all this, what happened in the past
not to be repeated.”

THEY PROMISE NOT TO WORK LIKE “PROSPEROUS ARMENIA”

04:53 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

There are numerous problems in educational sphere which quickly need
solution. Political forces which take part in the campaign of the
elections of Yerevan Elders Council have different suggestions about
how to solve the problems in educational sphere.

During the discussion in “Media center” all the candidates agree that
the changes must start from kindergarten.

In its program, ARF (Armenian Revolutionary Federation) promises to
increase the number of kindergartens and inclusive schools, to build
platforms near school entrances for physically disabled children etc.

“There are 161 kindergartens, but the general involvement is only 31%.

So where is the rest 70%”, said ARF representative Artak Aghbalyan.

In his opinion, all the problems in educational sphere stem from
politicization.

According to ARF representative, all the problems will be solved if
the educational sphere is not politicized.

“During the elections educational sphere becomes political. All
teachers and school headmasters are involved in this process. This
sphere is wholly politicized and is used by the party in power”, said
Artak Aghbalyan. “Prosperous Armenia” gives importance to the education
of physically disabled children, which is not proper according to the
representative of “Prosperous Armenia” Tamara Poghosyan. She thinks
that this leads to the phenomenon, when physically disabled people
do not feel as part of the society.

“Mayor’s Office pronounces that there must not be schools which
are not reconstructed. We hope that Mayor’s Office will take into
account the problem of education of physically disabled children”,
said Tamara Poghosyan.

Anahit Bakhshyan has noticed many mistakes in educational sphere. One
of those is that Mayor’s Office now exercises some duties which are
to be under the control of the Ministry of Education and Science. As
for the activity of the Mayor’s Office in general, Mrs. Bakhshyan
says, that it is one of those institutions which are far not open to
the public.

“Barev Yerevan” alliance has a clear vision: the Elders Council
sessions must be broadcast so as people can see how it all works. “If
we are elected, we will not work like “Prosperous Armenia” (together
with RPA)”, she adds.

Two people shot, one ran over in Yerevan Victory Park

15:11 – 27.04.13

Two people have been admitted to a hospital on April 26 at about 11 pm
with body injuries.

The police squad found out that Sargis K, 22, and Tigran Ch, 23, were
transported to hospital after receiving injuries as a result of a
fight with an unknown person near the eternal fire at the capital’s
Victory Park at about 10.30 pm.

During the fight the person opened a fire from a gas gun. It was also
found out that another young man Michael M has received injuries
during the same fight after a driver of VAZ-2121 model-car ran him
over.

The police press office reports that works are being carried out to
find the unknown people, the car and the gas gun.

Investigation is under way

US Official News
April 25, 2013 Thursday

Washington: SPEECH OF HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY IN THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2013

Washington

The Library of Congress, The Government of USA has issued the following Speech:

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the
genocide of Armenians committed by the Ottoman Empire. We have a grave
obligation, in truth and justice, to acknowledge this genocide against
Armenians. This House is obligated, as is the government of the United
States, and all peoples and governments around the world. That
obligation is all the more grave because the Turkish government–our
friend and ally–aggressively denies this genocide.

The facts surrounding the genocide are well known and established
beyond any doubt whatsoever. Beginning in April 1915, following years
of pogroms and other repressive measures, Ottoman authorities
undertook the systematic annihilation of as many as one and a half
million Armenians through shootings, mass burnings, gassing,
poisoning, drowning, forced labor, or death marches into the Syrian
desert. The scale and ferocity of these atrocities were unprecedented
in the modern era. The Honorable United States Ambassador to the
Ottoman Empire 1913-1916 Henry Morgenthau characterized the policy of
the Ottoman government as a “campaign of race extermination” and was
instructed by Secretary of State Robert Lansing to continue his
protests along with the officials of many other countries, including
allies of the Ottomans. Most tellingly, the post-World War I Turkish
government indicted the top leaders involved in the “organization and
execution” of the policy and in the “massacre and destruction of the
Armenians.” The chief organizers were all condemned to death for
their crimes, though the verdicts of the courts were not enforced.

As is well known, Raphael Lemkin did not coin the term “genocide”
until 1944, almost 30 years after the Ottoman massacre of Armenians.
But in his groundbreaking work on the subject, Lemkin cited the case
of the Armenians as the classic example of genocide. His idea of
genocide as an offense against international law was widely accepted
by the international community and was one of the legal bases of the
trial of Nazi leaders at Nuremburg.

Despite the overwhelming preponderance of evidence of the Ottoman
government’s policy of annihilation of Armenians and the virtually
universal acceptance of the Armenian case as a classic example of
genocide, the government of the modern state of Turkey refuses to
acknowledge the crimes of the previous regime as the responsibility of
the Ottoman government or as a case of genocide. Indeed, the Turkish
government even has undertaken the persecution of those Turks who
recognize the genocide.

One day the Turkish government will acknowledge the genocide. That
will be a great day for Turkey–for the moral air of the country–and
a truly patriotic gesture, a sign of spiritual strength. The sooner
the better! The United States does a disservice to Turkey and its
people by facilitating genocide denial by not pressing Turkey harder
to acknowledge the truth.

For more information please visit:

US Official News
April 25, 2013 Thursday

Washington: SPEECH OF HON. HENRY A. WAXMAN OF CALIFORNIA IN THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2013

Washington

The Library of Congress, The Government of USA has issued the following Speech:

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, today we solemnly commemorate the 98th
anniversary of the Armenian genocide. Over the course of eight years,
the Armenian Christian population was systematically terrorized,
murdered, and driven out of their country. In 1914, two million
Armenians were living under the Ottoman Empire; by 1922, only 388,000
remained. Today we remember the victims of these atrocities and vow
that their suffering will not be forgotten.

The horror of the Armenian Genocide was surpassed only by the silence
that followed it. To this day, the Turkish government prohibits
recognition of its predecessor’s dark history, and has pressured
others to adhere to the same base standard. The United States has a
moral obligation to acknowledge the horrors of the past, just as we
must recognize all genocides as crimes against humanity. Recognition
of the Armenian Genocide is long overdue.

As a member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, I hope
that my colleagues will join me in paying solemn tribute to those who
lost their lives and those who have survived such terrible atrocities.
Let us stand up to governments that persecute their people, and
reaffirm our commitment to the victims of injustice.

For more information please visit:

“Radio Liberty”: Azerbaijan campaign to export the cult of
personality of Heydar

20:40 26/04/2013 » SOCIETY

`It is just the latest move in Azerbaijan’s apparent campaign to
export the cult of personality of its former leader. From Belgrade to
Tashkent to Mexico City, Heydar Aliyev’s likeness is seeking out new
venues to advance Azerbaijan’s interests abroad,’ reads the article
titled `The Cult of Heydar Aliyev Marches on’ which is published on
the site of European Radio Liberty, where the author tells about
installation of the statue of Heydar Aliev in Kiev park.

RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service has created an interactive map of Heydar
Aliyevs around the world

.

`But Baku isn’t stopping at statues. There have been reports of a film
trilogy in the works on the life of Heydar Aliyev, dozens of seemingly
little-frequented museums dedicated to him, and now even an academic
discipline devoted to the study of his life,’ the material says.

Adalet Qasimov, the head of the Department of AliyevScience in the
History Institute of the Academy of Sciences says, `Special courses
and special lectures could be established in universities to study the
Heydar Aliyev phenomenon.’

Monument to Heydar Aliyev which was installed in one of the central
parks of Mexico City in August 2012 caused bewilderment among the
residents. Azerbaijan has spent about $ 5 million on the
reconstruction of two parks in Mexico City, after which it was allowed
to install a monument there. Several protests were held in the capital
of Mexico during which the participants claimed they did not want to
see the statue of a dictator, who had ruled thousands of miles away
from their country, next to the monuments of their heroes.

As a result, the special commission recommended that the authorities
of Mexico deinstalled the statue of former Azerbaijani President
Heydar Aliyev, noting that the government made a mistake by taking
money and allowing the foreign government to decide which political
and historical figures should be honored publically in the Mexican
capital.

In mid-January, Foreign Ministry of Mexico has given absolute freedom
to the government of Mexico to make up a decision concerning the
controversial statue of Aliyev. In his turn, the Azerbaijani
Ambassador to Mexico Ilgar Mukhtarov told that the Embassy has decided
to appeal to international organizations for the solution of the
problem. The Legislative Assembly of Mexico addressed to the
government of Mexico with a call to dismantle the statue. In late
January, the monument was dismantled and taken to a warehouse.

Source: Panorama.am

Turquie : « Le processus de paix doit passer par la liberté de la presse »

Publié le : 26-04-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
invite à lire cette information publiée sur le site des Reporters Sans
Frontières le 23 avril 2013.

Reporters Sans Frontières

Turquie

Publié le mardi 23 avril 2013.

Des représentants de Reporters sans frontières étaient présents le 22
avril 2013 à la Cour d’assises de Silivri (banlieue nord d’Istanbul),
pour observer les audiences qui se sont tenues dans deux procès lourds
de conséquences pour la liberté de l’information en Turquie : le
procès du « comité des médias » de l’Union des Communautés du
Kurdistan (KCK) et celui des membres présumés du réseau
ultranationaliste Ergenekon.

« Nous sommes ici pour manifester à nouveau notre soutien aux
journalistes emprisonnés du fait de leurs activités professionnelles,
et pour rappeler que la Turquie détient à l’heure actuelle un triste
record mondial en la matière. Nos confrères kurdes sont en détention
préventive depuis déjà plus de quinze mois ; Mustafa Balbay et Tuncay
Özkan le sont depuis maintenant cinq ans. La prolongation de leur
détention est intolérable », a déclaré l’organisation.

« A l’heure où des négociations de paix historiques sont ouvertes
entre le gouvernement et la rébellion kurde du PKK, la liberté de
l’information fait partie de la solution. Les réformes engagées
doivent être menées jusqu’au bout, jusqu’à ce toutes les dispositions
liberticides aient été expurgées de la législation turque et que les
professionnels des médias n’aient plus à craindre d’être jetés en
prison pour n’avoir fait que leur métier. »

Le responsable du bureau Europe et Asie Centrale de RSF, Johann Bihr,
et le représentant de l’organisation en Turquie, Erol Önderoglu, ont
tenu devant le Palais de justice une conférence de presse commune avec
la plateforme « Liberté aux Journalistes » (GÖP), composée d’Ercan
Ipekçi, président du Syndicat des journalistes (TGS), Recep Yasar,
membre du conseil administratif de l’Association turque des
journalistes (TGC) et Kaan Karlioglu, secrétaire général du Conseil de
la Presse. Une délégation de députés belges composée de Jean-Claude
Defossé (ECOLO), André du Bus de Warnaffe (CDH) et Fatoumata Sibidé
(FDF), ainsi que le syndicaliste allemand Joachim Legatis (DJU), ont
dénoncé le maintien en détention des prévenus et appelé la communauté
internationale à faire pression sur les autorités turques. La députée
kurde du BDP Sebahat Tuncel, le peintre Bedri Baykam ainsi que le
célèbre avocat Turgut Kazan, assistaient également aux procès.

La 12e audience du procès du « comité des médias du KCK » s’est
poursuivie avec la lecture du résumé d’un nouvel acte d’accusation
concernant les collaborateurs de médias Ismet Kayhan et Mikail
Barutçu, accusés de faire partie des dirigeants du KCK. Ce nouveau
document porte le nombre des accusés à 46, dont 26 sont à ce jour en
détention préventive. Pour la première fois, les prévenus ont été
autorisés à répondre aux contrôles d’identité et à assurer leur
défense en langue kurde. « Nous ne nous considérons pas comme des
accusés. Ce dossier a été élaboré de concert par l’exécutif, les
médias et les procureurs », a affirmé Ertus Bozkurt au nom de tous les
prévenus.

Le ministère de la Justice a rejeté la demande de l’avocat Sinan
Zincir de faire transférer les journalistes détenus dans la prison de
Kandira à Izmit (100 km au sud d’Istanbul) vers celle de Silivri, où
se tient le procès. Une institution universitaire a fait savoir à la
cour que le détenu Ismail Yildiz assistait à un examen à Malatya en
2001, au moment où on le suspecte de s’être rendu dans un camp du PKK
au Mont Kandil, dans le nord de l’Irak. L’audience se poursuivra
jusqu’au vendredi 26 avril, date à laquelle la cour se prononcera sur
les demandes de remise en liberté.

Les observateurs partagent l’espoir de voir les journalistes détenus
libérés, un geste qui serait cohérent avec les négociations en cours
entre le gouvernement turc et le PKK. Le conflit, qui dure depuis
1984, a fait plus de 30 000 morts parmi les forces armées turques, les
militants du PKK et les civils.

RSF a par ailleurs suivi le procès de Mustafa Balbay et de Tuncay
Özkan, en détention préventive depuis cinq ans sous l’accusation
d’avoir collaboré avec la mouvance « Ergenekon », soupçonnée de
complot contre le gouvernement du Parti de la Justice et du
Développement (AKP). Le procès se poursuit avec les plaidoiries des
accusés. Les avocats de la défense avaient dernièrement quitté la
salle d’audience, afin de protester contre la restriction imposée par
la cour à la durée des plaidoiries. Le tribunal avait ensuite porté
plainte contre les avocats.

Retour à la rubrique
Source/Lien : Reporters Sans Frontières

`The created deadlock will result either in a war or in the
recognition of the NKR independence’

Wednesday, 17 April 2013 15:53

Karabakh-open.info’s interview with chairman of the NKR NA standing
commission on foreign relations Vahram Atanesyan.

-Mr. Atanesyan, recently the US state of Maine has also recognized the
independence of the NKR, thus becoming the third state supporting this
position. How do you estimate this step of the state or, more
precisely, the House of Representatives and the Senate.

– Let’s give no way to emotions. The resolution of the House of
Representatives and the Senate of Maine called the US President and
the Congress `to support the self-determination and the democratic
independence of the NKR’. This is a serious decision worth of grateful
acknowledgement, yet only the federal government of the United States
is entitled to recognize the independence of the NKR.

– Do you think similar steps can influence the negotiation process and
if yes, in what way?

Three US states have adopted this resolution. I think other states as
well will express their standpoint in future. The USA is an OSCE Minsk
Group co-chair country and a superpower. Thus, the calls of state
parliaments and the Senate addressed to the US President and the
Congress can’t but be estimated by the state department and the
administration in general. Say France, for example, will hardly ignore
the circumstance that a group of influential state figures such as
deputies and senators, representatives of the executive power have
formed a friendship circle with Artsakh. Consequently, similar
circumstances will have their effect on the negotiation process. The
deadlock created by Azerbaijan at Kazan summit will result in either a
war or the worldwide recognition of the NKR independence. The
international community rejects any war, it remains only to overcome
the deadlock through the international recognition of the NKR
independence, to create an opportunity for the two parties, the NKR
and Azerbaijan, possessing equal rights to discuss issues of mutual
interests.

– Will the recognition of the NKR independence change the attitude of
the international community towards the NKR in any way?

– I seem to have answered this question. If there is any need for
details I will add that the international community has never been
negatively disposed to the NKR, today especially it is not since the
standpoint `Either everything or nothing’ supported by the Azerbaijani
authorities is a challenge first of all to the mediators, to the norms
of international relations and the diplomatic etiquette. Such an
attitude can’t be forgiven.

– In fact, the recognition of the NKR is not far off or at least some
definite progress has been recorded in this direction. What do you
think the first steps of our country should be in this situation?

– I can’t say how close the ultimate recognition is. That’s a matter
of time and facilities as well. I do not share also the `What must the
NKR do?’ question. The international recognition of a country is
stipulated neither by its wish nor even by its efforts. There is no
need to mention any example, there exist a lot of them.

Nevertheless, the most urgent problem, I think, is that of having a
new class of political figures, I mean human resources with the
mentality of modern times the solution of which requires first of all
the involvement of the education system. Our political mentality has
anchored on the `high notes’ of 88 while the world has changed a lot
and is continually changing. Our political successors must be
well-educated young people endowed with dynamic mentality without any
complexes when contacting with the outer world. They will change the
internal social environment and will face the world with their
determination of making pragmatic decisions. It seems in this case the
international recognition of the NKR will come as no surprise to
anybody and even to Azerbaijan.

FOOTBALL-QUALIFICATIONS COUPE DU MONDE 2014
Arthur Sarkissov « l’Arménie peut encore prendre la deuxième place des
qualifications de la Coupe du monde 2014 »

Dans une interview sur le site russe Sportbox, l’international
arménien et attaquant du « Volga » de Nijni Novgorod, Arthur
Sarkissov, affirme que l’Arménie peut encore lutter pour la deuxième
place du classement des qualifications de la Coupe du Monde 2014.

« Tous les joueurs de la sélection arménienne sont au même niveau.
Nous sommes solidaires et l’objectif de qualification nous unit (…)
la ligne des attaquants est la force de l’équipe d’Arménie. L’objectif
de l’Arménie est la qualification à la phase finale de la Coupe du
Monde 2014. La lutte pour la deuxième place n’est pas finie. Les
quatre équipes, la Bulgarie, la Tchéquie, le Danemark et l’Arménie
peuvent prétendre à cette deuxième place. A mon avis ces quatre
équipes ont le même niveau de jeu » dit Arthur Sarkissov.

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 28 avril 2013,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

ARMENIE-ECONOMIE
L’Arménie a importé 8 300 voitures au premier trimestre

Au premier trimestre 2013, selon les données officielles publiées par
le ministère arménien de l’Economie, l’Arménie a importé 8 300
véhicules pour une valeur de 8,6 milliards de drams. Mais selon le
journal « Haygagan Jamanag » qui donne l’information, le parc des
voitures importées aurait vieilli puisque l’an dernier sur la même
période, 6 860 véhicules avaient été importées en Arménie pour une
valeur de 8,2 milliards de drams. Le prix moyen par véhicule importé
plus bas le trimestre dernier que celui de l’an dernier signifie que
les voitures importées sont cette année plus anciennes et donc moins
chers.

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 28 avril 2013,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com