Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

USA
Une conférence internationale sur le génocide arménien se tiendra à New York

Afin de marquer le centenaire du génocide arménien une conférence
internationale aura lieu du 13 au 15 Mars 2015 au Marriott Marquis
Hôtel de New York.

La conférence de trois jours comprendra une gamme importante
d’historiens, de décideurs, d’auteurs et d’artistes du monde entier.
Le programme sera composé de conférences les matins et les après-midi
simultanées et de discussions axées sur la justice et des réparations
pour les cas du génocide, la responsabilité de protéger (R2P), la
recherche sur le génocide, le militantisme pour la justice et la
responsabilité, la solidarité et la reconstruction, et les réponses
artistiques au génocide et la violence de masse .

La conférence, intitulée “Responsabilité 2015”, est organisée par le
comité du centenaire de la FRA des États-Unis de l’Est, sous les
auspices du Comité du Centenaire du génocide arménien de l’Amérique,
région de l’Est.

Les sessions de soirée réunissant décideurs, responsables politiques,
artistes et célébrités connus pour leur activisme et leur travail
humanitaire porteront une attention sur le thème de la responsabilité
d’affronter les injustices du passé et de la lutte en vue de prévenir
de nouveaux.

Des expositions de photographies et d’art sur le thème de la survie
auront lieu au même endroit pendant toute la durée de la conférence.

Le comité organisateur est composé des universitaires et des militants
suivantes : Khatchig Mouradian et Hayg Oshagan, co-présidents ; George
Aghjayan, Kim Hekimian, Antranik Kasbarian, et Henry Theriault.

lundi 1er septembre 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

Variety
Aug 31 2014

Venice Film Review: ‘The Cut’

Fatih Akin’s drama about the Armenian genocide had all the makings of
a majestic adventure picture, yet falters with its pedestrian script
and mise-en-scene.

Jay Weissberg

There have been a paltry few movies about the 1915 Armenian genocide,
which has only increased expectations around Fatih Akin’s already
buzzy “The Cut.” Budgeted at $21 million, this historical
epic-cum-Western about a father looking across the globe for his
missing twin daughters had all the makings of a majestic adventure
pic, only something odd happened along the way: The script, co-written
by vet Mardik Martin, is pedestrian, and the mise-en-scene, striving
hard for a classic Hollywood look, lacks grandeur, notwithstanding
impressive location work. Akin’s considerable body of fans will likely
scratch their heads, and marketing will be problematic.

Presumably the idea of having all the Armenians speak accented English
was to increase the pic’s Stateside chances, yet the lines are often
so commonplace, and have been heard a thousand times before in so many
historical adventures, that the arthouse crowd (Akin’s core) will
question why they’re being treated like mainstream viewers. Euro play
will prove more lucrative, though here, too, the director’s admirers
will find themselves wondering what happened to the energy and
psychological acuity of the helmer’s previous films.

Akin clearly wants “The Cut” to be informative, a fine thing
considering the ridiculous contesting in some quarters of the
genocide’s extent. That’s why intro titles explain the German-Ottoman
Empire alliance during WWI, when minorities under the Turks became
enemies overnight. But why did this happen? Without at least some hint
of why minorities, and Armenians in particular, were falsely
considered a threat, “The Cut” turns into an elementary-school history
lesson, providing rudimentary facts without connecting any dots.

Mardin, in southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border, is home to the
blacksmith Nazaret Manoogian (Tahar Rahim) — note the first name’s
Christological significance, since it’ll be coming back. He, his wife
Rakel (Hindi Zahra) and school-age twin daughters Lucinee (Dina
Fakhoury) and Arsinee (Zein Fakhoury) form a happy family until 1915,
when the Armenian round-up hits its height. Nazaret is forced into
slave labor building a road in the desert; one day he and his fellow
prisoners have their throats slit by Ottoman command, but Mehmet
(Bartu Kucukcaglayan) deliberately only wounds his neck. Mehmet’s like
the Good Thief, only he’s the one saving Nazaret/Jesus.

The two men hook up with some deserters, and then Nazaret learns that
Armenian women and children have been taken to the Ras-al-Ayn camp, a
three-day walk away. Curiously, Akin lenses the camp in various shades
of color-corrected sand tonalities, and the shot of Nazaret moving
through a field of pleading, desperate humanity is rendered so
artificial as to suggest a children’s illustration made
semi-monochrome to avoid overly strong images. There he finds his
sister-in-law, who tells him his wife and sister are dead. Nazaret
cradles the expiring woman in his lap, looking like a reverse Pieta in
which Jesus holds Mary.

Off he goes with untold reserves of strength, accompanied by electric
guitar strains that, combined with the desert landscape, call to mind
“Jesus Christ Superstar.” He meets kindly Omar Nasreddin (Makram J.
Khoury), the film’s obligatory good Muslim, who hides Nazaret in his
soap-making establishment in Aleppo, where he’s joined by fellow
Armenian Krikor (Simon Abkarian), one of the film’s many sketchily
developed characters.

Jump to November 1918, when the British liberate the city and the
remaining Armenians pelt the retreating Turks, but Nazaret casts no
stones. Instead he runs into his former apprentice Levon (Shubham
Saraf), who tells him his kids are alive: Rakel placed them with a
Bedouin family before she died. Nazaret spends the next few years
combing various orphanages in Syria and Lebanon until, in 1922, he
finds where they were placed, and is told they’re married and in Cuba.

Suffice to say Nazaret goes to Cuba, looked after by kindly barber
Hagob Nakashian (Kevork Malikyan); then Florida (where he’s shot at by
rednecks); Minneapolis (Moritz Bleibtreu has a silent cameo as a
factory owner); and finally North Dakota. Everywhere he goes, whether
in the desert, the beach, or the swamps, a convenient conveyance
happens along to ensure he reaches his destination, where yet another
disappointment awaits.

Akin says “The Cut” forms the tail end of his “Love, Death and the
Devil” trilogy, which began with “Head-On” and “The Edge of Heaven.”
The earlier two films treated their subjects with nuance and a sense
of psychology, getting inside their characters’ heads and making their
choices — good or bad — feel like an integral part of who they were.
Yet here it seems the director became overwhelmed by the historical
epic format, since Nazaret is a simplistic figure with just one
motivating force. It worked brilliantly in “The Searchers” and “Seven
Men from Now,” but that sort of classic Hollywood structure is
probably the most difficult to imitate now without feeling creaky, and
“The Cut” definitely feels creaky. In addition, the “Devil” here is a
mere cutout Satan, neutering any exploratory questioning of evil.

The production is unquestionably big, though there are times when a
few hundred more extras, a la Cecil B. De Mille, would have
exponentially increased the film’s power. Akin’s regular d.p., Rainer
Klausmann, delivers visuals that are far more epic than in their
earlier collaborations, with long shots handsomely reproduced on 35mm
using a 40mm lens especially adapted for monumental images of Jordan’s
mountainous terrain, where most of the desert scenes were done.
Perhaps in keeping with a 1950s look, the lensing is curiously staid,
and the matte lighting used works against a sense of depth.

Production design is a strong suit, though here, again, one feels the
camera isn’t taking full advantage of the period sets, which were
apparently constructed with great attention to historical detail. It’s
churlish to point out that a 1918 screening of Chaplin’s “The Kid”
(1921) is an impossibility, yet given the filmmakers’ pride in their
period accuracy, it is a bit surprising. Aside from the choice of
English dialogue, which is sure to divide critics, Alexander Hacke’s
electronic score adds another level of incongruity: Western-inspired
twangs call attention to the film’s oater underpinnings, yet the
cacophony that accompanies Nazaret’s discovery of murdered Armenians
in a well needn’t have been so forcefully underscored if the scene
itself were stronger.

Venice Film Review: ‘The Cut’

Reviewed at Venice Film Festival (competing), Aug. 31, 2014. Running
time: 138 MIN.

Production

(Germany-France-Italy-Russia-Poland-Canada-Turkey) A Pandora Film (in
Germany)/Pyramide (in France)/Bim Distribuzione (in Italy) release of
a Bombero Intl., Pyramide Prods., Pandora Film, Corazon Intl., NDR,
Ard Degeto, France 3 Cinema, Dorje Film, Bim Distribuzione, Mars Media
Entertainment, Opus Film, Jordan Films, Anadolu Kultur, with the
participation of Canal Plus, France Televisions, Cine Plus, with the
assistance of the Malta Film Commission, Royal Film Commission Jordan.
(International sales: the Match Factory, Cologne, Germany.) Produced
by Fatih Akin, Karl Baumgartner, Reinhard Brundig, Nurhan
Sekerci-Porst, Flaminio Zadra. Co-producers, Fabienne Vonier, Francis
Boespflug, Alberto Fanni, Valerio de Paolis, Ruben Dishdishyan, Aram
Movseyan, Laurette Bourassa, Doug Steeden, Piotr Dzieciol, Ewa
Puszczynska. Co-executive producer, Stephane Parthenay.

Crew

Directed by Fatih Akin. Screenplay, Akin, Mardik Martin. Camera
(color, widescreen), Rainer Klausmann; editor, Andrew Bird; music,
Alexander Hacke; production designer, Allan Starski; supervising art
director, Nenad Pecur; art director, Frank Bollinger; costume
designer, Katrin Aschendorf; sound, Jean-Paul Mugel; sound designer,
Malte Bieler; line producers, Marcus Loges, Claudia Calvino, Fuad
Khalil, Joseph Formosa Randon, Graziella Decesare; associate
producers, Ali Akdeniz, Ali Betil; assistant director, Ralph Remstedt;
casting, Beatrice Kruger.

With

Tahar Rahim, Simon Abkarian, Makram J. Khoury, Hindi Zahra, Kevork
Malikyan, Bartu Kucukcaglayan, Trine Dyrholm, Moritz Bleibtreu, Akin
Gazi, George Georgiou, Arevik Martirossian, Arsinee Khanjian, Shubham
Saraf, Dina Fakhoury, Zein Fakhoury, Jenia Jabaji, Numan Acar, Maja
Remstedt, Anna Savva, Carlos Riveron, Carlos Calero, Lara Heller.
(English, Turkish, Arabic, Spanish dialogue)

From: Baghdasarian

Cihan News Agency, Turkey
Aug 30 2014

Attempts to disturb stability in Azerbaijan irrelevant, Aliyev says

BAKU – 30.08.2014 12:58:21

Today, certain threats exist not just for Azerbaijan, but for the rest
of the world countries, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at a
meeting with youth and public representatives of the Beylagan region.

President Aliyev went on to say that some foreign circles tried to
impose their will, covering it up under globalization, and it is
particular being done among the young people.

“The funds are allocated through a variety of foundations allegedly
for the implementation of some projects. In fact, the work is underway
to direct the youth against their own country. We are aware of that,”
President Aliyev said.

President Aliyev stressed that today, not all perceive the successful
development of Azerbaijan. He went on to add that there are also
national traitors within the country who sold their conscience to
foreign anti-Azerbaijani circles.

“There are foreign circles trying to disturb stability in Azerbaijan,
to stop development and to make Azerbaijan dependable. As the
president, in my daily activity I openly fight against these forces.
Therefore, smear campaigns against Azerbaijan are conducted in the
media.”

The president went on to add that the reason is that Azerbaijan
protects its independence.

“We defend and will defend the fair demand of the Azerbaijani people
and their desire to be independent. You, and people who will govern
Azerbaijan in the future must follow this way,” he noted.

President Aliyev underscored that it is obvious today that through
various foundations certain practical steps are undertaken to create
mass unrests and conflicts in different countries.
“Ten years ago this was done secretly, while today it’s being done
openly, no one hides anything anymore,” the president added. “These
individuals want the countries with rich natural resources, huge
potential and a favorable geographical position to fall under the
influence and act under others’ dictation. This leads the countries
towards destruction, we know this from the recent history.”

“What we see now is what happened near us. You should know that such
scenarios were written for Azerbaijan as well,” the president said.
“However, strong will of our authorities didn’t allow for those
scenarios to realize, and we will never allow it.”

President Aliyev underscored that Azerbaijani youth shouldn’t fall
under the influence of foreign circles.

“Do foreign forces want development of Azerbaijan more than we do? No,
they don’t. They have different interests and we know the reason for
that. They are aware that this will not happen to us. You should
always keep these issues in the spotlight.”

The Azerbaijani president noted that the country doesn’t need any help
from abroad.

“When we needed help, no one helped us. Who helped us when Azerbaijan
had tough times? No one. I remember the time when we couldn’t get
loans from international organizations.

Right now, we are lending the loans to other countries,” the president
explained.

President Aliyev said that Azerbaijan’s economic development is the
success of the government, the state, and the result of the conducted
policy.

He went on to note that millions of dollars are annually transferred
to Azerbaijan under the guise of aid, and this money goes into pockets
of opposition.

“Our opposition likes money so much that they put 70-80 percent of
that money into their own pockets,” the president said. “This is a
fact and it is impossible to hide how much money is transferred to
bank accounts, who receives it and what this money is spent on. This
money is used against our country.”

President Aliyev went on to add that even if this sum of money is
increased 10 times, it won’t make a difference, as Azerbaijani state,
people, ongoing work on infrastructure are the guarantors of stability
and development in Azerbaijan.

“Therefore, I believe that the attempts of violating stability in
Azerbaijan are irrelevant. Those who are making such attempts are
fully aware of this by now,” the president said.
He went on to say that Azerbaijan will continue to rely on itself in
the future, adding that for him as president, Azerbaijani people’s
will is the most important thing.

“As young people, you must be professional, competent and healthy both
physically and morally. You must make sure Azerbaijan constantly
develops, and always says its word, as an independent country,”
President Aliyev said.

As an example, the president brought up Armenia.

“Not all countries are independent, take Armenia for example. This
country cannot be called independent, this is a colony. Armenia’s
authorities with slave mentality have plunged their country in a fully
dependent position. I don’t believe that the Armenian people are
satisfied with the independence they used to dream about.”

The Azerbaijani president went on to say that every nation, every
person and every country wants to be independent and be able to act
independently. He said that freedom is one of the biggest values for
people.

“Everyone appears in a free world and wants to be free, of course,
within the law. Therefore, much depends on you for real independence
to be eternal and irreversible,” he said. (Cihan/Trend az)

From: Baghdasarian

The San Luis Obispo Tribune
Aug 30 2014

Saroyan captured the meaning of live, love and death in the San Joaquin Valley

By Dan Krieger

“Mrs. Sandoval,” Homer said swiftly, “your son is dead. Maybe it’s a
mistake. Maybe it wasn’t your son. Maybe it was somebody else. The
telegram says it was Juan Domingo. But maybe the telegram is wrong.”

I could relate to Mickey Rooney’s playing the compassionate telegraph
delivery boy, Homer Macauley, in the 1943 film “The Human Comedy,”
based on a story by William Saroyan.

I don’t remember the first time I saw it because I was too young. But
I saw it again at the end of the Second World War, and it was etched
into my memory.

It was a time when a Gold Star in a front window indicating the loss
of a son was not an uncommon sight along residential streets. There
were a lot more Blue Stars representing a son or daughter serving in
America’s armed forces. But the Gold Stars made me want to cry. I had
friends who had lost a father, older brother or uncle.

When we drove through Fresno on our way to Yosemite, I asked “if this
was Ithaca,” where Rooney’s character delivered telegrams in “The
Human Comedy.”

That’s when I began to appreciate Saroyan’s ability to describe the
meaning of birth, life, love and death within the context of a very
real place, the San Joaquin Valley.

In 1950, Mrs. Seibs, the Lynwood, Calif., librarian, refused to let me
check out a copy of Saroyan’s 1934 collection, “The Daring Young Man
on the Flying Trapeze and Other Stories.” She said I was “too young
for such things” and called my parents. My mother, who loved Saroyan,
overrode Mrs. Seibs’ well-intentioned censorship.

Through reading Saroyan, the son of Armenian immigrants, I came to
understand the deep tragedy of the Armenian Genocide at the hands of
the Turkish army beginning in 1915.

I loved stopping by some of the old Armenian restaurants near downtown
Fresno just to see the faces and hear the voices of a refugee people
who had remade their lives in California.

I met Saroyan at a talk he gave at UC Berkeley in 1961. Along with a
dozen or so other students, I followed him off campus. When we got to
Bancroft Avenue, a busy street, a young man walking while reading a
book nearly caused an accident. Saroyan said, “That boy reminds me of
how I was at his age.”

We all knew that Saroyan didn’t always live in the real world. He had
gambled and drunk his way through millions of dollars in royalties. He
even sold the Oscar that he won for the film “The Human Comedy.”

Saroyan’s friend, Herb Caen, the San Francisco Chronicle columnist,
led an effort to purchase the gold statue and restore it to the
Saroyan family in 1991, 10 years after Saroyan died.

I still turn to Saroyan for a unique point of view. As Liz and I plan
a road trip, I am rereading Saroyan’s 1966 book “Short Drive, Sweet
Chariot,” where, in 1963, the author drove a 1941 Lincoln limousine
cross-country from New York.

Life’s really important details are Saroyan’s greatest strength. The
advice given to Homer Macauley on dealing with his father’s, and
ultimately his brother Marcus’, death is powerful:

“Death is not an easy thing for anyone to understand, least of all a
child, but every life shall one day end. But as long as we are alive,
as long as we are together, as long as two of us are left, and
remember him, nothing in the world can take him from us. His body can
be taken, but not him. You shall know your father better as you grow
and know yourself better. He is not dead, because you are alive.

“Time and accident, illness and weariness took his body, but already
you have given it back to him, younger and more eager than ever. I
don’t expect you to understand anything I’m telling you. But I know
you will remember this — that nothing good ever ends. If it did, there
would be no people in the world — no life at all, anywhere. And the
world is full of people and full of wonderful life.”

Sunday, Aug. 31, is William Saroyan Day in California in recognition
of the anniversary of his birth and his role as one of the most
prominent literary figures of the mid-20th century. The honor is
thanks to a legislative bill introduced by Katcho Achadjian, R-San
Luis Obispo, and Adrin Nazarian, D-Sherman Oaks.

From: Baghdasarian

Changing the Face of Philanthropy in Armenia

By Karine Vann on August 29, 2014

In Armenia, philanthropy is an area of society familiar to all, but
deeply misunderstood by many. Spurred by “the growing cynicism around
donating to charitable causes in Armenia,” Patrick Sarkissian,
philanthropist and CEO of the innovative, New York-based design studio
Sarkissian Mason, asked his audience at 2013’s TEDx Yerevan conference
several boundary-pushing questions. One stood out in particular: “What
if you could donate to a charity and know exactly where your money
went?”

passengers on the #OneBusa, a community bus that doubles as a creative
space, providing free rides to locals all around the city

The for-purpose organization ONEArmenia (1A for short), which has been
operating successfully for the last two years, is his answer.
ONEArmenia’s largest priority, according to their operations manager,
Nora Kayserian, is promoting sustainability and empowering communities
in Armenia.

Relying heavily on digital and social media, 1A is changing the face
of philanthropy with positive effects for the country’s global image
on all fronts. Its presence in the community establishes a decisive
shift from traditional approaches. Describing the country as “the
coolest place you’ve never heard of,” 1A’s website doesn’t waste time
in asserting in large, bold letters that they “don’t believe in
charity.” Their approach is game-changing for five main reasons:

They attract a global community. Particularly in Armenia,
organizations have a tendency to burrow inwards, relying primarily on
diasporan communities in certain areas for support. Sarkissian’s
background in design is evident in ONEArmenia’s emphasis on sleek
presentation and pithy, yet compelling content geared towards
audiences of all backgrounds.
Their projects depict Armenia as a contemporary society. ONEArmenia’s
initiatives demonstrate that Armenia is a society that is as
progressive as it is historic by sponsoring opportunities to stimulate
creativity in urban settings. For example, last June, 1A sponsored the
production of Yerevan’s very first rock opera.
Their campaigns have realisticexpectations. They select projects that
are smaller in scale, making them feasible, demonstrable ahead of
time, easy to monitor, and sustainableeven after their team is no
longer directly involved. Their website invites viewers to explore
past and current projects and provides links to detailed information
about strategy implementation, budgeting, and monetary allocation.
They recognize the importance of grassroots endeavors. All projects
selected by are based off of needs determined by the very communities
the projects seek to support. Project ideas are pitched to them on a
rolling basis and 1A’s team weeds through the competition to select
the very best and brightest. The projects themselves creatively weave
between contemporary issues in all of Armenia’s sectors.
They exercise flexibility as an organization. ONEArmenia is not
limited by its role as a crowd-funding platform.Because most of its
staff is made up of young people with eyes and ears all over Yerevan’s
urban spaces, it’s eager to take on local, grassroots projects, even
when the opportunity to raise money is not apparent. The ONEBus is an
example of such an initiative–a community bus that doubles as a
creative space, providing free rides to locals all around the city. In
December, 1A sponsored a short documentary film, LEVON, about a
roller-blading philosopher who fearlessly wanders Yerevan’s streets.

Most importantly, as its name suggests, ONEArmenia recognizes the
value of one. One idea, one project, one donation, one donor. As a
donor, you are informed exactly where your money is headed before the
fundraising portion of the campaign is even finished and are kept
up-to-date about where it has gone once the project is executed. When
you contribute to 1A, it’s not as a passive helper, but as an active
participant.

For its current project, ONEArmenia has paired with the Homeland
Development Initiative Foundation (HDIF) and plans to launch a Wheat
Festival in the town of Vardenis, a region in which half of the
population is unemployed and the average monthly salary is $150. The
campaign hopes that strategically promoting and preparing small
businesses for the festival will provide the town with economic
development and empowerment.

The campaign ends Sept. 5. To visit the campaign website, watch their
video, check out some of the beautiful donor gifts, and “dough some
good” for the community of Vardenis,
visit

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIE
L’Union européenne octroie une aide de 25 millions d’euros pour
soutenir l’agriculture

L’Union européenne fournira à l’Arménie une aide de 25 millions
d’euros pour soutenir le développement agricole a annoncé John Barker,
un attaché sur les programmes agricoles à la délégation de l’UE en
Arménie.

Il a déclaré que 20 millions d’euros seront remis au gouvernement
arménien pour reconstituer son budget, et 5 millions seront utilisés
pour aider les agriculteurs.

Il a noté qu’une partie de l’argent sera utilisé sur le développement
et la mise en oeuvre d’une stratégie de développement durable des zones
rurales pour la période 2015-2025. John Barker a dit que l’utilisation
des fonds sera surveillée étroitement au cours des trois prochaines
années.

Selon lui, la majorité des agriculteurs arméniens ont du potentiel de
développement, mais ils connaissent quelques difficultés dans la mise
en oeuvre, et c’est pourquoi ils ont besoin une aide sérieuse.

Selon les chiffres officiels, l’aide financière de l’UE à l’Arménie en
2013 s’élèvait à environ 35 millions d’euros

dimanche 31 août 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIE
Le complexe sportif Mika à Erevan mis en vente

Le complexe sportif Mika d’Erevan est mis en vente selon le Service de
l’exécution forcée des actes judiciaires.

La valeur initiale du complexe mis en vente est d’un peu plus de 9
milliards de drams (environ 22 millions de $.). Il est prévu que la
vente aux enchères se poursuivra jusqu’au 4 Septembre.

La superficie totale du complexe est 3658.9 m² Le stade a 7250 sièges.
Le complexe a été construit en 2008.

Le complexe appartient à l’homme d’affaires Mikhaïl Bagdasarov.

dimanche 31 août 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

Azerbaïdjan-politique-opposition-justice-drogues-procès
Azerbaïdjan : un journaliste d’opposition arrêté par les autorités

Bakou, 30 août 2014 (AFP) – Seymur Hazi, célèbre journaliste
azerbaïdjanais et député d’opposition, a été arrêté par les autorités,
accusé d’avoir agressé et blessé une personne, a annoncé samedi à
l’AFP son avocat.

Le journaliste, principal chroniqueur du journal d’opposition Azadlig
(“Liberté”) et présentateur pour la chaîne de télévision indépendante
basée en Turquie, Azerbaijan Saati (“Heure d’Azerbaïdjan”), a été
arrêté vendredi pour “hooliganisme avec utilisation d’une arme”, selon
son avocat Elton Gouliev.

Selon le service de presse du Parquet, Seymur Hazi aurait, vers 12H30
vendredi, frappé à la tête avec une bouteille un habitant d’un village
non loin de Bakou, “sans raison valable”, et lui aurait causé
plusieurs “lésions corporelles”.

“C’était une provocation mise en place contre lui, et il a été forcé
de se défendre”, a affirmé l’avocat du journaliste, qui est aussi
député du parti d’opposition Front national de l’Azerbaïdjan.

Seymur Hazi, qui risque trois à sept ans de prison, sera mis en
détention préventive pour deux mois, a-t-il précisé. Il a rejeté les
accusations portées contre lui.

Selon le quotidien Azadlig, qui soutient que le journaliste n’a fait
que se défendre après avoir été agressé par un homme inconnu, Seymur
Hazi avait déjà eu des démêlés avec les autorités et avait déjà été
détenu et torturé plusieurs fois.

Les poursuites visant des opposants et des défenseurs des droits de
l’homme se sont multipliées ces derniers temps en Azerbaïdjan.

Toute contestation publique du régime du président azerbaïdjanais
Ilham Aliev, 52 ans, provoque aussitôt, selon les ONG, une réaction
sévère des autorités dans cette ancienne république soviétique riche
en pétrole.

dimanche 31 août 2014,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

“Recognition of Artsakh independence should not result in new tension.”

August 29 2014

Chairman of NKR NA Foreign Affairs committee, Vahram Atanesyan, does
not consider the “Heritage” approach logical. – In the agenda of the
forthcoming session, the “Heritage” faction is going to re-circulate
the draft on recognizing the NKR independence. “Today, new political
realities emerge. You all know that there is a distinct separation
with regard to the EU Association and the Customs / Eurasian Union,
that NKR is not associated with the any Union, to which the Republic
of Armenia will constitute”, such substantiation was presented by the
leader of the faction, Ruben Hakobyan. He also said that they are
going to consult the forces of the Four and NKR authorities allegedly
to introduce the draft. Do you see logic in the “Heritage” offers?
-No. What does it mean saying that if neither the Customs Union, nor
the European Union recognize Nagorno-Karabakh the territory of
Armenia, hence, the Republic of Armenia should recognize the NKR
independence. Should Armenia, therefore, with this step oppose the CU
or EU member states? Recognizing the Artsakh independence should not
result in new tension rather than be a guarantee for establishment of
peace and stability. – After the Sochi meeting of the presidents, the
situation in Karabakh front seems to have calmed down, not only in
terms of shootings but also politically eccentric statements voiced by
Azerbaijan. How long will this silence last? – I cannot tell how long
it will last, but I think we owe not to the Sochi meeting for nowadays
situation in the Contact line, but the Armenian armed forces, whose
high preparedness vanished the aggressive initiating actions by
Azerbaijan. It seems that the losses will force Baku not to retry
bringing its army to “review”. – What developments are expected on NKR
issue under the current geopolitical situation? – Thomas de Waal, who
is considered to be a leading expert in the Karabakh issue, believes
that the world today is concerned about entirely different issues.
This is a realistic assessment. Hardly any major developments can be
expected. Apparently, the mediators would try organizing another
meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the fall. If it
becomes successful, then the situation perhaps would be balanced. –
What was your impression of the Sochi meeting and its subsequent
statements? Is it possible for Russia to take on the monopoly of
solving the Karabakh conflict and move out the Minsk group? – This
theme is a lot talked about lately, but I think that they are
exaggerated predictions. It seems that Russia itself has no such
desire. Simply, some analysts are trying to “move” the tension in
relations between Russia and the West to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
context, but we must hope that the West and Russia would be so
balanced that they would not create a new opportunity for diplomatic
confrontation for them. – Who holds the Karabakh conflict settlement
in the hands? Why don’t the parties draw reconciliation? Who benefits
from protraction of reconciliation? – Seeking for the key to
settlement in Moscow, Paris or Washington is a fruitless occupation.
The resources of reconciliation and agreement, as well as hostility,
are in the hands of the parties in conflict. Unfortunately, Baku
always and everywhere acts with demonstration of hostility, which
deepens the distrust of this country. It should be admitted that the
problem has no military solution and move forward to increase the
resources of mutual trust. People’s the nation’s fate cannot be
subjugated to revanchist aspirations, as it is done in Baku. The elite
should really prepare people to comprehensive, just and possibly
lasting peace. – After the meeting of presidents, Russian, as well as
Armenian political and analytical circles voices accusations against
the West for supporting and encouraging Azerbaijan in its subversive
actions against Armenians states. Accusations were also voiced that
Russia is standing behind all of this. Which side does the scale of
the truth turn to, in your opinion? – Certainly, one can see the
“third hand” role-playing in the end of July – beginning of August
tension, however, this is not a question of awareness by analysts or
politicians, but rather, by intelligence, intelligence services and
diplomats. We can record the fact. Ilham Aliyev for a long time was
refusing the offer by the France to organize a meeting of the
presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, but he quickly agreed to go to
Sochi. It is spectacular also that in the period following the
military adventurism, the Azerbaijani authorities began an
unprecedented brutal campaign against human rights organizations and
separate individuals, whereas the media was presenting them as “people
engaged in espionage for the benefit of Armenia at the expense of
Western grants.” The conclusion can be deceptive, so I leave it to the
readers. – Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan stated that we had been protected for
quite a long time and it is time to give a preventive strike to
Azerbaijan. Is there any prospect in this offer from military or
political point of view? – The Generals, even when they are retired,
are thinking by the laws of war. In this sense, Mr. Ter-Tadevosyan, of
course, is judging rightly. From military point of view, it is not
only attractive, but also seems quite realistic. But we should
calculate also the factors of political effects. Anyway, for a long
time, we have also left the intimidations by the Azerbaijani side
unanswered, so let’s estimate Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan’s the August 26
press conference, first of all, in the dimension of “information war”.

Interviewed by Nelly GRIGORYAN
Read more at:

From: Baghdasarian

British MP Steven Pound: Azerbaijan is a failed state

18:06 29/08/2014 >> INTERVIEWS

On the question of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the
United Kingdom as well as on the recent aggression of Azerbaijani
against Nagorno Karabakh and RA Panorama.am has spoken to British
Member of Parliament for Ealing North, member of British-Armenian
inter-parliamentary group Stephen Pound.

– Mr. Pound, you are a member of British-Armenian inter-parliamentary
group and you have been an advocate of closer relations between
Armenia and Britain. I wonder how you as a British person became
interested in Armenia and in Armenian issues in the first place.

– I have been interested in Armenia long before I became a member of
the British-Armenian parliamentary friendship group. One has to look
at the map of the world to see the strategic significance of Armenia
as a beacon of stability in the South Caucasus. Also, my first
interest in Armenia comes from rather more historical reasons, partly
because Armenia in 301 AD was the first country in the world that
declared itself a Christian country and secondly, because the
literature and the theology of Armenia is some of the oldest and most
respected in the world. This is an extraordinary country – even when
Armenia was subsumed in other empires it still managed to maintain its
original and unique qualities. Armenia is not like anywhere on earth.
Everything is different in Armenia, usually better. Also, as a human
being, particularly as we approach the 100th anniversary of Genocide
in April 2015, how can anyone look at Armenia without feeling kinship
and friendship and a tear in the eyes?

– You have actually raised the question of recognition of the Armenian
Genocide by the UK in the British Parliament and have been advocating
for this cause for a long time. What are the main challenges in this
process at present?

– I have raised the question in the UK Parliament two or three times
and I will continue to do that. I had a recent debate in the
Parliament on the Nagorno Karabakh issue, but it also touched the
issue of Genocide. First time we had a debate it was pointed out that
the word Genocide wasn’t coined until 1946, but that argument to me is
an absurdity. I use the word Genocide because it was a systematic
attempt by the Ottoman Empire to destroy all Armenian people and it
destroyed virtually all of the Western Armenia – the entire Western
Armenian culture was destroyed. We know that and we know that the
reverberations of that have been felt to this day. So the fact that
there wasn’t a particular word at a particular time is completely
tendentious. Genocide means slaughter of a people, it means to kill an
entire race and what happened in 1915 was probably the third Armenian
Genocide, at least the third. In the late 19th century there were two
specific attempts by the Ottoman Empire, mostly because of the fact
that Armenians were very successful. If you look at places like Van,
you will find that all the doctors by 1890s were Armenian; also most
of the successful businessmen, traders, book sellers and publishers
were Armenian.

– Apart from the argument that has to do with the coining of the term
Genocide as such, what are the main political obstacles preventing
Britain from recognizing the Armenian Genocide?

– In UK there is opposition towards recognition also because UK and
Turkey are a part of NATO and Turkey is becoming even more
significant, taking into account what’s happening in Iraq now. Another
reason for the reluctance to admit the Armenian Genocide took place is
that England will then have to admit for example the Irish genocide
which took place in 1854 and also other genocides of the world.
However, recognition is important because to kill a people is cruel
enough but to deny that you’ve done it is a double cruelty and I see
this pain with many Armenian friends.

But there is some hope. Certainly in Ealing, my constituency in West
London, we commemorate the Genocide day every year – we have a
service, we have a garden of remembrance, we have an apricot tree.
Every time I go to the Genocide museum in Yerevan I see another series
of letters from the US, from cities of the United Kingdom, from
countries like France, commemorating and recognizing the Genocide. My
work will not be over until the United Kingdom recognizes what was the
first genocide of the 20th century, a genocide, which allowed other
genocides to happen.

– Mr. Pound, recently there has been a marked escalation of tensions
in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone (involving human losses) as
Azerbaijan has intensified ceasefire breaches shelling not only the
borders of Nagorno Karabakh but also the bordering regions of the
Republic of Armenia. Could you comment on these developments and
particularly on the stance of Azerbaijan that they supposedly have the
right to take back lands by military means?

– We have to establish one point here. I have been to Artsakh for two
or three times; anyone who sets foot on that part of the world, anyone
who goes from Shushi to Stepanakert and gets to know the area will see
that the very air is Armenian air, the soil, the churches, the
cross-stones are all Armenian and they have been there for thousands
and thousands years. Trying to claim that this is actually a suburb of
Baku is ludicrous.

However, there is a problem of sniping across the border and the
hostilities on the border are getting worse, partly because of the
interesting tactic by Azerbaijan to demonstrate that the conflict is
ongoing. If you go to Stepanakert you will see brand new houses and
villages being built all around the city – all the displaced people
have been provided an accommodation. If you go to Azerbaijan you will
see that there are still tents and refugee camps and it almost makes
you think thay actually want to keep that sense of grievance. To be
completely honest, Azerbaijan is a failed state, which is a byword for
corruption; Azerbaijan has completely no political legitimacy
whatsoever and is utterly corrupt at every level. In these
circumstances anything which destructs attention from Aliyev
administration and his family, such as unrest on the border, can
almost be seen as an advantage – this is the tactic of pointing the
blame outside.

But we have to do our best to solve this conflict. When we look at
nightmare situations happening in Palestine, Gaza, Israel, Northern
Iraq and all over the world, how can we not resolve this problem which
is one of the last relics of Stalinism? We know that Stalin was
drawing lines on the map back in 1920s and 1930s. We can put this
right just as other boundaries have been changed, and this has to be
recognized. It is not just about Nagorno Karabakh; there are other
parts of Armenia which are still claimed by Azerbaijan. We have to
resolve this once and for all. It has to be done through the Minsk
process because nobody wants to go to war.

– Azerbaijan’s actions prior to war, during the war and after the war
(Safarov case, anti-Armenianism, bellicose rhetoric, blockade, etc.)
come to prove that Azerbaijan is up today posing an existential threat
to the people of Nagorno Karabakh. How do you think this question
should be resolved even if a peace deal is signed?

– Let’s get one thing absolutely clear and put it on the record once
and forth. If the Armenian army had wanted to, it could have occupied
Baku at the end of the war. There was nothing standing in the way of
the army. So there is no threat from Armenia to Azerbaijan. It is
interesting actually to take a look at the success of what was
originally very poorly provided army fighting a country which had, I
think, two armoured divisions of Russian equipment that had been left
behind, they managed to win in a short time, but they did not move
forward to Baku when they did have the chance… If Armenia had
territorial ambitions the Armenians would have been in Baku today. So
there is no threat from Armenia to Azerbaijan. However, there is an
existential threat to Nagorno Karabakh from Azerbaijan. Stepanakert
airport would be opened tomorrow and the whole area would be opened up
for development if it wasn’t for the threat of the missiles. I have
been to Stepanakert and I have seen missiles sticking out of the
walls. I have seen the monasteries in Artsakh and I saw that the
rockets fired from Azerbaijan were still there.

This is one of the most beautiful countries on earth. Yet if you want
to go from Yerevan to Stepanakert it takes you the best part of the
day to travel. We’d prefer to fly to Stepanakert and even have a
railroad built up to Shushi, but that can’t happen at the moment
because of Azerbaijan’s threat. The economic development has thus been
prevented in this way. As we know economic warfare is another aspect
of warfare and we have to halt this urgently!

– We know that Azerbaijan blacklists those foreigners who travel to
Nagorno Karabakh through Armenia, and you have been blacklisted as
well. What is your opinion about this?

– Yes, I have been blacklisted twice. Actually I have never been more
honoured to be on any other list. For me being on that black list is
like getting a Nobel Prize. I have no overpowering ambition to visit
Baku and the fact that I will not be allowed to is something I will
have to live with. I am quite happy to go to Gyumri, to Stepanakert
and to Yerevan.

– Speaking about Gyumri, as far as I know you are also interested in
establishing ties between Lord Byron School in Gyumri and schools in
Ealing, London. Can you say a couple of words about this?

– In Gyumri after the dreadful earthquake the Lord Byron School was
opened in 1990 and we have actually been raising quite a bit of money
locally because we have a lot of Armenian teachers here. I am still
trying to set up an exchange where people from Lord Byron School could
come to UK and teachers from UK could go there. That is in the working
process. That’s something I will not allow myself to retire until I
have achieved.

– Mr. Pound, thank you very much for the interview and for all your
support to Armenian causes.

Interview by Nvard Chalikyan

From: Baghdasarian