Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE
February 25, 2014
Contact: Elen Asatryan
Tel: 818.500.1918
[email protected]

SOUTH DAKOTA REJECTS ANTI-ARMENIAN MEASURE

— State Legislators Defeat Khojaly Measure Backed by Azerbaijani Government

PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA – The South Dakota House of Representatives today
tabled action on an anti-Armenian resolution initiated by Azerbaijan,
effectively dealing a serious setback to a biased and historically
inaccurate measure pressed aggressively by Baku’s U.S.-based
lobbyists, reported Armenian National Committee of America – Western
Region (ANCA-WR).

Sources from the State Capitol report that following an extensive
discussion in the House Republican Caucus on Monday morning, the
sponsor of the resolution, Rep. Lance Russell, agreed to defer and
ultimately officially withdrew the measure.

“It’s unfortunate this resolution made it this far in our process but
the positive side of that is there are now 105 legislators in South
Dakota who got a real earful on the plight of persecuted Armenian
Christians,” explained Rep. Steve Hickey (R-09), Pastor of the Church
at the Gate in Sioux Falls, who was among the vocal opponents to the
resolution.

“We are deeply gratified that the elected leaders of yet another U.S.
state have stood up to the oil-rich and corrupt President of
Azerbaijan’s efforts to export his hateful anti-Armenian campaign to
the American heartland,” said Elen Asatryan, ANCA-WR Executive
Director. “We share our profound thanks with the proud people and
principled leaders of South Dakota, a state that has shown remarkable
care and compassion for the Christian nation of Armenia since the
Armenian Genocide era.”

A two-page flyer used by local opponents of the Azerbaijani-backed
measure is available via the following link:

In the days leading up to today’s vote on HCR 1020, the ANCA-WR worked
with local community leaders and activists to alert state legislators
about Azerbaijan’s efforts to use the Khojaly issue to somehow enlist
South Dakota in its increasingly virulent campaign against the
landlocked and blockaded Armenian homeland. The ANCA action alert to
South Dakota legislators can be viewed via the following link:

“Having found safety and the blessing of freedom here in South Dakota
– after having been driven from my home by the Azerbaijani
government’s brutality – I am deeply thankful that my state
legislators, today, took a principled stand against intolerance, lies
and hatred,” said Vazgen Mikhayelyan of Sioux Falls, who was among
those actively opposing the measure, including Igor Avetisov and Bella
Musayelyan.

Similar legislation promoted by Azerbaijan was also defeated in Hawaii
following testimony by Hawaii Armenian community members spotlighting
the growing democracy in Nagorno Karabakh and ongoing Azerbaijani
aggression. For full coverage of the Hawaii effort,
visit:

Earlier this month, ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian issued an
open letter to all U.S. state legislatures earlier this week urging
them to take as stand against foreign interference in American civic
life by corrupt Azerbaijani dictator Ilham Aliyev. “It is truly a
tribute to our great American democratic tradition that even a regime
as flagrantly corrupt as Ilham Aliyev’s is allowed to operate freely
within our open society, ” explained Hamparian. “But that does not
mean that American citizens need to remain silent in the face of
meddling by foreign leaders who neither respect our rights nor share
our values -especially when they try to export their intolerance to
our shores.”

The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the
largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy
organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination
with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the
Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country,
the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community
on a broad range of issues.

#####

From: Baghdasarian

SULTANATE’S AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA / CREDENTIALS

Oman News Agency, Sultanate of Oman
Feb 25 2014

Yerevan, Feb 25 (ONA) —- President Serzh Sargsyan of the Republic
of Armenia received at the Republican Palace today Yousef bin Issa
al-Zadjali, who presented his credentials as the Sultanate’s accredited
and non-resident ambassador to the Republic of Armenia.

The Ambassador conveyed greetings of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said
along with His Majesty’s best wishes of good health and happiness to
President Sargsyan and the friendly people of Armenia further progress
and prosperity.

On his turn, the President of Armenia asked the Ambassador to convey
His greetings and best wishes to His Majesty the Sultan and the Omani
people further progress and prosperity.

The credentials presentation ceremony was attended by Edward
Nalbandian,Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Head of the Presidential
protocols.

—-Ends/SH/FS

From: Baghdasarian

FAREWELL TO NEUTRALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION?

Sacramento Bee, CA
Feb 25 2014

By Switzerland-Armenia Association

BERN, February 25, 2014 — /PRNewswire/ —

– Racial Discrimination: Switzerland’s Passiveness Before ECHR Ruling?

– Indication: The “Factsheet national and international positions
in favor of a revision of the ECHR ruling” can be downloaded free of
charge under:

–

The ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) of 17th
December 2013 Perincek c. Suisse (no. 27510/08) has serious procedural
and substantive shortcomings. Switzerland still has the chance to
appeal a final revision at the Great Chamber of the ECHR. The deadline
for this appeal is 17th March 2014.

The Strasburg ruling is not just unacceptable for Swiss citizens
of Armenian origin, but also for the Swiss justice system which has
condemned twice at the highest level the denial of the genocide of
the Armenian people.

The Switzerland-Armenia Association (SAA) requested a legal opinion
from renowned international public lawyers as well as Swiss penal
code experts. This document was submitted to the Federal Council and
Head of the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP)
and the Swiss representative at the ECHR with the urgent request to
consider thoroughly an appeal for a revision of the ruling.

A refusal to appeal the ECHR ruling would mean that Switzerland

– bids farewell to the basic principles of the protection of human
rights, primarily however human dignity;

– back steps from her international commitments in combating racism
(cf Switzerland’s report before the UN Committee on the Elimination
of Racial Discrimination, CERD);

– proactively favors a weakening of her own law;

– takes clearly sides, violating thus massively neutrality
principles. Switzerland’s mediation role in the solution of the
conflict between Armenia and Turkey on the one hand, and between
Armenia and Azerbaijan on the other – the latter elevated to a central
task in the annual program of the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship by President
Didier Burkhalter-would lose entirely its credibility.

In addition, a refusal would also mean that Switzerland essentially
ignores the numerous calls of Swiss and international NGOs for a
revision appeal at the Great Chamber of the ECHR, including positions
of recognized international experts in genocide research and in
human rights. The latter emphasize the factual foundation of the
genocide on the Armenian people and speak against the establishment
of a hierarchy of genocides as de facto carried out by the ECHR
ruling. In the case of a refusal, Switzerland would further ignore
the substantively argued position of the largest and oldest Turkish
human rights organization (Human Rights Association in Turkey, IHD),
as published yesterday. This position describes the racial impact
of the ECHR ruling of 17th December 2013 and considers a revision of
this ruling with a view towards the situation of national minorities
in Turkey as indispensable. IHD emphasizes amongst others that the
ECHR has contradicted, with its ruling, previous decisions of the
European Parliament.

It is assumed that the decision for a revision appeal rests entirely
in the competence of Swiss Federal Concillor Simonetta Sommaruga. The
sudden visit of State Secretary Yves Rossier on 27th January 2014 in
the Armenian capital Yerevan, however, opens up the speculation that
the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs will also claim a
role in the decision. Should, however, Switzerland refrain from using
her right to request a revision, this would send the wrong signals
with unforeseeable international consequences: Switzerland’s good
offices in a resolution of a conflict would not be taken seriously
any longer. The SAA recalls that the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu’s visit to Bern on 10th October 2013 led the Swiss Federal
Department of Foreign Affairs to announce a strategic partnership
with Ankara. President Burkhalter has therefore not hidden the fact
that this was primarily tied to the Swiss expectations to be invited
by Turkey in 2015 on the occasion of Turkey’s Chairmanship of the G20
Summit. A passive position would further show that Switzerland does
not give priority to the defense of her own basic constitutional
rights. Finally, a refusal to appeal the ruling would give those
populist forces an upswing who have traditionally sought to abolish
the anti-racism penal code and the Swiss Federal Commission Against
Racism. At the European level, Switzerland would confirm the supremacy
of the legal body of the freedom of expression before all the other
legal bodies and thus contribute to the violation of future human
rights principles.

We hope that President Didier Burkhalter – who by the way has only
recently condemned with clear words the denial of all crimes against
humanity on the occasion of his visit to Auschwitz at the end of
January 2014 – as well as the Head of the FDJP, Federal Concillor
Simonetta Sommaruga, are aware of their responsibility towards
Switzerland and the world at large.

Attachment: Factsheet national and international positions in favor
of a revision of the ECHR ruling

Contact: Andreas Dreisiebner, SAA Co-President [email protected]
Phone +41-79-671-86-19

Sarkis Shahinian, SAA Honorary President [email protected]
Phone +41-76-399-16-25

SOURCE Switzerland-Armenia Association

From: Baghdasarian

ENVIRONMENTALISTS CONTINUE EXPRESSING CONCERNS ABOUT AYRUM TAILING DUMP

by Karina Manukyan

Tuesday, February 25, 15:48

Environmentalists continue expressing concerns about the Ayrum
tailing dump. According to Chairman of the Green Union of Armenia
Hakob Sanasaryan, the tailings have come very close to the local road
and may well cause its collapse.

“Besides, the residents of the nearby villages of Chochkan and Ayrum
keep complaining that they are forced to inhale dust containing heavy
metals,” Sanasaryan said, noting that heavy metals in the air may
cause serious respiratory problems.

The Ayrum tailing dump belongs to the Akhtala Ore Mining and Processing
Combine (owned by the Metal Prince company).

Earlier Sanasaryan complained that waste from the Shamlukh complex
deposit (another project by Metal Prince) was thrown directly into
the nearby gorge.

From: Baghdasarian

TIGRAN URIKHANYAN: STOOGES OF THE POWER PARTY STOPPED WATER SUPPLY OF ARARATCEMENT PLANT

by Ashot Safaryan

Tuesday, February 25, 17:28

Deputy of the National Assembly of Armenia, press-secretary of
the Prosperous Armenia Party, Tigran Urikhanyan, has come forward
with a statement because of switching off the water supply system of
Araratcement plant. He said that “some men, which introduced themselves
as ecologists”, accompanied by policemen, closed the pump station of
the channel towards the plant and nearby settlements, and in fact,
directed water resources to Azerbaijan.

‘I am confident, that it is clear to everybody that eagerness of
the stooges of certain forces to damage the plant and about 1600 its
workers is conditioned by political disagreements, and has no moral
borders. Although it looks strange, but the owner of the Avshar wine
factory, Araik Grigoryan, which is the brother of the governor of
the Ararat region, said that the plant has debts. For this reason,
the water supply system was switched off. I would like to remind that
Araratcement has no debt. Moreover, the plant overpaid for services.

This information is official and available to everybody”, – Urikhanyan
said.

Stemming from the above mentioned, Urikhanyan said that Grigoryan’s
explanation is lie. “There is no doubt that the owner of the Avshar
wine factory may pretend at Azerbaijani certificate of gratitude”,
– Urikhanyan concluded.

To recall, Araratcement plant is within the “Multigroup” group of
companies which belongs to the leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party,
Gagik Tsarukyan.

From: Baghdasarian

ALVINA GYULUMYAN. “THE NUMBER OF UNFOUNDED APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY ARMENIA TO THE EUROPEAN COURT IS REDUCED.”

February 25 2014

“It was just a figment that the European Court decisions are part
of RA legislation”, – so responded human rights defender Avetik
Ishkhanyan to the question of Aravot.am of whether the application
of the European case law is exercised in Armenia at a proper level.

Referring to the fact that the decisions of the European Court of
Human Rights (ECHR) are a component part of the RA legislation as
precedent law, and in any case, the ECHR precedent can be cited, Mr.

Ishkhanyan expressed the following concern, “The courts, as a rule,
are rejecting the petitions commenting that the factual circumstances
do not match. De jure, the precedential decisions are part of the RA
legislation, however, de facto, they do not have any absolute value,
as the judicial acts are determined not by law, but by discretion.” As
an example, Mr. Ishkhanyan brought the verdict by the case of “A1+”,
when the decision was made, in addition to compensation, the violation
should also be removed, which was not done. Basically, also due to the
fact that the cases against Armenia in ECHR constitute a big number.

This year, number of applications at the European Court against
Armenia is more than a thousand. In the conversation with Aravot.am,
the judge Alvina Gyulumyan, representing Armenia at ECHR, commented
on the fact as follows, “Most of them are submitted by Azeris, who
are deprived from the occupied territories and the issue of their
property is raised.” We asked Ms. Gyulumyan whether the fact that there
are numerous applications against Armenia does not indicate at the
ECHR that there are numerous problems associated with the European
case law in Armenia. He responded as follows, “These problems are
available in any country. It’s another question of what actions are
implemented in a country to prevent it.” Ms. Gyulumyan also informed
that out of 46 verdicts of the European Court against Armenia 20
refer to violation personal immunity right, from which, in 16 cases,
the right to fair trial was violated. She expressed the hope that upon
serious consideration of these verdicts, the RA judicial system has
made appropriate conclusion. The fact that the number of applications
to the ECHR against Armenia is reduced, Ms. Gyulumyan is commenting as
follows, “Often our citizens are not informed to the best about such
possibility. Unfortunately, I am far from thinking that everything
is well in our country, therefore, the number of applications to the
ECHR against Armenia is reduced. On the other hand, we can say that
our attorneys work well. According to statistics, the European Court
considers 80 percent of the applications submitted by Armenia subject
for discussion, which shows that the number of unfounded applications
submitted by Armenia to the European Court seems to be reduces, whereas
a few years ago the situation was different.” Ms. Gyulumyan referred
to two sonorous cases at the ECHR: “Khachatryan and others against
Armenia” and “Melikyan against Armenia”. The first one was about the
criminal prosecution against a person who avoided the alternative
military service, in the case when criminal responsibility was not
designed at the time. The second one refers to the fact that no
legislature was found by domestic legislation towards the citizen
who wanted to appeal the government decision, where he could defend
his civil right in any way. Tatev HARUTYUNYAN

Read more at:

From: Baghdasarian

NEXT DANGEROUS DEAL FOR ARMENIA

Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator
Comments – Tuesday, 25 February 2014, 16:22

After his meeting with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in
Sochi on February 24 Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan announced that
they discussed Rosneft’s likely investments in Armenia and listened
to the presentation of the head of that company Sechin.

“We listened to the presentation by the president of Rosneft Company
Igor Sechin on their achievements and plans. Around 500 million dollars
are envisaged to invest in Armenia. Over the next week we will have a
substantive decision on the baseline conditions to ensure that they are
fulfilled in the possible minimum period,” Tigran Sargsyan announced.

Following the Armenian-Russian gas deals, the so-called
Armenian-Russian chemical deals are expected to be signed with
Rosneft. At least, when investing 500 million dollars and creating
the necessary conditions is concerned, one has to draw parallels with
the gas deal. And the reason is Tigran Sargsyan’s comments during
his end-of-year press conference in 2013.

Coming back to the gas deals, the prime minister announced that
a company that makes big investments expects long-term guarantees
without which no investments will be made. Tigran Sargsyan announced
that it goes without saying, so the probability is high with Rosneft.

In other words, Rosneft, like Gasprom, will also expect long-term
guarantees from Armenia.

In addition, this prospect is especially interesting in the context
of Gazprom-Rosneft relations. The two companies are competitors. Most
probably, Rosneft will try to keep up with Gazprom and get similar
guarantees from Armenia.

Hence, in fact, a situation may occur when Gazprom and Rosneft will
share Armenia. At first sight, when two giant companies compete
for investment conditions in Armenia, it will be beneficial for
the economic development of Armenia. Theoretically, it is true but
one important condition is required – state sovereignty that would
regulate the competition of two giants. Meanwhile, Gazprom’s example
is a precedent when preconditions are imposed on Armenia that limit
some powers of government institutions. For example, Armenia committed
to refrain from adopting laws or resolutions that will not be in line
with Gazprom’s interest.

Is there any guarantee that Rosneft will not require similar legal
safeguards? In that case, it is ingenuous to consider the effect
of competition. Moreover, there is no competition but a mechanism
of dividing Armenia that Moscow promotes through its two economic
giants, Rosneft and Gazprom. In other words, a change of government
is underway in Armenia, not RPA is replaced by PAP or Serzh Sargsyan
by Robert Kocharyan or Levon Ter-Petrosyan but official Yerevan is
replaced by Gazprom and Rosneft.

On the one hand, it is excellent that 500 million dollars are
going to be invested in Armenia (if they are going to be invested
at all). On the other hand, this investment is relative or rather
Armenia is relative because a deal is made on investment in return for
sovereignty. Not Armenia is going to manage and regulate the policy
of investors but the investors are going to regulate the policy of
Armenia. The gas agreement is evidence to this.

To imagine the threat to national security it is enough to remember
that both Gazprom and Rosneft have strategic interest in Turkey
and Azerbaijan. In addition, their interest in these directions is
not limited to the precondition of surrender of sovereignty, unlike
Armenia. There might be dangerous implications for Armenia in case the
two companies pursuing strategic interests in Turkey and Azerbaijan
are tempted to use their influence on Armenia to serve their interests.

– See more at:

From: Baghdasarian

FREEDOM-FIGHTERS DETERMINED TO ‘RETURN POWER TO THE PEOPLE’

15:00 * 25.02.14

Freedom-fighters (participants in the Nagorno-Karabakh war) are going
to return power to the Armenian people and re-establish constitutional
order in the country.

With this end in view, they demand that their former companions-in-arms
and opposition forces join them in Saryan park, stated a number of
freedom-fighters representing the Council of Field Commanders.

“A person has a right to defend himself and speak out. We are not at
all going to resort to any unconstitutional actions. We may hold a
march or join rallies (particularly the rally announced by the Armenian
National Congress party). But we state that no violence, similar to
that committed in Ukraine, will happen,” Vardan Malkhasyan said.

One of the freedom-fighters, Suren Sargsyan said that “March 1 belongs
to all of us, to the people. And all people can hold a rally that day.

We will decide on our further steps. We will call on the rally
participants.”

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

PSAA: AGHDAM EVENTS A SYMPTOMATIC EXAMPLE OF THE AZERBAIJANI AUTHORITIES’ FALSIFICATION POLICY

14:52 25.02.2014

On February 22, 2014, an enlarged session of the Board of Political
Science Association of Armenia (PSAA) was held on the Azerbaijani
falsifications of the Aghdam events (Khojalu provocation) of February
26, 1992, at the Drastamat Kanayan Institute for National Strategic
Studies of the Ministry of Defense, RA. The Chairman of the PSAA,
Doctor of Political Science Hayk Kotanjian headed the Session. At
the session the PSAA made the following announcement on “The Aghdam
Events (Khojalu Provocation) a Symptomatic Example of the Azerbaijani
Authorities’ Falsification Policy”.

“On February 26, 1992, the Aghdam events took place, which are
presented by the Azerbaijani side as the “Khojalu massacre”, during
which a group of inhabitants of Khojalu was cold-bloodedly shot
down by the Azerbaijani paramilitary forces in the territories under
their control.

Aiming to overthrow President Mutalibov, the oppositional Popular
Front of Azerbaijan used the Karabakh troops’ forced operation to
suppress the Azerbaijani forces’ Khojalu-stationed weapon emplacements
regularly shelling the Armenian-populated Stepanakert and surrounding
villages. President Mutalibov personally testified it in his interview
to the Russian “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” in 1992.

Prior to the operation, the Karabakh side abiding by the norms of
humanitarian law informed Khojalu authorities of the planned operation
and of a safe humanitarian corridor left for the evacuation of the
Azerbaijani population.

Right after the tragic events in the Azerbaijani-controlled
territories, the Azerbaijani journalist Chingiz Mustafayev photographed
and video-recorded the corpses, which were not mutilated.

Meanwhile, on the photos taken by the same Mustafayev two days later,
these people were already scalped, and their bodies were mutilated –
to demonstrate the Armenians’ “cruelty and inhumanity”. The existing
irrefutable facts prove that the Karabakh side did not have a physical
access to those territories where the people were killed, and later
on their corpses mutilated. It is symptomatic, that Mustafayev having
witnessed the horrific crime died a few months later in circumstances
not clarified yet in the vicinity of the same Aghdam during his
journalistic investigation of the villainous Aghdam events.

After the takeover of power in Baku in 1992, following the Aghdam
provocation, the new leadership of Azerbaijan, with Abulfaz Elchibey
at the helm, tried hard to hush up the heinous crime committed by
itself against the citizens of Khojalu, and initiated a targeted
falsification of events presenting its own provocation as a “massacre”
of civilian population organized by the Karabakh forces. The official
Azerbaijan continues this policy to this day.

By means of the vicious propaganda of the “Khojalu events” the
Azerbaijani authorities try to harm the international reputation of the
two Armenian states, as well as to impose a distorted picture of events
on the young generation, thereby favoring Armenophobia and xenophobia.

Considering the fact of the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem’s activated
propaganda, in particular, the presentation of the myth about the
“Khojalu massacre” in the run-up to the 100th Anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide, the Political Science Association of Armenia
strictly condemns the malicious policy of distorting the facts
connected with this tragedy urging the international community not
to succumb to the falsifications of Baku and Ankara authorities. The
Political Science Association of Armenia calls the international
community to prevent the distortion of the historical truth.

The Political Science Association of Armenia also appeals to the
honest Azerbaijanis to impartially assess the historical facts and
not to fall for the Aliyev regime’s xenophobic policy.”

From: Baghdasarian

SCANDALOUS FACTS ON ARMENIA’S VOROTAN HYDRO CASCADE’S SALE TO AMERICAN COMPANY – NEWSPAPER

February 25, 2014 | 08:34

YEREVAN. – Zhoghovurd daily was able to acquire the Armenian
government’s secret decision on the sale of the Vorotan hydroelectric
power plant (HPP) to an American company, the daily reports.

“This deal was conducted in accordance with the decision, which was
reached at the government session on November 21, 2013, on approving
the agreement on the sale and purchase of Vorotan’s property.

Moreover, the draft decision was kept secret until the end.

“Incidentally, another decision on the Vorotan HPP, [and] on
increasing the charter capital, was adopted at the government session
on November 21. So, four reservoirs, worth over 89 million drams
[approx. $216,277], were returned to Vorotan and likewise sold to
the American company.

“But this sale runs contrary to the Armenian Law on National Water
Plan, pursuant to which the water systems of national significance
are not subject to privatization,” Zhoghovurd writes.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian