Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

‘THE WAR IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH COULD RESUME AT ANY TIME’

Tue 18 December 2012 10:43 GMT | 10:43 Local Time

The war in Nagorno-Karabakh could resume at any time.

The statement came from Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies
(SAM) Farhad Mammadov said at a press briefing held in the CSS,
answering journalists’ questions about when military operations related
to the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can resume.

According to him, this is related to the lack of physical obstacles
from third party, which could prevent the resumption of hostilities.

“Azerbaijani officials have repeatedly spoken on this issue.

Representatives of our government also declare that they will wait
until February 2013 [presidential elections in Armenia], after which
they intend to intensify the negotiating process,” said the head of
the SAM.

On the other hand, according to Mammadov, Armenia has attempted to
change the borders of the Azerbaijan Republic by military intervention.

“It is the right of every sovereign state to use weapons to protect
its territorial integrity,” he said.

News.Az

From: Baghdasarian

CANADA MADE THE LARGEST INVESTMENTS IN ARMENIA THIS YEAR

10:58, 18 December, 2012

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS: 391 million dollar worth investment
was made in Armenia in the course of the last passing nine months.

Vahagn Lalayan head of Investment Policy Department, Ministry of
Economy of the Republic of Armenia stated in the briefing with
Armenpress, “According to first three quarter data of the National
Statistical Service of Armenia, foreign direct investment amounted
to 221 million dollars”.

In the words of Lalayan Canada occupies the first place in investment
reportedly 102 dollars investment , Russia comes the second with
subsequent 83 million dollars investment , then Switzerland 39
million dollars: there are a number of other countries in the list
as well. If we dwell on the fields, most investments were made in
the mineral industry, then in the field of telecommunications and
the third in manufacturing industry. In the field of mining Canada,
Switzerland occupy the first place:Russia, France are the leaders in
telecommunication field, in manufacturing industry various countries
are engaged.

“France is a leader in the drinks industry, ” South Caucasian
railway” leader in land transport sphere and reportedly Zvartnots
airport owner in air communication field” head of Investment Policy
Department stated. Lalayan stressed a number of projects have been
implemented in 2012 by foreign investments, in the frame of which
various factories, particularly in the field of wine and light industry
have been exploited in the course of the year.

From: Baghdasarian

RENOWNED FRENCH ACTOR IN ARMENIA FOR FILM PRESENTATION

ARTS AND CULTURE | 18.12.12 | 13:48

French cinema icon Alain Delon has arrived in Armenia to attend a
local presentation of a new Russian movie in which he is involved as
a guest star.

Armenian professionals have been involved in the production and
shooting of the lyrical comedy “Happy New Year, Moms!”. The movie
is being released on big screens during the current holiday season,
with the premiere in Moscow slated for tomorrow, December 19.

The film’s co-producer Valery Saharyan has invited Delon to visit

Armenia before the Moscow premier and attend the film presentation
at Yerevan’s Moscow Cinema on Tuesday night.

Before that, the 77-year-old French actor was due to meet with Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II.

From: Baghdasarian

TODAY WE HAVE AIRTIME, TOMORROW WE MAY BE DENIED IT

12:00 am | Today | Politics

Interview with Mesrop Movsesyan, Presidnt of A1+ TV Company.

During the 14th extraordinary convention of the ruling Republican
Party of Armenia (HHK) held in Yerevan on December 15, Serzh Sargsyan
announced, “We rejected outright a malicious practice of using force
against journalists, opened up the media and restored the right of
TV channels to access the spectrum.” Do you think that the agreement
signed between A1+ Company and ArmNews in September 2012, was reached
with this aim? When you were signing the agreement, did you think of
the possibility?

Yes, the purpose of the proposal was apparent from the very beginning
though it was disguised under the name of a business proposal. And
here, a question arises: if everything was determined in advance,
why did Serzh Sargsyan interfere in the signing of the bilateral
agreement and what does he mean by saying ‘we restored the right of
TV channels to access the spectrum?’ Embattled A1+ was one of the TV
channels that has been denied broadcast rights for the past 10 years
and I can think that the words were addressed to us. Let me answer:
A1+ has not been returned to airwaves: we have a clear order that has
become a subject of political speculations. To accuse the opposition
and A1+ of politicizing the issue is merely absurd. Today it is
Serzh Sargsyan who is politicizing and speculating the issue. Serzh
Sargsyan made lip service to the management of ArmNews, which,
based on its business interests and ambitions, had proposed us to
broadcast A1+’s news bulletin on its channel. Actually their ‘game’
has been unveiled. It was a bit senseless move and, eventually,
it cannot determine whether freedom of speech is strengthened in
the country or not, whether journalists are subjected to violence or
not, their rights are breached during the elections or not. It was a
childish trick intended for ignorant masses, who are not interested
in A1+, attitude towards journalists or the political situation in
the county. While people, who keep abreast of political developments
and pre-election processes, understand everything and want to show
something to Europe, but I must disappoint them saying that we have
already sought justice in Europe, by applying to the European Court
of Human Rights and having our claim upheld.

A1+ has again appealed to the European Court and is waiting for
the reply. Don’t you think that this was a message addressed to the
European Court?

Serzh Sargsyan’s statement was belated; the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe (PACE) had already said that it did not accept
the results of tenders announced by the National Commission on TV and
Radio, since they did not ensure pluralism and equal footing for all
participants. I do not understand how [NCTR Chairman] Grigor Amalyan
can tolerate Serzh Sargsyan’s statement, who said ‘they had given an
opportunity’. In that case, who is Mr Amalyan? And what is the role
of the state regulator chaired by Amalyan? Are they marionettes who
deal with the unknown and grasp people’s money? You cannot conceal the
reality with unsubstantiated statements or show how democratic you are.

Do you think that the 20 minutes of broadcast you have on ArmNews TV
is enough for you to say everything you wanted?

I do not think that we demonstrate our abilities within 20 minutes. We
have a professional team engaged in professional activities and working
in due order without right- or left-handed orientations. This is yet
another opportunity to enlarge our audience. I am not interested in
the speculations in the National Assembly, government or presidential
residence, since I have my program and they have theirs.

I am to continue my struggle in court and they have the right
to protect themselves, and we are in equal positions in the given
situation. Whether or not A1+ has been given access to air is clear to
everyone. The contract signed with ArmNews expires in February, 2013.

Doesn’t it imply that A1+ will again be taken off air? Today the
company is given airtime, tomorrow it is denied it again. And who
stands behind the mess? The president? And this is considered to be
a democratic country and they are proud of it. This can be compared
with infantilism. It is ridiculous. Let them reopen and reclose,
let them do whatever they want.

Cannot A1+ convey its ideas within these 20 minutes?

We are trying to do it. Yet, it does not mean that we do not have
more things to say and share with the public. But this implies a
new approach in a different format. We do not use the 20 minutes to
destroy the country, rather, use the airtime to show the country’s
true image. We are not the one that destroys; we are the one that
constructs.

Diana Markosyan

From: Baghdasarian

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH CONCERNED OVER LACK OF PROPER INVESTIGATION INTO MATAGHIS MILITARY DEATH CASE

tert.am
18.12.12

The Human Rights has expressed deep concerns over the effective
investigation into a scandalous army murder case that led to the
death of Armenian conscripts.

The organization’s letter to Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovespayn,
(first published on the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly’s Vanadzor Office
website) is provided below:

Dear Mr. Hovsepyan,

We are writing to express our profound concern regarding the lack of
effective investigation into allegations of torture and inhuman and
degrading treatment relating to the cases of Razmik Sargsian, Musa
Serobian, and Arayik Zalian, accused of murdering two of their fellow
conscript soldiers in December 2003. We urge you to ensure that an
effective investigation is carried out into the credible torture and
ill-treatment allegations without further delay. Considering that the
confession allegedly made under duress remains key evidence in new
charges against the defendants, we also call upon the prosecutor’s
office to suspend the charges until such an investigation is carried
out.

On May 13, 2005, the Syunik Marz Court sentenced Razmik Sargsian,
Musa Serobian, and Arayik Zalian to fifteen years of imprisonment
on charges of murdering the two conscripts. On May 30, 2006, the
Court of Appeals changed the sentence to life imprisonment. However,
in December 2006, the Court of Cassation dismissed the case, sent it
for re-investigation, and ordered the release of the defendants.

It is our understanding that the prosecutor’s office continued to press
the charges against Sargsian, Serobian, and Zalian and sent the case
back to the first instance court in 2008. It is also our understanding
that neither the courts nor the prosecutor’s office have carried out
independent, prompt, thorough, and effective investigation into the
serious allegations of torture and ill- treatment.

In May 2008, the Shirak Regional Court began a new trial against
Sargsian, Serobian, and Zalian related to the same incident, this
time on charges of causing serious bodily harm that led to the death
of the two other conscripts. This is the second time that their case
is under judicial consideration related to the same incident.

Taking no position on the defendants’ innocence or guilt, we are
profoundly concerned that the new charges are again largely based on
the confession of one of the defendants, Razmik Sargsian. There are
reasonable grounds to believe that his confession was made after he
was subjected to torture and other cruel treatment. Sargsian stated
first to his lawyer and then later in court that after he had been
initially questioned as a witness in the case on April 19, 2004, he
was subjected to several days of brutal beatings and psychological
pressure by the military procuracy investigators, as a result of
which he confessed to the crime and incriminated Serobian and Zalian
as his accomplices. Sargsian states that the investigators handcuffed
his hands behind his back, suspended him from his hands, and beat him
in this position. They also threatened him with rape. In a videotape
of the confession, Sargsian’s face was swollen and bruised, strongly
suggesting that he had suffered ill-treatment prior to making the
confession.

Later, during the pretrial investigation and at the trial, Sargsian
stated his innocence saying that he had been forced under physical
and psychological pressure into making the confession. The other
defendants, Serobian and Zalian, also told the Syunik Marz Court, the
first trial court, that they had been tortured during interrogations
by investigating officers and that they never pleaded guilty.

The Syunik Marz Court failed to consider the defense’s motions that
were introduced to substantiate the torture complaints. For instance,
the court refused to grant the defense’s motion to do an examination
of the wooden floor in the investigation room in which the men were
questioned. According to the defense, the floor has blood stains as
result of the torture of Sargsian, Serobian, and Zalian. The court
also refused to examine medical documents from the hospital where
Sargsian was taken during his hunger strike that indicate a variety
of medical problems, some of which appear to be the result of beatings.

International treaties to which Armenia is a party, including the
European Convention on Human Rights, the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, and the United Nations Convention against
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
all require respect for international and absolute prohibition on
the use of torture. These treaties also emphasize that statements
made under torture cannot be invoked as evidence, except against a
person accused of torture. International law also obliges states to
guarantee defendants’ right to a fair trial and to ensure that any
criminal proceedings are conducted in accordance with fundamental due

From: Baghdasarian

SERZH SARGSYAN’S SPEECH LEAVES CONTROVERSIAL IMPRESSION, HERITAGE PARTY REP SAYS

tert.am
18.12.12

The speech of the Republican party nominee Serzh Sargsyan at
the extraordinary congress of the party has left a controversial
impression, Heritage party’s deputy leader Armen Martirosyan told
the reporters today.

“There were points acceptable for me relating to the security issues,
but the assessments given to the reality are not acceptable,” he said.

Martirosyan said the president’s claims about privileges to small
and medium-sized business are not true. “Unfortunately, it is not so,
I personally know three people who were bankrupt,” he said, bringing
clear examples.

As to the fighting against corruption, it is being held in a wrong
direction. “It is systematic and agreed with the pseudo-centralization
of the power. Without systematic reforms even if average officials
are being arrested, it does not mean that it is a solution,” he said,
stressing the need of institutional reforms and political will.

As to the fight against permissiveness, Martirosyan said, “The
permissiveness has come from high ranking officials and their relatives
and till continue.”

He said the mentioned reforms in reality do not exist. “According to
one of the publications, 160,000 people have left the country during
the past three years. It is clear, no one leaves a convenient country,”
he said.

From: Baghdasarian

Agence France Presse
12 décembre 2012 mercredi 11:24 AM GMT

Graffitis anti-chrétiens dans un cimetière et un monastère de Jérusalem

JERUSALEM 12 déc 2012

Des inscriptions anti-chrétiennes ont été découvertes mercredi matin
dans un monastère et un cimetière de Jérusalem, un nouvel acte de
vandalisme israélien présumé, condamné par le Premier ministre
israélien Benjamin Netanyahu.

Des graffitis insultants envers Jésus Christ ont été inscrits “en
hébreu sur les portes du cimetière arménien, ainsi que sur (les murs)
d’un monastère appartenant à l’Eglise grecque-orthodoxe où ont
également été inscrits +Joyeux Hanouka+ et +prix à payer+. Les pneus
de trois voitures ont été crevés près du monastère”, a indiqué une
porte-parole de la police israélienne, Louba Samri.

Des ultras de la colonisation mènent depuis des années une politique
dite du “prix à payer”, consistant à se venger sur des villageois
palestiniens, des lieux de culte musulmans et chrétiens, des militants
pacifistes israéliens, voire l’armée israélienne, des décisions
gouvernementales qu’ils jugent hostiles à leurs intérêts.

La porte-parole a précisé qu’une voiture avait été incendiée et les
graffitis “le prix à payer” et “joyeuses fêtes” avaient été apposés
-en allusion à la fête juive de Hanouka, célébrée cette semaine- au
cours d’une troisième attaque, relevant apparemment elle aussi du
“prix à payer” dans le village de Choukba, en Cisjordanie, près de
Ramallah.

Elle a ajouté que la police enquêtait sur les trois attaques.

Le père Claudius, l’abbé du monastère, a dit avoir découvert le
graffiti à 04H30 (02H30 GMT) lorsqu’il s’est levé pour prier. “C’est
la septième fois que cela arrive”, a-t-il déclaré à des journalistes
sur place.

“Je leur pardonne. Je crois dans la paix et l’amour des gens de toutes
les religions”, a-t-il dit, interrogé par la radio publique
israélienne, en ajoutant qu’il ne savait pas qui était à l’origine des
graffitis.

Dans un communiqué, le Premier ministre israélien a assuré que “les
valeurs juives avec lesquelles nous avons grandi et dans lesquelles
nous éduquons nos enfants rejetaient complètement ce genre de
comportement”.

“La liberté de culte pour toutes les religions en Israël sera
préservée et nous poursuivrons en justice les personnes immorales qui
ont commis ces actes”, a ajouté M. Netanyahu.

Malgré les condamnations systématiques de tels actes par les autorités
israéliennes, leurs auteurs sont rarement appréhendés et traduits en
justice.

En novembre, la police israélienne a annoncé conduire depuis plusieurs
mois “des enquêtes poussées au sujet des auteurs de crimes
idéologiquement motivés”.

sy-sah-dms/sst/sw

From: Baghdasarian

Télérama.fr, France
16 déc 2012
J’ai rêvé d’Arménie
Découvertes par Jean-Pierre Carlon
Synopsis de J’ai rêvé d’Arménie
Qu’ils se nomment Jacques Ouloussian, Gilbert Léonian ou Stephan
Indjeyan, leur capital commun est l’arménité, une identité qui tente
de trouver un équilibre entre une histoire douloureuse et sa
projection vers le futur. Une dualité les habite, entre le souci de
préserver une culture mise à mal par la perte de la patrie historique
et leur volonté d’intégration au sein de leur pays d’accueil, la
France.
La critique TV de télérama du 15/12/2012
« Tu es l’enfant de parents génocidés » : beaucoup d’Arméniens de la
diaspora ont grandi avec cette lourde sentence. C’est à eux que le
documentariste Jean-Pierre Carlon donne la parole. Des Français
d’origine arménienne, qui décrivent cette singulière affection les
reliant à la terre et à l’histoire de leurs ancêtres. Ils racontent
leur volonté infaillible de perpétuer la culture et la langue
arméniennes, socles de leur identité ; la « responsabilité » qui leur
incombe de faire reconnaître le massacre de leur peuple en 1915 – même
si, comme le souligne l’un d’entre eux, « l’histoire arménienne n’a
pas commencé avec le génocide ».
A travers leurs témoignages, le film rappelle les étapes tragiques qui
ont renforcé la solidarité entre l’Arménie et la diaspora. Le
tremblement de terre de 1988, bien sûr, mais aussi la guerre du
Haut-Karabagh contre l’Azerbaïdjan entre 1988 et 1994, et, de façon
plus complexe, les actions terroristes menées dans les années 1970 par
l’Armée secrète arménienne de libération contre l’Etat turc.
Tout en subtilité, le documentaire parvient à traduire l’extrême
complexité et l’éveil tardif de l’« arménité » chez ces Français
d’origine arménienne. Leurs paroles, d’une intelligence, d’une
profondeur et d’une sincérité remarquables, sont enveloppées de
partitions de musique traditionnelle arménienne, venant accentuer
encore la douce mélancolie qui se dégage du film. – Perrine Dutreil
,43562407.php
From: Baghdasarian

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Dec 14 2012

Inventory of official looting and shame

YAVUZ BAYDAR

Whenever you met Diran Bakar, you would be struck by his humility,
profound pain and endless resilience. Up until his death, Bakar, an
Armenian lawyer, was one of those calm-mannered but consistent
defenders of minority rights, and of Turkey’s Armenians in particular.

He was a distinguished member of the community, and his early death
— at 60 years old — was a great loss for all of us. I will always
remember our private talks in the mid 1990s, which led to the
publication of AGOS.

When I looked through the huge book `2012 Declaration: A History of
Seized Armenian Properties in Ä°stanbul’ yesterday, I knew how proud he
would have felt. Much of this `must read’ text is based on his
professional archive, a source of painful memories on the official
looting which took place since the early years of the republic.

`This book is not the story of seized buildings made of stone or
cement, but the story of flesh-and-bone human beings. These seized
institutions and buildings were the cherished belongings of human
beings rich and poor, young and old, men and women, who had worked
hard to create or acquire them. These unjustly seized buildings gave
life to the schools, churches, orphanages and retirement homes of the
whole community. The social and cultural fabric of the
Turkish-Armenians depended on this economic foundation. It is our wish
that similar injustices will not be carried into the future, as people
read in this book the documented `why’ and `how’ of the attempts to
wipe out the life and culture of our community.’

This introduction is followed by almost 500 pages that span the
treatment of Armenians during the Ottoman Empire and the republic. The
story is divided into three sections. In the first we read not only
about the minority foundations and the changes in official policies,
but also about the impact of the Lausanne Treaty.

There is a very interesting chapter where a striking comparison is
made on the constant mistreatment of the Turkish minority in Western
Thrace (Greece) and the Armenians in Ä°stanbul. It leads to lucid
conclusions on how similar state policies in the two neighbors were
ruthless and in defiance of international law.

`Stories of seizure’ is the second, and most engaging, part of the
book. The first story tells the story of the historic Kalfayan
Orphanage Building in the Old City which was entirely wiped out from
the map when the Bosporus Bridge was being built. The second is about
how the owner and foundation of the historic Bomonti Mıhitaryan
Elementary School was forced to pay rent for its own property. The
third one is a story about how an educational institution, the
Andonyan Armenian Monastery and School, was seized. The fourth is
about how a foundation called the KasımpaÅ?a Surp Hagop Church was
declared defunct by official decree while the fifth one is about how
the Tuzla Armenian Children’s Camp (where the late Hrant Dink was
raised) was turned into desolate ruins.

Detail after detail, the reader follows a dark history unfolding. One
can say, certainly, that times have changed and thanks to the
`glasnost’ policies of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party),
we now have access to more concrete data. But the sad part is that the
damage done over the decades is irreparable. It is a shame and,
speaking in terms of the total destruction of some properties, a
cultural crime.

The third part of the book is a huge inventory of the properties of 53
foundations, filing them district by district and street by street,
supported with photos, maps and graphics.

The book makes it clear that of the 1,328 properties that belong to
foundations, 661 were seized, while no one knows anything about the
fate of 87. Only lately, as of the past decade, were 143 of the seized
properties handed back to the foundations that owned them.

The pretext of injustice was the notorious 1936 Declaration, which was
used by the government at that time to launch confiscations. The Nazi
era was also a source of inspiration later on. This book sets the
record straight after more than seven decades.

`I have grappled with the `36 declaration for years,’ Bakar had said.
`Therefore, I welcome even the slightest improvement.’ Let his hope
come through, let justice be done.

From: Baghdasarian

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Dec 14 2012

Dink Foundation urges further steps for seized Armenian properties

14 December 2012 / SEVGÝ AKARÇEÞME, ÝSTANBUL

A publication by the Hrant Dink Foundation on the seized properties of
Armenian foundations in Ýstanbul states that the positive changes made
to the Foundations Law with a decree notwithstanding, further steps
are needed for easing the return process.
The study, titled “2012 Declaration: The Seized Properties of Armenian
Foundations In Ýstanbul,” includes a complete inventory of all the
properties previously owned by Armenian foundations and urges a change
in the “general mindset of the state regarding minorities and not to
view changes made in the law as a favor or a privilege, but a right.”

According to the publication, of the 1,328 properties acquired by 53
Armenian foundations in Ýstanbul over the years, 661 were confiscated
by the state for various reasons while 580 of them remained in the
hands of the foundations. The study stated that with the legal changes
made in the last decade, only 143 of the 661 properties were returned
to their rightful owners, constituting only 10.77 percent of the total
of 1,328.

While calling the implementation of Law No. 651 dated Aug. 27, 2011 as
a “significant step forward in removing the marks of discriminatory
policies carried out throughout the history of the republic,” the
inventory raises issues with the return of the properties. One of the
problems is that “the burden of proof is still placed on the
foundations,” which constitutes a real challenge due to the difficulty
of gaining access to archives for the deeds. Consequently, the report
by the foundation urges the opening of the archives of the General
Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre to institutions including
Armenian foundations.

In an attempt to avoid a misperception in the larger Turkish society,
the foundation underlines the purpose of the publication of an
inventory and makes it clear that “the problem is not only about a
‘demand for properties,’ but an issue of the sustainability of the
cultural existence and to contribute towards the establishment of
democratic rights in this country.”

Emphasizing the ongoing budget deficit problems of the foundations
because their revenue is only generated by the revenues of properties
and donations, the report states that “it is only after a legal
amendment in 2008 that one foundation has been allowed to help
another.”

Another problem, according to the publication, is that 19 percent of
the seized assets of Armenian foundations in Ýstanbul have passed into
the hands of third parties and institutions, the Tuzla Armenian
Children’s Camp being one of the most well-known examples.

The properties of the Armenian Patriarchate constitute a significant
problem because, as the report states, “the fact that the Patriarchate
does not have a legal personality prevents it from acquiring
property.” The report refers to the Ottoman period when Armenians had
certain “properties that were used for the needs of the community
registered in the name of the patriarchate.” However, the report
underlines that in the republican period, it was “not allowed to
reregister assets it had previously acquired in its name.” Along
similar lines, Hüseyin Hatemi, a professor of law who wrote a foreword
for the 2012 Declaration, says that “problems related to the
Theological School of Halki which remains closed and the legal
personality of patriarchates have not been solved,” while
acknowledging the “relatively progressive step towards the return of
the unrightfully seized assets.”

Despite the positive steps however, the verdict by the Supreme Court
of Appeals to transfer the land of the Mor Gabriel Monastery to the
Treasury, despite the documents proving that it belongs to Syriacs, is
given as an alarming example.

The Hrant Dink Foundation’s 2012 Declaration concludes with a
statement that it will be a significant gain for democratization for
Turkey “when it [the country] finally quits regarding minority
community members, who are its citizens, as potential internal
threats.”

The 480-page study, which was completed in 20 months, includes
historical background, photos and maps of Armenian properties in
Ýstanbul.

;jsessionid=9026CC50826A21FE56BA068398A3B18B?newsId=301163&columnistId=0

From: Baghdasarian