Author: Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS

Greece to expel Turkish-Armenian writer

Emil Lazarian
Jan 8 2022
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 SCF

 –

January 8, 2022

A Greek court has ordered the release of a Turkish-Armenian writer on condition that he leave the country within two weeks, Agence-France Presse reported on Friday, citing the Armenian Embassy in Athens.

Sevan Nişanyan, a 65-year-old linguist and blogger, had been living under a temporary permit in Greece since fleeing a Turkish prison in 2017.

He was detained on the island of Samos on December 30, 2021, after Greek authorities refused to renew his residence permit, his wife Ira Tzourou reported on Facebook and Twitter.

The Armenian Embassy said in a statement on Facebook that an administrative court had “announced a decision according to which Sevan Nişanyan will be released today.”

“According to the decision, he is obliged to leave Greece voluntarily within 15 days. As Sevan Nişanyan is an Armenian citizen, he can leave for Armenia if he wishes,” it added.

“It has been announced that Sevan Nişanyan will released today. According to the court order, he has to leave Greece voluntarily. Sevan Nişanyan may go to Armenia as he is an Armenian citizen,” his wife Ira Tzourou tweeted, referring to embassy’s statement.

In a post of his own on Facebook, Nişanyan announced he was free.

“I have been released from custody after eight days in jail,” he wrote.

Neither he nor his wife was immediately available for comment on the couple’s plans.

Greek police last week declined to say why his residence permit was not renewed.

The Armenian Embassy said at the time it was “taking all possible measures to resolve the case.”

Nişanyan had been jailed in Turkey in 2014 over alleged illegal building construction, charges he says were punishment for his outspoken views about restrictions on freedom of _expression_ in the country.

He fled a low-security prison in 2017 and sought asylum in Greece.

Nişanyan had previously been convicted in Turkey of blasphemy over a 2012 blog defending an anti-Islam film that ridiculed the Prophet Muhammad and sparked angry protests around the world.

Greek courts customarily decline to extradite to Turkey people who say they face persecution for their views there.

https://stockholmcf.org/greece-to-expel-turkish-armenian-writer/

Armenia reports 129 daily COVID-19 cases

Emil Lazarian

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 11:11, 7 January, 2022

YEREVAN, JANUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. 129 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Armenia in the past 24 hours, the ministry of health said.

The total number of confirmed cases has reached 345,518.

130 patients have recovered in one day, bringing the total recoveries to 332,588.

The death toll has risen to 7997 (4 death cases registered in the past one day).

3899 COVID-19 tests were conducted on January 6.

The number of active cases is 3422.

Artsakh confirms 3 new cases of COVID-19

Emil Lazarian

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 11:40, 7 January, 2022

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. 3 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the Republic of Artsakh in the past 24 hours, the ministry of health reports.

43 COVID-19 tests were conducted on January 6.

At the moment, 48 patients are hospitalized, the others receive treatment at home.

The ministry urges citizens to follow all the rules to avoid the further spread of the virus.

CSTO peacekeepers take control over Almaty airport in Kazakhstan

Emil Lazarian

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 12:06, 7 January, 2022

YEREVAN, JANUARY 7, ARMENPRES. The CSTO peacekeepers have taken control of the Almaty airport in Kazakhstan, TASS reported citing the Russian military.

“At this moment the Almaty airport is under the complete control jointly with Kazakh law enforcement agencies,” Major-General Igor Konashenko of the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Sevan Nisanyan to be released: Court orders Istanbul-Armenian scholar to leave Greece voluntarily

Emil Lazarian

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 13:08, 7 January, 2022

YEREVAN, JANUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. The Syros administrative court released an order according to which prominent Istanbul-Armenian scholar and writer Sevan Nisanyan will be released on January 7.

The Armenian Embassy in Greece reports that Nisanyan must leave Greece voluntarily within 15 days according to the court decision.

“As Sevan Nisanyan is a citizen of Armenia, he can leave for Armenia if he wishes”, the Embassy said.

Sevan Nisanyan was sentenced to 17 years in prison in Turkey in 2014 on charges of illegal construction, a case he claims was punishment for his outspoken views about restrictions on freedom of _expression_ in the country. In 2017 he fled a Turkish prison and asked for a shelter to Greek authorities. Nisanyan is now facing a deportation from Greece as his residency permit was not renewed and he was placed into custody on December 30.




Kazakhstan’s President thanks Prime Minister Pashinyan for deployment of CSTO peacekeepers

Emil Lazarian

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 14:13, 7 January, 2022

YEREVAN, JANUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev thanked Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan – the current chairman of the CSTO Collective Security Council, as well as the leaders of the other CSTO member states Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan for the decision to send a joint peacekeeping contingent to Kazakhstan.

“As you know, pursuant to the main clauses of the CSTO charter documents, Kazakhstan applied to the leaders of the member states requesting the deployment of a joint peacekeeping continent to support in establishing constitutional order. This contingent arrived to our country for a brief period of time for carrying out protection and logistics. I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to the Prime Minister of Armenia – who is now presiding in the CSTO, as well as the presidents of Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. I am relaying special thanks to the President of Russia Vladimir Putin. He reacted to my request very swiftly, and most importantly warmly and as a friend,” President Tokayev said in a message.

Armenian denomination celebrates Christmas

Emil Lazarian
Jan 6 2022

SANA
7th January 2022, 00:09 GMT+11

Damascus, SANA – The Armenian denomination which follows the Eastern calendar celebrated on Thursday Christmas, the birth of Christ, Messenger of love and peace.

On this occasion, a holy mass was held at St. Sarkis Church for the Armenian Orthodox in Damascus presided over by Bishop Armash Nalbandian, Primate of the Armenian Orthodox Church Diocese of Damascus.

Nalbandian delivered a sermon, in which he talked about the sublime meanings of the glorious Christmas, urging that Jesus and the life he lived be imitated.

Nalbandian called to remember the virtues associated with the glorious feast, the first of which is salvation and humility.

He concluded his sermon, praying for God to bless Syria and to spread security, stability and prosperity across the country and to bless all Syrians, led by the heroes of the Syrian Arab Army who have remained steadfast in the face of terrorism in all its forms for more than a decade under the leadership of President Bashar al-Assad.

Manar Salameh/ Ruaa al-Jazaeri

Armenia sends troops to quell Kazakhstan protests

Emil Lazarian
Jan 6 2022
ByAni Avetisyan

The Armenian Government, which came to power through anti-government street protests in 2018, has agreed to send troops to help quell anti-government protests in Kazakhstan as part of a joint ‘peacekeeping mission’.

On Wednesday night, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) would send forces to Kazakhstan ‘for a limited time’ to ‘normalise and stabilise’ the situation. 

Armenia has held the rotating chair of the Russian-led military bloc since September 2021.

In the announcement, Pashinyan claimed, without evidence, that the protests across Kazakhstan were the result of ‘external intervention’. 

According to reports, dozens of protesters and 12 police officers have died in clashes between protesters and security forces in Kazakhstan, while hundreds have been wounded. The protests erupted on 4 January against an increase in gas prices, however, protesters’ demands quickly expanded to include political reforms.

The CSTO agreed to send military aid at the request of Kazakhstan’s authoritarian government following consultations between Armenia with the treaty’s other member states.

Kazakhstan’s request was made on the basis of Article 4 of the CSTO charter, which covers members’ obligation to mutual defence.

According to the security bloc’s official statement, peacekeeping troops from all member states are set to join the mission — Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. According to Russian state-owned news outlet Sputnik Armenia, over 70 Armenian service members will take part.

Armenia’s Foreign Ministry also issued a statement, saying that it was following events in Kazakhstan ‘with concern’. 

Pashinyan’s statements as CSTO chair and his decision to send troops to Kazakhstan were not well-received in Armenia.

On social media, many were quick to point to the irony of Armenia’s involvement in a mission to quell anti-government protests, hearkening back to the revolution that thrust the country’s ruling party, Civil Contract, into power in 2018.

Others have argued that Armenia should not take part in the mission in response to the CSTO’s inaction following the May 2021 Armenian-Azerbaijani border clashes, or even Kazakhstan’s support to Azerbaijan in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War.

Following the May clashes, Armenia addressed the bloc citing Article 2 of its treaty, calling for the coordination of positions and measures among its members states to eliminate ‘emerging threats’.

The organisation responded only that it was ‘closely following developments’ and ‘if necessary, actions will be taken’ under the bloc’s treaty and charter.

https://oc-media.org/armenia-sends-troops-to-quell-kazakhstan-protests/

ni Avetisyan



Armenian Church celebrates the Feast of Holy Nativity and Theophany of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Emil Lazarian
Public Radio of Armenia
Jan 6 2022
 Siranush Ghazanchyan Send an emailJanuary 6, 2022, 11:11

 2 minutes read

On January 6, the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Nativity and Theophany of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which is the commemoration of the Birth and Baptism of Jesus Christ. God was incarnated and appeared to the people. During the Baptism of Jesus God the Father said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17) and the Holy Spirit descended on Christ in the form of dove, so God appeared to the people for the second time. So, both Theophanies revealed by means of the Birth and Baptism of Jesus Christ are celebrated in the Armenian Church jointly on January 6. The feast starts on the eve, in the evening of January 5, and is continued after the midnight. On the eve a solemn Candlelight Divine Liturgy is celebrated and on January 6 a solemn Divine Liturgy is celebrated. At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy Blessing of the Waters Service is conducted symbolizing the Baptism of Christ in the River Jordan at the commencement of His ministry. By means of His Baptism Jesus blessed water.

Celebrant priest pours out the Holy Chrism drop by drop into water and blesses the water. According to the tradition people take some blessed water with them to use it as a medicinal remedy for the sick. After Blessing of the Waters Service the priests visit the houses of the faithful to proclaim the Christmastide Good News of the Birth of Jesus Christ and hence the tradition of Blessing of the Houses was formed.

The Birth of Jesus happened in this way. “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. … And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Lk 2:1-7) The Son of God was born in poverty, in a manger. The witnesses of His Birth were the shepherds living out in the fields nearby, whom the angels had appeared and brought the good news of the Birth of the Savior singing: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” (Lk 2:18)

Soon afterwards some men who studied the stars came from the East and worshipped Baby Christ, presented him gifts and returned to their countries.

Source: Qahana.am