Author: Emma Jilavian

Erdogan slams Biden for support to Israel, reminds him about Armenian Genocide recognition

Emma Jilavian
News.am, Armenia
00:10, 18.05.2021

President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan has slammed US President Joe Biden for support to Israel, reminding him about his recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

According to Erdogan, US military aid helps make possible “Israel’s aggression against the Palestinians who lack resources for self-defense”. “We saw Biden’s signature on the document on the major sale of arms to Israel,” Erdogan said, referring to the news about the US selling weapons to its closest ally in the Middle East.

“Mr. Biden, you support the Armenians with regard to the so-called Armenian genocide. Now you are going down in history with bloody hands by supporting Israel, which is attacking Gaza with disproportionate force,” he said, adding that Turkey won’t keep silent and will continue the fight for Al-Quds (Jerusalem-ed.).

The Turkish leader also slammed Austria for supporting Israel and declared that Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s Cabinet is trying to “expiate the guilt of the Holocaust” “by forcing Muslims to pay for that”.

Senator Bob Menendez calls on US to respond strongly to Azerbaijan’s illegal incursion into Armenia’s territory

Emma Jilavian

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 10:25,

YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS. U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) issued a statement in reaction to reports of Azerbaijan’s illegal incursion into Armenia’s Syunik province.

“The violation of Armenia’s sovereign territory by Azerbaijani troops is a dangerous and illegal act of aggression that underscores the sustained threat that the Armenian people continue to face. After my conversation with Armenia’s Ambassador to the U.S. earlier today, it is clear that the United States, and the international community as a whole, must respond strongly to this incursion so Azerbaijan understands it will face serious consequences for its malign activities.

When Azerbaijan attacked the Armenian people last fall, the previous Administration failed to engage and left the door open for dictators like Aliyev, Erdogan, and Putin to decide the fate of the Armenian people. That cannot happen again. I urge the Biden administration to engage on this issue at the highest levels to make clear that Azerbaijan must respect Armenia’s sovereignty and that further threats and aggressions are simply unacceptable”, the statement reads.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 05/12/2021

Emma Jilavian 
                                Wednesday, 
Tensions Rise At Armenian-Azerbaijani Border Section (UPDATED)
        • Susan Badalian
Armenia -- Armenian army officers at a new border post in Syunik province 
bordering Azerbaijan, December 11, 2020.
Armenia accused Azerbaijan of resorting to border “provocations” after 
Azerbaijani troops reportedly crossed into its southeastern Syunik province 
early on Wednesday.
The incident occurred in a mountainous area about 10 kilometers north of the 
provincial town of Goris. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and local government 
officials said Azerbaijani troops crossed a nearby section of the 
Armenian-Azerbaijani border and advanced more than three kilometers towards the 
village of Verishen.
Pashinian held an emergency session of his Security Council late in the evening 
to discuss what he described as a security crisis.
“These [Azerbaijani] actions are intolerable for Armenia because this is an 
attack on Armenia’s sovereign territory,” Pashinian told members of the council 
in his opening remarks.
“They are trying to justify their actions with some maps which our first 
observations showed are false and fabricated,” he said.
“Armenia cannot put up with the existing situation … Our primary objective is to 
solve this problem through negotiations and by diplomatic means. But this is one 
of the options,” added Pashinian.
The Verishen mayor, Ararat Ordian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that 
Azerbaijani troops advanced to within six kilometers of the village. He said the 
Armenian military responded by sending reinforcements to the area.
The Armenian Defense Ministry said more vaguely that early in the morning 
Azerbaijani forces “tried to carry out some works at one of the border sections 
of Syunik under the pretext of ‘border clarification.’”
“After measures taken by Armenian army units the Azerbaijani forces stopped 
those works,” it said in a statement issued early in the afternoon. “Right now 
negotiations are being held for resolving the situation.”
The ministry denied rumors about fighting triggered by the Azerbaijani troop 
movements. Pashinian likewise stressed that no gunshots were fired at the border 
section.
Some officials in Syunik said afterwards that Russian troops stationed in 
Armenia are also taking part in those negotiations while building up forces in 
the area to get the Azerbaijani side to pull back. The Russian military did not 
confirm that.
The Defense Ministry in Moscow reported later in the day that Russian Defense 
Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke with his Armenian counterpart Vagharshak 
Harutiunian by phone. A short ministry statement said they discussed the 
situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone and “other topics of mutual 
interest.”
Meanwhile, Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazian had a phone call with Russia’s 
Sergei Lavrov. According to his press office, Ayvazian briefed Lavrov on “the 
latest incident on Armenia’s state border” and stressed “the inadmissibility of 
such provocations by the Azerbaijani side.”
Lavrov met with Azerbaijan’s leaders in Baku earlier this week. He visited 
Yerevan last week.
A member of Goris’s municipal council, Narek Ordian, said late in the afternoon 
that the border standoff has not yet been resolved. “The negotiations are 
continuing,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “They [Azerbaijani forces] are 
still there.”
Syunik borders districts southwest of Nagorno-Karabakh which were retaken by 
Azerbaijan during and after last year’s war. Russia deployed soldiers and border 
guards there to help the Armenian military defend the region against possible 
Azerbaijani attacks.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said last month that Moscow and Yerevan are 
holding “quite productive discussions” on a possible deployment of more Russian 
troops to Syunik.
Yerevan Officials Prosecuted For Assault
Armenia -- The entrance to the Investigative Committee headquarters in Yerevan.
The deputy head of Yerevan’s central administrative district has been arrested 
and charged with beating up one of his subordinates.
Armenia’s Investigative Committee confirmed on Wednesday media reports that that 
the official, Armen Azizian, and a dozen other local government employees 
assaulted Manvel Margarian, the head of the Kentron district’s urban development 
division, in his office on Tuesday.
A statement released by the law-enforcement agency said the violence broke out 
as a result of “differences over work-related issues.” It said Azizian and other 
men hit Margarian “in various parts of his body.” One of them, Arman Davoyan, 
struck the latter in the head with a computer keyboard, added the statement.
The Investigative Committee charged Azizian and Davoyan with abuse of power and 
hooliganism respectively. Both men were arrested on Tuesday. It was not clear if 
the investigators will ask a court to remand them in pre-trial custody.
Margarian was reportedly taken to hospital after the incident. He told the 
“Haykakan Zhamanak” daily that he was attacked by about 15 men led by Azizian 
and Davoyan after refusing to resign.
Kentron’s chief executive, Avet Poghosian, is currently on vacation. He has 
declined to comment on the extraordinary incident.
Yerevan’s Mayor Hayk Marutian, who appoints all district heads, has also not 
reacted to it so far. Marutian is a senior member of Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian’s Civil Contract party.
Georgian PM Visits Armenia
Armenia - Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian (R) and his Georgian 
counterpart Irakli Gharibashvili meet in Yerevan, .
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and his visiting Georgian counterpart Irakli 
Gharibashvili met in Yerevan on Wednesday for talks that focused on regional 
security and Georgian-Armenian commercial ties.
It was the first Georgian-Armenian summit held after last year’s war in 
Nagorno-Karabakh.
Gharibashvili, who visited Baku last week, said the war as well as the 
coronavirus pandemic left the region facing “significant difficulties.”
“I think that there is no alternative to peace negotiations and dialogue,” he 
said after the talks with Pashinian. “Georgia has always stood for cooperation 
and peaceful co-existence in the South Caucasus and will stick to this course.”
Pashinian reaffirmed, for his part, Armenia’s support for a resolution of the 
Karabakh conflict based on peace proposals made by the U.S., Russian and French 
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group.
Speaking at a joint news briefing, Pashinian said he and Gharibashvili agreed to 
“put greater emphasis on the development of trade and economic ties” between 
their countries.
“In particular, we stressed the importance of more effectively using regional 
transport routes and developing the region’s transport potential,” he said.
Gharibashvili also stressed the need to expand bilateral trade and “discuss new 
projects.”
An Armenian government statement on the talks said the Armenian and Georgian 
governments support the “development of transport links, including railway 
infrastructures.”
“The parties expressed an interest in initiating new joint projects and agreed 
to work intensively in this direction,” read the statement.
It added that both sides are specifically interested in the creation of a new 
“transport corridor” that would connect not only Armenia and Georgia but also 
Iran, Bulgaria and Greece.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2021 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Russia hopes issue of minefield maps in Karabakh resolved soon, top diplomat says

Emma Jilavian
TASS, Russia
The minister stressed that Moscow thinks that all issues with humanitarian significance should be resolved as rapidly as possible and without any preconditions

BAKU, May 11. /TASS/. Moscow hopes that the issue surrounding the transfer of minefield maps of Nagorno-Karabakh by Armenia to Azerbaijan is resolved soon, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a joint press conference after talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov on Tuesday.

“We discussed this issue [of minefield maps] a couple of days ago in Yerevan. It seemed to me that the Armenian leadership has the understanding of the necessity to resolve this issue. The first preliminary steps in this direction were made, I informed Azerbaijan’s leadership of them. We hope that this process will be significantly accelerated and will allow this problem to be resolved completely,” the head Russian diplomat said.

The minister stressed that Moscow thinks that all issues with humanitarian significance should be resolved as rapidly as possible and without any preconditions. “I mean both the return of bodies of those killed, and information on the fate of those missing in action, the return of war prisoners and settling the problems related to the so-called material war remnants – in this case, the mines,” he explained.

Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, 2020, with intense battles raging in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. On November 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh starting from November 10. The Russian leader said the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides would maintain the positions that they had held and Russian peacekeepers would be deployed to the region.

Pashinyan: Turkey returned to region 100 years later to continue its genocidal policy against Armenians

Emma Jilavian
News.am, Armenia
14:59, 10.05.2021

YEREVAN. – Turkey has returned to the region 100 years later to continue its genocidal policy against Armenians. Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this at Monday’s special sitting of the National Assembly, during the latter’s debates on the matter of electing a new prime minister of Armenia, responding to an MP’s question about the recent US presidential recognition of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire.

The acting premier recalled that earlier, he had noted that this US move was based on four factors: one long-term, one medium-term, and two short-term.

Among the short-term factors, Pashinyan mentioned the 44-day war in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) last fall, and Turkey’s direct participation in it—on Azerbaijan’s side. “In almost all the interviews with the international media, I have noted that Turkey has returned to the region 100 years later to continue its genocidal policy against the Armenians. Naturally, in this context, of course, the issue of genocide and the 44-day war have been linked to one another,” added the acting Armenian premier.

Also, he recalled the “secession for salvation” formula, which he also mentioned many times in his interviews during the aforesaid war. Pashinyan stressed that this formula is mentioned more and more often in the context of the Artsakh issue.

EU calls on U.S. and others to export their COVID-19 vaccines

Emma Jilavian

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 13:19, 8 May, 2021

YEREVAN, MAY 8, ARMENPRESS. The European Commission called on Friday on the United States and other major COVID-19 vaccine producers to export what they make as the European Union does, rather than talk about waiving intellectual property rights to the shots, Reuters reports.

Commission head Ursula von der Leyen told a news conference on the sidelines of a summit of EU leaders that discussions on the waiver would not produce a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine in the short- to medium-term.

“The European Union is the only continental or democratic region of this world that is exporting at large scale,” von der Leyen said.

She said about 50% of European-produced coronavirus vaccine is exported to almost 90 countries, including those in the World Health Organization-backed COVAX program.

Only higher production, removing export barriers and the sharing of already-ordered vaccines could immediately help fight the pandemic quickly, she said.

Armenpress: Armenian FM sees signs of revival of OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs’ format

Emma Jilavian

Armenian FM sees signs of revival of OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs’ format

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 17:52, 5 May, 2021

YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Acting Foreign Minister of Armenia Ara Ayvazian records that the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs’ format shows signs of revival, ARMENPRESS reports Ayvazian said during parliament-Cabinet Q&A session.

‘’The mission of the Minsk Group Co-chairs’ format is creating relevant atmosphere so that the conflicting sides remain committed to a negotiated settlement. I am glad to record that the Minsk Group Co-chairs’ format seems to show signs of revival. We hope to see a strong co-chairmanship, which will coordinate the developments, but not just follow them’’, Ayvazian said.

On April 13 the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs issued a statement, calling on to return all war prisoners.




CivilNet: Baku Continues Persecuting Talysh Activists Even After Victory: A Talk With a Talysh Journalist

Emma Jilavian
CIVILNET.AM

01:05

“There is no opposition or civil society in Azerbaijan – they only exist by name”, Rahim Shaliyev, a Talysh journalist says in an interview with CivilNet’s Stella Mehrabekyan. According to Shaliyev, Aliyev’s regime continues persecuting Talysh activists even after its victory in the Second Karabakh war.

Recently you have been posting about the arrest of Talysh blogger Aslan Gurbanov who was arrested by the State Security Service in July 2020. He has been sentenced to seven years in prison by a Baku court for ‘inciting national hatred,’ among other charges. In another case, Talysh singer Baloglan Ashrafov died of coronavirus on April 26. You noted that the Azerbaijani government has taken steps to prevent the news of his death from spreading. Does this all mean that even after the success in the Second Karabakh war the Azerbajani government continues to persecute Talysh people, especially those who speak up for their rights?

Such cases were also taking place beforehand. Following the removal of President Ayaz Mutallibov, all successive governments in Azerbaijan have either imprisoned or killed Talysh activists. In addition, they feel concerned whenever a topic related to the Talysh begins trending and they do their utmost to prevent it from spreading. The acceleration of the national awakening of the Talysh and certain regional developments are seriously unsettling for the current government. This is one reason. That is why they make any attempt to mitigate the consequences of any news or incident related to the Talysh. The imprisonment of Aslan Qurbanov is a warning to other such Talysh activists. They openly state this. According to my sources, Ilkin Rahimli, a member of the Internal Security Service, openly said to Aslan Qurbanov that “this is why we have arrested you – so it would be a lesson to other Talysh people.”

Just after the war it became known that prominent Talysh historian and activist Fakhraddin Abbaszade died in prison in Azerbaijan, where he was serving 16 years for treason. His family said they had been informed that Abbaszade took his own life in his cell. Talysh human rights activists called his death mysterious. What’s your take on this?

The killing of Abbaszade by the Azerbaijani government is a clear issue. However, what worried me most is that during his imprisonment and following his killing, civil society activists in Azerbaijan either openly or discreetly supported this atrocity committed by the government. There were even some students from this group who took lessons from Abbaszade when he was working at the Baku State University. I genuinely cannot understand how someone who has been educated by a teacher can support and even be glad about their imprisonment and killing. The worst part is that these individuals are the most well-known human rights lawyers, journalists and social activists in Azerbaijan. 

The character of the Azerbaijani government is very clear. Ordinary people live under constant propaganda and so we can give them the benefit of the doubt. However, the reactions we saw from activists who have been educated at the world’s leading universities regarding the Talysh issue and the killings of Armenian civilians during the war has forced us to create a separate Talysh civil society. This is because there is no room for compromise with the Azerbaijani government and civil society, apart from a number of exceptions. It is impossible to imagine a decent future with such people. They are not only the cause of the misery of the Talysh people but also the Azerbaijani people as a whole.

During the war and afterwards there were many reports of young Talysh men participating in the war, “defending,” as it was said, their motherland. It’s a well-known fact that the Azerbaijani government refuses to disclose the number of its military casualties. As someone who is outside Azerbaijan and closely follows the life of Talysh people, do you have any data or information regarding the casualties among your people?

Even if the Azerbaijani government releases the names and numbers of people who died in the war, they do not show the region from which those people went. We are nevertheless making our own calculations. We have found that around 600 soldiers from the Talysh region died in the war. According to official statistics, approximately 3,000 Azerbaijani citizens died in the war. We are still carrying out research on this matter and this number will likely rise. There are names that do not appear in the list. Around 5% of the Azerbaijani population lives in the Talysh region, however the number of soldier deaths in the war from that region surpasses 20%. There are certain details that affirm this fact. For example, there are 13 families living in the small Talysh village of Dico in Lerik, but 3 individuals died in the war from this village. Moreover, in a televised report prepared by a Turkish propaganda channel (tv100), the reporter unknowingly reported that a larger proportion of soldiers were taken to war from the Lerik and Astara regions. It is possible to conceal the facts, but such nuances eventually come to the surface.

The war had a huge psychological impact on the societies of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Artsakh. There is much talk about the end of the war and the necessity of starting a peaceful life and co-existence in the region between Armenian and Azerbaijani people. What’s your impression? Is Azerbaijani society ready for peaceful co-existence with Armenians?

I believe that the Azerbaijani and Armenian people will be able to live together. However, there is a need to develop civil society and governance in Azerbaijan so that it gives importance to human rights and democracy. Georgia and Armenia have overcome that phase. The second condition is the removal of Turkey’s influence over Azerbaijan. Turkey overtly exploits the Azerbaijani people with its political romanticism in order to benefit its own interests. I would say that this has already irritated a fair number of Azerbaijanis. The Talysh people can have a strategic role in both matters since the Talysh have never been involved in bloody ethnic conflicts with another nation. This gives them the opportunity to create a bridge between Armenians and Azerbaijanis. Furthermore, once Talysh national issues begin to trend, this may open the way for the removal of far-right and religious ideologies from Turkey, such as pan-Turkism, Turanism and Jihadism. The current Azerbaijani government and Turkish intelligence  services understand this very well. This is one reason why war propaganda was more prominent in the Talysh region than other parts of the country. Nevertheless, we have no intention of being enemies with Azerbaijanis, Armenians or any other people. War is not a solution and, in the end, a general consensus must be reached. I am certain that, despite the obstacles, the Talysh people will participate in the peace process.

Let’s talk about civil society, human rights defenders and opposition in Azerbaijan. Have they undergone any transformations in recent months? How do you assess their activities during and after the war? What was their response to opening the Military Trophy Park in Baku?

There is no opposition or civil society in Azerbaijan – they only exist by name. Of course, there are exceptions. Young people raised on leftist ideals give hope. However, far-right ideals held strong among the majority of activists during the war. The funny thing is that some of these people continue to work in human rights organizations and are interested in peace projects after the war. I think that if Anton Chekhov could see this situation he would have written even more ironic stories. As for the military trophy park – this is clearly the product of a racist ideology. This cannot be a source of pride and it is a historic insult to the Azerbaijani people.

CivilNet: “Vaccines Against COVID-19 Are Essential to Save Lives ”, Dr. George Melikian

Emma Jilavian
CIVILNET.AM

09:05

Dr. George Melikian is a doctor in Los Angeles specializing in infectious diseases. He spent weeks in Armenian hospitals during the 2020 Artsakh War, taking care of COVID-19 patients. He is back in Yerevan to investigate why the number of infections and deaths are increasing in Armenia yet again. 

Dr. Melikkian talks with CivilNet’s Ani Paitjan about the lack of respiratory devices in the country and the issue of late diagnosis, both of which lead to hospitalization and death. He also raises the question of the fear of vaccines. Melikian says vaccines are essential in the fight againstCOVID-19 and in order for the country to see an end to the pandemic.

Press Release: Colorado Commemorates the Armenian Genocide, Stands with Artsakh

Emma Jilavian

For Immediate Release
Contact: Armen Sahakyan
tel. (818) 500-1918

Colorado’s top public officials joined the Centennial State’s vibrant Armenian-American community in Armenian Genocide commemoration events over the weekend that included acknowledgment of the Genocide’s ongoing consequences in Artsakh.

On April 23, both chambers of the Colorado General Assembly unanimously passed Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 21-017, sponsored by State Senator Dominick Moreno and State House Majority leader Daneya Esgar, in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. This year’s annual genocide resolution, which was first introduced in 2002, noted the ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide, including Turkey-Azerbaijan’s recent aggression, occupation, ethnic cleansing in Artsakh, as well as Azerbaijan’s refusal to release Armenian POWs or allow UNESCO monitoring of churches.

[ VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47QhCRB9mYo ]

“While Pres. Biden’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide was a historic event for the entire world, Colorado’s vibrant Armenian community yet again set a national precedent by successfully urging their state legislature to not only commemorate the Armenian Genocide but also recognize its ongoing consequences in Artsakh,” remarked Armenian National Committee of America Western Region (ANCA-WR) chair Nora Hovsepian, Esq. “The Armenian Genocide is not just a historical fact, it’s an ongoing process, which Colorado has been a global leader in acknowledging in the past by erecting a replica Djulfa khachkar erased by Azerbaijan on the grounds of its State Capitol,” continued Hovsepian. “In addition to the resolution, Colorado’s top three elected leaders – the Governor and two US Senators – also spoke on the Armenian Genocide, which is also a tribute to our local grassroots’ unwavering efforts in keeping Armenian-American priorities on Colorado’s political agenda.”

In a video address to Colorado’s Armenian community, Governor Jared Polis commemorated the Armenian Genocide while acknowledging fresh trauma experienced by the Armenian community due to the recent Artsakh war. In particular, Gov. Polis noted that “we know this past year Armenians have endured additional tragedies in defense of their sovereignty, culture, rich history, and we want to let all Armenians in Colorado and across the world know that we stand with you.”

[ VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcdLwtQbVm0&t=10s ]

On April 24, both of Colorado’s US Senators, Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, commemorated the Armenian Genocide on Twitter and lauded President Biden’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Congressman Jason Crow, who represents Colorado’s vibrant city of Aurora, which has the largest concentration of Colorado’s Armenian community, also commemorated the Armenian Genocide on Twitter, as well as with a video address addressed to the Armenian community.

“Colorado’s Armenian community is immensely grateful to our state legislature, governor, and federal officials for once again standing with our community and doing the right thing,” remarked Armenians of Colorado (AOC) President Byuzand Yeremyan. “As we continue to build our community through cultural and educational programs, including the Armenian School, AOC looks forward to continuing its partnership with local, regional, and national organizations to raise educational awareness about the history and modern ramifications of the Armenian Genocide,” concluded Yeremyan.

SJR 21-017 highlighted the recent aggression on Artsakh as an ongoing consequence of the impunity for Ottoman Turkey’s 1915-1923 extermination of two million Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks, Yazidis and other indigenous minorities. Most significantly, Colorado’s legislature unanimously called out Turkey-Azerbaijan’s recent aggression on Artsakh and raised the issue of Armenian POWs and threatened cultural sites.

[ VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVNSk07xelw ]

The resolution noted that “Turkey’s ongoing denial of the Armenian Genocide paved the way for another tragedy in late 2020, when Turkey-aided Azerbaijan invaded the Republic of Artsakh, a region of the Armenian homeland, in an onslaught that despite a ceasefire announcement continues to this day through Azerbaijan’s unwillingness to release nearly 200 Armenian Prisoners of War, forbiddance of the return of Armenian refugees to Hadrut and other occupied regions of Artsakh; and refusal of international missions to monitor the nearly 1,500 antique and medieval Armenian cultural sites that have recently come under Azerbaijan’s control.”

In his floor remarks, primary Senate sponsor of SJR 21-017 Sen. Moreno stated “this is something that is dearly personal to the Armenian community especially with events over the summer when there was graffiti and damage done to the Armenian khachkar memorial. We should continue each year to recognize this tragic event… This is particularly painful for the Armenian community because they recently lost control of territories to Azerbaijan.” Sen. Moreno reiterated the importance of continuing “acknowledging the pain and suffering [Armenians] have gone through both in contemporary times and the past.”

State Senator Faith Winter, who spoke in support of the resolution, noted that “history can be uncomfortable” but that “recognizing the Genocide that happened nearly 100 years ago is important to understand history” because “when history is uncomfortable when it is hard for us to admit what happened is when we probably grow the most.” In particular, Sen. Winter recounted her visit to Turkey, where she met young people who were willing to discuss and learn from the Armenian Genocide.

In her House remarks, primary sponsor of SCR 21-017 State Representative Daneya Esgar, who is also the House Majority Leader, noted that “The Armenian community is feeling very vulnerable because of losing access to territory and their sacred sites, so I feel that it is important to stand with them.” Both Moreno and Esgar recounted their planting of a memorial tree at the Yerevan Genocide Memorial at Tsitsernakaberd during an ANCA-WR-sponsored legislative study trip in 2019. Both mentioned that even though the legislative body typically refrains from commenting on current international events, it is important to stand with the Armenian community. They also acknowledged the presence of two local Armenian-American leaders: AOC President Byuzand Yeremyan and ANCA-WR’s Simon Maghakyan.

Following Majority Leader Esgar’s remarks, Speaker Pro Tempore Adrienne Benavidez spoke in staunch support of the resolution’s language calling out Turkey-Azerbaijan’s on Artsakh. According to Benavidez, “this is not just a historical situation… this is continuing and we, as members of this body, have a duty to speak out against atrocities like this.” The Speaker Pro Tempore further noted that “We have to make it clear that we support Armenians and send a clear message to Azerbaijan and their supporters like Turkey.” Benavidez also referenced the lead oped of The Denver Post’s Sunday edition, in which former State Representative Cole Wist and Simon Maghakyan had argued that Pres. Biden should recognize both the past and the present of the Armenian Genocide.

[ VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sei-_-hu_ko&t=27s ]

Several other lawmakers also spoke in strong support of the resolution. State Representative Jennifer Bacon noted, in part, that “humanity in general has a deep sense of wanting to belong.” State Representatives Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Emily Sirota recalled their joints efforts in championing last year’s Armenian Genocide and Holocaust education law. Michaelson Jenet stated: “There is often a question: if the Armenian Genocide had been stopped, could have the Holocaust been stopped to?” In her remarks, Sirota stated that “I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to carry the bill to ensure that our students are educated on the Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide, to know that this is part of the ongoing work that we do.” State Representative Iman Jodah noted that “standing in with support with Armenian brothers and sisters is how we put an end [to genocide].”

In the Senate, SJR 21-017 was co-sponsored by Colorado State Senators Bridges, Buckner, Coleman, Cooke, Coram, Danielson, Donovan, Fenberg, Fields, Garcia, Gardner, Ginal, Gonzales, Hansen, Hisey, Jaquez Lewis, Kirkmeyer, Kolker, Lee, Liston, Lundeen, Moreno, Pettersen, Priola, Rodriguez, Scott, Smallwood, Sonnenberg, Story, Winter, Woodward, and Zenzinger.

In the House, SJR 21-017 was cosponsored by Representatives Amabile, Bacon, Baisley, Benavidez, Bernett, Bird, Bockenfeld, Bradfield, Caraveo, Carver, Catlin, Cutter, Daugherty, Duran, Esgar, Exum, Froelich, Garnett, Geitner, Gonzales-Gutierrez, Gray, Hanks, Herod, Holtorf, Hooton, Jodeh, Kennedy, Kipp, Larson, Lontine, Luck, Lynch, McCluskie, McCormick, McKean, McLachlan, Michaelson Jenet, Mullica, Neville, Ortiz, Pelton, Pico, Ransom, Rich, Ricks, Roberts, Sandridge, Sirota, Snyder, Soper, Sullivan, Tipper, Titone, Valdez A., Van Beber, Van Winkle, Weissman, Will, Williams, Woodrow, Woog, and Young.

On April 24, at 5pm, Colorado’s Armenian community and supporters gathered at the Colorado State Capitol Armenian Memorial Garden and Khachkar, which was vandalized last year, for the commemoration. Present dignitaries and supporters included former Colorado State Representative Cole Wist, Regional Transportation District (RTD) Board Member and former State Representative Paul Rosenthal, who is the only Colorado official to have visited the Republic of Artsakh, and members of Colorado’s Turkish-American community who officially recognize the Armenian Genocide.

In his remarks, Rep. Wist stated that “This day belongs to the Armenian people, it belongs to this community, my heart is with all of you. Le’s think of those who are not with us, and of those in the broader Armenian family. Today is for all of you. Love you all.”

At the end of the commemoration, community leaders announced upcoming plans for restoring the khachkar, and summarized the recent support the community received: from President Biden to Governor Polis, from Colorado’s legislature to the Congressional delegation. The brief program was concluded by a violin performance of Armenian News and Adanayi Voghb by Nina Fronjian.

Armenians of Colorado, Inc. (AOC) was established in June 1980 as a 501(c)3 non-profit cultural organization. Its purpose is to create a cohesive Armenian community and to further the understanding of Armenian history, culture, language, customs, and heritage. AOC actively supports issues and concerns of the Armenian-American community in Colorado as well as those identified within the Armenian Diaspora throughout the world.

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The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region is the largest and most influential nonpartisan 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 in pursuit of the Armenian Cause. 


April 24, 2021 Armenian Genocide Commemoration at the Colorado State Capitol Armenian Genocide Memorial Garden, Photograph by Mher Ginosyan.HEIC
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Cole Wist at the April 24, 2021 Armenian Genocide Commemoration at the Colorado State Capitol Armenian Genocide Memorial Garden, Photograph by Mher Ginosyan.jpg
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April 24, 2021 Armenian Genocide Commemoration at the Colorado State Capitol Armenian Genocide Memorial Garden, Photograph by Mher Ginosyan (1).jpg
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April 24, 2021 Armenian Genocide Commemoration at the Colorado State Capitol Armenian Genocide Memorial Garden, Photograph by Mher Ginosyan (2).jpg
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