Author: Hovik Karapetian

Wrongful detention case: 32 nurses fly to Armenia

Hovik Karapetian
Deccan Herald, India
Dec 15 2018
 
 
Wrongful detention case: 32 nurses fly to Armenia
 
Thirty-two nurses who were wrongfully detained by immigration officials and the city police at the Kempegowda International Airport in the early hours of November 27, 2018, left for Armenia to pursue their German language course.
 
Four nurses flew on December 7, while 28 of them left in one flight on Sunday (November 9) to the University of Traditional Medicine of Armenia (UTMA) from the Kempegowda International airport. Their travel documents and other formalities were facilitated by Tony’s wife Jwala Tony, a resident of Whitefield in Bengaluru.
 
The nurses were detained at the airport as the authorities suspected that they were being trafficked to Armenia and even arrested the organiser Tony Tom from Mangaluru.
 
Tom was running an educational consultancy named Hopeson International in Mangaluru. Tony’s kin alleged, his business rival had tipped off two Intelligence Bureau sleuths who in turn took it up with the immigration officials and the airport police to detain them. Though the nurses had all travel documents in place and were authentic, they were not allowed to fly as the authorities suspected a case of human trafficking. The KIA police had even lodged a case of human trafficking and forgery and sent Tony to jail.
 
Bail for Tony
 
On Thursday, a local court granted bail for Tony and he was released on Friday. Sources said there is no evidence to establish it was a case of human trafficking, and the police may submit a B-report soon.
 
 
 
 
 

Canberra: Mr Jason Falinski MP speech on Federation Chamber Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide: 70th Anniversary

Hovik Karapetian
Parliament of Australia
December 3 2018
Mr Jason Falinski MP speech on Federation Chamber – PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BUSINESS – Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide: 70th Anniversary
 
 
Canberra: Parliament of Australia has issued the following speech:
 
Mr FALINSKI (Mackellar) (18:41): It is my great pleasure to rise today to speak in support of this motion moved by my colleague and good friend, the member for Goldstein. Seventy years ago, the United Nations unanimously voted to adopt the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
 
Earlier in this parliament, I had cause to return to some historical documents of my parents and grandparents regarding why they left Poland and their time in Eastern Europe. There was scant documentation. But there was one document from the German government offering reparations for the death of my great-grandparents and my father’s aunts and uncles at the hands of the Nazi regime. I can remember saying to the Premier of New South Wales, and to many others: ‘How could this happen in a civilised nation?’ She pointed me to a phrase, which has been mentioned by a number of other speakers, that Hitler spoke at the time, which was: ‘Who, after all, remembers the Armenians?’ That is why the crime of genocide is so critical.
 
Seventy years on, we are no closer to eradicating this scourge on humanity. It was Raphael Lemkin, a Jewish lawyer from Poland, who coined the term ‘genocide’. Raphael said: ‘I became interested in genocide because it happened so many times. It happened to the Armenians, and after the Armenians there was a very rough deal at the Versailles conference because the criminals who were guilty of genocide were not punished.’
 
Since 1948, we have seen genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and, as recently as 2003, in Darfur. Of these, convictions of genocide have been made. But the international community lacks the capacity to enforce those decisions. In some cases, the offenders have brazenly shrugged off these convictions.
 
In my electorate of Mackellar, I’m proud to host one of the largest Armenian communities in the country, which includes Galstaun College, an Armenian school, which I have had the pleasure and privilege of visiting many times. Many of its students, who I recently spoke to, are descendants of survivors of the Armenian genocide. Many are from Syria, which has also gone through a civil war.
 
When the UN was founded in 1945, it set out, as its mission, the institutionalisation of fundamental and inviolable human rights. This plight should be close to the heart of every Australian as we recognise our foundational role in the establishment of the United Nations, the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and our facilitation of the convention that I stand in support of now.
 
Australia has always been a strong advocate in the defence of those fundamental rights and freedoms. This is no better encapsulated than in the spirit of the Anzacs at Gallipoli. What our soldiers witnessed only confirmed this. They saw the unspeakable horrors perpetrated against the indigenous Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Christian minorities of Anatolia. In October, I stood in the House to recognise Anzac prisoners of war who suffered alongside Armenians held captive in desecrated churches—those Anzacs that rescued Armenian men, women and children, against all odds. This act of kindness out of the sheer belief in not letting evil prevail must not go unnoticed.
 
The experience of the Armenians was one of the first, but, unfortunately, it wasn’t the last. As others have mentioned, we still see the world remain silent while genocides are perpetrated. Armenians to this day struggle against the efforts of a genocidal regime to eradicate their presence in their historic homeland. The Armenian Republic of Artsakh has been from the late 1980s, and is still today, in a state of conflict. In Baku, many are subjected to racism, discrimination and marginalisation because of their heritage. This must stop.
 
If history has taught us anything, it is that we must be prepared to speak out against these atrocities to prevent escalation and to prevent future genocides. That is why I stand to recognise the 70th anniversary of this convention. The United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide was not conditional. If we are committed to ensuring these acts are never repeated, we must begin by acknowledging them.

Former Armenian President Arrested a Decade Later for Crackdown on Pro-Democracy Protesters

Hovik Karapetian
Newsweek
Dec 9 2018
By Benjamin Fearnow On 12/9/18
ormer Armenian President Robert Kocharian was taken into custody again Friday as he faces charges of illegally using deadly military force to squash election fraud protests in 2008. 

The country’s highest courts reversed a ruling that freed Kocharian, 64, from jail last summer, accusing Armenia’s president from 1998 to 2008 of “overthrowing the constitutional order.” Kocharian’s attorneys argue the ex-president has immunity from prosecution despite allegedly ordering the armed forces to quell pro-democracy protests that ultimately left eight protesters and two police personnel dead. 

In April, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan, who was ushered into office as a result of the controversial 2008 election, resigned from office following massive pro-democracy protests. Opponents of the pro-Russia leader allege he manipulated the country’s laws to stay in power. 

 

 Former Armenian President Robert Kocharian was taken into custody again Friday as he faces charges of illegally using deadly military force to squash post-election protests in 2008. KAREN MINASYAN/AFP/Getty Images

The Friday Court of Appeals ruling ordered Kocharian to be held in custody before his trial after a lower court freed him earlier this year. Kocharian has repeatedly claimed current Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who helped stage the post-election protests, is waging a political “vendetta” against him a decade after the deadly government response in Yerevan. The February and March 2008 upheaval challenged electoral fraud in the contest between Levon Ter-Petrosyan and Serzh Sargsyan.

Kocharian issued a statement labeling Pashinyan, who spent nearly two years in prison over the protests, as “the main organizer of the disturbances” who is now attempting to “clean himself from the blood.” In August, Pashinyan touted the criminal case against Kocharian, declaring, “All murderers will go to prison.”

Kocharian attorney Ruben Sahakyan told reporters Friday they plan to appeal the latest ruling to the European Court of Human Rights. “I am fully determined to continue my political struggle in prison,” said the statement. “Let the authorities and their sponsors have no hopes that they can break my will,” spokesman Victor Soghomonyan said in a statement. The Special Investigative Service (SIS) is the law enforcement agency investigating the March 2008 violence and reported Kocharian turned himself in without incident a few hours after Friday’s ruling was announced.

The opposition Republican Party of Armenia condemned the high-profile arrest as a fear-mongering political tactic. “It is evident that the authorities and Pashinyan in particular organized this arrest to also strengthen the atmosphere of fear, demonstrate force and step up pressure on their opponents in this pre-election period,” the Republican Party of Armenia’s governing board said in a statement. 

Armenia, a country of 3.2 million people, still depends heavily on aid and investment from their former Soviet Union overlords, but officially split from Russia in 1991.

Initiative group to stage protests for ex-President’s release

Hovik Karapetian
Panorama, Armenia
Dec 9 2018

An initiative group named “Freedom to President” has announced an intention to start demonstrations demanding the release of Armenia’s former President Robert Kocharyan who is currently placed in detention. 

On December 7, Armenia’s Court of Appeals upheld the first instance court’s ruling to arrest the former president who is accused of overturning the constitutional system.

“The acting leadership of Armenia, violating the constitution and the laws  of the Republic of Armenia, exerting unprecedented pressure on judges, violating the national interest of the Armenian people and downgrading the heroic pages of the newest history, illegally detained the Chairman of the Karabakh State Protection Committee, the President of the Artsakh Republic and a national hero of Artsakh, the second President of the Republic of Armenia,” the statement released by the initiative group reads in part.

The group demands the immediate release of the former president, calling for an end of the “personal vendetta” against him. According to the released statement, a start date for the protest actions is named December 11.

To note, Kocharyan was arrested in July on charges of overthrowing Armenia’s constitutional order during the March 1-2, 2008 post-election events. He was released by the Court of Appeals on 13 August on the basis of immunity from prosecution. On 15 November, the Court of Cassation rejected Kocharyan’s appeal and only partly satisfied the prosecutors’ demands to send the case back to the Court of Appeals for re-examination.
Kocharyan and his lawyers strongly deny the charges as ‘politically motivated’.

Italy Senate deputy speaker on Armenia: We are in a country which goes on democratic way

Hovik Karapetian
News.am, Armenia
Dec 5 2018
Italy Senate deputy speaker on Armenia: We are in a country which goes on democratic way Italy Senate deputy speaker on Armenia: We are in a country which goes on democratic way

17:23, 05.12.2018
                  

YEREVAN. – President of the National Assembly (NA), Ara Babloyan, on Wednesday received a delegation, led by Vice President Paola Taverna of the Italian Senate. The delegation is in Armenia within the framework of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly observers’ mission on the occasion of Sunday’s snap parliamentary election in the country.

Babloyan stressed that Armenia lauds the activities of observation missions in the preparations for and holding of elections, and which is indispensable in the development of democracy.

Touching upon Armenian-Italian relations, the speaker of Armenia’s parliament noted that the country highlights the dynamically developing relations with Italy, and based on the historical connections between the two peoples.

Babloyan recorded that the Italian Armenian community as well as the common historical, cultural, civilizational, and democratic values unite the two countries and further strengthen their relations. The NA chairman expressed his gratitude to the authorities and people of Italy for their warm disposition towards the Armenian community in their country.

Taverna, for her part, stated that this visit of theirs to Armenia will promote the further deepening of age-old friendly relations between Italy and Armenia.

“Now, we are in a country which goes on democratic way,” the deputy speaker of the Italian Senate added, “and we wish to help in strengthening that process.”

At the guests’ request, Ara Babloyan reflected also on the events unrolling in Armenia, the forthcoming early parliamentary election in the country, and the regional matters.

Armenia’s main objective is economic revolution – Gagik Tsarukyan

Hovik Karapetian
ARKA, Armenia
Nov 28 2018

YEREVAN, November 28. /ARKA/. Armenia’s main objective is economic revolution, Gagik Tsarukyan, the leader of Prosperous Armenia party, said Tuesday while speaking at a rally staged in Abovyan as part of his election campaign.  

“There is a chance to do this,” he said. “Today everybody wants to work. There were even worse situations in different countries, but things are being put right gradually by unification and management.”
Tsarukyan said that there are problems in all areas. 

“All these problems should be solved,” he said. “We should adopt laws to solve these problems. Today in any country small and medium-size businesses constitute the pivot of the economy, which make up 50%, 60 or 70% of any European country’s economy.”

Along with that, Tsarukyan said that it is wrong to rely heavily on SMEs in composing the government budget. He proposed to ease their tax burden amid crises. 

“Investments are needed, but we shouldn’t ask investors for money, but we should create favorable conditions to attract them.”

Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resigned October 16 to clear way for the dissolution of the parliament and holding early parliamentary elections. Under the Armenian Constitution, early elections are held if lawmakers fail twice within 14 days to appoint a prime minister. 

Pashinyan was elected as PM by the country’s National Assembly after former president turned-prime minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned on April 23 under immense public pressure provided by weeks of nationwide protest against Sargsyan and his Republican Party. 

Nine political parties and 2 blocs will be contesting the polls. They  are My Step bloc, the Prosperous Armenia Party, the National Progress Party, the Christian-National Revival, the Sasna Tsrer All-Armenian Party, the Orinats Yerkir Party, the We  bloc, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party, the Bright Armenia bloc, the Republican Party of Armenia, the Social Democratic Party and the Decision of Citizen party. -0-

Investigative committee releases footage from scene of Armenian’s death in Moscow

Hovik Karapetian
News.am, Armenia
Nov 21 2018
Investigative committee releases footage from scene of Armenian’s death in Moscow Investigative committee releases footage from scene of Armenian’s death in Moscow

15:43, 21.11.2018
                  

The Investigative Committee of Russia has released a footage from Moscow International airport where an Armenian man had been found dead on the runway, RBC reported.

The Investigative Committee found parts from the man’s coat and a shoelace among the fragments scattered on the runway.

According to Mash TV Channel, at about 6:00 pm the Armenian citizen arrived at airport. The man has been escorted by police to the boarding gate, but then walked away instead of boarding a bus to the plane.

The Investigative Committee establishes the circumstances of the accident. A pre-investigation check is conducted; the initiation of a criminal case has not been reported yet.

As reported earlier, the Armenian embassy in Moscow confirmed reports on the death of Armenia national Yepremyan A. (born in 1993) as a result of the accident on the runway of Sheremetyevo International Airport.

“The diplomatic mission was informed by Russia’s investigative committee that the investigation into the reasons of the accident continues. The embassy is in contact with the relevant agencies of Russia. The additional information will be provided later,” the embassy said in a statement.

Film: KIN International Film Festival kicks off in Yerevan

Hovik Karapetian
Panorama, Armenia
Nov 16 2018
Culture 12:19 16/11/2018 Armenia

The 15th KIN International Film Festival kicked off Thursday in Yerevan and is due until November 19. According to the Ministry of Culture, this year the film festival has received over 500 applications, among them 52 films from 20 countries have been included in the festival competition program. The festival has a small but diverse and interesting program which offers spectators good-quality movies.

The festival’s programs include “Short Film Competition Program”, “Guest Program”, “Chaykhana” international multimedia platform program, a retrospective and mobile application (for Android mobile phones)  dedicated to the American-Armenian actress Flora Zabel.

Within the framework of the festival lectures on “The Visual Language in Cinema”, “The Creation of Cinematic Silence”, a Round-Table Discussion on “Women in the Contemporary Film Production” will take place.

Among the Jury members are Laurie Gordon (the director of Montreal International Animated Film Festival and founder of Musi Vision Films, Canada), Nvard Hovhannisyan (Chaykhana Media Multimedia Platform media manager, Armenia), Conny Beißler (operator, Germany), Siranuysh Galstyan (film critic, candidate of arts, prose writer, Armenia), Anush Babayan (co-founder and editor-in-chief of the online magazine “Cineversus”, Armenia).

The festival film screenings are open to the public free of charge.

The festival is being sponsored by the Ministry of Culture.

Azerbaijani Press: Russia hints on reconsidering its stance on Nagorno-Karabakh

Hovik Karapetian
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Nov 15 2018
15:31 (UTC+04:00)

By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Statements by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement at a press conference held following a meeting with OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger in Moscow are quite significant in terms of their essence since they can facilitate progress on Karabakh settlement.

In his speech, Lavrov stressed that Russia welcomes agreements reached in Dushanbe.

However, he stated that until the current somewhat tumultuous domestic political processes in Armenia are complete, it will hardly be possible to discuss in real earnest specific options for overcoming this crisis and ensuring a full Nagorno-Karabakh settlement.

Simultaneously with the statement of Lavrov, the Russian co-chairman Igor Popov, while on a visit to the region, refused to go from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh, in other words, he did not meet with the Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.

A group of pro-Armenian Russian experts associated this with technical issues.

However, we should not forget that Popov met in Baku with representatives of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Therefore, the unwillingness to visit occupied Karabakh lands should be viewed as something more than just a technical issues. It is rather a political step showing that Russia demonstrated support to Azerbaijan, which is understandable and logical in view of recent developments in Armenia and its aggressive policy.

Worsening relations with Russia, after Pashinyan came to power, is not surprising. Russia, which has its own interests in the region, has long viewed Armenia as its true ally, but the country is reconsidering this at the moment.

Prior to becoming the prime minister of Armenia, the then oppositionist Pashinyan made a number of anti-Russian statements, urging the Armenian authorities to leave the alliance with Russia, in particular, the Eurasian Economic Union.

Armenians perceive the current position of Russia as not corresponding to their interests. From the point of view of Azerbaijan, this is a step towards objectivity, the norms of international law.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

As a result of Armenia’s armed invasion into Azerbaijan’s legal territory, the two neighboring countries have remained locked in a bitter territorial dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which Armenia-backed separatists seized from Azerbaijan in a bloody war in the early 1990s.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

Despite Baku’s best efforts, peace in the occupied lands remains a mirage in the distance as Armenia refuses to comply with international law.