Turan news agency, Azerbaijani Opposition June 9 2017 Ethnic minority activist faces travel ban in Azerbaijan [Armenian News note: the below is translated from the Russian edition of Turan] The head of an ethnic minority centre in Azerbaijan has been barred from travelling abroad in connection with an investigation into an ethnic reporter's defection to Armenia. Rafiq Calilov, the head of the Talis (Talish) culture centre, says that he was not allowed to leave the country in late May because of a travel ban imposed on him by the Prosecutor-General's Office. The travel ban was imposed because Calilov is a witness in the case of correspondent of Tolisi Sado (Tolyshi Sado, Voice of Talis) newspaper, Sahin Mirzoyev, who defected to Armenia in February 2017. Armenia is Baku's arch-foe due to the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute. Calilov said that he had no plans to emigrate, but wanted to travel to Dagestan, Russia for the wedding of a friend's son. He described the travel ban as politically motivated and filed a complaint with the Prosecutor-General's Office. "I do not understand what is the point of not allowing me to travel abroad. If I wanted to leave, I would have done that in 2014 when I was in Europe. I am not going to leave Azerbaijan," Calilov said. Turan said on 8 June that the editor of Tolisi Sado, Hilal Mammadov, was interrogated at the Interior Ministry's organised crime department in connection with the Sahin Mirzoyev case. Hilal Mammadov, received a five-year prison sentence in September 2013 on charges of drug possession, high treason and incitement of hatred. He was given a presidential pardon in 2016. Tolisi Sado's previous editor, Novruzali Mammadov, died in a Baku prison hospital in 2009, a year after he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for high treason and spying for Iran.
Author: Hovik Karapetian
US Ambassador to Armenia contributes to construction of longest zip line in the world
news.am, Armenia
June 9 2017
US Ambassador to Armenia contributes to construction of longest zip line in the world
17:00, 09.06.2017
The amount required for the construction of the longest zip line in the world has been collected.
According to Marketing Coordinator of Yell Extreme Park, Gegham Vardanyan, during the fundraising about $22,165 thousand was collected instead of the needed $20,000. 310 participants from 21 countries took part in the fundraising. 70 percent of the funds were transferred from Armenia, Russia and US coming second and third. Together with Georgia they collected overall 93 percent of the funds.
Armenian PM Karen Karapetyan and US Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills, as well as private entrepreneurs and different organizations also transferred funds for the construction of the longest zip line.
The fundraising was held from May 4 to June 2. The longest zip line will be built in Yenokavan village. It will be 2680 meters long and 200-300 meters high. The flight will last 3-4 minutes at a speed of 120 kmh.
Author of the Yell Extreme Park project and co-founder of the park, Tigran Chibukhchyan, noted that the project is quite complex from the point of view of engineering.
It is planned to launch the construction after June 20. The Armenian side will be supported by specialists from Georgia, France and Austria. “We would very much like to put the zip line in commission by late June, but we will be able to mention the precise deadlines in the first week of July,” Chibukhchyan noted.
Analyst: "Exchange of territories for peace" will not lead Karabakh for a long peace
ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia Monday Analyst: "Exchange of territories for peace" will not lead Karabakh for a long peace Yerevan May 22 David Stepanyan. The willingness to negotiate "around the exchange of territories for peace" recently voiced by Elmar Mamedyarov is a long-awaited interim solution for Azerbaijan. An independent analyst, ex-head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nagorno-Karabakh Arman Melikyan expressed such opinion to ArmInfo. The last week was characterized by a significant increase in tension on the Karabakh-Azerbaijan contact line. Azerbaijani snipers killed three servicemen of the NKR Defense Army. After that by the guided missile was damaged the anti-aircraft missile system "Osa" of the NKR. After all this, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov said that Baku is ready to negotiate "around the exchange of territories for peace." In other words, the leadership of Azerbaijan promises not to kill Armenian servicemen in response to the agreement to withdraw troops from certain areas. However, in response to the alert, the advanced units of the NKR DA resorted to punitive measures, as a result of which several objects of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces were destroyed. The analyst stressed that representatives of Russian political and expert circles voiced the formula for the "exchange of territories for peace" for months before Mamadyarov. According to his estimates, through its implementation, Azerbaijan will be able to snatch half of the territory of Artsakh and gain new strategic positions without a single casualty and special efforts. "According to these absolutely false and unfounded speeches, it is allegedly possible to establish a lasting peace and eradicate hostility. After a while, however, Azerbaijan does not hesitate to use any convenient moment to attack the above-mentioned Armenian cities and will try to capture Artsakh and Syunik," the analyst summed up.
Andre Agassi to coach Novak Djokovic
Following a tough start to the season Djokovic parted ways with his coaching staff and has since been operating without a designated coach.
There had been plenty of speculation about who would take over but following his defeat to Alexander Zverev in the final of the ATP Rome Masters Djokovic revealed that eight-times Grand Slam winner Agassi was his new trainer.
Djokovic said that he has been in contact with Agassi over the past few weeks and that the American has been watching his matches.
“We will be together in Paris. We talked on the phone two weeks ago. Then we’ll see what happens in the future.”
Djokovic added: “We are both excited about working together, but we have no long-term agreements and he is not going to be with me for the whole tournament.
Actor Dean Cain vows to #KeepThePromise to never forget Armenian Genocide
I am joining & to to never forget. TY
— Dean Cain (@RealDeanCain)
Actor, writer and filmmaker Dean Cain has joined an array of celebrities to to never forget the Armenian Genocide.
“I’m Dean Cain. In college I studied history, I learned about genocides, like the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust. There is genocide going on right now, here, today. I’m talking about Syria, Iraq, Sudan. I vow to keep the promise to relegate genocide to history books,” Cain says in a Twitter video.
Elton John, Barbara Streisand, Andre Agassi, Sylvester Stallone, Cher and others have also expressed support for the Armenian Genocide-themed film “The Promise,” which hits theatres on April 21.
Dean Cain visited Armenia earlier this year and .
Set during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, “The Promise” is an epic human drama about a love triangle between Michael Boghosian, a brilliant medical student played by Golden Globe winning actor Oscar Isaac, the beautiful and sophisticated Armenian artist Ana played by Charlotte le Bon, and Chris Myers, a renowned American photo-journalist covering the war played by Oscar-winning actor Christian Bale.
The film is also supported by an impressive cast of international actors. Their relationships unfold amidst the start of the Armenian Genocide, causing major upheaval of their lives and a struggle just to survive.
FC Rostov pitch closed by Russian Premier League after Mourinho criticism
A week after Jose Mourinho criticised their pitch, the Russian Premier League has “banned” FC Rostov from hosting league games due to “shortfalls” in the playing surface, the BBC reports.
Manchester United drew 1-1 at the Olimp-2 Stadium in their Europa League last-16 first-leg tie last Thursday thanks to a goal from Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
“It’s hard for me to believe we are going to play on that field, if you can call it a field,” Mourinho had said.
Rostov now have until 24 March to bring their pitch up to standard.
The pitch was dry and bobbly, and after the match Mourinho said the conditions made it “impossible to play a passing game”.
Rostov will have their pitch inspected again on 24 March, with their next home game on 31 March against FC Krasnodar.
Uefa had deemed the pitch playable for the Europa League game, but the Russian Premier League say they have different regulations in place.
United and Rostov play the second leg at Old Trafford on Thursday.
Like Rostov, Rubin Kazan’s Central Stadium has also been banned by the Russian Premier League.
Artsakh Referendum 2017: 76.52% say yes to Constitutional reform
The NKR Central Electoral Commission has provided final data on the results of voting at the Constitutional Referendum held on February 20.
Thus, 79 428 citizens or 76.52% of the eligible voters participated in the referendum.
According to the CEC, 69 540 citizens or 87,55 % voted in favor of constitutional reform; 7 686 citizens or 9.7 % of the voters cast their vote against the new Constitution. The number of invalid ballots was 2 202 (2.8 %).
Polls close in Artsakh Referendum: Voter turnout reaches 76.44 percent
Artsakh held a referendum on new Constitution today. 79 314 citizens or 76.44 percent of the eligible voters cast their vote in the polls, the Central Referendum Commission informs.
The number of eligible voters was 102 757. The voting took place at 280 polling stations, including one in Yerevan.
NKR President congratulates NSW Prime Minister Gledis Berejikyan on appointment
On 24 January Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan sent a congratulatory address to Mrs. Gledis Berejikyan, Prime Minister of the New South Wales of Australia.
The address runs as follows:
“Respected Mrs. Berejikyan,
On behalf of the people and authorities of Artsakh and personally myself I cordially congratulate You on the appointment to the post of prime-minister of the New South Wales state of Australia.
I am confident that Your knowledge and rich experience will effectively contribute to further raising the welfare of the state’s people.
New South Wales, having a leading role in the economic and political life of Australia, is famous also as a region, where peoples’ freedom and equality, human rights and universal democratic values have always been of primordial significance.
The bright evidence of this fact is the resolution on recognition of NKR’s independence and its right to self-determination, adopted by the legislative body of the state on October 25, 2015.
I hope that during Your tenure a fresh content will be brought to the friendly ties between Artsakh and New South Wales, contributing to the establishment of mutually beneficial cooperation.
I once again congratulate You, wishing robust health and great success in the realization of Your mission.”
‘The Other Side of Home’ screens in New York preceding Oscar nomination vote
Asbarez – The film The Other Side of Home, which is under consideration for an Academy Award for short documentary, was shown to film industry members, including members of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, at New York’s Soho House. The final five nominees for the category will be announced Tuesday, January 24th.
Actor-writer Eric Bogosian gave the introduction at the event, which included the director, Naré Mkrtchyan and producer, Rob Fried.
“I’m so thankful that this film was chosen as one of the final ten candidates for an Academy Award,” said Mkrtchyan. “As a grandchild of survivors of the Armenian Genocide this means a lot to me. In a way, it’s a confirmation that this topic which has been silenced for so long is universally understood, that it’s one worth telling, and one that audiences would like to see.”
“It’s a very powerful story, told in a very modern and engaging way,” said Chris Parnagian, who attended the screening and was among the donors who contributing to the event.
Conceived, directed and narrated by Mkrtchyan, the 40-minute documentary follows her on a trip Turkey in April, 2015, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
In the film, Naré visits Maya, a Turkish woman who recently discovered that her great grandmother was a “hidden” Armenian Genocide survivor. Through interviews conducted in Turkey and Armenia, Maya reveals her emotional struggle to reconcile her dual identity, compounded by generations of official denial by Turkey.
The filmmakers answered questions about the film’s behind-the-scenes process; Among them – how the filmmaker found the subject, Maya, about traveling through Turkey during the genocide centennial, about Naré’s sometimes difficult discussions with Maya about genocide recognition.
The Genocide Education Project thanks the generous donors and organizers who helped make the event a success — Rachel and Paul Nadjarian, Alexis Alexanian and Douglas Graham, Emma Arakelyan and Tiran Nalbandyan, Lisa and Chris Parnagian, and Dikran and Seda Kaligian.