Author: Kajoyan Gevork

Haut-Karabagh
Le Groupe de Minsk inquiet

Les médiateurs américains, russes et français ont exprimé hier leurs
vives préoccupations suite aux incursions armées azerbaïdjanaises
rapportées par le côté arménien et ont exhorté l’Azerbaïdjan à
chercher un règlement pacifique au conflit du Haut-Karabagh.

Les trois pays du Groupe de Minsk de l’OSCE ont rencontré le ministre
azerbaïdjanais des Affaires étrangères, Elmar Mammadyarov, à Cracovie
(Pologne) pour discuter de la recrudescence des combats ces dernières
semaines dans la zone de conflit qui a fait au moins une douzaine de
morts des deux côtés. Dans une déclaration conjointe qui a suivi, ils
semblaient tenir Bakou comme principal responsable de cette dernière
escalade.

“Nous avons exprimé au ministre notre vive préoccupation au sujet des
incursions signalées à travers la ligne de contact, faisant des
victimes (…) La montée de la violence qui a commencé l’an dernier
doit cesser pour que la confiance soit restaurée et que des progrès
soient réalisés dans le processus de paix du Haut-Karabagh. Nous avons
appelé l’Azerbaïdjan à respecter ses engagements pour une résolution
pacifique du conflit “, est-il indiqué dans un communiqué.

“Nous appelons également l’Arménie à prendre toutes les mesures pour
réduire les tensions. Les deux pays doivent respecter les termes de
l’accord de cessez-le-feu. La violence sape les efforts pour parvenir
à la paix “, ont déclaré les co-présidents du Groupe de Minsk.

Le président de l’Azerbaïdjan, Aliev, a dénoncé à plusieurs reprises
les puissances médiatrices qui, selon lui, n’aident pas son pays à
reprendre le contrôle du Haut-Karabagh et des districts qui
l’entourent.

Le gouvernement azerbaïdjanais n’a pas réagi immédiatement hier. Le
ministère des Affaires étrangères a collé à la ligne officielle en
disant que la résolution du conflit doit partir “du retrait des
troupes de l’Arménie des territoires occupés appartenant à
l’Azerbaïdjan.”

Dans leur déclaration, les coprésidents ont dit qu’ils ont également
souligné à Mammadyarov “l’importance des mesures visant à éviter les
incidents inattendus le long de la ligne de contact.”

Cette mesure, préconisée depuis des années par la troïka, est le
retrait mutuel des tireurs d’élite de tous les postes de première
ligne. Le ministre de la Défense arménien, Seyran Ohanian, a réaffirmé
le ferme soutien d’Erevan à cette idée hier. Le ministère de la
Défense de l’Azerbaïdjan l’a, quand à lui, de nouveau rejeté.

mercredi 28 janvier 2015,
Claire (c)armenews.com

Impunity generates permissiveness

January 27 2015

This hackneyed expression is the best to characterize the dynamics of
violence against activists in our country. The number of physical
violence against the participants in various protests, also those who
make non-government-pleasing posts in social networks and the civil
society activists, as well as the techniques of performance are
gradually developing. We have already lost the number of such cases,
alas there are almost no disclosures. The last case was the beating up
of Vilen Gabrielyan, known as “Navak Chochogh” (“Boat Shaker”). In the
evening of January 17, unknown people in masks attacked and beat him
up with batons. Does anybody doubt that the perpetrators will not be
identified? Many previously undisclosed cases make us not even hope
that those attaching with a baton at a naked person will be identified
and brought to responsibility. Instead, we can say for sure that the
subsequent undisclosed case is going to create a fertile ground for
new acts of violence. The attack at Vilen Gabrielyan was the first one
in this year. However, in December, the cases of attack and beating up
“by unknown persons” were unprecedentedly many. On December 9 and 10,
war veterans were beat up: the great activist in various political and
civil actions Suren Sargsyan, Manvel Yeghiazaryan and Razmik
Petrosyan. On December 11, at the entrance of his house, ANC faction
secretary Aram Manukyan was beat up. On December 20, the civil
activist Vaghinak Shushanyan was beaten up. November month did not
pass without incidents too. “Pre-parliamentary” member Gevorg Safaryan
was beaten; the cars of another six members of the same organization
or support members were burned. However, the hope for finding the
perpetrators is ultimately dying when in response to the doubts that
the clients of these beatings are the authorities, particularly in the
upper circles of the police, the deputy chief of police announces, “I
have nothing to feel constraint, if someone in this country would say
anything bad against the president in my presence, I will cut off his
ears like it is done with the whelps.” This “self-confession” in
normal countries would be followed by the resignation of the official,
whereas no such expectation exists in our country. In this case, I
sadly realize that the cases are not disclosed as a result of lack of
talent of our policemen, but simply due to the lack of desire to
disclose them. The year of 2013 was abundant in beatings of civil
activists. So abundant that in the end of September 2013, the police
had issued a statement that “Recently civil society activists were
widely asserted to have been subjected to violence and battery by
unidentified persons and simultaneously The Police was accused of
showing inactivity in disclosing those criminal acts. Those
accusations are groundless and don’t correspond to the reality.
Immediately after the incidents a number of operational, search and
investigative measures were taken, examinations were assigned,
eyewitnesses were detected and interviewed, a careful study of video
recordings was made. The investigation of cases of violence against
the civil society activists is immediately under the control of Police
chief, a daily report on the investigation process is made.” But no
word about the disclosures. In September 4, 2013, civil activists
Haykak Arshamyan amd Suren Saghatelyan were beated by such “unknown
persons”. One year and three months was not enough to identify those
who committed these acts of violence in the event when there are so
many cameras around, and it did not require great talent to identify
the case within short period of time and bring the perpetrators to
responsibility. But what are we talking about, when it was last year
since they had last conducted an operation on this case. In the
conversation with “Aravot”, Haykak Arshamyan told, “We have met with
the investigator last year, in early January. It has been more than a
year since we do not have any information about this case. We do not
even know whether this case was closed, dismissed or temporarily
“frozen”…”. To our question that if the case was dismissed during this
one year, they were obligated to inform you, Mr. Arshamyan replied
“Yes, they are obligated to inform in writing about the situation.
But, it’s more than a year, no news. Some rumors reached me long ago
that the case will be closed, but I do not know what has happened. The
investigator, who was investigating the case, has been moved from
Kentron district to Shengavit district.” To our question of whether at
least they were pretending to do something trying to disclose, H.
Arshamyan replied, “Last time, it was in January 2014 when we went to
the police to make clarifications on the testimony, comparison of
blood tests, we signed some documents, some information about the
fingerprints that there is a third party’s fingerprints on the car…”
We inquired to know whether non-disclosure of similar cases is the
reason that new cases of violence are recorded, Mr. Arshamyan agreed,
“Absolutely. As long as such political persecution and acts of
violence are not disclosed, it means that they are backed by the
government authorities. Such primitive beating in the city center,
made in the presence of numerous cameras and not yet disclosed, prove
that the police with its inaction sponsors the doers, if not,
cooperates.” He also jokingly said that the criminals have been
perfected over one year. “If they attack us unarmed, and the only veil
was the darkness, then Vilen Gabrielyan was attacked with batons and
in masks. Even to the best of my knowledge, Vilen’s assailants were
dressed in similar clothes, almost in a uniform, in inflated
semi-coats. Hence, there is a progress in that sense. They are
working, the technologies develop”. And hiding the faces under
darkness or masks, according to H. Arshamyan, pursues a clear goal.
“They know that sooner or later the government will change so that to
serve the successor with a clear conscience.”

Melania BARSEGHYAN
Read more at:

L’Espresso , Italia
27 gen 2015

Dagli armeni alla Shoah, il Novecento secolo dei genocidi

Un secolo fa gli armeni. E settant’anni fa gli ebrei. Due tragedie
unite in un libro in uscita, che mostra come il secolo scorso sia
stato percorso dall’idea malsana della pulizia etnica

di Wlodek Goldkorn

Le scarpe degli internati conservate nel campo di Auschwitz Quando si
parla di genocidi, deportazioni di massa, uccisioni su scala
industriale; quando ai nostri occhi di spettatori postumi si
presentano immagini di uomini, donne, bambine e bambini (tanti)
condotti verso la morte (da pochi), è difficile reprimere l’impulso di
chiedere: . Di fronte a una evidente
superiorità numerica delle vittime rispetto ai loro aguzzini non è
facile capire la presunta rassegnazione o peggio passività di chi sta
per essere assassinato. Nasce da questa nostra incredulità, da questa
nostra incapacità di immaginare l’inimmaginabile l’idea che le vittime
avessero rinunciato alla diginità e all’onore.

La domanda: risuonò nell’aula del
tribunale di Gerusalemme durante il processo di Adolf Eichmann,
rivolta dal pubblico ministero Gideon Hausner ai testimoni supersiti
della Shoah. Ne è nato un libro polemico, non privo di rancore: “La
banalità del male” di Hannah Arendt.

In concomitanza con la Giornata della memoria (il 27 gennaio di
settant’anni fa Auschwitz fu liberata dall’Armata rossa) l’editore
Giuntina ha pubblicato un piccolo e prezioso libro. Non parla della
Shoah, o almeno non direttamente. Si intitola “Pro Armenia. Voci
ebraiche sul genocidio armeno” (a cura di Fulvio Cortese e Francesco
Berti) con la prefazione di Antonia Arslan. A pagina 33 del volume si
trova una frase che, sebbene scritta 45 anni prima del processo
Eichmann, letta oggi, clamorosamente rovescia la questione posta da
Hausner: . L’autore è Lewis Einstein, diplomatico americano, esperto
della Turchia, morto nel 1967 all’età di novant’anni. E il testo, uno
dei quattro del libro, lo ha composto nel 1917, due anni dopo il
massacro che costò la vita a un milione di esseri umani, colpevoli
solo di essere nati armeni.

Einstein spiega le ragioni per cui le vittime non si ribellarono così:
>. La fuga dall’Egitto era una marcia
verso la libertà. Qui invece l’autore rovescia il testo e la
tradizione biblica e aggiunge: . In altre parole: nessun carnefice è in grado di togliere la
dignità alla vittima, se la vittima della sua dignità rimane
cosciente.

Gli armeni furono sterminati in due ondate successive. La prima nel
1893-1894, ad opera del sultano Abdul Hamid II. L’accusa rivolta loro
era quella di fomentare i disordini e di lavorare per la distruzione
dell’impero ottomano. Furono ammazzate 200 mila persone. La seconda
ondata, quella di un vero genocidio, nel senso che un’intera cultura
venne sradicata assieme ai suoi portatori e ai suoi segni materiali
(case, chiese, cimiteri) sugli altopiani dell’Anatolia, risale al
1915. La prima guerra mondiale era in corso.

La Turchia, governata da nazionalisti che in apparenza volevano
modernizzare il paese, era nemica della Russia e nelle file delle
armate dello zar c’erano molti soldati armeni. A Costantinopoli degli
armeni cittadini turchi non ci si fidava. Occorreva quindi sbarazzarsi
di loro. La ricostruzione della storia e del contesto in cui il
massacro avvenne è, nel libro, opera di Raphael Lemkin, ebreo polacco,
giurista, inventore, nel 1944, della parola genocidio scomparso nel
1959 a New York (ai suoi funerali parteciparono appena sette persone).
I suoi studi su cosa significhi l’assassinio e la cancellazione di un
intero popolo risalgono ai primi anni Venti, quando lesse resoconti
del processo intentato a Berlino a un giovane armeno imputato di aver
ucciso Mehmet Talaat, ex ministro del governo turco, considerato il
principale responabile della sorte subita dai suoi confratelli.

Le sofferenze dagli armeni – per altro raccontate in forma romanzata
da Antonia Arslan (l’autrice, appunto della prefazione a questo libro)
in “La masseria delle allodole” (da cui i fratelli Taviani trassero
l’omonimo film) – in questo libro sono narrate da Aaron Aharonson,
sionista, agronomo talentuoso e uomo che in Palestina si mise contro i
turchi al servizio dei britannici. Nel suo testo racconta di . E poi, con un tocco degno di
un raffinato scrittore presenta il caso di un uomo sui 45 anni,
elegante, che viene catturato a Costantinopoli assieme a un bambino di
tre anni e portato al commissariato di polizia.

Gli armeni non finirono nelle camere a gas, a differenza degli ebrei.
Trovarono la morte durante le lunghe marce dalle loro città e villaggi
e fino al deserto. Erano sottopposti a ogni possibile angheria; tra
stupri delle donne, uccisioni arbitrarie, decessi per stenti, a causa
di fame o per mancanza d’acqua. Uno sterminio più artigianale quindi
rispetto a quello degli ebrei. Ma uno sterminio che non sfuggì, ecco
un’altra coincidenza, agli occhi dei tedeschi, alleati dei turchi (ne
parla nel libro il russo Andre Mandelstam), tanto che servì a Hitler
da esempio su come il mondo sia in grado di tollerare e dimenticare
tutto.

Dice Raz Segal, 39enne storico dell’Università di Tel Aviv che da anni
studia i paralleli e le differenze tra diversi genocidi: . Di
quella strage, oltre 8mila musulmani inermi, ammazzati dai serbi,
quest’anno cade il ventesimo anniversario. Un altro anniversario da
ricordare, in questa giornata della memoria.

Interfax, Russia
Jan 26 2015

More than 15 Azeri soldiers killed in clashes with Armenian forces, Yerevan says

YEREVAN. Jan 26

For three days the Armenian armed forces have been conducting
preventive military measures against Azeri troops, killing more than
15 of them as a result, said Artsrun Ovannisian, a spokesman for the
Armenian Defense Ministry.

“In offering condolences to the families of the Azeri soldiers who
fell victim to the recklessness of the Azeri government, we will,
however, add some clarification. No, we are not hiding that we
conducted the preventive measures,” Ovanisian wrote on his Facebook
page.

“The relatives of the dead can ask for explanations from the Azeri
armed forces commanders about the fate of over 15 soldiers serving in
the 812th motor rifle brigade in a defensive posture stationed between
Geely and Gadabay, a section of the 191st mountain strike brigade
between Zivlyan and Dashkasan, and the motor rifle brigades N 707
stationed near Kemerli and N161 near Kiyamandynly,” the Armenian
Defense ministry’s spokesperson said.

kk mk

Not recognizing Armenian Genocide led to Holocaust: Leaders of Jewish
community of Armenia

17:40, 27 January, 2015

YEREVAN, JANUARY 27, ARMENPRESS. On January 27, Auschwitz concentration and
death camp of the Nazi Germany was liberated 70 years ago. The
International Holocaust Remembrance Day is marked on January 27. On this
occasion the UN Office in Armenia together with the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and the
Jewish community of Armenia organized a solemn ceremony paying tribute to
the memory of victims.

As reports “Armenpress”, the UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia Bradley
Busetto and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of
Armenia Sergey Manasaryan laid a wreath dedicated to the memory of the
victims of Holocaust.

The UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia Bradley Busetto underscored: “Paying
tribute to the victims’ memory, this
international day gives us an opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of the
international community to take steps against anti-Semitism, racial
discrimination, and intolerance, and not to let their repetition in future.”

The Rabbi of the Jewish Community of Armenia Gershon Meir Burshtein, the
President of the Jewish Cultural Center Menora Willy Weiner and Chairwoman
of Jewish Community of Armenia Rimma Varzhapetyan-Feller issued a joint
statement, which particularly runs as follows:

“We have recently encountered the revival of Nazism, anti-Semitism,
spreading terrorism and violence, the painful example of which is the
Armenian Genocide in the beginning of the last century, which has not been
condemned and recognized by a row of countries and which led to Holocaust
and new genocides in future.

Taking into consideration the historical legacy of the two peoples with
similar fates, we must make all efforts to prevent the repetition of these
horrific facts of history in future.

The unacceptable silence of the international community and indifference
towards the crime against humanity and civilization, as well as the
targeted denial of any act of genocide paves the way for new violence on
religious and national grounds.

The international community must show solidarity in the direction of
recognition, condemnation, and prevention of all known genocides.”

Panorama.it: Armenians and Jews united with wound of the past and are still
target for Anti- Semitism and Anti-Armenianism

21:14, 27 January, 2015

ROME, 27 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Italian panorama.it has released an
article devoted to the Armenian Genocide and has touched upon the history
of the Holocaust. As “Armenpress” reports, the article presents facts of
the genocides that took place in 1915 and some similar pages in the history
of the Armenians and the Jews.

“During WWII, one of Adolf Hitler’s allies warned him that the annihilation
of millions of Jews wouldn’t go unnoticed. In
response, Hitler said to him, “Who after all speaks today of the
annihilation of the Armenians?” But Hitler was wrong because nobody can
annihilate an entire nation and its memory. The memory of the victims of
the Armenian Genocide is still kept alive today,” the author of the article
emphasizes.

“There are several facts, including photos that show the annihilation of
Armenian mothers, fathers, children, elderly,
boys, girls and an entire nation. Today, 100 years after the Armenian
Genocide, you can’t close your eyes, and it is truly our duty to keep them
open because Anti-Armenianism, by which Turkey and Azerbaijan are guided,
is a signal that the Genocide may be repeated.

The Jews and the Armenians, who are united through memory and the wound of
the past, are still a target for Anti-Semitism and Anti-Armenianism,” the
author mentions.

“Turks Shot Down U.S. Flag From Mission at Van” – The Toronto Daily
Star, October 5, 1915

January 27, 2015

The Canadian press reported on the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as
early as the 19th century. Canadians became informed about the
conditions Armenians lived in and the violence they faced during the
1895-96 Hamidian Massacres, the 1909 Adana Massacres and the 1915-1923
Armenian Genocide. Various articles from these time periods will be
posted on Sara Corning Centre for Genocide website
() over the next
several months to raise awareness and educate about the Armenian
Genocide as reported in the Canadian Press.

Iran reconfirms implementation of joint projects with Armenia

YEREVAN, January 27. / ARKA /. Visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Javad
Zarif has reconfirmed today his government’s plans to implement
several joint projects with Armenia, including the construction of
hydropower plants on the border River Arax and a railway from Iran to
Armenia.

Speaking at a joint news conference with his Armenian peer Edward
Nalbandian in Yerevan Zarif said Tehran has political will for the
implementation of joint projects and just needs to solve some
technical problems.

According to him, the Iranian side waits for experts to approve the
technical parameters of the power plants to start the construction.

A special ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the
hydropower plants was held in 2012. The hydroelectric power plants,
which will straddle the border river Arax will have the capacity to
produce 130 megawatts (MW) of electricity. The two plants one on each
side will annually produce 793 million kW / h of electricity.
According to Iranian officials, the construction will last for five
years and is estimated to cost $323 million.

On construction of the railway Zarif said the sides had effective
negotiations and good decisions were taken. “We hope that we will
kick off the project as soon as possible,” he said.

The 305 kilometer-long railway from Armenia to Iran, to be named the
Southern Armenian Railway (SAR), is estimated to cost some $3.2
billion. The high cost of the project is explained by mountainous
terrain through which it is supposed to pass.

Specifically, it will have 19.6 km-long 64 bridges and 60 tunnels of
102.3 kilometres. The railway is to run from Gagarin station in
Armenia’s Gegharkunik province to Agarak in southern Syunik and may
transport up to 25 million tons of cargo a year.

The Armenian government says the Southern Armenia Railway will create
the shortest transportation route from the ports of the Black Sea to
the ports of the Persian Gulf and establish a major commodities
transit corridor between Europe and the Persian Gulf region.” .-0-

Aravot: Protest in Yerevan: ‘OSCE – silent supporter of Azerbaijani aggression’

11:26 27/01/2015 >> DAILY PRESS

A protest will be staged outside the OSCE Office in Yerevan on January
29, titled ”OSCE – a silent supporter of the Azerbaijani aggression.’
The organizer is political analyst Karen Vardanyan, Aravot writes.

“A decision was made to hold a protest now because ceasefire
violations occur every day, while this organization is in a state of
idleness. Many blame Armenia and Russia, but no one dares to blame the
OSCE,” Vardanyan told the newspaper.

Source: Panorama.am

“After a few years we won’t have soldiers to keep the border”: azatamartik

14:01 | January 27,2015 | Social

“If the man of the house is weak, anyone will hit,”- says “Tigran
Mets” militia regiment military council Vice- President Vladimir
Arakelyan by commenting on tension on the border.

He remembers with proud how years ago Armenian small number of forces
made Azerbaijani forces retreat to their positions.

“It is very painful that 18-19 years old children are killed. If we
are strong, who are Azerbaijanis to bring us down?”- he says.

Mr. Arakelyan regrets to say that after a few years the security of
our country will be more endangered, “People are constantly leaving,
who will defend our homeland? Migration is an issue of national
security.”