Author: Kajoyan Gevork

Asbarez – With a favorable jet stream speeding their way, dozens of Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) leaders and activists arrived in Washington, DC last week for a two-day Capitol Hill advocacy campaign in support of peace and freedom for Artsakh.

The cross country trip by so many ANCA-WR leaders and activists was inspired by the ANCA Fly-In For #NKPEACE initiative, which drew activists from more than a dozen states to the nation’s capital, where they met with the offices of over 30 U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives, consulted with a broad range of senior foreign policy staff, and attended the annual Congressional event marking Artsakh’s commitment to peace and democracy. The Capitol Hill program, which drew a standing room only crowd, featured powerful remarks by Members of Congress, an address by Armenia’s Ambassador, and a keynote speech by Artsakh’s Foreign Minister Karen Mirzoyan.

The ANCA Fly In For #NKPEACE initiative was organized in the wake of a Congressional letter spearheaded this Fall by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Democrat Eliot Engel (D-NY), and cosigned by over 80 of their House colleagues, outlining three concrete steps to address Azerbaijan’s escalating aggression: Withdrawing snipers, adding observers, and deploying gunfire locator systems. Their letter was addressed to James Warlick, who serves as the U.S. Co-Chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group and who was present at the event for Artsakh held on Capitol Hill on December 9, 2015.

“I am so proud of the smart and dedicated team of activists, and especially the youth and student leaders, who joined us on Capitol Hill last week to raise our collective voices – as American citizens – for the rights of the freedom loving people of Artsakh,” shared ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian. “With foreign governments like Azerbaijan and Turkey pumping millions of dollars into their lobbying efforts against Artsakh – it is essential for Armenian Americans of all ages to stand strong on Capitol Hill. We look forward to following up this ANCA Fly-In For #NKPEACE with additional targeted outreach that focus on key elected officials and advance our human rights agenda and to continuing to include the leaders of tomorrow in these efforts,” Hovsepian added.

The ANCA-WR leaders and activists who flew to Washington, DC spent two days meeting with a bi-partisan array of federal officials, including with the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Ed Royce (R-CA), the Ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Intelligence – Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), the Ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee – Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA),  Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA), Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA), Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA), Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) and senior aides for U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA), among others.  The Capitol Hill meetings held by the ANCA-WR leaders and activists addressed a number of key issues – including the need for the U.S. Department of State to press the Aliyev regime in Baku to stop escalating violence and war rhetoric against the peaceful population of Artsakh and the need for the U.S. Government to support continued U.S. humanitarian and developmental assistance for Artsakh.

Among those joining the ANCA-WR delegation was Christine Dashdemirians, President of the CSUN Armenian Student Association. In 2014 Ms. Dashdemirians participated in the Armenian Youth Federation’s Youth Corps Summer Program, where she spent time teaching children in Armenia and Artaskh. “The ANCA Fly In For #NKPEACE was the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had,” she commented. “As a college student that loves to be involved in the Armenian American community, my two days on Capitol Hill were a great way to convey the stories of my students and their families from my AYF Youth Corps experience to members of the House and Senate.  In order for Artsakh to receive more aid from the United States, we all need to get active and let our federal representatives know how we feel about this human rights issue.  It really is as simple as that,” Ms. Dashdemirians added.

Alina Sakissian, an alumni of the ANCA Leo Sarkisian internship program, remarked about the importance of participating in the ANCA Fly In For #NKPEACE initiative.  “This ANCA initiative in support of Artsakh was a remarkable effort because it allowed young people to make a real difference for the Armenian Cause,” Sarkissian remarked.   “I was able to witness firsthand the allies and adversaries we have on Capitol Hill.  It is not until you are sitting in an office at the United States Capitol, waiting for a member of Congress to discuss Artsakh issues, that you fully realize how necessary these meetings are in order to advance the Armenian Cause and how important the grassroots work of the ANCA is,” she added.

On the evening of December 9, 2015, ANCA-WR leaders and activists joined Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Robert Dold (R-IL) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) at an event marking Artsakh’s independence.  House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Royce, was joined at the event by House Select Committee on Intelligence Ranking Democrat Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA), Katherine Clark (D-MA), Jim Costa (D-CA), and Dina Titus (D-NV), at the observance of Artsakh’s freedom.

Fifteen rock paintings discovered in a village close to the ancient city of Ani in Kars will play a significant role for the area to be declared a world heritage site by UNESCO.

The head of the Culture and Arts Association in the eastern province of Kars, Vedat Akçayöz, has said the registration of 15 rock paintings discovered around the Alem village, some 11 kilometers away from the ancient city of Ani on the Turkish-Armenian border, has been sent to the Museum Directorate, adding the hope was to have the entire area added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list, the reports.

Akçayöz said the 15 rock paintings carved on the rocks depicted hunting scenes with horses, dogs, mountain goats, deer and humans.

He said that upon their application, Kars Museum Director Necmettin Alp, Culture and Tourism Provincial Director Hakan Doğançay and Board of Protection of Cultural Property Director Yasin Dursun had begun works to register the Prehistoric-era rock paintings.
Akçayöz said they had asked for the region to be declared an archaeological site, adding they hoped the ancient city of Ani and its environment would be included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2016.

On December 10, Edward ‪Nalbandian‬, Foreign Minister of Armenia, who pays a working visit to Vienna, had a meeting with Sebastian Kurz, the Foreign Minister of Austria, Press Service of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports.

The Ministers expressed satisfaction with the frequent mutual high-level visits, highlighting that they give a new impetus to the development of mutual collaboration in different fields.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have named their baby boy Saint West, the Daily Mail reports.

The couple announced their son’s moniker on Monday, two days after welcoming him into the world.

Kim, 35, and Kanye, 38, are already parents to two-year-old daughter North.

In a post titled ‘To Our Fans’ on her subscription based website kimkardashianwest.com, the reality star wrote simply: ‘Saint West, 12.05.15, 8 pounds 1 ounce.’

WBO super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (44-4, 29 KOs) won a split decision over Martin Murray (32-3-1, 15 KOs) on Saturday night at the TUI Arena in Hannover, Germany, Fightnews.com reports.

Murray outworked Abraham early, the the champ came back in the middle rounds. Murray was warned for excessive holding. Murray rocked Abraham in round eight, but Abraham came back strong late in the round.

Murray was deducted a point for holding in round eleven. Most of the heavy shots came from Abraham. Scores were 115-112, 116-111 Abraham, 115-112 Murray. It was the fourth time Murray has challenged unsuccessfully for a world title.

Photo by Mikhail Fomichev/Sputnik

Russian President Vladimir Putin gave instructions to sign an agreement with Armenia on creating a united regional air defense system in the Caucasian collective security region, according to a document posted on the government’s legal information web portal on Wednesday, TASS reports.

‘I decree to accept a proposal by the Russian government on signing an agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia on creating a united regional air defense system in the Caucasian collective security region,” the president’s instruction said.

“I hereby instruct the Defense Ministry of Russia to hold negotiations with the Armenian side with the involvement of Russia’s Foreign Ministry and sign the said Agreement on Russia’s behalf upon reaching consent and permit making minor amendments to its draft approved by the government,” the document said.

Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert pleaded guilty on Wednesday to federal charges of evading bank rules about large cash transactions after reaching a deal with prosecutors in a hush-money case stemming from allegations of sexual misconduct, reports.

Federal prosecutors recommended a sentence of zero to six months in prison for Hastert, but the judge said he could potentially sentence him to up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced in February.

The plea to one count of “structuring” – taking money out of the bank in amounts below $10,000 to evade bank reporting rules on large cash movements – marks a dramatic downfall for someone who once ranked among the country’s most powerful politicians.

Hastert, 73, told District Judge Thomas Durkin that he knew that what he was doing was wrong in a hearing that lasted a little over 20 minutes.

“I didn’t want them to know how I intended to spend the money,” he said in a one-sentence statement.

In the plea agreement he admitted to paying $1.7 million in cash to an individual he had known for decades, in order to buy that person’s silence regarding past misconduct and to compensate for the misconduct.

The indictment and the plea do not mention sexual misconduct, but unnamed law enforcement officials have told media that the past misconduct was sexual and involved someone Hastert knew when he was a teacher and coach in Yorkville, Illinois.

A separate charge of lying to the FBI was dismissed in the case.

The Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire about 150 times overnight, the NKR Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The rival fired more than 2,500 shots from weapons of different caliber in the direction of the Armenian positions from weapons of different caliber, including 60 and 82mm mortars.

The activeness of the rival was pressured as a result of retaliatory measures taken by the front divisions of the NKR Defense Army.

The ‎EU‬ Foreign Affairs Council has authorized the European Commission to launch negotiations with ‪Armenia‬ on a new legal base, Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Afairs Tigran Balayan said in a Facebook post.

In a statement released today French Secretary of State for European Affairs Harlem Desir welcomed the approval of the negotiating mandate for an agreement of cooperation between the European Union and Armenia.

The European Court of Human Rights will be delivering a Grand Chamber judgment in the case of Perinçek v. Switzerland (application no. 27510/08) at a public hearing on Thursday 15 October 2015 at 11.45 a.m. in the Human Rights Building, Strasbourg, according to the Court’s website.

The case concerns the criminal conviction of a Turkish politician for publicly expressing the view, in Switzerland, that the mass deportations and massacres suffered by the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in 1915 and the following years had not amounted to genocide.

The applicant, Doğu Perinçek, is a Turkish national who was born in 1942 and lives in Ankara (Turkey). He is a doctor of laws and chairman of the Turkish Workers’ Party. In 2005 Mr Perinçek participated in three public events in Switzerland, in the course of which he expressed the view that the mass deportations and massacres suffered by the Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire from 1915 onwards had not amounted to genocide. The Switzerland-Armenia Association lodged a criminal complaint against Mr Perinçek on account of the statement made at the first event.

The investigation was later expanded to cover the two other statements as well. On 9 March 2007 the Lausanne District Police Court found him guilty of the offence under Article 261 bis § 4 of the Swiss Criminal Code, holding in particular that his motives appeared to be racist and nationalistic and that his statements did not contribute to the historical debate. The court ordered him to pay 90 day-fines of 100 Swiss francs each, suspended for two years, a fine of 3,000 Swiss francs, which could be replaced by 30 days imprisonment, and 1,000 Swiss francs in compensation to the Switzerland-Armenia Association for non-pecuniary damage.

Mr Perinçek appealed against the judgment, seeking to have it set aside and additional investigative measures taken to establish the state of research and the positions of historians on the events of 1915 and the following years. The Criminal Cassation Division of the Vaud Cantonal Court dismissed the appeal on 13 June 2007. The Federal Court dismissed a further appeal by Mr Perinçek in a judgment of 12 December 2007. Mr Perinçek complains that his criminal conviction and punishment for having publicly stated that there had not been an Armenian genocide was in breach of his right to freedom of expression under Article 10. He also complains, relying on Article 7 (no punishment without law), that the wording of Article 261 bis § 4 of the Swiss Criminal Code is too vague.

The application was lodged with the European Court of Human Rights on 10 June 2008. In a judgment of 17 December 2013 a Chamber of the Court held, by five votes to two, that there had been a violation of Article 10 of the Convention. The Swiss Government requested that the case be referred to the Grand Chamber under Article 43 (referral to the Grand Chamber), and on 2 June 2014 the panel of the Grand Chamber accepted that request. A Grand Chamber hearing was held on 28 January 2015. In the Grand Chamber proceedings, third-party comments were received from the Turkish Government, who had exercised their right to intervene in the case (Article 36 § 1 of the Convention). Third-party comments were also received from the Armenian and French Governments, who had been given leave to intervene in the written procedure. The Armenian Government were in addition given leave to take part in the hearing. Armenia was represented by human rights lawyers Amal Clooney and Geoffrey Robertson and Armenia’s Prosecutor General Gevorg Kostanyan.