Author: Kalantarian Kevo

APPEL DES PERSONNALITES : PLEINE PAGE DANS LIBERATION
Ara

armenews.com
mercredi 18 janvier 2012

Comme l’a ecrit Elie Wiesel, ” tolerer le negationnisme, c’est tuer
une seconde fois les victimes “. Aussi convient- il de saluer le vote
de l’Assemblee nationale du 22 decem- bre 2011 qui s’est prononcee en
faveur de la transposition de la deci- sion-cadre de l’Europe contre
le racisme, la discrimination et le nega- tionnisme. Contrairement
aux lieux communs qui ont circule a la faveur de la discussion
publique autour de ce texte, ce dernier ne constitue pas une loi dite
memorielle, l’his- toire ayant deja ete ecrite par les historiens. Ce
document relève du Droit.

En donnant suite a cette directive europeenne, les deputes ont accorde
aux garants de la memoire des vic- times de ” tous les genocides recon-
nus par la loi ” (Shoah, genocide armenien), la possibilite juridique
deles defendre contre les formes les plus ” outrancières ” du deni.

Est notamment vise le negation- nisme d’Etat dont les autorites turques
successives organisent la promotion jusque sur le territoire de la
Republique francaise. Ainsi les elus sont-ils restes dans leur fonction
qui consiste a preser- ver la dignite humaine, premier fondement
du preambule de la Declaration universelle des droits de l’Homme,
et a legiferer pour preve- nir tout risque de trouble a l’ordre public.

Pour qu’enfin ce texte prenne force de loi, nous encourageons le presi-
dent de la Republique, le gouverne- ment ainsi que les principaux
partis, de gauche comme de droite, qui ont soutenu l’adoption de
cette loi a confirmer leur geste en permettant sa ratification par
le Senat dans la legislature actuelle.

Un appel lance par CHARLES AZNAVOUR, ROBERT GUEDIGUIAN, SERGE
KLARSFELD, BERNARD-HENRI LEVY, MICHEL ONFRAY, EROL OZKORAY.

Simon Abkarian, artiste. Benjamin Abtan, secretaire general
du European Grassroots Antiracist Movement. Janine Altounian,
psychanaliste. Sylvie Andrieux, deputee. Isidore Aragones, president
d’honneur du CRIF. Ariane Ascaride, artiste. Serge Avedikian, artiste.

Vincent Baguian, artiste. Jean-Luc Bennahmias, depute europeen. Vanik
Berberian, president de l’Association des Maires Ruraux de France.

Rolland Blum, depute. Valerie Boyer, deputee. Jean-Paul Bret, maire
de Villeurbanne. Didier Bruère Dawson, avocat. Luc Carvounas, senateur.

Laurent Cathala, depute. Christian Charrière-Bournazel, avocat. Eric
Civanyan, realisateur. Robert Charvin, profes- seur emerite de
l’universite de Nice. Pascale Crozon, depute. Gerard Dedeyan,
historien. Patrick Devedjian, president du CG des Hauts-de-Seine.

Youri Djorkaëff, foot- balleur. Frederic Encel, professeur en
geopolitique. Sophie Fontanel, ecrivain. Caroline Fourest, journaliste,
essayiste. Bruno Gilles, senateur. Jonathan Hayoun, presi- dent de
l’UEJF. Bernard Host, membre senior de l’Institut universitaire de
France. Christiane Hummel, senatrice. Alain Jakubowicz, president de
la LICRA. Henri Jibrayel, depute. Philippe Kaltenbach, senateur. Arno
Klarsfeld, avocat. Beat Klarsfeld, presidente de l’association des fils
et filles de deportes. Alain Kremenetzky, delegue gene- ral d’Europe
de la Memoire. Pierre Lambicchi, Grand Maitre GODF 2008/2010. Pascal
Legitimus, artiste.

Mathieu Madenian, artiste. Richard Mallie, depute. Jacky Mamou,
president du collectif Urgence Darfour. Andre Manoukian, artiste.

Herve Marseille, senateur. Christophe Masse, vice-President du CG des
Bouches du Rhône. Evagoras Mavrommatis, president des Chypriotes de
France et d’Europe. Jacques Michel, professeur a l’Institut d’Etudes
politiques de Lyon. Anne-Marie Mitterrand, ecrivain. Claire Mouradian,
historienne. Frederic Nevchehirlian, artiste. Vincent Niore, avocat.

Roland Povinelli, Senateur. Francois Pupponi, depute. Jean-Michel
Quillardet, ancien Grand Maitre du GODF, president de l’Observatoire
International de la Laïcite. Jean-Baptiste Racine, professeur des
universites. Serge Romana, presi- dent de CM 98. Rene Rouquet,
depute-maire. Levon Sayan, producteur. Roger-Gerard Schwartzenberg,
ancien ministre. Helène Segara, artiste. Antoine Sfeir, journa- liste.

Raffy Shart, ecrivain. Dominique Sopo, president de SOS Racisme.

Pierre-Andre Taguieff, directeur de Recherche au CNRS. Yves Ternon,
historien. Alain Terzian, producteur. Guy Tessier, depute. Dominique
Tian, depute. Valerie Toranian, journaliste. Andre Touati, conseiller
de l’Ordre GODF. Francis Veber, cineaste. Charles Villeneuve,
journaliste. Meïr Waintrater, journaliste. Regine Waintrater,
psychanalyste, maître de conferences. Clement Yana, president d’honneur
du CRIF.

UN RASSEMBLEMENT CITOYEN AURA LIEU LE 23 JANVIER 2012 DEVANT LE SENAT
À 14 HEURES

CCAF (Conseil de Coordination des organisations Armeniennes de France)
[email protected]

BURIAL OF JUSTICE
by YAVUZ BAYDAR

Today’s Zaman
Jan 17 2012
Turkey

No matter if it is summer or winter, our memory is still fresh with
pain. I recall the heat of July 2007 when we, colleagues and friends
of Hrant Dink, were stuffed into a tiny hall in a courthouse in
Ä°stanbul, risking suffocation. This trial started five months after
Dink’s assassination; a huge setback to all those who hoped for change.

Yesterday in an unusually snowy night that covered the city with a
white carpet, I walked into a same hall, to witness the end of the
legal process, with much less hope than all the previous sittings I
had attended.

The usual crowd had shrunk to a smaller group and only three of the
accused (the total is 20) stood at the stand. The rest — not arrested
or later released — were absent. As Erhan Tuncel, the last person to
speak, took the floor for a final plea, it was easy see on the faces of
the attendants that the last thing this trial would serve was justice.

In July 2011, the murderer, Ogun Samast was sentenced to 22 years of
imprisonment, in a court for the underaged, after judges confirmed
he was 17 when he pulled the trigger. Two main figures were left
in the trial: Yasin Hayal, who the lawyers of the Dink family have
charged as the person who “prepared” and “pushed” Samast to commit
the murder, and Tuncel, an informant for local intelligence, who
reported to the police and the National Intelligence Organization
(MÄ°T). It was important to see what these two would say, in order to
properly understand the vast and complicated network that is strongly
suspected to have been behind the heinous crime. “Strongly suspected”
is the polite, frequently used description here.

Trial after trial we witnessed a watering-down of the essence of
the case, which yesterday was reduced to these two men, who both
felt that they had been used as scapegoats by all the others, who
apparently knew of their activities, encouraged them, and stood by
when the murder was committed. So yesterday one point became clear: in
his long plea, filled with a gibberish that was at times reminiscent
of the Mehmet Ali Agca case, Tuncel accused Hayal of being part of a
secret network — meaning Ergenekon or another network linked to it —
and defended himself and his superiors in the police force.

We have already known of Hayal’s connections with the local military
(gendarmerie); Tuncel helped confirm that the apparent cover-up of
the important details in the Dink murder case was a result of a huge
struggle between the military and the police, with a lot of loose ends
left deliberately unaddressed. This also confirmed how politically
sensitive the case has been, judging also by the fact that the upper
echelons have managed to divide journalists to “cover” only one side
of the story (we have many books on the murder; books that “fight”
one another) and ignore the other side.

Most of us in the media who have covered similar political crimes
are now fully convinced that the Dink trial turned into a process
where all the shadowy power networks, also known as the deep state,
were not only left undiscovered, but protected. The evidence in the
files and the clues that were not scrutinized will never convict
those three people. Historically, we have a machinery of murder that
has operated with an ideology causing a deadly blend of ideas that
undermine democratization, target non-Muslims, spread terror and invite
the military to reaffirm its iron-fisted control over the society.

The successful attempt to limit the scope of the trial will shed
light on the persistent pattern within the “deep state” to protect
itself, and the choice of political authorities to “go along with it”
can only explain the limitations of the power of the judiciary today.

“Sacrificing justice” before a bureaucracy which protects criminal
cells within, because the victim was Armenian is a great shame
for Turkey.

What the “justice” left us with, at the end of this trial, was massive
amount of acquittals of 16 people; practically releasing Erhan Tuncel
from prison by a “punishment” that has nothing to do with the murder
(disconnecting him from the Dink case altogether) and leaving the
scene only with two people chosen as scapegoats.

The case may be technically over, but it will fail to satisfy
consciences around the world. It only fuels the pursuit of justice.

KARABAKH MAY DISCUSSED AT UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

News.Az
Tue 17 January 2012 06:43 GMT | 6:43 Local Time

The issues of ‘The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan’
and ‘Protracted conflicts in GUAM area’ might be submitted for
discussion within the framework of the UN General Assembly’s 66th
session in the coming month.

‘Those topics are still remain on the Assembly’s agenda’, UN News
Centre representative reports.

Both issues under numbers 35 and 39 – ‘Protracted conflicts in the
GUAM area and their implications for international peace, security
and development’ and ‘The situation in the occupied territories
of Azerbaijan’ were proposed by Azerbaijan and GUAM, and as the
discussions originally was scheduled for 12 December 2011, they will
be considered at a later date in the resumed part, to be announced,
APA reports.

THE ARMENIAN PILOT IN SUDAN IS FREE AND SECURE
Anna Nazaryan

“Radiolur”
17.01.2012 15:17

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia has established contact
with the Armenian citizen in Sudan,” MFA Spokesman Tigran Balayan told
“Radiolur.”

“He is free and secure and has no problems with the authorities of
that country,” Tigran Balayan said.

It was reported earlier that the crew of the An-32, had been detained
in the southern Sudanese city of Sardzhas. According to the website of
the Russian Ministry of foreign Affairs, the crew, includes citizens
of Ukraine, Armenia, Uzbekistan and Sudan.

Moscow has demanded that the government of Southern Sudan immediately
report on the reasons for the detention.

The aircraft was performing flights for the Sudanese oil company
between Khartoum, Sardzhas, El Felludzha, and El Obeid.

The crew was arrested immediately after the start of loading operations
at the airport in Sardzhas.

LE CONSEIL DE L’EUROPE S’INTERESSE A LA CAMPAGNE ELECTORALE ARMENIENNE
Gari

armenews.com
mardi 17 janvier 2012

Des representants de l’Assemblee parlementaire du Conseil de l’Europe
(APCE) arrivaient le lundi 16 janvier ) Erevan où ils devaient
rencontrer des responsables du pouoir et de l’opposition dans la
perpective des elections legislatives prevues en mai. Les rapporteurs
de l’APCE sur l’Armenie, John Prescott and Axel Fischer, devaient ainsi
rencontrer le president Serge Sarkissian et d’autres representants
du pouvoir, de meme que les representants des principales forces
d’opposition a l’approche d’un scrutin particulièrement surveille,
les autorites armeniennes s’etant engagees a conduire les elections
les plus irreprochables de l’histoire de la Republique armenienne. Les
emissaires de l’Assemblee de Strasbourg devront notamment verifier
si les autorites armeniennes ont pris les dispositions necessaires
pour mettre en conformite le processus electoral avec une resolution
votee par le Conseil de l’Europe en octobre 2011. La resolution,
critiquee par l’opposition armenienne, avait conclu que les autorites
avaient globalement surmonte la periode de troubles et d’agitations
politiques qui avaient suivi les elections presidentielles de fevrier
2008, dont le resultat avait ete conteste par l’opposition. Le
texte souligne que pour eviter la repetition des actes de violence
mortelle observes a Erevan le 1er mars 2008, il fallait organiser
“des elections legislatives authentiquement democratiques”, reformer
les systèmes judiciaire et policier et creer les conditions d’une
“presse pluraliste”. Deux jours avant l’arrivee de la mission de l’APCE
a Erevan, le Parti republicain du president Sarkissian qui contrôle
le Parlement avait fait circuler un projet d’amendement visant a la
creation d’une commission chargee d’elaborer et de faire respecter
un code de bonne conduite a l’usage des legislateurs.

UN NOUVEAU PROJET DE LOI POUR ASSURER UNE BONNE CONDUITE DES LEGISLATEURS
Laetitia

armenews.com
mardi 17 janvier 2012

Les representants de la majorite pro-gouvernementale au Parlement
armenien ont diffusee vendredi un projet de loi pour mettre en place
un nouveau comite qui ferait appliquer un code de conduite pour les
legislateurs.

Le projet de loi a pris la forme de projets d’amendements au
parlement. Ils exigent que les membres de la prochaine Assemblee
nationale respectent les lois. Contrairement a d’autres comites
permanents du Parlement, le comite d’ethique sera forme par consensus.

Selon Davit Harutiunian, l’un des trois auteurs du projet de loi, cela
signifie que la majorite du parlement et que la minorite d’opposition
auraient une representation egale.

La Commission n’aurait cependant pas le pouvoir de punir les deputes
coupables d’avoir enfreint des lois ethiques.

” Il n’est pas realiste de penser que nous pouvons mettre un terme a
toutes ces choses indesirables a la fois. Cela prendra du temps “,
a annonce Vartan Bostanjian, un autre parrain du projet,au service
RFE/RL.

Le nouveau projet de loi devrait egalement faire face a l’absenteisme
generalise au Parlement, a ajoute Harutiunian.

Zaruhi Postanjian, un depute de l’opposition du parti Zharangutyun
(Heritage), etait sceptique quant a ce projet de loi.

IF RUSSIA REINS ARMENIA, THIS TO BE USEFUL FOR INTERNAL STABILIZATION AND WHOLE REGION

Trend
Jan 16 2012
Azerbaijan

16 January 2012, 18:45 (GMT+04:00) Mubariz Ahmadoglu, director of the
Center for Political Innovations and Technologies, political analyst

The Russian state faces a serious challenge. Mikhail Gorbachev who
destroyed the USSR and the Armenians surrounding him passed to the
offensive against Russia under the same scenario. If Gorbachev and
his team have been neutralized that time, there would not be such a
dangerous situation now.

Numerous opposition rallies in Moscow gain momentum and occur
regularly. The role of the Armenians is evident in organizing and
financing these meetings, establishing ties with the West. Armenia
is the only country among post-Soviet countries, which supports
the opposition rallies held in Russia. This is very interesting if
we consider it from the Azerbaijani position, as the USSR collapse
implemented by Armenian, as well as their anti-Russian activity prove
that all this comes from the Armenians.

In an interview with the “Moscow News” newspaper last autumn,
President Sargsyan said that the Nagorno-Karabakh problem facilitated
the collapse of the USSR. Armenians prolonged their up to 5,000 years.

During the entire period of the “long” history they achieved their
first statehood at the expense of Russia. Instead of being thankful
to Russia for it, the Armenians, who destroyed the USSR, are now
engaged in the destruction of Russia. It is time for Russia to take
steps that would put Armenia and the Armenians on their place:

1. Russia must strengthen the intensity and determination of the
actions to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis of the
principle of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity;

2. Russia must make the issue of returning the Meghri railroad
and Zangezur to Azerbaijan urgent. These steps, along with the
increased confidence in Russian-Azerbaijani relations, will create
a solid basis in the joint activity of two countries – Azerbaijan,
Russia to preserve Armenia under Russian influence; 3. Russia must
disclose the essence of the policy of using the Armenians against
the Ottoman Empire. It is necessary to remove the sign of security
from the relevant archival materials.

The U.S. and France, inciting the Armenians to work against Russia
and move to the Turkish side today, will understand after Russia’s
step that they now operate under the influence of the step, once
taken by Russia. The evidence of using the Armenians in its interests
during the Ottoman Empire announced by Russia, along with bringing
the Turkish-Armenian relations to a level that would satisfy Russia,
will seriously damage the image of Armenians in the West.

Russia becomes stronger from a financial point of view. It can get a
psychological advantage over the West. There is no reason to think
that the steps taken by Russia in this direction will contribute
to a serious deterioration in the relations with modern Turkey, as
the Russian and Turkish socio-political environment is sufficiently
informed about the relations between Tsarist Russia and the Ottoman
Empire. All negative between Russia and Turkey left behind. One can
talk about good or improving relations between Russia and Turkey.

Perhaps, the Russian State Duma will include the waiver of the decision
associated with the recognition of the so-called “Armenian genocide”
in the agenda.

By putting Armenia on its place, Russia can create a clear and
predictable situation in relations with Armenia and politics in the
Caucasus along with the stabilization of the internal situation. There
is no doubt that the situation will be beneficial for Russia and
Azerbaijan.

ARMENIA DEFINES PRIORITIES FOR 2012

Vestnik Kavkaza
Jan 16 2012
Russia

One of main directions of activity in 2012 will be work on the strategy
of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the foreign minister
of Armenia, Eduard Nalbandyan, stated on January 16th, NEWS.am reports.

According to him, in 2012 efforts to improve the strategic partnership
with Russia will continue, relations with the US will deepen and
important issues in the European direction will be made, including
efforts on simplification of the visa regime, and establishment of
a Free Trade Zone.

The minister said that in negotiations with the EU, Armenia managed
to progress much more than Azerbaijan. Great attention will be paid
to relations with the CIS countries. Important directions are China,
India, Japan, South America, Asia, and the Arab countries.

Steps on improving the CSTO will be made, as it is a significant part
of Armenia’s security.

Armenia intends to intensify its work in international organizations.

TURKISH HOSTEL TO BE OPENED IN ARMENIAN TUMANYAN’S HOUSE-MUSEUM IN GEORGIA

NEWS.am
January 16, 2012 | 18:00

YEREVAN. – House-museum of Armenian famous writer Hovhannes Tumanyan in
Tbilisi, Georgia will be sold, Armenian community in Tbilisi informs
Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Part of the house-museum was sold to a businessman in 1990s, who is
going to sell it to a Georgian-Turkish company Geo Turan. The latter
will build a hostel for Turkish citizens. The company has offered
Tumanyan’s grand-grandchild Alain Tumanyan to sell the other part,
however, received a negative response.

Armenian Ministry of Culture expects information from Georgia to
understand the situation and take corresponding measures, head of
the Ministry press service Gayane Durganyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

‘BEST VARIANT IN RESOLUTION KARABAKH OFFERED BY OSCE MINSK GROUP’
Sabine Freizer

News.Az
Mon 16 January 2012 10:37 GMT | 10:37 Local Time

‘The interim status will enable Nagorno Karabakh to establish relations
with the international community and involve investments’.

‘We shouldn’t rely on the Armenian-Turkish process that it can
solve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict’, Europe Program Director of the
International Crisis Group Sabine Freizer told bs-kavkaz.org.

She said she positively approached the Armenian-Turkish protocols.

‘The ratification of the protocols would strengthen relations between
the two neighbor countries and assist establishing stability in the
region. If the protocols are not ratified, the process started between
Armenia and Turkey will disappoint both societies. Let’s hope that
it will not take long time because in any case common interests and
interests in the normalization of the relations exceed other factors’,
APA reports.

Sabine Freizer noted that after the ratification of the protocols,
Turkey can assure itself of the recognition of its territorial
integrity and Armenia can not raise territorial claims against Turkey.

“I believe that after that Armenians will give up demands to recognize
genocide. Regarding Armenia, the ratification of the protocols will
cause the opening of borders with Turkey and establishing diplomatic
relations. It will bring foreign policy dividends to Armenia. The
historic facts will be discussed at the commission of historians. By
settling its relations with Turkey, Armenia will demonstrate to
Armenian diaspora that it can pursue independent policy not depending
on them. In one word, it will be in favor of both sides”.

Sabine Freizer said there are forces in the Armenian and Turkish
opposition that oppose the protocols.

“But there is another important obstacle – Azerbaijan. Baku is sure
that Turkey closed the borders because of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
and the borders must not be opened unless Armenia withdraws its troops
from Karabakh. When Turkey started talks with Armenia it thought that
it could hold talks without taking into account the opinion of Baku
and did not expect the Azerbaijani side to reach so strictly. But
they miscalculated. Azerbaijan could influence the Turkish government,
the people and the nationalist forces made Ankara to take into account
the position of Baku in the relations with Yerevan,” she said.

Sabine Freizer said Armenia-Turkey relations and resolution of Nagorno
Karabakh conflict are two different processes.

‘One can not claim that these two processes are not interrelated at
all. But at the same time one should not hope that Armenia-Turkey
process will solve the Karabakh problem. The best variant in the
resolution of Nagorno Karabakh is the one offered by the OSCE Minsk
Group, it envisages granting interim status and security guarantee to
Karabakh. Nagorno Karabakh has been in isolation for long years, it
has relations only with Armenia. Nagorno Karabakh has a government,
growing economy. Therefore, the interim status will enable Nagorno
Karabakh to establish relations with the international community and
involve investments,’ she said.