Author: Kalantarian Kevo

DES EXPERTS APPELLENT AU REEXAMEN DU JUGEMENT DE LA CEDH DU PROCES SUR LA NEGATION DU GENOCIDE,

Cour Europeenne des droits de l’Homme

Ayant releve ‘ Des Inexactitudes Historiques et Conceptuelles ‘
dans la Decision de la Cour

Boston, Mass. (A.W.) Des experts du genocide, inquiets, on ecrit
une lettre ouverte, relevant des ” inexactitudes historiques et
conceptuelles ” dans la decision de la Cour Europeenne dans l’affaire
Dogu Perincek c/ Suisse, et appellent le gouvernement de Suisse a
demander un reexamen du jugement de la Cour.

Le texte de la lettre , dans son integralite, publie le 14 fevrier,
est repris ci-après.

Lettre ouverte a :

Madame la Conseillère Federale Simonetta Sommaruga, Cheffe du
departement federal de justice et police (DF JP) Palais federal ouest –
CH-3003 Berne

Ayant pris connaissance de la decision de la Cour dans l’affaire Dogu
Perincek c/ Suisse (ECHR 370,230,27 decembre 2013), nous, concernes en
tant qu’experts du genocide, pensons qu’il est imperatif de repondre
a des inexactitudes historiques et conceptuelles qui contenues dans
la decision, et nous pensons que ces inexactitudes ont une grave
signification ethique et sociale.

Nous ne remettons nullement en question la notion de droit
d’expression, chose que les experts admettent la plupart du temps
comme faisant partie d’une societe ouverte et democratique. Nous
sommes malgre tout interpelles par des elements du raisonnement de la
Cour qui sont en contradiction avec les faits, s’agissant des donnees
historiques sur le Genocide armenien de 1915, et en contradiction
avec une evaluation ethique du negationnisme.

La decision affirme que 1) ” genocide est une notion de droit très
etroite dont la preuve est difficile a apporter ” ; 2) la Cour doutait
qu’il puisse y avoir un consensus general sur des evenements tels
que ceux en cause ici, etant donne que la recherche historique est
par definition controversee et discutable ou ne se prete guère a des
conclusions definitives ou a des verites objectives et absolues ;
la cour emploie l’expression ” debat enflamme ” en se referant au
contexte politique actuel entourant le Genocide armenien.

Premièrement, c’est une conclusion absolue des experts qui etudient le
genocide (des centaines d’universitaires independants, qui n’ont aucune
affiliation avec des gouvernements, et les travaux qui se sont deroules
sur des decennies sont le fait de nombreux pays et nationalites ) :
le massacre massif d’Armeniens par les Ottomans est conforme a tous
les aspects de la definition donnee a l’article 2 de la Convention des
Nations Unies pour la Prevention et la Repression du Crime de Genocide.

En 1997, l’Association Internationale des Experts du le Genocide,
(IAGS) le corps le plus important de experts qui etudient le genocide,
a vote une resolution reconnaissant unanimement les massacres
ottoman comme un genocide. Le Centre International pour la Justice
Transitionnelle (ICTJ) avait prepare une analyse pour la Commission
de Reconciliation entre la Turquie et l’Armenie (TARC) en 2003, selon
laquelle ” les Evenements [de 1915] comportent tous les elements du
crime de genocide tel qu’il est defini dans la convention (UNCPPCG) “.

En 2000, 100 experts de l’Holocauste de premier ordre ont signe une
petition dans le New York Times affirmant que les evenements de 1915
etaient un genocide et plaidant pour une reconnaissance mondiale. Une
lettre ouverte de l’IAGS au Premier ministre turc Erdogan, en Juin
2005, enjoignait au gouvernement turc d’avouer ” le fait historique
sans equivoque du Genocide armenien “. Les trois seuls genocides
du 20ème siècle sur lesquels les theoriciens des etudes du genocide
(tel William Schabas) sont d’accords, sont les cas des Armeniens en
Turquie, en 1915, des Juifs en Europe, en 1940-45, et des Tutsis au
Rwanda, en 1994. La destruction des Armeniens etait au centre de la
creation par Raphaël Lemkin du concept de genocide comme un crime du
droit international, et ce fut Lemkin qui crea et employa l’expression
Genocide Armenien en 1944.

L’idee avancee par la Cour que les crimes de genocide ne peuvent
s’appliquer qu’aux evenements du Rwanda et de Srebrenica, parce qu’ils
etaient juges par la Cour Internationale de Justice, est incomplète.

Les crimes de genocide ont ete evalues comme evenements historiques
par des experts pendant maintenant des decennies, et a la fois les
crimes commis contre les Armeniens par les Turcs ottomans en 1915 et
ceux commis contre les Juifs d’Europe par les Nazis dans les annees
1940 ont ete qualifies de genocide par Lemkin. Ainsi que l’ont note les
experts, les crimes de genocide peuvent etre juges retroactivement, et
William Schabas a releve qu’au cours du procès d’Eichmann a Jerusalem,
en 1961, le mot genocide a ete employe retroactivement pour designer
les crimes commis contre les Juifs.

En outre, sous l’article 10, ” la Cour a clairement fait une
distinction entre cette presente affaire et d’autres affaires
concernant la negation des crimes de l’Holocauste… dans
lesquelles, selon une cour internationale, les actes mis en cause
etaient clairement etablis “. Nous relevons que les responsables de
l’Holocauste etaient poursuivis aux procès de Nuremberg (1945-46),
non pour crime de genocide, mais pour ” crimes contre l’humanite
“, meme si Raphael Lemkin avait cree auparavant le mot ” genocide
“. Le cas armenien, contrairement a l’affirmation de la Cour,
a bien une base juridique claire pour son authenticite. D’abord,
” crimes contre l’humanite ” est la formulation exacte employee par
la France, le Royaume Uni et la Russie en 1915, dans leur declaration
commune repondant aux massacres des Armeniens par le gouvernement turc
ottoman. Après la Première Guerre Mondiale, le gouvernement ottoman
avait constitue des tribunaux militaires (1919-1920) pour juger 200
membres de haut-rang de l’armee et du gouvernement pour avoir premedite
le massacre de masse de la population armenienne. La decision de 2006
du Centre International pour la Justice Transitionnelle affirme elle
aussi une telle base legale.

La Cour a egalement decide, sur la base de l’article 17 (interdiction
de l’abus de droit) , que ” Le rejet de la caracterisation juridique
en ” genocide ” des evenements de 1915 n’etait pas en lui-meme une
incitation a la haine contre le peuple armenien “. Et pourtant, la
Cour Europeenne des Droits de l’Homme declare (au paragraphe 19) que ”
la negation de l’Holocauste est le principal moteur de l’antisemitisme
“. Nous relèverons de facon similaire que la negation du Genocide
armenien en Turquie a eu pour resultat l’assassinat du journaliste
armenien de Turquie Hrant Dink, et a eu pour resultat des violences
sur d’autres en Turquie.

En se referant au Genocide armenien comme a un ” mensonge international
“, M. Perincek revèle un niveau d’extremisme qui submerge tout sens
du jugement. Nous pensons que la Cour fait un faux-pas quand elle
privilegie le negationnisme de la Turquie (un pays dont le bilan sur
la liberte des intellectuels et sur les droits de l’homme au cours des
decennies passees est parmi les pires) en evoquant un ” debat enflamme
“. Comme l’a ecrit l’IAGS dans une lettre ouverte sur le negationnisme
et le Genocide armenien (octobre 2006), ” les experts qui nient les
faits du genocide malgre les preuves irrefutables ne sont pas engages
dans un debat historique ; leur programme est tout autre. Dans le
cas du Genocide armenien, le programme est d’absoudre la Turquie
de sa responsabilite dans la planification de l’extermination des
Armeniens. – un programme constant, quel que soit le parti au pouvoir,
depuis l’epoque du genocide, en 1915. Les experts qui contestent que
ce qu’ont subi les Armeniens en 1915 dans l’Empire ottoman est un
genocide, ignorent effrontement les preuves irrefutables historiques
et universitaires “.

Comme l’experte du genocide Deborah Lipstadt l’a ecrit : La negation
du genocide, celui des Turcs contre les Armeniens, ou celui des
Nazis contre les Juifs, n’est pas le fait d’une reinterpretation
historique…Les negationnistes visent a convaincre les tiers qu’une
autre face de l’histoire existe…alors qu’il n’y a pas d’autre face
“. Nous pensons que la decision et le raisonnement de la Cour contribue
au negationnisme et que cela a un effet corrosif sur les efforts de
verite et de reconciliation, et sur l’ethique.

Nous pensons qu’il est important que le gouvernement de Suisse demande
un reexamen du jugement de la Cour dans cette affaire.

Salutations,

Taner Akcam, Professeur, Centre d’Etudes de l’Holocauste et du Genocide
Kaloosdian Mugar

Margaret Lavinia Anderson ; Actuel Professeur de l’Universite de
California -Berkeley, Professeur Emerite d’Histoire

Joyce Apsel, Maître de Conference a l’Universite de New York ;
ancien president de l’Association Internationale des Chercheurs sur
le Genocide

Yair Auron, chef du Departement de Sociologie, Sciences Politiques
et Communication, University Libre d’Israel

Peter Balakian, Donald M. and Constance H. Rebar Professeur en
Humanites, Colgate University

Annette Becker, Professeur d’Histoire, Universite de Paris- Ouest
Nanterre La Defense ; Membre Senior, Institut Universitaire de France

Matthias Bjornlund, historien aux archves ; Institut Danois pour les
Etudes Etrangères (DIS), Copenhague

Donald Bloxham, Professeur d’Histoire Moderne, Universite d’Edinbourg

Hamit Bozarslan, Directeur, EHESS, Paris

Cathy Caruth, Frank H. T. Rhodes Professeur de Lettres Humaines,
Cornell University

Frank Chalk, Professeur d’Histoire ; Directeur, Institut d’Etudes du
Genocide et des Droits de l’Homme de Montreal

Israel Charny, Ancien President Association Internationale des
Chercheurs sur le Genocide ; Directeur, Institut de l’Holocauste et
du Genocide, Jerusalem

Deborah Dwork, Rose Professeur d’Histoire ; Directrice du Centre
Strassler pour les etudes sur l’Holocauste et le Genocide, Clark
University

Helen Fein, Chercheuse Independante ; Ancienne Directrice Executive
de l’Institut pour l’Etude du Genocide (New York)

Marcelo Flores, Professeur d’Histoire Comparative ; directeur, The
European Master in Human Rights and Genocide Studies, Universite
de Sienne

Donna-Lee Frieze, Prins Chercheuse Principale, Centre pour l’Histoire
Juive, New York City ; Chercheuse Invitee, Institut de Recherche
Alfred Deakin, Deakin University, Melbourne.

Wolfgang Gust, Chercheur Independent, Directeur armenocide.com.de
Hamburg

Herbert Hirsch, Professor de Sciences Politiques, Virginia Commonwealth
University ; co-editeur, Genocide Studies International

Marianne Hirsch, William Peterfield Trent Professeur d’Anglais et de
Litterature Comparative a l’Institut pour la Recherche sur la Femme,
le Genre, et la Sexualite ; Columbia University

Tessa Hofmann, Prof. h.c. Dr. phil, Frie Universitat Berlin, Institut
pour les Etudes Est Europeennes

Richard Hovanissian, Professeur Emerite, Histoire Armenienne
et du Proche-Orient a l’Universite de Californie, Los Angeles ;
Distingue Chercheur Invite a l’Universite Chapman et a l’Universite
de Californie, Irvine

Raymond Kevorkian, Historien, Universite de Paris-VIII-Saint Denis

Hans-Lukas Kieser, Professeur d’Histoire Moderne, Universite de Zurich

Mark Levene, Maître de Conference en Histoire Comparative, Universite
de Southampton, Royaume-Uni

Robert Jay Lifton, MD ; Professeur Emerite Distingue, L’Universite
de la Ville de New York

Deborah Lipstadt, Chaire Dorot, Professeur d’Histoire Juive Moderne
et Etudes sur l’Holocauste, Emory University

Wendy Lower, John K. Roth Professeur d’Histoire, Claremont McKenna
College

Robert Melson, Professor Emerite, Purdue University ; Ancien President,
Association Internationale des Chercheurs sur le Genocide

Donald E. Miller, Professeur de Religion ; Directeur, Center for
Religion and Civic Culture, Universite de Californie du Sud

A. Dirk Moses, Professeur d’Histoire Mondiale et Coloniale, Institut
de l’Universite Europeenne, Florence et Redacteur en Chef, Journal
of Genocide Research.

James R. Russell, Mashtots Professeur d’etudes Armeniennes, Universite
d’Harvard

Roger W. Smith, Professeur Emerite du Gouvernement, Collège de William
et Mary ; Ancien President, Association Internationale des Chercheurs
sur le Genocide

Leo Spitzer, K.T. Vernon Professeur Emerite d’Histoire, Collège
de Dartmouth

Gregory Stanton, Professeur Chercheur en Etudes sur le Genocide et sa
Prevention, Universite George Mason ; Ancien President, Association
Inyternationla des Chercheurs sur le Genocide

Yves Ternon, Historien en genocide moderne, chercheur independant,
France

Henry C. Theriault, Professeur de Philosophie, Universite d’Etat
Worcester Co-Editor-en-Chef, Etudes du Genocide et Prevention

Eric D. Weitz, Doyen des Humanites et Arts et Professeur d’Histoire,
Le Collège de la Ville de New York, Centre des Hautes Etudes

jeudi 20 fevrier 2014, Jean Eckian (c)armenews.com

ARMENIAN CIVIC GROUP CONDUCTS AWARENESS CAMPAIGN IN YEREVAN – VIDEO

14:20 * 20.02.14

Activists of I am Against!, the civic group protesting against
the pension reforms, conducted on Thursday an awareness campaign
outside the Yerevan State Engineering University to inform students
of theirenlightenment march scheduled for tomorrow.

A large crowd of students joined the rally, raising their voice of
protest against the funded pensions.

The amended pension law, which went into effect on January 1, requires
that all the employed citizens of Armenia born after 1973 pay 5%-10%
salary taxes to the pension funds to secure their future retirement
benefits. The measure met strong protests by the society, with many
expressing distrust in the system. On January 24, the Constitutional
Court issued a ruling to temporarily suspend the mandatory component
of the law.

The group made calls for an active campaign for their protection of
the youth’s rights.

As the rally continued, the university’s rector, Ara Avetyan, joined
the crowd, asking the students and the professors outside to return
to the classrooms.

WE CONSIDER OURSELVES ARMENIA’S FRIENDS – BRITISH MPS

February 20, 2014 | 15:47

YEREVAN. – President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on Thursday received
a delegation from the British Group Inter-Parliamentary Union, led
by Head of Group John Whittingdale (UK House of Commons).

The President recorded that some members of this delegation have
visited Armenia several times, they are well informed of the agenda
of Armenian-British relations, and have their input in the development
of bilateral collaboration.

“I underscore interparliamentary cooperation, the British-Armenian
group’s activities in the deepening of Armenia-United Kingdom [UK]
relations, and am confident that the activeness we see is also a
result of that faction. We are greatly interested in the deepening
of these relations,” he stressed, in particular.

Sargsyan also highlighted the MPs’ visits to Nagorno-Karabakh, and
thanked those British parliamentarians who have been to Karabakh
and got acquainted, on location, with the process of state building
in Nagorno-Karabakh.

In turn, the British MPs expressed willingness to further increase
their efforts to support Armenia and the Armenian nation.

“We are all united in supporting Armenia, and we consider ourselves
Armenia’s friends who will continue their mission,” the UK
parliamentarians specifically noted.

In addition, President Serzh Sargsyan responded to the questions of
interest to the British guests.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

RUSSIAN PILOTS CONDUCTED OVER 50 AIR COMBAT TRAININGS IN ARMENIA SINCE EARLY 2014

Thursday 20 February 2014 13:00
Photo:

Russian pilots conducted over 50 air combat trainings in Armenia
since early 2014

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Since early 2014, the pilots of Russian military
air base in Armenia have conducted about 150 training flights.

“The average flying time of each pilot made about 15 hours which is
15% more than the one in the same period of 2013”, the press service
of the South Military District of Russian Armed Forces reported.

The training of the aircrew of MiG-29 fighters of 4+generation is
mainly focused on development of piloting technique in case of low
clouds and fogs at low altitudes.

The method of the so-called air duels during which pilots detect and
capture targets and fix their conventional destruction through photo
control devices is actively applied.

Since early 2014, the pilots of MiG-29 fighters have conducted over
50 maneuver air combat trainings in Armenia.

MEMORIAL DE LA SHOAH : EXPOSITION “REGARDS SUR LES GHETTOS”

Publie le : 20-02-2014

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
invite a lire cette information publiee sur le site Armenian Trends –
Mes Armenies le 18 fevrier 2014.

Armenian Trends – Mes Armenies

mardi 18 fevrier 2014

© Memorial de la Shoah (Paris), 2013

Regards sur les ghettos – Exposition Memorial de la Shoah, Paris

13.11.2013 – 28.09.2014

La nuit vint et avec elle cette evidence : jamais etre humain n’eût dû
assister, ni survivre, a la vision de ce que fut cette nuit-la. Tous
en eurent conscience : aucun des gardiens, ni italiens, ni allemands,
n’eurent le courage de venir voir a quoi s’occupent les hommes quand
ils savent qu’ils vont mourir.

Primo Levi, extrait de Si c’est un homme (1956)

La foule. Immobiles. Les regards qui ne sont deja plus la. Corps
enveloppes de châles. Main tenant une gamelle. Bras qui tentent de
proteger. Volets entr’ouverts. Facades muettes. Gris sombres. Quand
cela s’achèvera-t-il ?

Un groupe de Juifs dans une rue du ghetto. Ghetto de Lodz, ca.

1940-1944. Photo : Mendel Grossman

Le corps recroqueville. Battants grands ouverts. L’homme au brassard.

L’effondrement est advenu. Plus rien ne soutient. Dans ce coffre de
hasard. Où s’engouffre ce qui n’a pas de nom. Qui dira ce qui fut ?

Ailes du cauchemar.

Transport de cadavres. Ghetto de Lodz, ca. 1940-1944. Photo :
Mendel Grossman.

L’homme a la casquette. Agenouille sur le pave. Recueillir
l’improbable. A quoi l’on devra sa survie. Glaner la terre. Ombres
circulaires. Se relever encore. Visage emacie de celui qui sait. Un
dernier regard. L’appel silencieux.

Un habitant du ghetto montre les maigres morceaux de charbon trouves
en creusant le sol. Ghetto de Lodz, ca. 1940-1944. Photo : Mendel
Grossman.

L’amoncellement. Arcades comme englouties. Gravir les masses. Ceux qui
attendent. Figes dans une eternite. Les absents et les presents. Tout
deborde. Halte precaire sur le chemin d’ordalie. Bientôt l’horizon
vacillera.

Piles d’oreillers et garnitures de lits abandonnes par les Juifs
deportes, stockees dans une ancienne eglise place Koscielna, et
destinees a alimenter un atelier de tri des plumes et duvets. Ghetto
de Lodz, ca. 1940-1944. Photo : Mendel Grossman.

Quand tout bascule. Maison de bois prete a rompre. L’arche des
martyrs. Les bourreaux a l’etoile. Antigone sombre, bras qui se tord.

Les temoins. Ceux qui ne savent pas encore. Echelle des gravitations.

En attendant l’enfer.

Lors de l'”action couvre-feu” (Gehsperre), un policier juif venu
prendre des enfants en bas âge malmène une femme qui tente de
s’interposer. Hôpital du 36 rue Lagiewnicka. Ghetto de Lodz, 10
septembre 1942. Photo : Mendel Grossman.

Les porteurs d’immondices. Roues de bois. Pousser de toutes ses
forces. Repousser toujours. Hors de la nuit. Un jour peut-etre nous
renaîtrons. Pieds foulant la terre. Les epuisements de chaque instant.

Ombres melees.

Des travailleurs du Scheisskommando charges de transporter les
containers de matières fecales a l’exterieur du ghetto. Ghetto de Lodz,
ca. 1940-1944. Photo : Henryk Ross.

Le pont dans la ville. Alignement des exclus qui surplombent la rue
vide. Contourner, eviter. Lorsque l’architecture separe, meurtrit. Les
degres invisibles. Qui conduiront a d’autres ponts. D’autres rues. Le
tramway qui attend.

Reliant les deux parties du ghetto, un pont pour pietons enjambe la rue
Zgierska, place Koscielny. Ghetto de Lodz, 1941. Photo : Zermin, PK 689

L’homme etendu a terre. Frappe de mort. Rails decoupant le pave. Foule
d’enfants, d’hommes et de femmes. Visages d’outre-humanite. Comme
si l’habitude allait de soi. Lorsqu’il n’est plus de lois. Lorsqu’il
n’est plus de justes.

Corps sur les voies du tramway. Ghetto de Varsovie, 1941. Photo :
Albert Cusian, PK 689

Blottis sur le trottoir. Ne plus rien attendre. Epaules deja courbees.

Vetus de manteaux. Les passants de l’autre monde. Vitrine achalandee.

Inaccessible. Force de l’âge. Reduits au doute. Deja effaces.

Trois hommes demunis assis; a l’arrière-plan, la devanture d’un magasin
d’alimentation. Ghetto de Varsovie, 1941. Photo : Albert Cusian, PK 689

Le seuil entrebaille. Qui s’ouvre sur ses tenèbres. Peintures qui
s’ecoulent. Griffures du soleil. Semblant de store. Exhibant ses
guenilles. Amenagement de fortune. Placard interdit. Scintillement
de la balance. Tel un couperet.

L’entree d’une boutique vendant du pain et des boissons. Ghetto de
Varsovie, ete 1941. Photo : Willy Georg

Silhouette drapee de gris. L’homme se tient encore sur ses genoux.

Chaque seconde est comptee. Visage au premier plan. Tete rasee.

Lorsque les mots sont inutiles. Lorsque le jour se fait tombeau.

Procession de ceux qui attendent.

Un policier juif aide d’un autre homme traîne un Juif. A l’arière-plan,
une enseigne avec l’inscription “glace et soda.” Ghetto de Varsovie,
19 septembre 1941. Photo : Heinrich Jost

Corps qui bascule. L’ultime souffle. Planches de cercueils jonchant
le sol. Visage tourne vers le ciel. Lorsque la terre n’est plus que
gouffre. La ville au loin. N’offrant plus que ses cheminees. Routes
d’ordalie.

Transport des morts par la societe juive de pompes funèbres, la Hevrah
Kaddisha. Ghetto de Varsovie, 19 septembre 1941. Photo : Heinrich Jost

Visages de femmes. Chevelures defaites, rides. Mère et fille ? Quand
tu as connu tous les departs. Toutes les aubes. Bras qui se croisent.

Comme pour conjurer l’inexorable. Se tenir debout. Proclamer en
silence. Les temoins de ce qui a ete.

Deportation des Juifs du ghetto. Ghetto de Szydlowiec, 1942. Photo :
Heinrich Moepken

© georges festa – 02.2014

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Source/Lien : Armenian Trends – Mes Armenies

SOPHIA OHANIAN WILL PLAY KHACHATURIAN PIANO CONCERTO IN REDLANDS

Redlands Daily Facts, CA
Feb 19 2014

The Redlands Symphony will present an evening of music including
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony at 8 p.m. Saturday in the University of
Redlands Memorial Chapel.

Co Nguyen, the Redlands Symphony’s assistant conductor, will conduct
the orchestra.

The concert begins with Mendlssohn’s “Fingal’s Cave,” a musical
portrayal of the Hebrides Islands.

Pianist Sophia Ohanian, winner of the University of Redlands Concerto
Competition, will join the orchestra to perform Armenian composer
Aram Khachaturian’s Piano Concerto.

The program concludes with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.

Doors open at 7 p.m., and Nguyen will present a pre-concert talk
at 7:15.

“One of the Redlands Symphony Association’s missions is to promote
and nurture talented young musicians,” Nguyen said.

“Consistent with this goal, the Redlands Symphony Orchestra has
presented winners of the University of Redlands Concerto Competition
as guest soloists for many years. These performances offer unparalleled
opportunities for these young artists to perform with the full symphony
orchestra in the utmost professional concert setting,” she said.

“I personally look forward to these performances every year, both as
a teacher at the School of Music and as an orchestral conductor.”

Sophia Ohanian, originally from Los Angeles, is a junior at the
University of Redlands, pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in piano
performance. She studies piano with Louanne Long at the University
of Redlands and is a recipient of the LeHigh Endowed Piano Scholarship.

She has recently won first prizes in the Armenian Allied Arts
Competition and the Inland Empire Piano Festival.

She began her studies at the Academy of Music and Fine Arts in Los
Angeles and later attended Charter High School of the Arts.

She said that because of her Armenian heritage, she has always
felt a deep affinity with the music of Aram Khachaturian, and this
performance with the Redlands Symphony Orchestra will fulfill her
dream of having the opportunity to perform Khachaturian’s Piano
Concerto with an orchestra.

For information, visit RedlandsSymphony.com or call the box office
at 909-748-8018.

ARMENIA’S PRESIDENT PROMPTED US TO ACT AND WE WILL ACT – ARTHUR ALEXANYAN

18:30 / 19.02.2014

Artsakh war hero, resigned National Security Service Colonel Arthur
Alexanyan is against all types of revolutions. The participant of
Karabakh war, today, on these peaceful days, is rather concerned. He
says today they are facing the issue of saving Armenia’s statehood
and there is no time to waste. Nyut.am has conducted an interview with
Arthur Alexanyan over the situation in the country, possible ways out.

– Mr Alexanyan, today many people are calling for revolution. You
too are concerned with the current situation, nevertheless you are
against revolution, why?

– Revolution first of all is bloodshed, revolution is anarchy.

Revolution drags the country back for 15-20 years and as much time is
necessary for it to recover. A whole generation is being lost as a
result. I am against revolution, I am against bloodshed. Revolution
is wanted by people who do not imagine what consequences the nation
will bear. Our biggest achievement is our state, our statehood –
the Republic of Armenia. We did not have state for 1,000 years and
now it is unacceptable to play with its fate.

– What’s your proposed way? You should agree that we are standing on
the edge of abyss.

– Yes, I agree that we have appeared in a terrible situation today.

Our salvation is in our consolidation. The authorities are powerful
today because we are weak, dismembered, separated. We must unite. Even
if we consolidate over the idea of revolution, and become a force
they will leave. We are not consolidated and the authorities are
not afraid of us, this is the problem. As far as they do not feel
power in front of them, the situation will remain the same. Our
salvation is in our unity. All the parties must realize that it is
not the time for party games. Until the parties step down from their
ambitions the issue will not be settled. They must step down and be
with people, they must consolidate the people via unity slogan. This
is the issue to be decided in the square but not in Maidan but in
Liberty Square. We have already showed such example to the world. We
managed to collapse Soviet Union in our square through our unity, our
belief. If that time we were the first swallows, today we have cut
our wings and each person is bringing eggs separately. Let’s again
gather in the square, and tell enough! We must not attack anyone as
there is no bigger victory than peace.

We must act with peace and love, we should not be filled with hatred.

We must forgive them and let them go. If we all forgive them, they
will go. But until the prior goal of the parties is not the nation
and its salvation, until all are not consolidated over one idea,
we will not reach our destination. Parties are people’s barriers
today. We all have one flag- the tricolor. We must be guided with
this flag. The party flags must be left inside and all must take to
streets under one flag. With this flag we will reach the place. The
other flags disturb us, divert us.

– But people need a guiding force, a leader. It is difficult to
consolidate without it.

– People will find their leader in a second. Today’s leaders have
not justified themselves. I love the nation as much as the Republic
of Armenia exists. Our sole achievement, our only wealth is our state.

Everything should be done for the state not to be destroyed and not
to become a colony of any of the states again. We must send the
authorities home and their chairs must remain in their places as
these are the chairs of the state, not theirs.

– Don’t the authorities realize that the situation is explosive? The
same president who passed through the war describes the protest of
freedom fighters as whining.

– You know, when we were in touch with the president, he was of
other type, he was not thinking in that way. We are not in touch
for about ten years, I do not know why he thinks this way now. I
remember and know him as a state-oriented person. I worked with him
for 15-20 years. Now his surrounding has changed, I don’t know what
they tell him.

I am not whining at all. I must do what I should. I am very offended
by that word. But he is right we are whining and not doing anything.

He called on us to act, he prompted us to act and we will act.

ARTAK DAVTYAN. “CAVIAR DIPLOMACY IS A REALITY, WITH WHICH WE SHOULD RECKON.”

February 19 2014

Recently, once again a noise was raised in Europe regarding the
information of giving a brine to the European MPs. In the conversation
with Aravot, Artak Davtyan, an NA MP, member of RPA faction, noted,
“Caviar diplomacy has become a part of diplomatic vocabulary. I was a
member of the OSCE parliamentary delegation at the previous convocation
of the National Assembly and have actually seen these phenomena under
the name “lobbying”. It is very evident, especially in the cases
when the MP of a democratic country that seems is not related to the
case stands for the protection of interests of Azerbaijan, moreover,
more zealously than the Azerbaijani delegation members are. There
are more Catholic in their manifestations than the Pope of Rome, and
when you are trying to talk to these people, you understand that they
are unaware of the essence of the problem and often are just reading
prepared texts. This is the reality, with which we should reckon.” To
our question of whether or not Armenia should somehow respond to these
phenomena or related information, Mr. Davtyan responded, “Responds
constantly happen. Whatever platforms this-or-that officials act, they
always get the response. Specifically with Parliamentary Platform,
they always get their answers, in addition, we present the situation
to the partners of this official.

In such interested “protections”, we explain to the other partners
what the problem is, and, as a rule, these “protections” do not
affect. Leading such a policy by Azerbaijan is something like to be
accountable before the country’s leadership, they want to show that,
look, this-or-that foreign country MP or the official received his
“honorarium”, and as an actual evidence of giving “honorarium”,
they cite his initiatives, statements, speeches, or which is worse,
sometimes we also see that they are presenting some resolutions. Of
course, they are doing their best to maneuver from direct questions,
they say that they are concerned about democracy, the situation of
refugees, or elimination of consequences of the war, but with such
practice they are just casting a shadow over the high and lofty ideas
they are talking about.”

Melania BARSEGHYAN

Read more at:

NKR PRESIDEENT: SETTLEMENT IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT ARTSAKH’S PARTICIPATION IN ALL STAGES OF TALKS

15:46 19.02.2014

Nagorno-Karabakh

On 19 February President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan
visited the NKR Foreign Ministry and partook in a consultation summing
up the activities of the structure in 2013 and outlining the 2014
action plan.

Foreign Minister Karen Mirzoyan, representatives of the Ministry’s
different departments delivered corresponding reports.

The President noted in his speech that Artsakh Republic would further
conduct comprehensive, balanced foreign policy based on complementarity
with influential states and power centers.

According to Bako Sahakyan the destructive policy of Baku is the
biggest hindrance on the way of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict
settlement, which also threatens maintenance of regional peace and
stability.

Referring to the peaceful settlement process, President Sahakyan
underlined that the NKR would be consistent in activities towards
restoring the full-fledged negotiation format, making it clear that
comprehensive settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict would
be impossible to achieve without full participation of the official
Stepanakert at all stages of the negotiations.

Touching upon the international recognition process of the
ArtsakhRepublic the President noted there positive developments,
adding that it’s both inspiring and binding. It’s inspiring because
it demonstrates that recognition process of ArtsakhRepublic is moving
forward and testifying that Artsakh is a full-fledged democratic
state and at the same time laying foundations for the republic’s
international recognition. It’s binding because the positive dynamics
needs to be maintained in the future.

President Sahakyan gave corresponding instructions for the efficient
organization of activities, elimination of shortcomings inside the
foreign ministry, adding that the state in its turn would do

ANALYZING ARMENIAN PRESIDENT’S SPEECH IS POINTLESS: OPINION

02.19.2014 18:16 epress.am

Regardless of how radical Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) leader Gagik
Tsarukyan’s speech will be, regardless of whether opposition or those
that consider themselves alternative parties will unite or not, they
will not succeed in changing anything in the political arena if they
don’t have the support of one of the geopolitical centers, Russia or
the US, Armen Badalyan, an expert on political and electoral systems,
informed Epress.am.

Speaking about Tsarukyan’s speech at the 7th BHK convention on Feb.

15, the analyst said it was more radical than in past conventions.

“But to say that in this way major change happened or that the speech
was half the battle — no. We’ve heard more radical speeches. What’s
important is what actions will follow that speech — will BHK get
the support of the geopolitical centers?” he said.

Regarding BHK’s call to unite non-ruling parliamentary parties,
Badalyan said the parties need to unite not around each other but
around a specific issue, such as happened in the fight against the
new mandatory pension system.

“After uniting around an issue, non-ruling parties have to get the
support of one of the geopolitical centers; otherwise, whatever
they propose will fail in the National Assembly, since the [ruling]
Republican Party of Armenia holds the majority and it votes with
one voice, whether it be the accumulated pension or an expression of
no confidence in the government. Geopolitical forces will not only
support, but also put pressure on the government,” he said.

Asked to comment on Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s speech at the
Yerkrapah Voluntary Homeland Defenders Union convention on Feb. 15,
Badalyan said there’s no point in subjecting the speech to a content
analysis.

“In general, one can speak about the president’s speech, when he
is newly elected, makes promises, when he’s been president at least
only for a year. But Serzh Sargsyan has been president for 6 years —
there’s no need to listen to his speeches because the 6 years have
proven that he’s lost in all areas. Emigration has reached 400-500
thousand, the judicial system doesn’t actually work, small business
owners have fled to Georgia or other countries, and foreign policy is
in such a state that Armenia is perceived as an obvious fool,” he said.