Author: Kalantarian Kevo

CANDIDATE RAFFI HOVANNISIAN DEMANDS PRESIDENTS’ ANSWERS

news.am
January 25, 2013 | 13:13

YEREVAN.- Presidential candidate Raffi Hovannisian said authorities
have already started instructing people to vote for Serzh Sargsyan.

Head of the state agencies, municipalities and mayors have launched
meetings with the participation of school and college principles
giving instructions to vote for the incumbent president, he told
reporters on Friday.

He does not believe that Serzh Sargsyan is unaware of the campaign
held, for example in the Yerevan State University.

“I would like incumbent president either to confirm or dismiss the
reports. Serzh Sargsyan must answer the question publicly,” he noted.

SEN KERRY HAS ‘DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF ISSUES FACING ARMENIA’

January 25, 2013 – 14:02 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a
confirmation hearing to consider the nomination of Senator John Kerry
(D-MA) to serve as the next Secretary of State.

With the hearing, which was chaired by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ),
concluded, it is widely anticipated that Senator Kerry will be
expeditiously confirmed by the Senate. Additionally, according to the
Armenian Assembly of America, questions on Armenian issues will be
submitted by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and others for Senator Kerry
to answer on the record.

“Senator Kerry is a long-time supporter of Armenian issues and a
staunch promoter of America’s fundamental values in the area of human
rights and minority rights,” said Assembly Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny. “Senator Kerry through his 29 years of service in the United
States Senate has a deep understanding of the issues facing Armenia
and Nagorno Karabakh, and we expect that as Secretary of State that he
will remain true to his extensive record,” added Ardouny.

During his tenure in the United States Senate, Kerry cosponsored
numerous resolutions on the Armenian Genocide, was instrumental in the
adoption of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, which restricted
U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan until it takes “demonstrable steps to
cease all blockades against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh,” supported
the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act, the establishment of permanent
normal trade relations between the United States and Armenia, as well
as legislation regarding Hrant Dink.

In April of 2005, Senator Kerry, along with 31 of his colleagues sent
a letter to George W. Bush urging the president to reaffirm “the
United States record on the Armenian Genocide…”

In April of 2004, Senator Kerry released a statement on the
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, which read in part: “I join
Armenian Americans and Armenians worldwide in mourning the victims of
the Armenian Genocide and I call on governments and people everywhere
to formally recognize this tragedy. Only by learning from this dark
period of history and working to prevent future genocides can we truly
honor the memories of those Armenians who suffered so unjustly.”

In addition, in January of 2004, Senator Kerry urged President George
W. Bush to call upon Turkey to comply with the Administration’s
long-standing position “that in order to restore economic, political
and cultural links with Armenia, Turkey should immediately lift its
ongoing blockade of Armenia.”

In April of 1996, Senator Kerry joined with 21 of his colleagues in
sending a letter to President Bill Clinton, which read in part: “the
Armenian people of the Ottoman Empire were subjected to a ruthless,
systematic and well-organized policy of deportation, confiscation of
property, slave labor, denial of basic rights and, ultimately,
murder…The world recognized at the time that a crime against
humanity had been committed. The United States condemned the brutal
treatment of the Armenians and rendered humanitarian assistance to
many of the survivors in the largest relief effort ever organized by
this country.”

In a 1993 April 21st floor statement, Senator Kerry stated: “Elie
Wiesel, chairman of the U.S. Holocaust Council, has said that Adolf
Hitler had the Armenian example very much in mind when conceiving his
own sick plan for exterminating the Jews. Hitler was confident that no
one would care: ‘Who, after all, remembers the Armenians,’ he asked.
Sadly, the answer to that question in Hitler’s day was silence. But
the answer today is we do; we remember the Armenians. We remember both
those who survived and those who perished and we will not allow the
truth of their suffering to be obscured by distortions of history or
the passage of time.”

In December of 1992, Senator Kerry sent a letter to then-Secretary of
State Lawrence Eagleburger urging that “high priority be given to
providing emergency humanitarian and economic aid to the Republic of
Armenia….” as “the people of Armenia are facing a grim winter as a
result of the continued economic blockade imposed by neighboring
Azerbaijan…”

In an April 1991 floor statement, Senator Kerry said in part:
“Ignoring the Armenian Genocide, extraordinary evidence of man’s
capacity for inhumanity, can open a Pandora’s box of selective
morality a virtual guarantee that similar tragedy will touch other
people in the future. Selective morality only leads to selective
genocide. We must never ignore the persecution and slaughter of any
people…” and make “a solemn vow that we must prevent genocide from
ever happening again, to anyone, anywhere, anytime.”

In February 1990, Senator Kerry expressed his support for enactment of
S.J.Res. 212, designating April 24, 1990 as a “National Day of
Remembrance of the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
of 1915-1923.” Kerry specifically stated that it “is imperative for us
to be guided by our collective consciences, rather than a sense of
political expediency…President Bush stated in 1988 that ‘the
American people, our government and certainly the Bush administration
will never allow political pressure to prevent our denunciation of
crimes against humanity….I would join Congress in commemorating the
victims.'”

Also in February of 1990, Senator Kerry joined a bipartisan group of
Senators in writing to then Secretary of Defense, Richard Cheney to
express concern “about the pogroms and evacuation of Armenians from
Azerbaijan.”

“ARMENPRESS” INTRODUCES BESTSELLER BOOKS LIST

10:21, 25 January, 2013

YEREVAN, JANAURY 25, ARMENPRESS. In accordance with the inquiry made
by “Armenpress” News Agency in the bookstores of Yerevan, “Tales”
by Hovhannes Toumanyan tops the rating of the bestseller books. Also
“Tales” by Hans Christian Andersen occupies the second position of the
rating. The children still enjoy reading the Russian national tales;
therefore “Roly-Poly” takes the third position of the bestseller
books rating.

Aram Pachyan’s “Farewell Tsit” occupies the fourth position of the
list. This time “Tropic of Cancer” by prominent American author Henry
Miller occupies the fifth position.

Alongside with Hovhannes Toumanyan’s tales, works by Hans Christian
Andersen and Russian national tales, the kids also enjoy reading
collected works by Ghazaros Aghayan entitled “Tales”. This book
occupies the sixth position of our rating. Fable in novella “Jonathan
Livingston Seagull”, written by American writer Richard Bach, also
appeared in the centre of attention in the bookstores of Yerevan.

Richard Bach’s book occupies the seventh position of the bestseller
rating. “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” is followed by “The Book of
Lamentations” written by outstanding Armenian writer St. Gregory of
Narek. “The Final Word” by Levon Nersisyan occupies the ninth position
in the rating. “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho, which remains in the
orbit of interest of the Armenian public alongside with the renowned
classics and authors of fairy tales, occupies the final tenth position
of the top ten bestseller books rating.

TURQUIE : LA SOCIOLOGUE PINAR SELEK CONDAMNEE A LA PRISON A VIE POUR TERRORISME
Stephane

armenews.com
vendredi 25 janvier 2013

Un tribunal d’Istanbul a condamne jeudi la sociologue turque
Pinar Selek, qui etait rejugee pour la quatrième fois après trois
acquittements, a la prison a vie pour sa participation a un attentat
commis il y a quatorze ans.

Après en avoir delibere pendant plus d’une heure, la cour a reconnu
l’universitaire, qui vit en exil en France et n’assistait pas a
son procès, coupable d’avoir aide des rebelles kurdes a commettre
un attentat a l’explosif contre un site touristique d’Istanbul,
le marche des epices sur la Corne d’or, qui a fait sept morts en 1998.

Le verdict de la justice a provoque des reactions indignees parmi
les nombreux soutiens de la sociologue, connue pour ses recherches
sur les minorites marginalisees comme les transsexuels ou les Kurdes,
venus assister a cette audience.

Des militantes feministes italiennes ont lance “fascistes, fascistes”
aux magistrats, a constate un journaliste de l’AFP.

Arretee et incarceree a l’âge de 27 ans, Pinar Selek a ete impliquee
dans cette affaire après avoir refuse de donner a la police les noms
de rebelles qu’elle avait rencontres dans le cadre de ses recherches.

Elle a ete liberee en 2000 après la publication d’un rapport attribuant
l’explosion a une fuite de gaz.

Les tribunaux turcs, estimant que le caractère criminel de l’explosion
n’etait pas etabli et prenant en compte la retractation du principal
temoin a charge, ont acquitte Pinar Selek a trois reprises, mais a
chaque fois la Cour de cassation a invalide le verdict.

A l’ouverture de cette nouvelle audience, les avocats de Pinar Selek
ont denonce jeudi la tenue de ce quatrième procès, arguant notamment
le fait qu’une procedure d’appel, normalement suspensive, etait en
cours quand le tribunal s’est saisi du dossier.

Devant le refus des juges d’accepter leurs demandes, ils ont suspendu
jeudi leur participation au procès.

vendredi 25 janvier 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

ARMENIA-GEORGIA CHURCH COUNCIL HOLDS FIRST SESSION

24.01.13

An Armenian-Georgian council dealing with five disputable churches
on Georgia’s territory held its first session earlier on Thursday,
Georgian Online reported.

A decision on setting up the Council was made in the course of Georgian
PM Bidzina Ivanishvili’s visit to Yerevan.

The commission includes representatives and experts from both
countries’ Ministries of Culture, the Georgian Orthodox Church
and NGOs.

The working discussion focused on the five churches – St Nicossoa-St
Nshan, St Georgia-St Gevord, St. Minas and Karmir Avetaran (Church of
the Red Gospel) – for which both the Georgian and Armenian religious
authorities have made claims.

President of the 21st Century Organization Paata Gachechladze, who
is also a commission member, has said the churches’ origin is not on
their agenda yet. According to him, the activities are now focused
on the constructions’ maintenance.

ARMENIAN VERSION OF MAGNITSKY LIST? – NEWSPAPER

January 24, 2013 | 08:17

YEREVAN. – Following the March 1, 2008 tragedy in Armenia’s capital
city Yerevan, the US still maintains its entry ban into the country
by several Armenian officials, Zhamanak daily reports.

“According to Zhamanak’s information, [ruling Republican Party (RPA)
MP and businessman] Samvel Aleksanyan, [RPA MP] Mher Sedrakyan,
[Football Federation of Armenia President and businessman] Ruben
Hayrapetyan, [businessman] Levon Sargsyan [aka Lyov of the flour mill],
and [several] others still are banned from entering the US.

Until recently, Transport and Communication Minister Gagik Beglaryan
[likewise] was unable to receive a visa to US, but his US entry ban
was lifted ahead of the Armenian government’s visit to US.

According to our information, Washington and Brussels could publicize,
just like the example of the Russian ‘Magnitsky List’ [and] following
Armenia’s [forthcoming] presidential election, the names of several [of
Armenia’s] officials and oligarchs that will be deprived of the right
to be issued a visa to visit the US and EU countries,” Zhamanak writes.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MEETS WITH HEAD OF THE PACE OBSERVATION MISSION

20:53 ~U 24.01.13

One of the candidates in the upcoming presidential election in Armenia,
Arman Melikyan, has held a meeting with Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini,
Head of the PACE Observation Mission.

Mr Melikyan voiced his concern over the fact that the ~Spolitical
circumstances obviously show that the Armenian citizens enjoying the
voting right ~V at least 500,000 votes ~V will prove to be in the
authorities~R favor.~T

Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini received a package of documents ~V Mr
Melikyan~Rs letter to Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission
(CEC) and copies of the CEC~Rs decision, as well as a statement by
Mr Melikyan~Rs election campaign staff.

Mr Melikyan noted that the CEC rejected the proposal for publishing
the information on the Armenian citizens that left Armenia.

Mr Melikyan also informed Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini that he will
in no way apply to Armenia~Rs judicial system as no justice can be
expected in Armenia.

Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini assured Mr Melikyan that the PACE
Observation Mission is ready to settle all the controversial issues.

AMB. “STEPHENS WAS RUNNING GUNS”

Gen. Boykin’s Claims U.S. Gun-Running to Syrian Rebels Through Benghazi

By Billy Hallowell

You can watch Boykin’s interview, during which he made these
statements, below:

January 24, 2013 “CNS News” — The CIA is claiming that retired Army
Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin is incorrect in alleging that it’s possible
that the U.S. was considering offering support or already in the act
of supporting Syrian rebels with weapons via Benghazi, Libya. Boykin,
who had an esteemed career as a commander of the U.S. Special Forces
Command, the deputy under secretary of defense for intelligence and
as a CIA staffer, made his comments during a recent video interview
with CNS News.

On Tuesday, a CIA spokesperson told the same outlet that Boykin’s
“assertions are both baseless and flat wrong.” The general has
publicly wondered why U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens was in Benghazi
on Sept. 11 – the day that an attack on the consulate inevitably
killed the American diplomat. The former special forces commander
has posited that an operation to assist Syrian rebels might explain
Stevens’ presence in the city.

“Then what was Stevens doing there on September 11 of 2012?,” Boykin
said in an exchange with CNS News. “More supposition was that he was
now funneling guns to the rebel forces in Syria, using essentially
the Turks to facilitate that. Was that occurring, (a), and if so,
was it a legal covert action?”

Here, Boykin is referring to the fact that Stevens, who was residing
in Tripoli after being sent back to Libya as ambassador in May 2012,
had gone to Benghazi on Sept. 10 – the day before the attack.

There were only five State Department mission employees in Benghazi at
the time of Stevens’ arrival on Sept. 10. While the ambassador brought
two security personnel with him, one left on the morning of Sept. 11,
leaving six personnel and then Stevens, himself.

Boykin, who said he could not prove that a Syrian mission was on the
table, noted that he had information that led him to believe that
this might be the case. When asked by CNS why a “skeletal group”
of State Department officials was present in Benghazi at the time,
the former commander expressed his theory.

“Well, I think that they were anticipating that they would eventually
be given a directive to support the Syrian rebels and that that would
be the hub of that activity,” Boykin said. “So, I think they kept
the facilities open, they kept them functioning, they had somebody
there that had to be there because of the communications equipment,
because of the potentially classified material that was still there.”

He went on to say that he believes the personnel stayed there in
anticipation of helping the Syrian rebels, nothing that “they’d
probably been given a heads up on that.” Boykin claims that he has
information that corroborates a Syrian rebel support program. If,
indeed, this is the case, he said that he has no problem with such
a mission, pending it was done legally.

However, Boykin noted that if the program ran without following proper
protocol (notifying Congress about the mission), then he would take
issue with it. In such a case, he said that an operation moving
under such parameters would be “outside of the way America should
be functioning.” And if Congress was notified, Boykin believes the
American people deserve to know the details.

“In the context of why Ambassador Stephens was there that day, I
think that the American public needs an explanation,” he told CNS,
noting that he doesn’t believe that the exact details of the covert
mission need to be released – just the general sentiment. “And if
that explanation is that he was there to meet with the Turkish General
Counsel who was helping to facilitate the flow of arms, then I think
that needs to come out.”

Following the CIA’s claims that Boykin’s statements on the Syrian
matter are “baseless and flat wrong,” Boykin responded, seemingly
doubling down on his stance.

“I believe there must be an explanation for why the ambassador was
there on 9/11,” he told CNS. “I believe there has been significant
information that has come out recently calling into question whether
the ambassador was either involved in or making preparations for
supplying material to the Syrian resistance forces.”

(H/T: CNS News)

PACE REPORT: THE LACK OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY IS A CONCERN IN AZERBAIJAN

On January 23 the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
(PACE) decided to continue the monitoring of the country’s obligations
and commitments. PACE official web-site writes about this.

According to the adopted text, based on the report by Pedro Agramunt
(Spain, EPP/CD) and Joseph Debono Grech (Malta, SOC), since its
accession Azerbaijan has made progress with regard to the establishment
of the legislative framework in some areas crucial for the functioning
of democratic institutions but, regrettably, “restrictive application
or violations of some laws are resulting in growing concern with
regard to the rule of law and respect for human rights”. The lack of
independence of the judiciary is a concern too, “where the executive
branch, in some particular cases, continues to exert influence on it”.

Since Azerbaijan’s accession to the Council of Europe, not a single
parliamentary or presidential election has fully met democratic
standards. According to the Assembly, “a number of shortcomings and
deficiencies in the electoral process, in particular with regard to
the electoral code, the composition of the electoral commissions,
candidate registration, observers and the complaints and appeals
procedure, must be addressed in time for the next elections”.

Concerning the functioning of pluralist democracy, some well-known
Azerbaijani opposition parties are not represented in parliament,
the ruling party is the only one which is eligible to establish a
political group and “regrettably, there is no political dialogue”
with the opposition parties outside parliament.

The situation with regard to basic freedoms, including freedom of
expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of association, “is
preoccupying”. The Assembly expressed its alarm at reports by human
rights defenders and domestic and international NGOs about the alleged
use of so-called fabricated charges against activists and journalists.

“The combination of the restrictive implementation of freedoms with
unfair trials and the undue influence of the executive, results in
the systemic detention of people who may be considered prisoners of
conscience,” the adopted text underlines.

Recently adopted amendments to the Criminal Code and the Administrative
Code, which have increased penalties for the organisers of, and
participants in, “unauthorised” gatherings, also raise concern, as do
alleged cases of torture and other forms of ill-treatment at police
stations, during the investigation period and in penal institutions,
as well as the impunity of perpetrators.

Finally, despite the progress achieved in the introduction of a
legislative framework aimed at fighting corruption and organised
crime, the main challenge lies in “the effective application of
that legislation”.

24.01.13, 10:19

SERZH SARGSYAN VISITED HOUSE-MUSEUM OF PARUYR SEVAK

20:11, 24 January, 2013

YEREVAN, JANUARY 24, ARMENPRESS: Incumbent President of Armenia,
presidential candidate Serzh Sargsyan continues his pre-election
meetings. As reports Armenpress, RPA candidate had meetings with voters
of Jermuk, Vayq, Malishka, Eghegnadzor, answered their questions,
presented his pre-election program, as well as spoke about prospective
spheres for Vayots Dzor region which were agriculture, tourism and
health care.

In Jermuk city of the region, Serzh Sargsyan had meeting with regional
and municipal authorities, as well as representatives of local health
resorts, hotels, service sector organizations.

Within the frames of his pre-election visit to Vayots Dzor RPA
candidate visited Zangakatun, birthplace of Paruyr Sevak, laid flowers
on the tomb Armenian poet on the occasion of his birthday as well as
visited house-museum of Paruyr Sevak.