Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ARMENIAN ACTIVIST VAHAGN CHAKHALYAN TO BE RELEASED IN HALF AN HOUR

January 24, 2013 | 17:44

Armenian activist Vahagn Chakhalyan to be released in half an hour

YEREVAN.- Armenian activist, political prisoner Vahagn Chakhalyan
will be released under an amnesty in half an hour, the president of
Javakhk union, Armenian MP Shirak Torosyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Shirak Torosyan said relatives of Chakhalyan have gathered near the
penitentiary building.

Vahagn Chakhalyan has been in prison for five years. In 2009 he was
sentenced to 10 years in jail charged with organization of events
violating public order, possession of weapons and hooliganism.

CIS CULTURAL DELEGATION TO VISIT MATENADARAN

18:12, 23 January, 2013

YEREVAN, JANUARY 23, ARMENPRESS: Delegation of CIS Interstate Fund
for Humanitarian Cooperation will visit Mesrop Mashtots Institute
of Ancient Manuscripts (Matenadaran) on January 24 in order to get
acquainted with its exhibitions. Afterwards meeting with Armenian
Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan is scheduled in scientific
conference hall. Issues concerning cultural cooperation within CIS
as well as new possibilities and prospects will be discussing during
the meeting.

As Armenpress has been informed from press secretary of “Yerevan-
World Book Capital” program Nune Aleksanyan, the issue of declaring
Gyumri the next CIS cultural capital will be highlighted during the
meeting. At the end of the meeting journalists will be provided
with opportunity to raise their questions to the members of the
delegations. Outstanding intellectuals, journalists, actors and
athletes as Irina Rodnina, Levon Oganezov, Dmitry Kharatyan, Mikhail
Shvidkoy, Elena Stepanenko, Evgeniy Petrosyan and others are the
members of the delegation arrived in Armenia.

AZERBAIJAN’S STEP IS WAR CRIME
Aida Avetisyan

“Radiolur”
18:24 23.01.2013

Azerbaijan’s cabinet on Friday issued document on the use of airspace,
which allows the government of Azerbaijan to declare certain areas
“banned zones and limited zones,” hence allowing the government to
randomly shoot down aircraft it deems in violation of Azeri airspace.

Expert of Azerbaijani studies Sargis Asatryan describes this step of
Azerbaijan as a ‘war crime.’ He’s surprised at the reaction of the
international structures, which accept the situation as adequate.

Sargis Asatryan said the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ behavior
is strange, adding that “Azerbaijan spends huge sums to raise its
standing in international structures and slam Armenia.”

The expert said Azerbaijan’s steps lead to the escalation of the
situation. According to him, Armenia should be active in international
organizations. It must be active in the propaganda war and must
declare that Azerbaijan threatens the civilian aircrafts.

REPORT ON POLITICAL PRISONERS IN AZERBAIJAN AND EUROPE PRESENTED

News.Az
Tue 22 January 2013 15:02 GMT | 15:02 Local Time

Journalist and human rights activist Eynulla Fatullayev presented
a report on political prisoners and human rights in Azerbaijan
and Europe.

As part of the PACE winter session journalist and human rights activist
Eynulla Fatullayev presented a report on political prisoners and
human rights situation in Azerbaijan and Europe, APA reports.

Despite the fact that E. Fatullayev called the discussion of the
resolution due to the political prisoners in Azerbaijan a positive
fact, he said there are political prisoners in other member-states
of the structure: “I was surprised to see the preparation of such
reports. I came to the conclusion that today there are up to 30
alleged political prisoners in Azerbaijan. This list is contained in
a resolution prepared by Christoph Strasser because 45 people were
released by the decisions of the court and the presidential decrees”.

E. Fatullayev noted that international organizations have recently been
politicizing the human rights issue: “Why to annoy the Azerbaijani
government by adoption of this resolution, creating new tensions
between the Council of Europe and Azerbaijan? For us it is important
to attain the release of these 30 people, and I believe that this is
possible thanks to the cooperation. The acceptance of the resolution,
of course, will not lead to positive results. We know that all
the resolutions and decisions of PACE are recommendations and are
optional, so I oppose this resolution. I will be a supporter of the
initiative in the case international organizations create a special
investigation group for reporting on political prisoners in Turkey,
Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, and other countries and will include their
names in the lists. Association of this topic only with Azerbaijan
means an open politicization of the issue of human rights”.

ARMENIA-IRAN RAILROAD AND NORTH-SOUTH ROAD CORRIDOR OPEN UP NEW OPPORTUNITIES – SERZH SARGSYAN

news.am
January 23, 2013 | 13:23

YEREVAN.- Armenian President said the railroad connecting Armenia
and Iran as well as North-South transport corridor will open up new
opportunities for country’s external communication.

Serzh Sargsyan met with voters in Meghri within the framework of his
campaign events in Syunik Region in Armenia’s south.

Addressing residents of Meghri, Sargsyan called them “protectors
of Armenia’s southern gates”, Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent
reported. He thanked the locals for “protecting Armenia with your
peaceful work.”

Development of transport communication amid blockade by two neighboring
states is a key challenge for Armenia.

“After a large-scale preparation we have launched road construction of
North-South road corridor. It is a time-consuming project, we plan to
finish construction in 2017. The new highway, meeting international
requirements, will connect us with two neighboring states – Iran and
Georgia,” presidential candidate said.

Speaking about advantages of highway, he said the government would
spare no effort to implement the project.

He touched upon Iran-Armenia railway project stressing an agreement
had been signed several days ago.

“I want to thank Islamic Republic for efficient cooperation on this
and other projects,” President said, adding that Armenia values friends
who extend a helping hand in a difficult period for the country.

MEXICO MUNICIPALITY TO REMOVE ALIYEV’S STATUE FROM CENTRAL PARK

11:42, 23 January, 2013

YEREVAN, JANUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. On January 23 the Mexico Municipality
made an official announcement and introduced the final decision about
removing Heydar Aliyev’s statue from the central park Paseo de la
Reforma of the city. As reports “Armenpress” citing the Mexican media,
among other things the municipality announced about the decision of
changing the signboard of “Khojali” monument, which is located in
Tlaxcoaque square, and the text depicted on the monument itself by
removing word “genocide”.

On January 20 the Commission for Human Rights of Mexico Federal Region
discussed the issue of removal of the Azerbaijani former president
Heydar Aliyev’s statue from the park. In accordance with the decision
of the commission Heydar Aliyev’s statue contradicts to the human
rights, as it was placed without consent of the residents of the city.

It was underscored in the aforesaid decision states that retaining
the statue contradicts to the human rights and memory of the victims
of violence.

LE PS EXPRIME SON SOUTIEN A LA SOCIOLOGUE PINAR SELEK
Ara

armenews.com
mercredi 23 janvier 2013

PARIS,(AFP) – Le Parti Socialiste francais a exprime mardi son soutien
a la sociologue turque Pinar Selek, accusee d’avoir participe a un
attentat meurtrier commis il y a 14 ans mais deja acquittee a trois
reprises, deplorant l'”acharnement” de la justice turque a son egard.

“Son procès, pour un attentat qu’elle n’a pas commis, dure depuis
14 ans et a deja donne lieu a trois acquittements, mais la justice
de son pays reclame toujours contre elle une peine de detention a
perpetuite”, deplore le PS dans un communique. Selon lui, “les raisons
de cet acharnement sont directement liees aux sujets de recherche de
Pinar Selek, qui s’interesse a la situation des minorites dans son
pays. Elles sont directement liees a son combat pour les droits des
femmes, contre le sexisme et l’homophobie”.

Les “positions antimilitaristes” et la “denonciation du nationalisme”
par l’accusee sont egalement visees, souligne le PS. “Le Parti
socialiste observe avec inquietude que, dans ce procès, la defense
est chaque fois appelee a redemontrer l’innocence de Pinar Selek,
comme si les decisions d’acquittement prononcees en 2006, 2008 et 2011
n’avaient pas valeur de jugement definitif”, poursuit le communique.

Le PS “tient a affirmer publiquement son soutien” a la sociologue
et espère un “verdict d’acquittement qui mettra un terme definitif
a un procès injuste, contraire a toutes les règles du droit turc et
international”, conclut le texte signe par la secretaire nationale
aux droits des Femmes, Adeline Hazan.

Pinar Selek vit en exil a Strasbourg, en France. Son quatrième procès
s’est ouvert en decembre a Istanbul, en son absence.

mercredi 23 janvier 2013, Ara ©armenews.com

LES AUTEURS DE BANNIÈRES RACISTES ANTI-ARMENIENNES CONDAMNES
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 23 janvier 2013

Une cour d’Istanbul a declare coupable 6 personnes pour le transport
d’une bannière contenant des propos haineux a l’egard des Armeniens
pendant une protestation a Istanbul a l’occasion du 25ème anniversaire
des evènements de Khojaly en Azerbaïdjan. Le juge les a condamnes a 5
mois de prison qui ont ete plus tard convertit au versement d’environ
1300 euros.

10 inculpes ont nie les accusations et ont demande le renvoi du
procès. Le juge a condamne 6 inculpes – Derya Kabakci, Burak Kahveci,
Cihan Dabak, Umut Akbulut, Hasan Huseyin Kocabey et Kazim Buyukbunar
– d’incitation a la haine raciale en vertu de l’article 216 du Code
penal. Les accusations sur les autres inculpes – Onur Gurecioglu,
Recep Aksoy, Arzu Bekci et Samet Aksakal – ont ete ecartees car aucune
preuve ne montrait qu’ils ont porte la bannière.

Le 26 fevrier, des douzaines de manifestants se sont reunis Place
Taksim a Istanbul pour le 25ème anniversaire des evènements de Khojaly.

mercredi 23 janvier 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

TRANSFORMATIONS: WOOD STOVES AND FAITH

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013

BY MARIA TITIZIAN

Most days you just want to turn the switch off, go home, sit on
the couch and watch a meaningless movie. You don’t want to think
about work, about deadlines and responsibilities, about the upcoming
presidential elections or about your crazy, chaotic life. You crave
boredom, monotony, a peaceful existence.

And then a 23 year-old journalist goes ahead and files a news report
about the first presidential elections (1991) in a free and independent
Armenia, an Armenia you didn’t believe would exist in your lifetime
and you realize that you don’t have the right or the luxury to switch
anything off.

It wasn’t so much the substance or content of her report that moved me
but how she had made herself part of the story she was trying to tell.

And as her friends and colleagues shared her clip, they began to
reminisce about those early years of our country’s independence. Most
of them were mere children, some not even old enough to talk or to
even have memories. Yet oddly they recalled similar things. Like
the smell of potatoes baking on woodstoves in their apartments, the
darkness, the cold winter nights, the candlelight. They remembered
their euphoria when the electricity would unexpectedly return or how
they would play games or do their homework by candlelight; or how
the neighbors in their building would all come together for warmth,
for some company and compassion. An entire generation of Armenia’s
children grew up in the “cold and dark years” of the early 1990s. Most
of them grew up without the basic comforts we took and continue to
take for granted, like warmth, light, clean water, proper nutrition,
a carefree and blissful existence. They could have been my children…

Many of that generation have left Armenia and many continue to leave.

But for those who have stayed, those young men and women who paid
a high price for something they didn’t understand, it is for and
about them that we should all continue to work, regardless of where
we live, whether in the homeland or the Diaspora. None of us will be
able to give them back their childhood, but we can try and restore
their faith in the future of Armenia.

Yet, as I write such lofty sentiments about how we should ‘restore
their faith,’ it dawns on me that they are the ones who are restoring
ours. The steadily growing environmental movement is Armenia is teeming
with young people, who see themselves not as temporary residents in
search of a visa guaranteeing their departure but as the rightful
owners of this land. There are those dedicated group of activists who
are on the frontlines to ensure the protection of human rights in the
country, and who consistently address different kinds of abuses and
injustice with conviction; there are those women’s rights activists
who confront stereotypes and rigid gender roles on a daily basis yet
who carry on to ensure that women’s voices, perspectives and needs are
guaranteed in decision-making; and there are those young journalists
who try to enlighten us by writing articles and filming reports about
the state of the country from their own unique prism. It is true that
journalism in Armenia has much room for improvement but there are
some news organizations trying to fill that void. And while there is
an army of those who complain or simply write statuses on Facebook,
there are just as many more who are trying to ensure a dignified life
for everyone.

I work with a lot of different people, most of them considerably
younger; it’s not always pleasant being the oldest person in the room,
but I have come to realize what a gift it has been for me. Every day I
interact with young, bright, and, energetic people who work hard, dream
big and strive for excellence. I forget about their personal stories,
their memories and recollections of those difficult early years of our
country’s independence when they huddled around woodstoves, trying to
warm their frozen little fingers so that they could play the piano, or
read a fairy tale or simply run around to play a game of hide-and-seek.

The generation of the ‘cold and dark years’ are now young adults,
studying, working, serving in the army, getting ready to chart their
journey through life. Their passage through childhood was not an easy
one, it was fraught with hardship and many deprivations but their
nostalgia when recalling potatoes baking on woodstoves and fond
memories of candlelight in the darkness simple proves, yet again,
the strength and resilience of the human spirit.

I read a saying today, “A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor.” If
there’s any truth to these words, then our future is indeed bright.

MALI MAY BECOME SECOND AFGHANISTAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
January 23, 2013

Since April 2012, Al Qaeda-related groups are establishing Sharia
law on territories under their control following the Taliban scenario.

Over the past 200 and even 300 years Africa has caused much trouble
to its mother countries. Colonialism is not a good thing, indeed,
but in addition to various diseases, it offered literacy and certain
state management skills to Africans. Mother countries were to vanish
sooner or later, this was out of question.

PanARMENIAN.Net – In September 1960, the Republic of Mali gained
independence from France, along with nearly all former colonies.

Almost immediately, inter-tribal and inter-confessional war broke out.

In view of the huge amount of armament in Africa, the current
developments in Mali are quite natural, so are those occurring earlier
in Somalia, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Nigeria. Others may join the list; any
African county faces lots of problems including poverty, hunger, and
diseases. This is the key reason of hostilities in the Black Continent,
along with the religious factor which became dominant recently.

90% of Malians are Sunni Muslims, with some elements of pagan African
beliefs; 3% are Christian Catholics, 2% Christians following various
protestant trends and 5% adhere to indigenous or traditional animist
beliefs. The Malians consider themselves a deeply religious nation
and take pride in this; however, Mali is officially considered to be
“secular Muslim state”.

Islamists will always be ones. In 2012, they destroyed Timbuktu. The
latter is listed among UNESCO World Heritage sites and hosts ancient
shrines of Islamic saints worshipped by Sufi Muslims. Ansar Dine,
a grouping of Islamic fundamentalists linked to Al-Qaeda believes
saint worshipping to be idolatry. The group members already ruined
some ancient mausolea in Timbuktu.

The UN Security Council condemned the destruction of the tombs and
warned that it could constitute a war crime. It means that a case
could be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Hague.

The ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda dubbed the destruction of Timbuktu
monuments a war crime. Timbuktu is also known as the “City of 333
saints”. Ideology of Ansar Dine movement prohibits saint worship
considering this idolatrous. Meanwhile, for Muslims following
traditional forms of Islam, particularly the Sufis, this kind of
veneration is a common practice.

Nomad Tuaregs who fled Libya after collapse of Gaddafi’s regime first
conquered the almost uninhabited part of Sahara; later, they had to
yield to radical Islamists. Since last April, groups associated with Al
Qaeda are establishing Sharia law on territories under their control
following the Taliban scenario: they destroy ancient monuments, ban
Western lifestyle and organize public executions of those who disobey.

Fearing that Mali may become a second Afghanistan in the zone
of French interests, French leader Francois Hollande opted for
intervention. The move was authorized five days ago without the
parliament’s consent; however, the Constitution does not require
an agreement in this case. The French president facing decreasing
popularity and being widely accused of lacking decision, first came
up as the commander-in-chief.

“If I hadn’t taken this decision, it would have been too late. The
country would have been entirely captured by terrorists, who would
have been in a position of strength not only in Mali, but also able
to put pressure on neighbouring countries as well. The decision is
legal and lies within the framework of international legislation and
UN Security Council resolutions,” Hollande declared.

The ongoing French military operation in Mali is named after the
African wild cat Serval. The first offensives were launched 400
kilometers north to capital Bamako. These territories have been out
of the government’s control for a year already.

“We are opposed by most cruel, fanatic and well-organized terrorist
groups. We knew the operation would be a tough one; we are facing over
a thousand of armed terrorists,” French Defense Minister Jean-Yves
Le Drian said.

France is building up its troops in Mali from 800 to 2500 now, and the
neighbouring African states will soon arrive to support the French,
while NATO allies are providing the transport and communication.

The United Nation grounded the military operation in Mali by the
current inability to hold a dialogue with armed groups, U.N. Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon told the journalists on Tuesday.

Tensions are high in Mali during the past weeks; extremist militants
launch attacks on governmental troops in central part of the country.

The French troops arrived on January 10 to help the authorities,
with around 2000 militaries deployed in Mali now. Militaries from
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have also joined
the operation.

The conflict broke out in spring 2012 following a coup in Bamako
when Tuaregs and armed Islamist groups seized the region; a large
territory including Timbuktu has since been under their control.

Currently the Bamako authorities are opposed by militants of the
extremist alliance which includes Ansar Dine, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic
Maghreb, as well as Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa.

Meanwhile, the European Union will allocate 50 million euros to
support the deployment of ECOWAS forces in Mali. Deployment of 5800
African troops in Mali to help the governmental forces fight against
the Islamists will total to at least $500 mln. EU already provided 20
mln euros for refugee assistance in December 2012. The situation has
deteriorated since then, and additional funding is required. Another
20 mln euros will be allotted for food and first aid supplies for
150 000 people. In 2012, EU assistance to Mali made 111 mln euros.

Karine Ter-Sahakian