"Una cena armena" al Tieffe Teatro Menotti di Milano

“Una cena armena” al Tieffe Teatro Menotti di Milano

Tieffe Teatro Menotti – Via Ciro Menotti, 11 – Milano

da GIOVEDI’ 21 a SABATO 23 MARZO 2013

Può lo sterminio di un popolo non lasciare traccia? Può, una volta
stabilita la veridicità dell’accaduto, non averne il riconoscimento
unanime? Può, un evento simile, essere interiorizzato e perdonato? Una
cena armena è la volontà di affrontare, raccontare e superare una
grande tragedia della portata dei più noti stermini che, purtroppo,
hanno fatto storia, attraverso gli occhi di due generazioni a
confronto e le rispettive tradizioni culinarie.

Una cena armena è una pièce di Paola Ponti nata dall’incontro di
Màlbeck Teatro con Sonya Orfalian. Negli anni Settanta, dopo il colpo
di Stato di Gheddafi, la Orfalian ha trovato asilo in Italia, dove ha
coltivato la ricerca attorno alle proprie radici culturali. Qui ha
scritto il testo da cui lo spettacolo attinge e a cui si mescola, La
Cucina d’Armenia, che custodisce, insieme alle oltre centotrenta
ricette, le radici di una intera cultura, offesa e misconosciuta, ma
non per questo meno ricca di tradizioni.

Attraverso gli ingredienti della tradizione, che permettono
all’autrice la ricostruzione della vita quotidiana in terra d’Armenia,
prende forma il passato del padre, armeno palestinese, rifugiato in
terra di Libia e vissuto senza avere mai avuto una cittadinanza, né un
passaporto, ma solo un lasciapassare verde con la scritta:
`Palestinian Refugee in Libya’.

Così, dando sfogo al ricordo di luoghi, usi, proverbi, leggende e
ricorrenze, si mescola il peso dolce a quello amaro di un’eredità da
onorare. Una cena armena racconta la storia di due generazioni che
hanno la forza di guardarsi in faccia, di affrontarsi e di passarsi il
testimone. La regia è affidata a Danilo Nigrelli che, insieme con la
giovane Rosa Diletta Rossi, ne ha anche interpretato il testo. Danilo
è Aram, Rosa Diletta è Nina, rispettivamente un signore armeno e una
ragazzina italiana, i quali destini si incrociano in una notte
qualunque, al calore dell’ojàkh, il focolare, mentre fuori impazza una
tormenta di neve. I due personaggi si muovono nello spazio come due
bestie in gabbia, che lentamente cominciano ad annusarsi. Entrambi
nascondono un mistero, entrambi con lo stesso profondo bisogno di
conoscere le proprie origini. Una cena armena è una commedia dolorosa
e insieme divertente, a tratti comica, a tratti profondamente
commovente. È la summa di due storie, antitetiche e insieme riflesso
l’una dell’altra, che hanno alla fine la forza di guardarsi, di
affrontarsi e di passarsi il testimone, stemperando, attraverso il
cucinare insieme, le oscurità del proprio passato.

Per informazioni, prenotazioni, orari e biglietti:
Tel. Teatro: 02-36592544 – [email protected]

Hero-murderer Ramil Safarov told about his bodily fear towards Armen

Hero-murderer Ramil Safarov told about his bodily fear towards Armenians

16:54 04/03/2013 » SOCIETY

The Azerbaijani news agency Vesti.az published an article about
murderer Ramil Safarov who was recognized as a hero in Azerbaijan. The
article contained materials that were included in the criminal case.
In 2004 in Budapest the Azerbaijani officer Safarov axed Armenian
sleeping officer Gurgen Margaryan, who also was attending the course
in NATO’s “Partnership for Peace” program. For this “mean and cruel
murder” committed for low-lying motives, the Hungarian court sentenced
the murderer to life imprisonment without the right to seek pardon for
30 years.

Trying to combine the incompatible, the authors of the article
“Vesti.az” distorted themselves. So in the beginning it says that
Ramil Safarov was born on August 25, in 1977, and lived with his
family in Jabrail district until it was occupied by Armenian forces on
August 23, 1993. The purpose of this is clear – to show that Safarov
was in the combat zone and it made a lasting impression on him, and
even had effected on his psyche.

However, later the same article states that Safarov studied at
secondary school up to 8th form, and in summer left to study in a
military boarding school named after Jamshid Nakhijivan in Baku. This
coincides with the reality; it was in 1991 that Safarov left for Baku
to study. As a reward for studying well at school, “Vesti.az” says
that the head staff of the military college directed Safarov to pass a
military study in Turkey (1992-1996), and later, he was admitted to a
military academy in Turkey (1996-2000), which he graduated with
honours. Then Safarov took a one-year practice in Northern Cyprus. It
was there that he was taught to kill people with various objects.

The fact that the authors above described with emotion how Safarov
supposedly lived in Jabrail region right up to August 1993, and the
horrors that he was through, is refuted in the same article, which
states that in 1992 he was sent from Baku to Turkey (Safarov moved to
Baku in 1991). It will be good to bring the citation of “Vesti.az”
here which said that Safarov, who, however by that time was already in
Baku allegedly survived.

“Ramil Safarov has backbone problems, hernia and kidney stones. He was
fifteen years old (in 1992), when Jabrail district was attacked and
bombed by the Armenian armed forces, he obtained a strong sleep
disturbance – he almost did not sleep, he says, his dream was to
“finally fall asleep, like a dead.” Safarov at the time was under
constant stress,” the article Vesti.az said.

Safarov, who at the time of the described events was thousands of
miles away in Turkey, blatantly lied to the Hungarian court: “During
the attack of the Armenians I was taken away from our district in an
ambulance, my mother accompanied me, but I could not even hug her, she
was all in blood. There were dead bodies in the car, which exported
me, the bodies had occupied all the available space in the car, and I
couldn’t squeeze in anywhere. Now, on the bus or train I buy two
tickets in order to keep the place next to me empty, I am still
haunted by those corpses that surrounded me.”

Safarov also stated that while studying at the military studies in
Turkey, he was referred to the military doctors and those had assigned
him medical treatment against nervous disorders. It is worth noting
that this man is one of the best officers of the Azerbaijani army
(?!). “After the outbreak of hostilities, I lived in constant fear,
but I never told about it to anyone; I thought that no one will
understand me,” said Safarov.

It is noteworthy that Safarov recognizes about his fears towards
Armenians, he also notes that presence of Armenians strained him at
once, even before the “confrontations” allegedly began. Thus,
“Vesti.az” quoted Safarov as saying to psychiatric experts in the
examination on 25.04.2005, “I realized that I would represent my
homeland, I tried hard in my study and was disciplined. But a problem
occurred at once – two officers from Armenia started to attend the
courses – Gurgen Margaryan and Hayk Mukuchyan. I had no problems with
any of the students, but presence of the Armenians there stressed me
at once. After the start of the Armenian aggression in 1988, in order
to scare the children we used to say, “Look, if you do not obey,
Armenians will come and will kill you.” In some few days
confrontations started between us.”

Safarov describes the “confrontations” in this way, “they laughed
loudly passing next to us and scolded and abused us in Armenian.” In
Another episode it turns out that during the tour, Gurgen Margaryan
while getting onto the bus hurt Safarov by his elbow, which the latter
took as a deliberate insult. Then Safarov describes several episodes
of “insulting and humiliation” that Margaryan implemented, which,
however, took place only between him and Margaryan, with no witnesses.

Further, Safarov said that together with his fellow student from
Azerbaijan came to the commander, and began to complain about
Margaryan’s behavior. The commander, probably, realized how delusional
Safarovs paranoid suspicion sounded and did not pay attention to his
words. He also noted that if the Azerbaijanis wanted, they could make
a written complaint. “We did not write a complaint, we thought that it
would be unworthy of us to leave a written complaint, but I could not
forget this case,” Safarov said.

In reality, the accuser from Azerbaijan had simply nothing to write,
and they understood this quite well.

In addition, one of the best officers of Azerbaijan – Ramil Safarov –
spoke of his fears of Armenians and psychosis again saying, “I could
not sleep, I was thinking about the incident all the time, I felt that
my psychosis started again, just like in childhood. Like in the
childhood I started to feel horrified from the thought that now
Armenians will come and kill us. In the morning I could hardly get out
of bed, and I thought that we should go to the commander, but as the
first time he did not really listened to us, I changed my mind and
didn’t go to him again.”

Safarov then said, tried to start working on a report on Khojalu, but
could not work, because “psychosis, fears encompassed him”. Then he
went out and bought an ax, “for self defense”, in the town. “I felt
bad, I was thinking all the time, why should I be afraid of them, I’m
a man, I’m a soldier, I have to overcome this fear,” said Safarov
confessing about his complexes with Armenians.

“I was standing in the shower and hearing different voices, one voice
said “do not go”, and the other said “go.” It continued for a long
time. Then I went out of the room, went up to his door; his room was
next to mine and he lived with Hungarian cadet Balas Kuti, with whom I
was in good relations. I stood at his doors for a long time. To enter
or not? But I entered, turned on the light, from which G. Margaryan
woke up and wanted to get out of his bed. The voices spoke to me
again, I was covered with a cold sweat, I shouted and started to beat
him with an ax. But then Hungarian cadet woke up. I calmed him down,
saying that I had no problem with him. Then I went out of the room,”
Ramil Safarov told about his murder.

Safarov, confessed at the court that he had gone through the unlocked
door, while in 2012 while pardoning Safarov Azerbaijan, his countrymen
in various platforms, tried to prove that Margaryan allegedly opened
the door himself, and after new insults Safarov already hit him with
an ax. As you can see, the words of Safarov, that “Vesti.az” quotes,
completely refute the lies by Azerbaijani propaganda.

By the way, Safarov feared of Margaryan most. As stated in the court
verdict, Gurgen Margaryan was strong and athletic man, and Safarov
explained his choice of the weapon saying that he thought after the
first attack the victim will lose consciousness and will not be able
to resist again. The agency “Vesti.az” according to the Azerbaijani
false propaganda wrote as if the protocol of medical experts said: “On
Gurgen Margaryan’s body sixteen wounds have been found, some of them
he has received as a result of self-defense…” In reality there is no
such words written in this document.

Then Vesti.az brings the words of Safarov who confesses something
which the Azerbaijani propaganda tries to deny.
Safarov, after meanly and cowardly murdering Margaryan, tried to find
the second Armenian officer: “I went out into the hall and shouted
again; student from Uzbekistan came out on my shout. I asked the Uzbek
“Where does the second Armenian live? But I do not know why I wanted
to find him. I banged on several doors with my fist.”

It is noteworthy that “Vesti.az” cites all three forensic examination
of Ramil Safarov. “The first test” was held on February 23, in 2004 in
Russian, and the conclusion was that Safarov was imputative and was
conscious of the consequences of his action. The first testing also
concluded that Safarov has low intellectual level and does not meet
the level of a high school graduate, said “Vesti.az”, trying to
explain it by the poor knowledge of Russian of the murderer.

The second forensic examination carried out by the insistence of
Safarov’s defenders, on April 25, in 2005 with the participation of
Turkish language translator which Safarov knew well, came to the
conclusion that Safarov was reasonable at the moment of committing the
crime, but was subjected to average post-traumatic stress, and
Safarov’s ability to realize the consequences of his actions was
limited in average level.

Then the judge, faced with a variety of psychological assessments of
experts, appointed the third examination. Third examination which was
held on December 6, in 2005, also with the help of translator from
Turkish language, on which Safarov answered to the questions of the
experts, came to a conclusion: Safarov was under the influence of
strong post-traumatic stress, he was conscious, but he could not
completely control his actions; the intellectual level of Safarov is
satisfactory and meets his position and education.

However, perhaps, taking into consideration the fact that at the time
of the first test the Azerbaijani side had no time to “work over”
Safarov and tell him what to say and what not to, the judge upheld the
conclusions of the experts who conducted the first test of that,
“Safarov was sane and aware of the consequences of his act.”

The Hungarian court accused Safarov of “an exceptionally brutal and
pre-planned, carefully prepared murder committed with particular
cruelty with mean and low-lying motives, as well as in the attempted
murder of the second person, and thus sentenced the murderer to life
imprisonment, without the right to file petitions for 30 years.

On August 31, in 2012 extradition of Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan and
his pardoning by the decree of the President of the Azerbaijani
Republic, Ilham Aliyev became known all over the world. In Azerbaijan
pardoned murderer Ramil Safarov was greeted as a hero, he was given an
apartment and he received officer’s salary for eight years which he
spent in prison.
Furthermore, the Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan awarded Safarov
with a special title of Major, wishing him “every success.”

In connection with the extradition of Safarov to Azerbaijan, Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan announced termination of diplomatic relations
with Hungary. Safarov Extradition, pardoning and glorification in
Azerbaijan was condemned by the U.S. President Barack Obama, the U.S.
Department of State, Foreign Ministries of Russia and France,
Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Secretary General of the
CSTO, NATO, European Parliament and international human rights
organizations.

Source: Panorama.am

http://www.panorama.am/en/society/2013/03/04/ramil-safarov/

3,1% annual inflation rate reported in Armenia in Feb

3,1% annual inflation rate reported in Armenia in Feb

March 4, 2013 – 16:05 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – 3,1 % inflation rate was recorded in Armenia’s
consumer market in February 2013 compared to the same period of 2012.
During the reported period, prices for foodstuff (including alcoholic
beverages and cigarettes) increased by 2,8%, non-foods’ prices
increased by 5,5%, with 2,3% growth in tariffs for services posted.
According to RA National Statistical Service, in Feb 2013, the
consumer prices decreased by 0.4% compared to Jan 2013, prices for
foodstuff (including alcoholic beverages and cigarettes) increased by
0.7%, non-foods’ prices decreased by 0,2%, with 0,1% growth in tariffs
for services posted.
Consumer prices decreased by 1,0-0,3% in Feb 2013 compared to Jan 2013
in all Armenian cities under study, while the highest index was
registered in Yeghedzor and Artashat.
2013 state budget envisages inflation 4%(±1,5%) inflation rate.

– See more at:

http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/148387/#sthash.Bv5kYyXa.dpuf

Opinion: We toughen up their civilized struggle

Opinion: We toughen up their civilized struggle

02:45 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

Azerbaijanis continue their street diplomacy, which is devoid of logic
and civilized behavior, says Ruben Safrastyan, Director of the
Oriental Studies Institute of Armenian National Academy of Sciences.

During a Cairo-hosted conference devoted to Armenians’ contribution to
the world civilization an Azerbaijani student asked Armenian
Ambassador to Egypt Armen Melkonyan a question about the Khojalu
events.

“Our ambassador replied in a civilized way and gave a well-reasoned
response and I am confident that Arab students understood that
Azerbaijanis were again attempting to distort the facts and frustrate
the conference,” said Karen Khachatryan, Deputy Director of the
Institute.

Mr Safrastyan thinks that Armenians should toughen up their civilized struggle.

“We should not only try to defend ourselves, but we should also try to
counterattack in an attempt to show the reality and our innocence. It
is equally important that everything be scientifically grounded and
presented in due order,” he said.

http://www.a1plus.am/en/politics/2013/03/04/ruben-safrastyan

Black Sabbath guitarist praises Armenia’s Eurovision contestant

Black Sabbath guitarist praises Armenia’s Eurovision contestant (videos)

13:50 – 04.03.13

Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has praised this year’s Armenian
Eurovision participant, Gor Sujyan, and his band, Dorians.

“Well here’s something different, one of my demo ideas has been chosen
as the Armenian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest!,’ the musician
wrote on his official website. `It went on a short list and Saturday
night was voted as the winner. I did the music and the performing band
Dorians wrote the lyrics, it’s called ‘Lonely Planet’. They’re a good
band, the singer has a really good voice and the lyrics they’ve
written are in English. It now goes to the semi-final on May 16th in
Malmo, Sweden.’

Sujyan was selected to represent Armenia at the Eurovision 2013 Song
Contest during a live voting broadcast by the Armenian Public
Television.

http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/03/04/tony-iommy-praised-gor/

Stepanakert airport will operate – Foreign Minister

Stepanakert airport will operate – Foreign Minister

March 4, 2013 – 14:44 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The airport in Stepanakert will operate, thus
ensuring Nagorno Karabakh people’s right to freedom of movement,
Artsakh Foreign Minister said.
`I have explained the position of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and in
a letter circulated in the UN,’ Karen Mirzoyan said in an interview
with Echo of Moscow radio station.
`I can’t announce an exact day of opening. Our main goal now is to
exclude any danger. As soon as all security conditions are met, the
airport will be put into operation,’ he said, adding that Azerbaijan
continues to spread lies regarding the issue.

– See more at:

http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/148408/#sthash.isCHoaxT.dpuf

Armenia’s priority to boost relations with Russia, Europe and Iran

Armenia’s priority to boost relations with Russia, Europe and Iran –
political analyst

March 04, 2013 | 13:51

YEREVAN.- Armenia’s priority is to achieve boosting relations with
Russia, Europe and Iran, political analysts say.

Russian and Armenian analysts discussed political and humanitarian
relations during the Moscow-Yerevan space bridge organized on Monday.

Alexander Iskandaryan, director of Armenia-based Caucasus Institute,
recalled that Armenia is building a power plant on the border with
Iran, is holding talks on trade agreement with Europe and is boosting
defense and communication ties with Russia.

`However, Armenia is jealous about Russia-Azerbaijan relations,’ he emphasized.

Another participant of the space bridge, director of the Institute of
CIS States Konstantin Zatulin jokingly said jealousy is a
manifestation of love.

`Serzh Sargsyan has a certain position and did a lot for the
development of Armenia-Rusisa relations,’ he said.

– See more at:

http://news.am/eng/news/142898.html#sthash.d6vHsxvn.dpuf

Int’l Orgs attempt to restore justice to save face – Opp member

International organizations attempt to restore justice to save face –
Armenian opposition member

March 04, 2013 | 13:15

YEREVAN. – The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR)
helped so that the presidents of France and Germany would have grounds
to congratulate Armenia’s incumbent President, Serzh Sargsyan, as a
result of the country’s presidential election. Opposition Heritage
Party member Stiopa Safaryan stated this during a press conference on
Monday.

Reflecting on the OSCE/ODIHR’s preliminary and interim reports on the
election, Safaryan noted that the interim report questions the
accuracy of the votes which the ruling Republican Party (RPA)
candidate – that is, Sargsyan – had received in several hundred precincts,
and that the observers expressed a concern about a fairly high voter
turnout and in connection with the votes Sargsyan had garnered.

`We can have a grievance that the preliminary report gave a good
assessment to the election, whereas the interim and the final reports
criticize it, and justice is being restored. At the initial phase, the
international organizations are helping them [that is, the foreign
country leaders] to send congratulatory messages and, subsequently – and
to safe face – , they are attempting to restore justice with interim and
final reports,’ Safaryan argued.

But the other speaker of the press conference, RPA MP Artak Davtyan,
noted that, perhaps, it is not necessary to think about the
international organizations’ `saving face.’ As per Davtyan, these
organizations have so much prestige and reputation that they do not
need to give an account when issuing statements.

According to the ruling party deputy, the overwhelming majority of the
149 polling precincts, which the OSCE/ODIHR has noted in its reports,
are those precincts where there are up to a maximum of 300 voters. In
his words, it would have been illogical if the ratio of the votes in
these small precincts had been just as elastic as those in the other
precincts. Davtyan also noted that, perhaps, these are the small
communities which Heritage had not visited and where the residents are
interconnected, and therefore it is only natural that a given
community votes in the same manner.

The ruling party MP added that he is not concerned by the assessments
that are made in the OSCE/ODIHR interim report, and that even if the
ballots which were cast in a given precinct were to be counted in
favor of opposition Heritage Party Chairman Raffi Hovannisian – who is
declared runner-up to the winner, incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan,
as a result of the presidential election that was conducted on
February 18, but who claims to be the real winner in the vote – , this
would not change the overall picture.

Stiopa Safaryan, on the other hand, noted that if the results in these
precincts are declared invalid, Hovannisian would come out the winner.

– See more at:

http://news.am/eng/news/142888.html#sthash.TPQ0hZfm.dpuf

NKR Foreign Minister: sniper war inadmissible

NKR Foreign Minister: sniper war inadmissible

March 4, 2013 – 13:38 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Nagorno Karabakh conflict is a unique case,
where fragile peace is being preserved by the balance of forces
between the conflicting sides, Artsakh Foreign Minister said.
`Nevertheless, the situation at the line of contact is menacing, as
Azerbaijan keeps escalating tensions in the so-called sniper war,
which is inadmissible. The positions of the Karabakh forces are fired
upon every day from various caliber weapons. This situation is
dangerous for the entire region,’ Karen Mirzoyan said.
He reminded that both Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh proposed withdrawal
of snipers, which could help ease tensions at the contact line.
However, Azerbaijan rejected the idea that was profoundly supported by
the OSCE Minsk Group.
`Moreover, Azerbaijan established a school for snipers, who will
further be sent to the line of contact,’ the Foreign Minister said.

– See more at:

http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/148398/#sthash.Wlkv1eGl.dpuf

Letter of the Chairman of HCA Vanadzor to the President of the US

Letter of the Chairman of HCA Vanadzor to the President of the United States

13:54 04/03/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

On March 2, 2013, the Armenian media disseminated your congratulatory
message to the acting president of the Republic of Armenia, Serzh
Sargsyan on being reelected as the president of Armenia on February
18, 2013. Your congratulation came right when the OSCE/ODIHR
disseminated their post-election interim report (March 2, 2013), which
emphasized the public distrust toward the election results and
numerous facts and justifications for this distrust, including the
correlation between the high turnout and the number of votes for Serzh
Sargsyan, which duly raises concerns regarding the integrity of the
electoral process. Your congratulation was disseminated when Amnesty
International released a statement (February 28, 2013) demanding that
proper investigation be carried out on the reported human rights
violations which took place on February 18, 2012.

I and a number of colleagues and fellows received Universal Rights
Awards from the US Government on June 4, 2012, and the US Secretary of
State, Hillary Clinton was present at the official ceremony. We were
excited about the support from the Government of a Democratic State to
those of us fighting for the establishment of human rights and
democracy. Although local nationalists again labeled us as traitors of
national interests, implementers of color revolutions, agents defaming
our state for foreign money and so on, but these qualifications were
not new to us. And they never lead us in our human rights activity.

However your congratulation is absolutely inappropriate for these
elections, which were accompanied by flagrant fraud and violations.

You undertook immediate responsibility for the falsifications, by
congratulating those who falsified the elections, who are directly
responsible for human rights transgressions, systemic and organized
violations, transgressions and destruction of democratic values. In
this case, we do not have any guarantee that Armenia will not turn
into another Belarus. Now I am considering if I deserve to bear the
Freedom Defender Award, which was awarded by the government of a
democratic state, which is now apparently siding with an Oppressor of
Freedom.

With this letter, I express my deepest concern about your position and
expect to hear your comments on the issues raised in the letter. I
will be able to make a final decision based on your response and
comments.

With regards,

Artur Sakunts, Chairman of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly – Vanadzor

http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/right/view/29161