Author: Karagyozian Lena

Turkish police on Sunday night raided the Belge publishing house in Istanbul, searching the venue for about three hours, Turkish media report.

The officials reportedly prevented employees from leaving, seized a total of 2170 books and briefly detained editor Mehmet Ali Varis.

The publishing house was raided on suspicion of having links to the far-left Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C).

The Belge Publishing House was founded by Ragip Zarakolu and his late wife Ayse Nur in 1977.

Mr. Zarakolu has been writing and publishing about the Armenian Genocide since the early 1990’s. His ‘Belge’ print house has published over ten volumes on the topic, for which he and his family have been consistently persecuted and jailed by Turkish authorities.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will visit Warsaw on April 12 to attend the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of participating states of the Visegrad group and Eastern Partnership.

Asbarez – As the Armenian Diaspora and human rights activists from around the world prepare for the 102nd Anniversary Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, Angelenos will join community artists to raise awareness of genocide prevention and education through the 9th annual Silence the Lies, Rock the Truth concert. The concert combines forces with the “Genocide 101” Educational Charitable event that took place last year.

“We find special meaning in working with the community to bring an artistic component to remembrance,” Kzirian added. Kzirian has served as Chairman of the AYF Central Executive in the Eastern United States and Executive Director and Chairman of the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region.

Silence the Lies, Rock the Truth! is a social justice concert dedicated to raising awareness of the Armenian Genocide.  For the past several years, socially conscious artists in the Los Angeles area have come together to work with the community through music, activism and commemoration. VI·ZA, The Dirty Diamond, Killikiah and Ayline will take the stage on April 23, 2017 at the Roxy Theatre as the arts will inspire the need for recognition and contrition through a uniquely powerful performance that will indeed Silence the Lies and Rock the Truth.

“As youth of the Armenian Diaspora, we are constantly engaging in meaningful ways to fight for human rights while maintaining ties to our homeland,” said AYF Youth Corps Representative Nazeli Khodabakhsh. “Silence the Lies, Rock the Truth is an opportunity for us commemorate through artistic expression, and helps provide the means for us to continue to play a role in the future of Armenia, through programs like AYF Youth Corps,” she added.

Various community organizations, including the Armenian Youth Federation – Western Region, Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region, and UCLA Alpha Gamma Alpha are teaming up with these artists to make for a high impact show.

“We’ve been organizing this concert for many years, and with each show we grow firmer in our resolve to stand up for what is right,” added K’noup Tomopoulos, singer of the band VI·ZA.

This year, proceeds from the concert will be donated to two needy organizational projects.

A Norwegian friend of Armenia, presented his Norwegian language book, a love confession to Armenia and Armenians, to an excited audience in Oslo today, the Armenian Cultural Association of Norway reports.

Sven-Erik is an Armenia expert who has written articles and op-eds about Armenia and the Armenian genocide in national and local newspapers. He has led many public lectures about Armenia for different audiences. He has also led a tour for an enthusiastic group of Norwegian tourists. Sven-Erik Rise proudly calls himself an “Armenian-by-choice” and dreams of having an Armenian passport.

The book is a breathtaking story of his love to a country and its people, presented in a most intimate, humoristic and personal manner. In the book, the author takes the reader to a tour in Armenia, where he and his Turkish friend explore the country, meet many exciting people who have many good stories to share. The author discusses the Armenian Genocide, compares with the Jewish Holocaust, analyses the denialist industry and discusses the Artsakh conflict (Nagorno Karabakh conflict). This book is a good mix of a novel and a well researched and argumented work, which makes it easy to read and gives the reader a fascinating and exciting reading experience.

The introduction of the book is written by auther and veteran journalist of the state broadcaster NRK, Jahn Otto Johansen.

The book has got many good reviews, among others from author and TV personality Stein Morten Lier.

The master of ceremonies was Magnus Jensen. Among speakers were author and TV personality Stein Morten Lier, the leader of the Armenian Cultural Association of Norway Liana Arutyunyan, representative of the Armenian Apostolic Church Society Narine Harutyunyan and representative of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee Lene Wetteland.

Half of the print copies were sold by the end of the book presentation.

 

 

NKR Defense Army’s contract serviceman Nver Babajanyan (born in 1980) was killed in Azeri shelling at 16:50 today, Artsakh Defense Ministry reports.

Probe into details of the incident is under way.

The Azerbaijani forces used  mortars and grenade launchers as they shelled the Armenian positions starting from 11:25 this morning.

 

The Defense Ministry said it shares the sorrow of the heavy loss and offers condolences to the serviceman’s family and friends.

Ambassador Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Permanent Representative of Armenia to the UN Security Council addressed the UN Security Council open debate on “Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Conflicts in Europe.”

The Ambassador’s full speech is provided below:

Mr. President,

I thank the Secretary General and the other briefers for their contribution to this debate. We share the concern reflected in the concept paper for this debate that despite high expectations for Europe to become a strategically stable continent following the end of the Cold War, new challenges and threats emerged on the continent in the 1990s. However, apart from the broader geopolitical processes or religious, ethnic and territorial disputes, the causes of these challenges stemmed also from the blatant and violent denial to peoples the right to pursue their aspirations for freedom and self-determination.

The Nagorno Karabakh conflict is a point in case. It is a conflict, which in effect has been a struggle of the people of Nagorno Karabakh for freedom and self-determination, a struggle against historical injustice of the 1920s and persistent discrimination throughout 70 years of Azerbaijani rule over them. It is a struggle, which witnessed barbaric pogroms at the end of 1980s and the beginning of 1990s against Armenians in Baku, Sumgait, Kirovabad and other parts of Azerbaijan as a reaction to the legitimate aspirations of the people of Nagorno Karabakh to freely determine their future. It is a struggle for self-defence and physical survival of the people of Nagorno Karabakh as a result of an outright aggression, war and ethnic cleansing unleashed against them by the newly independent Azerbaijan at the beginning of the 1990s.

Mr President,

The Nagorno Karabakh conflict is about a struggle of the people of Nagorno Karabakh against the claim of sovereignty over them by a despotic regime in Azerbaijan with a shocking human rights record, which suppresses and suffocates any dissent, any aspiration for freedoms and rights within its own jurisdiction. It is a struggle against barbarity of a regime, which ruthlessly glorifies Ramil Safarov, a murderer, who in 2004 axes to death an Armenian officer while asleep, during a military training course. It is a struggle against a claim of jurisdiction by a regime, which persistently cultivates and inspires Armenophobia, hatred and intolerance against Armenians. It is a struggle for freedom and survival. It is a struggle of the people of Nagorno Karabakh to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. It is, in other words, a struggle for the right to self-determination.

Mr. President,

The renewed attempt of aggression by Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabakh at the beginning of April 2016 and ensuing perpetration of atrocities and outright barbarity, of which this delegation has consistently informed the Council, has been a stark reminder about the urgency of supporting the peace process under the auspices of the internationally agreed format of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. There is no alternative to a peaceful settlement of the conflict. The war is not an option. The international community should forcefully reject the use of force and any pursuit of a military solution to this conflict. The 1994/95 cease-fire agreements, signed by Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan and Armenia constitute the foundation of the cessation of hostilities. Armenia urges Azerbaijan to undertake immediate and genuine steps towards the implementation of the agreements reached at the summits in Vienna and St. Petersburg in May and June 2016 respectively in order to create conditions conducive to the advancement of the peace process. Azerbaijan should bring to an end without delay the persistent war mongering and cultivation of hatred and intolerance against Armenians and instead invest genuine efforts in promoting a culture of peace, as well as respect for human rights. Armenia urges Azerbaijan to demonstrate genuine political will and effort in advancing the peace process on the basis of the principles and elements put forward by France, Russia and the United States, the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and reiterated in their numerous statements at all levels, including the heads of states of the Co-Chairing states.

Finally, Armenia expresses its deep appreciation to the international community, to this Council and to the Secretary-General of the United Nations for their continued and unwavering support to the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, the only internationally agreed format of negotiations for the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, to reach a lasting settlement as soon as possible.

Thank you

Luisne Avanesyan
Public Radio of Armenia
Stepanakert

The peope of Artsakh are voting today on a new draft Constitution,which envisages shift to the presidential form of governance.  280 polling stations have been opened, including one in Yerevan.

About 30 settlements in Artsakh are also choosing their Member of Parliament. The seat of the 108th electoral district was left vacant after Vitaly Balasanyan was appointed National Security Secretary.

More tha 100 observers from 30 countries of the world have arrived in Artsakh to follow the referendum; 103 local observers and more that 80 mass media representatives have registered at the Central Electoral Commission.

 

 

 

Elections of the  Vicar of the Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul will not take place today as scheduled, as heated debates on the election of a new Patriarch continue. Editor-in-chief of the Istanbul-based Armenian Jamanak daily Ara Gochunya confirmed the news to Public Radio of Armenia.

Thirteen people signed a protocol yesterday, announcing that the election would be held on May 28. The Vicar was to be chosen among the esteemed clerics at a meeting of the Cooperation and Consultation Platform for Foundations on February 17.

“Acting Patriarch, Archbishop Aram Atesyan and Bishop Sahak Maşalyan, who announced his resignation recently, came together yesterday to issue a protocol that would bring peace until the Patriarchal elections,” Ara Gochunyan said.

He added however, that there were arguable provisions in the protocol that led to growth of tension during discussions.

As a result, the  protocol was cancelled and the two are expected to visit the Mother See of Holy Etchmiatsin to seek a solution to the issue.

Photos of Artsakh-based photographer Areg Balayan won the second place at the prestigious . The photos were made during the April war.

Elena Anosovs of Russia won the contest, Antonie Bruy of France came third.

Selected by a diverse international jury, the award-winning photographers hail from 44 photographers from 22 countries on five continents, representing an intriguing and inspiring cross-section of contemporary photography today.

Photo: Getty Images

 

Much of Facebook’s recent growth can be attributed to the spread of video on its network – and the company told investors recently it planned to aggressively monetise that success.

Today, it announced some ideas to get things moving – starting with a change many users may not appreciate, the BBC reports.

Videos have autoplayed on Facebook’s News Feed for some time, leading to a curious rise of “silent movies” as publishers adapted to knowing that the majority of viewers would be watching, but not listening, to their work.

But between now and the end of the year Facebook’s News Feed will be enabling sound on your News Feed by default, a move the company has been testing out on a limited number of users for a short while.

The firm said it had received “positive feedback” so far.

“With this update, sound fades in and out as you scroll through videos in News Feed, bringing those videos to life,” the company explained in a blog post on Tuesday.

“As people watch more video on phones, they’ve come to expect sound when the volume on their device is turned on.”

Thankfully – for those who don’t want videos to suddenly play out on the bus – if your phone is set to be completely silent, Facebook will not override that. You can also turn it off completely in the Facebook app’s settings.