Author: Maral Chavushian

Pasadena Armenian Community Plans 4 Days of Action in Support of Artsakh

Maral Chavushian
Pasadena Now
Oct 14 2020
STAFF REPORT
Published on Wednesday, | 1:23 pm

A coalition of Pasadena-area clergy and community organizations have formed a group to decry the recent violence in Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, as fighting continues between the small ethnically Amernian nation and its neighbor, Azerbaijan.

“Pasadena for Artsakh” is planning four days of activism to support and draw attention to the violence, which began on Sept. 27, re-igniting clashes on a level not seen since the 1990s.

“The citizenry of Pasadena cannot simply stand by and remain silent and apathetic as these atrocities are continually perpetrated upon the Armenian people” Shahe Jierian of the Pasadena for Artsakh Leadership Council said in a written statement.

“We, as a whole and in unison, will stand up and state unequivocally that peace must prevail in the region, condemn Azerbaijan’s attacks on Artsakh and its people, raise immediate public, social and media awareness of the humanitarian crimes currently being carried out there against our Armenian brothers and sisters, and pray for a quick and thorough cessation of the Azeri attacks there, so a peaceful and final resolution can be realized,” he said.

The group was working to provide moral and financial support to Artsakh, as well as advocate for its cause, organizers said.

“These renewed rounds of attacks, launched by Azerbaijan’s military forces — aided and abetted by the Turkish government and its military — have since led to massive damage, loss, destruction and devastation to life and property,” the statement said.

Pasadena for Artsakh is planning a series of events Wednesday through Saturday to bring light to the issue.

A solidarity ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, in front of Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave., according to the group. A march to the Armenian Genocide Memorial, 85 E. Holly St., and candlelight vigil will follow immediately at 7:30 p.m.

The organization is also planning a fundraising dinner at 7 p.m. Friday at the Hovhannes and Hripsime Jivalagian Youth Center, 2242 E. Foothill Blvd.

A town hall meeting on the conflict will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Hovhannes and Hripsime Jivalagian Youth Center, according to Pasadena for Artsakh.

Finally, a car wash and breakfast-to-go event will take place Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., also at the Hovhannes and Hripsime Jivalagian Youth Center.

For more information, Boghos Patatian of the Pasadena for Artsakh Leadership Council can be reached at (626) 818-9004.



Co-Chairs Meet Mnatsakanyan; Urge Implementation of Ceasefire

Maral Chavushian

October 13,  2020



OSCE Minks Group mediators meet with Armenia’s Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan in Moscow on Oct. 13

While in Moscow on an official visit, Armenia’s Foreign Minister met with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs to discuss the humanitarian ceasefire agreement reached on Saturday and potential future Karabakh settlement talks.

Mnatsakanyan met in person with the Russian and the U.S. co-chairs, Igor Popov and Andres Schofer, who were accompanied by Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk. The French co-chair, Stephane Visconti joined meeting remotely.

Mnatsakanyan told the mediators tasked with achieving a settlement to the Karabakh conflict, that despite the humanitarian ceasefire agreement reached early Saturday morning, following intense 11-hour discussions, Azerbaijan continues large-scale military attacks on Artsakh, deliberately targeting the civilian population centers.

Mnatsakanyan specifically emphasized the need to introduce mechanisms on the ground to ensure that the ceasefire is observed and to strengthen the fragile truce.

Kasprzyk and Schofer, the U.S. co-chair, also held a separate meeting with Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, they discussed “possible steps” aimed at implementing the ceasefire agreement.

 

Russian Foreign Minister announced Monday that co-chairs held similar discussion with the Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov on Thursday in Geneva. Reuters reported last week that representatives of Russia, France and the U.S. introduced proposals that would kick start the Karabakh settlement negotiations, with elaborating on details. The news reported that Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev had accepted the proposals.

Following the meeting with Mnatsakanyan, the co-chairs issued a statement, in which they urged the sides to implement the provisions of Saturday’s humanitarian ceasefire agreement.
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“The Co-Chairs note with alarm the continuing violence in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The Co-Chairs call on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to take immediate steps to execute in full the obligations of the sides according to the October 10 Moscow statement, in order to prevent catastrophic consequences for the region,” said the statement.
“The Co-Chairs reiterate that civilian casualties are unacceptable under any circumstances. The Co-Chairs call on the sides to implement the humanitarian ceasefire immediately to allow the return of remains, prisoners of war, and detainees, and appeal to the sides to agree urgently upon a ceasefire verification mechanism,” added the mediators.

The co-chairs announced that after meeting with Mnatsakanyan and Bayramov, they are “working with the sides on the substantive issues of the Nagorno Karabakh political settlement process in order to reach a negotiated solution.”

​Thousands March in Support of Armenia in Beverly Hills

Maral Chavushian
Spectrum News 1
Oct 11 2020
 
 
 
Thousands March in Support of Armenia in Beverly Hills
 
A large and peaceful crowd of nearly 100,000 people marched Sunday through Beverly Hills in support of Armenia in its conflict with Azerbaijan and Turkey over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. (Courtesy LAPD)


By City News Service Beverly Hills
UPDATED 2:00 PM ET Oct. 12, 2020 PUBLISHED 2:00 PM ET Oct. 11, 2020
 
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (CNS) — A crowd estimated to be at least 20,000 people marched Sunday through Beverly Hills and surrounding areas in support of Armenia in its conflict with Azerbaijan and Turkey over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
 
“Artsakh Under Attack: March for Victory” began around 3:30 p.m. at Pan Pacific Park near Beverly Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, according to Los Angeles Police Department’s Wilshire Division. The destination was the Turkish Consulate at Wilshire and La Cienega boulevards in Beverly Hills.
 

Traffic restrictions were in effect in the area, according to Beverly Hills police.

Around 7:10 p.m., Beverly Hills police tweeted that the peaceful march and demonstration in support of Armenia in its conflict with Azerbaijan and Turkey was ending outside the Turkish Consulate and marchers were leaving the area. Police were continuing to monitor the situation, the department reported.

“We stand with our brothers and sisters in Armenia and Artsakh and the diaspora in L.A.” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted Sunday afternoon. “We welcome the ceasefire and it must be respected. We need our national leadership to step up and help bring peace to the region. Turkey must disengage.”

A statement from Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense accused Armenia of violating a temporary ceasefire brokered by Russia this weekend. Azerbaijani authorities said four women were among at least nine people killed when a residential building compound was hit during an Armenian bombardment of Ganja, Azerbaijan’s second-largest city.

Los Angeles County is home to the nation’s largest population of Armenian immigrants, and multiple demonstrations have taken place over the past week against what many of them call Azerbaijan’s aggression against Armenia and Nagorno-Karaabakh, also known as Artsakh.

The mountainous region is controlled by ethnic Armenians but is inside Azerbaijani territory.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been engaged in conflicts for years, but the situation escalated in July when Azerbaijan threatened to blow up a nuclear power plant in Armenia.


Hikmet Hajiyev, an adviser to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, said the attack likely came from Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenian officials called those allegations “absolute lies.”

Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian introduced a resolution a week and a half ago that was immediately passed by the City Council condemning the actions of the Azeri government.

Krekorian is of Armenian descent.

Nasimi Aghayev, Azerbaijan’s consul general to the Western United States, issued the following statement on Sunday:

“Armenia violated the ceasefire within just a few hours after it was agreed upon on Friday night and started bombing Azerbaijani civilians. Last night, Armenia sent guided ballistic missiles into Ganja, Azerbaijan’s second largest city, which is 100 kilometers far from the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region. The missile attack wiped out an entire neighborhood of Ganja, killing nine and wounding 34 Azerbaijani civilians in their sleep. It is a war crime.

“This is a new war of aggression and occupation unleashed by Armenia against Azerbaijan. Armenia is bombing our major cities, using even the banned cluster bombs. As a result, 41 Azerbaijani civilians, including three children, have been killed and over 200 Azerbaijani civilians have been injured. Azerbaijan defends itself, its civilians. All the fighting takes place within the borders of Azerbaijan.

“In the early 1990s, Armenia  illegally invaded and occupied 20% of Azerbaijan’s sovereign territory, expelling 800,000 Azerbaijanis from the occupied regions, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent districts.

“The United Nations and the United States condemned this illegal occupation and demanded that the Armenian forces withdraw from Azerbaijan. Armenia refused to comply and has kept the territories of Azerbaijan under its illegal military occupation, not allowing 800,000 Azerbaijanis to return to their homes.

“Azerbaijan wants peace. For peace to happen, Armenia must withdraw its armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, as demanded by UN, and allow forcibly displaced Azerbaijanis to return to their homes.  Then, the Azerbaijanis and Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh will build a prosperous future together, living in peace again as they did so for many  centuries.”

Aghayev released a videotaped statement last weekend saying, “Azerbaijan is defending itself, its civilian population, on its own soil and with its own armed forces.”

Aghayev denied that religion has played a role in the conflict and described portrayals of it as such as “propaganda advanced by Armenia and its allies.”

In addition to the ongoing pro-Armenian protests in Los Angeles, the Armenian community has been on the street raising millions of dollars to send back to Armenia and Artsakh as humanitarian aid, according to Maria Mehranian, president of the Glendale-based Armenian Fund. The money includes a $1 million donation to the fund by reality television personality Kim Kardashian West.


“The money is going to Armenia to assist for building temporary shelters for displaced civilians, to do transport of children that are homeless right now, medical aid for civilians that are injured, and food to make sure that they survive,” Mehranian told Fox11.


 

COVID-19: Armenia reports 672 new cases in one day

Maral Chavushian

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 11:29, 7 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 7, ARMENPRESS. 672 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have been confirmed in Armenia in the past one day, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 53,755, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention said today.

178 more patients have recovered in one day. The total number of recoveries has reached 45,110.

2878 tests were conducted in the past one day.

5 more patients have died, raising the death toll to 995.

The number of active cases is 7348.

The number of patients who had a coronavirus but died from other disease stands at 302.

Reporting by Lilit Demuryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenian Health Minister alarms on Azeri war crimes as medics, hospitals come under bombardment

Maral Chavushian

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 12:15, 6 October, 2020

GORIS, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Minister of Healthcare Arsen Torosyan has voiced about the Azerbaijani military’s war crimes against Artsakh, particularly the indiscriminate attacks on civilians and health workers. He said ambulances very often come under bombardment and are unable to reach injured civilians.

Speaking at a press conference in the Armenian town of Goris on October 6, Torosyan said the Azeri forces are periodically bombarding with artillery and missile strikes Stepanakert City.

“I personally returned to Armenia from Stepanakert yesterday late in the evening, and this was my third visit since the attacks began,” he said. “The adversary is striking civilian, especially infrastructure facilities, disrupting the normal life of the civilian population. The fully mobilized medical community of Artsakh, as well as our colleagues who have left to Artsakh from Armenia to support them, are sometimes unable to provide help to people in need because Stepanakert and other cities are in permanent air raid alert and bombardment. Even ambulance vehicles are unable to reach the citizens who require medical assistance,” Torosyan said.

Torosyan said he personally witnessed an Azeri missile strike that hit very close to the Republican Hospital of Stepanakert. He said the explosion from the strike rocked the hospital building.

“The strike could’ve very likely hit the hospital. We, the medical personnel, upon witnessing the Azerbaijani military-political leadership’s intentions, have an impression that a direct, deliberate strike on medical infrastructure can’t be ruled out. This is a war crime against the peaceful population,” Torosyan said.

He displayed shrapnel from the prohibited cluster munitions that are used by the Azeris to bombard the cities in Artsakh. Torosyan said the Azeri forces are firing the banned munitions at virtually everything.

“Destroyed residential buildings, various civilian infrastructures that have been leveled to the ground – this is the situation there. We stand by our compatriots no matter what. The entire medical community of Armenia and Artsakh has set aside the less essential work and is dealing with the evacuation and treatment of those wounded.

As of October 5, the number of civilian casualties in Artsakh from the Azeri bombings stood at 21, with more than 80 others wounded.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Health ministry: Armenia expected to get first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in 2021

Maral Chavushian
News.am, Armenia
Sept 26 2020

15:09, 26.09.2020
                  

Adam Schiff: Arson at Armenian church in San Francisco despicable

Maral Chavushian
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 20 2020

The devastating fire – caused by arson – at St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church in San Francisco is despicable, Rep. Adam Schif has said.

“For Armenians around the world, but especially in our California community, this hits close to home. The devastating fire – caused by arson – at St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church in San Francisco is despicable. Those responsible for this act of hate must be swiftly brought to justice,” Schiff said in a Facebook post.

“Across the country, hate crimes are on the rise. And for the Armenian community, hate directed towards the community is nothing new – from vandalizing churches, to tearing down flags, and even violence. We must all condemn hate, wherever it is seen, however it manifests,” the lawmaker added.

For Armenians around the world, but especially in our California community, this hits close to home. The devastating…

Gepostet von Congressman Adam Schiff am Sonntag, 20. September 2020

A building next to an Armenian church in San Francisco’s Laurel Heights burned down overnight Thursday.

Dispatchers received reports around 4 a.m. of a fire at the building next to the St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church. Fire crews arrived on scene not long after and managed to prevent it from spreading to the church, but the building was destroyed.

“The San Francisco Fire Department responded immediately, however, the building has suffered a great loss,” V. Rev. Fr. Smpad Saboundjian and church chairman Rostom Aintablian wrote in a message to parishioners.

District Attorney of San Francisco Chesa Boudin has expressed outrage at the arson at Armenian Church.

“The Armenian community of San Francisco woke up today to an arson at their church. There is no room for this cowardly, hateful, criminal conduct in San Francisco. We stand with the Armenian community against hate,” Mr. Boudin said in a Twitter post.


Ancient silver denarius of Rome’s Octavian offered at auction

Maral Chavushian
Coin World
Sept 18 2020

A circa 19 to 18 B.C. silver denarius of Octavian as Augustus, Rome’s first emperor, celebrates efforts to secure Armenia for the empire.

A silver denarius of Rome’s first emperor is offered in Numismatica Ars Classica’s Oct. 6 and 7 auction.

The coin was issued circa 19 to 18 B.C., during the reign of Octavian (Augustus), at Pergamum, the Greek city in Mysia in what is modern day Turkey.

The obverse depicts Augustus and the reverse shows a tiara and bow cases with quiver, and the legends ARMENIA / CAPTA, a reference to the successful effort to claim Armenia for the Romans.

According to the auction house, “Ever since 53 B.C., when the Parthians massacred the legions of Crassus near Carrhae, Romans had a keen awareness of their ancient enemy in the East, and of the territories that separated their two worlds.

“Armenia was the most important of these buffer states, and throughout the confrontational history of Rome with the Parthians or Sasanians, it was an important land to control,” the firm said. “Typically, this did not mean large garrisons and full occupation, but control through a sympathetic ruler.”

Octavian gained control of the Roman East after defeating Mark Antony and Cleopatra in 31 B.C., and then began preparing to secure Armenia, and to recover from Parthia the military standards that had been lost by Crassus in 53, Decidus Saxa in 40 and Antony in 36.

His chance arrived in 20, amid civil unrest in Armenia when an embassy beseeched Augustus to replace their current king, Artaxias, with his brother Tigranes.

Augustus entrusted his eldest stepson, Tiberius, to raise an army and lead it and Tigranes to Armenia, and to install him as the new king.

“Tiberius achieved this without much difficulty — a remarkable task for a 21-year-old; but then, we must remember what his step-father had achieved while he was younger still,” the firm remarks.

The Parthian king Phraates, awed by the convincing actions of Augustus, accepted the appointment of the new Armenian king and handed over all of the captured Roman standards in a bloodless victory and a diplomatic coup.

The coin is in Extremely Fine condition, according to the firm, and has a pre-sale estimate of 8,000 Swiss francs ($8,792 U.S.).

Requiem mass delivered at St. Sargis Church in Yerevan in memory of Beirut explosion victims

Maral Chavushian

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 13:27,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. A 40th day requiem mass was delivered today at the St. Sargis Vicarial Church, the seat of the Araratian Pontifical Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, in memory of the innocent victims of the August 4 explosion in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

Vicar of the Araratian Pontifical Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop Navasard Kchoyan conveyed the blessings of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II to the guests who arrived from Lebanon.

“We prayed to God for the peace and salvation of souls of thousands of the victims, as well as Armenians killed in the devastating explosion in Beirut. We ask for the Lord’s help to overcome the pain of the grief and the consequences of the heavy destructions. May Lord grant a speedy recovery to the thousands of the injured. I convey the blessings and support of His Holiness Garegin II to you. We believe that thanks to the support of all of us our sisters and brothers in Lebanon will overcome this trial. May Lord protect the people of Lebanon with his blessing”, Archbishop Navasard Kchoyan said.

Photos by Hayk Manukyan

Editor-in-chief of Lebanese-based Zartonk daily Sevag Hagopian told Armenpress that the life in Lebanon continues and they need to move forward by always remembering the victims.

“Today we commemorated the 40th day requiem of the victims and the Armenian victims in particular. Life continues, we will always remember those victims, but Lebanon and Lebanese-Armenians need to be restored thanks to the friendly countries and the moral, material support of our Diaspora-Armenian brothers. It will be an impetus for us to keep our community there and to be able to move forward”, he said.

Sevag Hagopian informed that the concrete number of people injured in the blast is still unclear, some of them continue their treatment in hospitals, some have already been discharged, but death cases are also being registered among those injured people who are in serious condition.

“The number of the injured people is very unclear, the total number of people wounded in the blast is nearly 5,000. Most of them have recovered, but there are cases when seriously wounded people die, however, the treatment process continues. The explosion caused a huge property damage, some people have been left without homes. I hope their houses will be restored as well”, he said.

Chairman of the Board of the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (Ramgavar) Hrachya Karapetyan, who initiated the requiem mass, stated that after the Genocide committed in Western Armenia by the Turkish authorities in early 20th century thousands of Armenians moved to Lebanon and had a great contribution to the country’s development and strengthening process. “On August 4 a major explosion occurred in the port of the Lebanese capital of Beirut as a result of which our Armenian friends also suffered together with other people. Our today’s ceremony is dedicated to the memory of these victims. We wish a speedy recovery to all injured. The entire Armenian people, the authorities of Armenia stood by Lebanon and Lebanese-Armenians during these days”, he said.

A huge explosion occurred in the Lebanese capital Beirut on August 4 which was caused by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate detonating at a warehouse in the port.

In addition to the fatalities, thousands were injured and as many as 300,000 left homeless by the explosion.

15 Lebanese-Armenians were killed, 300 others were wounded in the blast.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Trump Blasts ‘Very Stupid Mayor’ John Antaramian of Kenosha Ahead of His Visit

Maral Chavushian
IJR.org – Independent Journal Review (IJR)
Sept 1 2020
 
 
 
 
Trump Blasts ‘Very Stupid Mayor’ of Kenosha Ahead of His Visit
 
Bradley Cortright
September 1, 2020
 
President Donald Trump is taking aim John Antaramian, the mayor of Kenosha, Wisconsin, calling him a “fool” for supporting “radical anarchists.”
 
As he left Washington, D.C., on his way to Kenosha, Trump blasted the city’s mayor, “I saw last night where these radical anarchists were trying to get into the mayor’s house, and lots of bad things were happening to this poor, foolish, very stupid mayor.”
 
“How he can be mayor, I have no idea,” Trump said, adding, “They had tremendous numbers of people really harassing him horribly and, I guess trying to break into his house, and he still sticks up for them cause he’s a fool. Only a fool would stick up for them like that.”
 
Trump went on to describe the protesters in Kenosha as “agitators,” “anarchists” and “bad people.”
 
 
JUST IN: President Trump blasts Kenosha Mayor before visit: “These radical anarchists were trying to get into the Mayor’s house, and lots of bad things were happening to this poor, foolish, very stupid mayor… He still sticks up for them because he’s a fool.” pic.twitter.com/yaEJX2Ec12
 
— The Hill (@thehill) September 1, 2020
 
It is unclear exactly where Trump saw the footage of protesters attempting to enter the house of Antaramian.
 
The White House announced late last week that Trump would travel to Kenosha to survey the damage that resulted from days of violent demonstrations that erupted after the shooting of Jacob Blake Jr.
 
Antaramian has previously expressed his desire that the president re-schedule his visit, as IJR reported.
 
“Realistically, from our perspective, our preference would have been for him not to be coming at this point in time,” he told NPR’s “Morning Edition.”
 
He continued, “All presidents are always welcome, and campaign issues are always going on. But it would have been, I think, better had he waited to have for another time to come.”
 
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) also expressed his desire that the president reconsider his trip as he said it would “only hinder our healing.”