Author: nina hovnanian

news.az, Azerbaijan
Dec 17 2011

‘Azerbaijan’s strengthening of military power should be a signal for Armenia’
Sat 17 December 2011 07:15 GMT | 9:15 Local Time

Azerbaijan’s strengthening of military power and obtaining new
hardware should be a serious signal for Armenia.
The statement came from former commander of Lachin regiment, retired
colonel Arif Pasha while commenting of the purchase of 24 ‘Mi-35M’
attack choppers from Russia, Gun.Az reports.

‘Azerbaijan conducts a right policy and beefs up its military
capacity. Sooner or later, Azerbaijan will get back its occupied
territories either though peace or war. There is no third option. As
long as Armenia keeps Karabakh under occupation we should continue
strengthening our army’, Pasha said.

The retired colonel added that Azerbaijans is beefing up its army
within the international laws and purchase of military hardware is
realized in accordance with the country’s interest.

‘Our country lives in war situation and therefore our army should we
equipped with modern weapons. In particular, the enemy should see that
the Azerbaijani army is always ready to liberate its lands and this
psychological tension should always be present on the Armenian army’,
Pasha said.

News.Az

news.am, Armenia
Dec 17 2011

Armenia with You film to represent Armenia in different international
stages (VIDEO)

December 17, 2011 | 06:00

After four years the Armenia with You documentary is finally ready.

As the film’s author, the producer of AZD production, informed
Armenian News-NEWS.am, this is the most comprehensive movie-guide
about Armenia: during three hours the film presents Armenia, its
historical value. The authors stressed that Armenia with You film will
play a great role in representing Armenia on different international
stages in the future. The movie is already available for sale, it is
trilingual: Armenian, English, and Russian.

Watch trailer at

The Daily Star, Lebanon
Dec 17 2011

Turkey attacks France over genocide bill

December 17, 2011 03:21 PM

ANKARA, Turkey: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
sharply criticized France for plans to make it a crime to deny that a
mass killing of Armenians at the time of World War I was genocide.

Erdogan said Saturday France’s Parliament should investigate its own
“dirty history,” saying the country was responsible for thousands of
deaths in Algeria and Rwanda.

Turkey rejects the term genocide to describe the mass killings of
Armenians by Ottoman Turks as their Empire collapsed more than 90
years ago.

The lower house of the French Parliament will debate on Dec. 22 a
proposal that would put denying the Armenian genocide on a par with
Holocaust denial.

Erdogan has warned of “grave consequences” to bilateral relations if
the bill is adopted while a Turkish diplomat has said the ambassador
would be recalled.

Washington Post
Dec 17 2011

Turkish PM slams France over bill criminalizing denial of Armenian genocide

ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey’s prime minister on Saturday sharply
criticized France for a bill that would make it a crime to deny the
World War I-era mass killing of Armenians was genocide.

Saying France should investigate what he claimed was its own `dirty
and bloody history’ in Algeria and Rwanda, Recep Tayyip Erdogan
insisted Turkey would respond `through all kinds of diplomatic means.’

Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by
Ottoman Turks as their Empire collapsed, an event many international
experts regard as genocide and that France recognized as such in 2001.
Turkish leaders reject the term, arguing that the toll is inflated,
that there were deaths on both sides and that those killed were
victims of civil war and unrest.

On Dec. 22, the lower house of French Parliament will debate a
proposal that would make denying that the massacre was genocide
punishable by up to a year in prison and 45,000 ($58,500) in fines,
putting it on par with Holocaust denial, which was banned in the
country in 1990.

Erdogan lashed out at France during a joint news conference with
Mustafa Abdul-Jalil – the chairman of Libya’s National Transitional
Council – saying there were reports that France was responsible for
the deaths of 45,000 people in Algeria in 1945 and for the massacre of
up to 800,000 people in Rwanda in 1994.

`No historian, no politician can see genocide in our history,’ Erdogan
said. `Those who do want to see genocide should turn around and look
at their own dirty and bloody history.’

`The French National Assembly should shed light on Algeria, it should
shed light on Rwanda,’ he said, in his first news conference since
recovering from surgery three weeks ago.

France had troops in Rwanda, and Rwandan President Paul Kagame has
accused the country of doing little to stop the country’s genocide.

There was no immediate reaction from France. Ties between the two
countries are already strained by French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s
opposition to Turkey’s bid to join the European Union.

Erdogan’s criticism comes a day after an official said the Turkish
leader had written to Sarkozy warning of grave consequences if the
Armenian genocide bill is adopted. A Turkish diplomat said Turkey
would withdraw its ambassador to France is the law is passed.

`I hope that the (French Parliament) steps back from the error of
misrepresenting history and of punishing those who deny the historic
lies,’ Erdogan said. `Turkey will stand against this intentional,
malicious, unjust and illegal attempt through all kinds of diplomatic
means.’

Erdogan called the proposed bill a `populist’ act, suggesting it was
aimed at winning the votes of Armenian-French in elections in France
next year.

A Turkish parliamentary delegation is scheduled to travel to France on
Sunday to lobby French legislators against the bill.

Turkey has long argued that parliaments should not be left the task of
deciding whether the killings constituted genocide, insisting on the
creation of a joint independent committee of historians to look into
the events that started in 1915.

Several countries have recognized the killings as genocide, including
Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, Russia, Canada, Lebanon, Belgium, Greece,
Italy, the Vatican, Switzerland, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Poland,
Lithuania and Cyprus.

In 2007, a Swiss court convicted a Turkish politician under its
anti-racism law and fined him for denying that the killings of
Armenians was genocide. The case caused diplomatic tensions between
Switzerland and Turkey.

Republican MP: Members of both Prosperous Armenia and Republican
Parties use drugs

arminfo
Saturday, December 17, 17:58

I do not think that there is need to bring members of Prosperous
Armenia Party responsible for drug addiction, Ruben Hayrapetyan, a
member of the Republican Party of Armenia faction in the parliament,
President of the Football Federation of Armenia, told media on
December 17.

“There is nothing terrible that a member of our party was arrested for
the same deed a couple of days ago. I think this issue should not be
politicized not to feed the rumors on alleged confrontation of our and
Prosperous Armenia parties. I am a member of the RPA Council and I
have very good relations with PA Leader Gagik Tsarukyan. Don’t listen
to the rumors of

Hayrapetyan one again assured media that he is not looking forward to
run for the parliament next year, but he will subdue if the party
decided to see him in the parliament.

Governance expert: In Armenia it makes no sense to criticize
government as there is no government in Armenia

arminfo
Friday, December 16, 18:28

In Armenia it makes no sense to criticize the government as there is
no government in Armenia, governance expert Harutyun Mesrobyan said
during a press- conference on Friday.

“We have no real governance system. Each governor tries to invent
something new but makes things even worse,” the expert said.
He said that some countries have long practiced alternative governance.

“In Armenia we already have something like an alternative parliament.
But the next parliamentary elections will hardly be different from the
previous ones. We have no opposition to prevent the regime from
rigging the ballot once more. And so, there will be fraud again. The
opposition had a chance to carry out a revolution but did not use it
for some unknown reasons,” Mesrobyan said.

Panel of Eleven Federal Appeals Judges Hears Oral Argument on Armenian
Genocide Era Insurance Recovery Suit

noyan tapan
2011-12-17 12:55:49 | | Press release

Federal Judges Question Lawyer for Insurer Munich Re as to Why They
Should Not Find Statute Authorizing Payment of Garden-Variety
Insurance Claims Constitutional

Glendale, CA – On Wednesday, December 14, four and a half years after
a federal district court judge in Los Angeles first held that a
California law extending the statute of limitations on Armenian
genocide era insurance claims (California Code of Civil Procedure
Section 354.4) was constitutional and not preempted by federal policy
pursuant to the foreign affairs doctrine, an en banc panel of eleven
Ninth Circuit appellate judges in San Francisco heard oral arguments
from the parties on the same issue before taking the matter under
submission. Plaintiffs-Appellees were represented by K. Lee Boyd of
Los Angeles law firm Schwarcz, Rimberg, Boyd & Rader LLP, Vartkes
Yeghiayan of the Yeghiayan Law Firm, and Mark Geragos of Geragos &
Geragos.

A video recording of the full oral argument can be accessed here:

The case is Movsesian v. Victoria Versicherung, originally filed by
descendants of Armenian Genocide victims in 2003, and names as
defendants German insurance companies Victoria Versicherung AG, Ergo
Versicherungsgruppe AG and parent company Munich Re. The action
accuses defendants of selling insurance policies to Armenians prior to
1915, when the government of the Ottoman Turkish Empire initiated a
genocidal campaign against Armenians living in Turkey. In the
aftermath of the massacres and deportations which resulted in the
death of over 1.5 million Armenians, survivors were scattered far and
wide around the world. Defendants failed to provide information about
the insurance policies issued to Armenians and refused to honor
claims. As a result, thousands of policies remain unpaid, divesting
beneficiaries, heirs, and rightful successors of the benefits due to
them. Defendants’ continued election not to pay claims on these
policies thwarts even the smallest opportunity for genocide victims to
pass some legacy on to their survivors.

The League of Nations, in the 1920’s, asked insurance companies doing
business in the Ottoman Empire to provide the names of Armenian policy
holders. The League of Nations stated that Armenian orphans were in
desperate condition and could benefit from the policies that their
parents had obtained, and therefore requested companies to issue a
list of names. Victoria was the only insurance company to identify
almost 300 Armenian policy holders. This lawsuit is brought on behalf
of surviving heirs of those policies.

The case mirrors other successful actions against insurance firms
filed in the Los Angeles federal court: Kyurkjian et al. v. AXA et
al., Case No. 2:02-cv-01750; Ouzounian et al. v. AXA et al., Case
No. 2:05-cv-02596; and Marootian v. N.Y. Life Ins. Co., Case
No. 2:99- cv-12073. The consolidated actions against AXA and N.Y. Life
both resulted in multi-million-dollar settlements benefiting the
families and beneficiaries of genocide victims.

The district court’s 2007 decision upholding the California statute
has been the subject of two previous three-judge panel decisions at
the Ninth Circuit. In 2010, the most recent panel decision concluded
`that there is no express federal policy forbidding the state to use
the term Armenian Genocide,’ and therefore affirmed the decision of
the district court that the statute is not preempted.

For a full hour on Wednesday morning in a San Francisco courtroom, the
eleven appellate judges fired questions at counsel for both parties,
seeking clarity on a variety of issues from conflict and field
preemption and their effect on the California statute to possible
war-time exemption clauses in insurance policies. Ms. Boyd
vociferously argued that the court should uphold the `constitutional
equilibrium between federal and state power’ and allow the statute to
stand because California was acting within its traditional
responsibility in providing for payment of `garden-variety’ insurance
claims. She argued that the statute simply extends the statute of
limitations for a group of people with special needs in establishing
the elements of contract claims. Mr. Geragos further noted that the
statute should simply be characterized as extending the limitations
period for a particular class of plaintiffs.

California federal and state legislators, as well as the states of
California, Hawai’i, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Rhode Island, filed
amicus briefs supporting Plaintiffs- Appellees and the state statute.

Given the success of the similar cases of AXA and N.Y. Life and the
increasing awareness of the historical plight of Armenians, proponents
of justice for victims of human rights violations and their heirs
would welcome an en banc affirmance of the 2010 panel decision and the
district court’s original 2007 decision.

YEGHIAYAN Law Firm
A Professional Law Corporation

Australian MP: revised version of history taught in Turkey

December 17, 2011 – 10:01 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Member for Smithfield in the NSW Legislative
Assembly, Andrew Rohan, declared in a parliamentary statement that as
a result of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Turkish
government, the modern state of Armenia remains landlocked, reported
the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia).

Rohan, who was elected to parliament in the March 2011 election, rose
in the House to describe the impact the Armenian Genocide continues to
have on the Republic of Armenia.

He said: “As a result of the Armenian Genocide, the modern state of
Armenia remains landlocked and does not constitute all of the lands
once historically occupied by Armenians.”

He continued: “Turkey, the successor state and beneficiary of the
Ottoman perpetrators of the Armenian, Hellenic and Assyrian Genocides,
currently maintains an economic blockade of Armenia which endangers
the socio-economic viability, security and sustainability of a people
subjected to genocide less than a century ago.”

Rohan also talked about the efforts of the Republic of Turkey to
impede a just resolution of the Armenian Genocide.

He added: “The Turkish government continues to destroy Armenian
cultural monuments and churches; Turkish educators teach students a
revised version of history, claiming that no genocide took place; and
under article 301 of the Turkish penal code, courts prosecute and
sentence anyone who openly accepts the occurrence of the Armenian
Genocide.”

Turning to the issue of Nagorno Karabakh, the Australian
parliamentarian condemned the Azerbaijani aggression.

Rohan said: “Azeri military commanders continue to train snipers to
shoot and kill innocent Armenians near the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan
border; the Azerbaijani government plans to boost military spending to
$3.3 billion this year, up from $2.15 billion a year ago and just $160
million in 2003; the Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev consistently
employs war rhetoric, threatening to pursue a military solution to the
issue of Nagorno Karabakh; and the Republic of Azerbaijan, like
Turkey, maintains an economic blockade of the Republic of Armenia and
the Armenian Republic of Nagorno Karabakh.”

“I raise these issues today because Australia and the international
community must support a just resolution of the Armenian, Assyrian and
Greek Genocides; and I raise these issues today because Australia and
the international community must acknowledge the Republic of Nagorno
Karabakh’s right to self determination.”

Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) Executive
Director Varant Meguerditchian applauded the NSW MP’s courage in
bringing these issues to light.

“While Turkey and its ethnic brethren in Azerbaijan maintain
anti-Armenian policies, the issue of the Armenian Genocide remains
unresolved,” he said. “Mr Rohan’s statement, on public record, makes a
significant contribution to the just resolution of the Armenian
Genocide.”

ARMENIAN PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY HONORS DR. FRIEDA JORDAN

Published: Friday December 16, 2011

Dr. Jordan pictured in Artsakh last year.

Glendale, Calif. – The Armenian Professional Society hosted its annual
Professional of the Year event honoring Dr. Frieda Jordan, Co-Founder
and President of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR).

The 53rd annual event event was held on November 5, 2011 at the
Armenian Society of Los Angeles in Glendale, California. Mark Geragos,
ESQ., Chairman of the ABMDR and past APS Professional of the Year
recipient, was Master of Ceremonies at this year’s APS Professional
of Year Event.

The evening started off with a meet and greet with Dr. Frieda
Jordan over Hors d’oeuvres and champagne. When the doors of the
banquet opened, guests were welcomed in. Taking the stage, Shahan
Minassian, President of the APS, started the evening’s program by
welcoming the group of supporters, thanking them for their continued
support, and acknowledged the current members of the Executive Board:
Angelo Ghailian as First Vice President, Taline Hanna as Second Vice
President, and Sarko Nalband as Treasurer. Minassian also recognized
Seta Khajarian as Scholarship Chair and Christina Tokatlian as
Subcommittee Chair and thanked Margaret Lalikian and Julie Berberian
for their efforts in participating in organizing the event. Minassian
also welcomed all past APS presidents who were in attendance.

Minassian continued with a summary of recent events hosted by the APS.

Some of the events included the installation event of the new
Executive Board, a mixer held at the Edison in Downtown to generate
APS awareness, a dinner lecture discussing the nuclear disaster in
Japan, as well as a movie clip highlighting the Santa Barbara wine
tasting trip to view works by Charles Garabedian. Minassian went on to
discuss the goals of the Armenian Professional Society and commitment
to giving back to promote fellowship amongst Armenians through its
annual scholarships.

Dr. Seta Khajarian, the Scholarship Chair, presented the recipients
the scholarship awards of 2011, on behalf of the Armenian Professional
Society. Dr. Khajarian spoke about the numerous applications that
were received and discussed the criteria of selection that include
financial need, scholastic achievements, faculty recommendations, and
involvement in the community. Five applicants demonstrated excellence
in the applicable areas noted above. This year’s scholarship recipients
were: Nelli Martirosyan, Ara Rostomian, Sharlene Gozalians, Hovannes
Kulhandjian, and Armen Derian. Each recipient came to stage to discuss
their career objectives and gratitude to the Armenian Professional
Society in receiving the scholarships

Haig Yuroz Gevorgian, a talented acoustic guitar player played 2
songs as guests indulged in coffee and dessert. As the music came
to an end Angelo Ghailian took stage to thank Dr. Frieda Jordan for
her immense contributions she and the ABMDR have made in dedicating
their time and effort in positively impacting and saving the lives of
those affected with life threatening blood-related illnesses. Angelo
Ghailian, Taline Hanna, And Christina Tokatlian each read a moving
testimonial of patients and families whose lives have been touched
by the ABMDR. The testimonials were followed by a very powerful and
emotional video highlighting the functions of the ABMDR with real
life testimonials of donors as well as patients.

Mark Geragos continued the evening’s program discussing the long
history he has had with the APS. He noted many of the accomplishments
the APS has made within the past 53 years. As Chairman of the ABMDR
Geragos was greatly touched in the honor the APS bestowed on Dr.

Frieda Jordan. Geragos went further to say the Armenian Professional
Society was the first Armenian organization in the United States to
bestow this honor to Dr. Frieda Jordan. As Geragos explained, due to
the unique genetic make-up of Armenians, it is nearly impossible to
find suitable matches among the existing international registries and
stressed the importance the ABMDR has on Armenians worldwide. Geragos
praised Dr. Jordan’s tireless efforts in presiding over the ABMDR
and welcomed Dr. Frieda Jordan to the stage.

Dr. Jordan discussed how the ABMDR originated when patient Alique
Topalian was diagnosed with leukemia. Knowing that she might need
a bone marrow transplant, and unable to find a matching donor in
existing bone marrow registries of the world, her parents contacted
Dr. Frieda Jordan, then Head of Laboratory Services at the Anthony
Nolan Institute. Fully aware of the unique genetic makeup of ethnic
Armenians that made it nearly impossible for Armenian patients to
find matches among non-Armenian bone marrow registries, Dr. Jordan
approached Dr. Sevak Avagyan, and together they spearheaded the
creation of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor. Dr. Jordan discussed how
registry has recruited over 20,000 donors in 13 countries across 3
continents, identified 2,023 patients, found 1,700 potential matches,
and facilitated 13 bone marrow transplants. Dr. Jordan concluded with
recognizing a list of long-term supporters and volunteers who have
made the ABMDR what is today.

Dr. Jordan was presented with a plaque by APS along with letters from
dignitaries praising her for her accomplishments. Taline Hanna read
from the inscription from the plaque that was presented. As a surprise
token, world-renowned artist, Yuroz took stage to present to Dr.

Frieda Jordan a moving work of art he crafted. Yuroz congratulated Dr.

Jordan and described the meaning the work of art depicted in its
relation to the cause and strength of the ABMDR. Dr. Jordan happily
thanked Yuroz and dedicated the painting to be displayed at ABMDR’s
state-of- the-art Stem Cell Harvesting Center in Yerevan, Armenia. The
evening’s program came to close as Dr. Frieda Jordan cheerfully thanked
all the guests in attendance, all of the ABMDR supporters as well as
the Armenian Professional Society.

The Armenian Professional Society is an independent, non-partisan
organization founded in 1958 to promote fellowship among Armenian
professionals and to encourage and foster higher education in young
Armenians. APS activities include annual grants and scholarships
to universities in Armenia, and to graduate students in the United
States; conducting regularly scheduled meetings that cover a range of
professional, cultural, and other topics of interest to its membership;
sponsoring social events; and holding an annual banquet to honor
a Professional of the Year who has provided outstanding service to
the Armenian community. To date the Armenian Professional Society
has granted over 300 scholarships and grants to students pursuing
higher education. Join us in our continued pursuit in strengthening
our heritage and community.

Additional information about The Armenian Professional Society and
upcoming events is available at (818) 685-9946, [email protected],
, or by writing to: APS, P.O. Box 10306, Glendale,
CA 91209.

RASHID AGHAMALYAN – NKR PEOPLE’S ARTIST

ARMENPRESS
DECEMBER 16, 2011
YEREVAN

On 16 December President of the Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan signed
a decree according to which director of the Palace of Culture of
the NKR Martouni region’s Ghouze Chartar village Rashid Aghamalyan
was conferred the Honorary Title of the NKR People’s Artist for
substantial contribution to the development of culture.

Central Information Department of the Office of the Artsakh
Republic President told Armenpress that on the same day taking into
consideration the conclusions of the NKR Council of Justice and
NKR Supreme Court dated on 13 December 2011 President Bako Sahakyan
signed a decree on terminating the terms in office of judge of the
NKR Supreme Court Zoya Ohanyan.

On 16 December taking into consideration decisions of the NKR Council
of Justice dated on 13 December 2011 President Sahakyan signed decrees
on approving the list of candidates for judges and list of official
promotion of judges.