Author: nina hovnanian

ARMENIE
Le Catholicos de tous les Arméniens reçoit le président de
l’Université du Koweït

Le 28 mars, Sa Sainteté Karékine II , Patriarche suprême et Catholicos
de tous les Arméniens , a accueilli le professeur Abdul – Latif Ahmad
Al- Bader , président de l’Université du Koweït , et sa délégation.
Ils étaient accompagnés du Professeur Aram Simonyan , Recteur de
l’Université d’Etat d’Erevan .

Le professeur Simonyan a présenté les membres de la délégation au
Catholicos de tous les Arméniens , en réfléchissant sur les
réalisations de l’Université du Koweït , ainsi que les visites
effectuées auprès de diverses institutions éducatives arméniennes lors
de leur visite .

Se félicitant de la présence de la délégation Sa Sainteté Karékine II
a exprimé sa joie pour la collaboration formé entre l’UEE et
l’Université du Koweït . Le Catholicos de Tous les Arméniens a noté
que, suite à la déclaration de l’indépendance arménienne , un solide
partenariat a été formé entre les deux pays dans les domaines de la
science et de l’éducation . Sa Sainteté a également souligné le rôle
important de la communauté arménienne dans le renforcement de ces
liens . Au cours de la discussion, le Catholicos de tous les Arméniens
réfléchi sur les relations amicales historiques entre les deux pays ,
exprimant sa gratitude aux autorités du Koweït pour le soutien que les
peuples arabes ont montré aux Arméniens pendant le génocide arménien .

dimanche 20 avril 2014,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

Armenia’s positions in Nagorno-Karabakh peace process remain strong ` opinions

16:27 ¢ 20.04.14

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s remarkson Armenian-Turkish
protocols have evoked varied responses among Armenian politicians and
political scientists.

Tert.am interviewed Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies
Ruben Safrastyan, expert in Turkic studies Artak Shakaryan and
Vice-Chairman of the Heritage party Armen Martirosyan about their
opinions of the president’s remarks having to do with the political
situation in Armenia.

Ruben Safrastyan does not think the Armenian president’s remarks have
to do with domestic political processes.

`It may have something in common with foreign political developments
in the future, but I do not think it stems from the domestic political
situation,’ he said.

Mr Safrastyan agrees with the president’s remark that Armenia’s
positions in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process remain strong.

`If we see that our positions in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process
remain strong, and Azerbaijan is more and more often resorting to
militant rhetoric, heightening border tensions, it means our positions
are really strong, and this is the reason for Azerbaijan seeking to
torpedo the negotiations as it sees the process is not in its
interests,’ the expert said.

Turkey’s efforts to get the role of mediator are failing. Many nations
clearly see that Turkey cannot act as mediator because it is
supporting Azerbaijan.

Heritage party Vice-Chairman Armen Martirosyan believes that the
Armenian president’s statement has to do with domestic political
relations, apart from external signals.

In some respects he agrees with the president’s statement, while in
others he does not.

`Indeed, the border tensions are increasing, and the fact is that,
Armenia’s relatively balanced foreign policy has ensures an alignment
of forces on the foreign policy front so that we are not faced with a
problem of lost territories. Well aware of that, Azerbaijan is
resorting to blackmail and heightening tensions,’ he said.

According to Mr Martirosyan, balance is regularly disturbed.

`I mean the Turkey-Azerbaijan alliance. They are even speaking of
creating joined armed forces. Regrettably, Armenia’s foreign policy,
particularly the Armenian-Turkish protocols, legalized Turkey’s
actions,’ he said.

With respect to the points he does not agree with, Mr Martirosyan said
that it is common knowledge that Turkey is ready to re-open its border
with Armenia if the Armenian side cedes two regions to Azerbaijan.

`Therefore, the Armenian-Turkish protocols immediately involve Artsakh
[Nagorno-Karabakh]. Some of the points could be applied to Artsakh’s
detriment,’ he said.

According to Mr Martirosyan, the Armenian-Turkish protocols will cause
damage to the process of recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

`I do not think that our struggle is only for the US Senate to
recognize the Armenian Genocide.’

According to him, the Armenian authorities are well aware that it is
not in Armenia’s interests. So they did not ratify the protocols.

Expert in Turkic studies Artak Shakaryan noted that nothing can be
said for certain. In any case, he agrees that the protocols were a
solution back in 2008-2009.

`Official Yerevan made a step back thus placing the responsibility for
the failure of the protocols on Ankara,’ he said.

Mr Shakaryan agrees with the Armenian president’s opinion that Armenia
did not let the world think that official Ankara is not responsible
for the absence of Armenian-Turkish relations.

Despite Turkey pretending to be neutral in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace
process, it will support Azerbaijan when necessary, the expert said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

REVUE DE PRESSE
Le brandy dans les petits papiers de l’Arménie

Même le plus sobre des touristes visitant l’Arménie ne peut ignorer ce
morceau du patrimoine national qu’est le brandy.Ne dites surtout pas «
cognac », au risque de vous attirer les foudres de tous les
producteurs de cette liqueur voluptueusement ambrée, puisque cognac
est une appellation française.

Dès l’entrée dans Erevan, la capitale du pays du brandy, un immense
btiment surplombe le pont des Victoires : il s’agit du siège de la
Yerevan Brandy Company and Ararat, la marque emblématique du pays, née
en 1887.N’en déplaisent aux producteurs locaux, le brandy arménien a
bien eu le droit, lors de l’Exposition universelle de Paris en 1900,
de s’appeler cognac. Ces liens franco-arméniens ont même connu un
récent revival : depuis 1998, Ã la faveur de la première privatisation
internationale d’une compagnie d’Etat, Pernod-Ricard a mis la main sur
Ararat (contre 30 millions de dollars -21,7 millions d’euros- tout de
même). Le géant des spiritueux français s’est ainsi offert une porte
d’entrée sur l’immense marché russe, qui absorbe 70% de la production
de brandy. En ajoutant la Biélorussie, le Kazakhstan et, bien sûr,
l’Arménie, on atteint 90%, le reste des ventes étant composé de
l’Europe et des Etats-Unis. Ararat n’a en revanche pas percé en Asie,
où la réputation du cognac français le rend toujours intouchable,
d’autant que certaines marques phares, comme Hennessy, ont investi en
Chine depuis trente ans.Depuis, dans toute l’Asie, il est banal de
voir de grandes tablées familiales où trônent plusieurs bouteilles de
cognac ou d’armagnac dont seule la puissance peut dominer celle de
certains plats épicés.

PIERRES SOMBRES.Mais revenons sur les hauteurs d’Erevan, Ã deux pas du
stade où l’équipe nationale de foot se produit. Au coeur du
gigantesque fief d’Ararat, tout en pierres sombres, reposent le musée
et la cave, pleine de 15000 fûts.« Le bois, c’est le grand secret de
la fabrication d’un bon brandy », nous assure l’hôtesse de la marque,
alors qu’on attend de rencontrer le grand patron d’Ararat, assurément
un homme qui compte dans le pays. Pour l’essentiel, les planches
abritant la précieuse liqueur viennent de Russie et du Limousin, plus
un peu de production locale.Avant d’être utilisé, le bois repose
longtemps à l’air libre pour être purgé de sa sève et de son amertume.

Il devra ainsi être disposé Ã laisser s’évaporer par ses « pores »
4%environ de l’eau-de-vie, une proportion joliment baptisée « la part
des anges ».

Comme le vin, le brandy est affaire de patience.D’abord, le vin
nécessaire à la fabrication d’un brandy doit avoir 1 an d’ge ; il est
ensuite distillé afin d’obtenir une eau-devie qui repose à son tour
dans le fût. Un brandy qualifié d’ordinaire vieillit trois, quatre ou
cinq ans. Les plus anciens, fruits du mélange d’eaux-de-vie d’ges
différents, ne sontmis en bouteille qu’après dix, vingt, trente,
quarante ans (voire davantage pour les cuvées d’exception) passés en
fûts. Les prix, bien sûr, sont en proportion de cette ancienneté :
environ 200 euros pour un brandy de 25 ans d’ge ; 800 euros pour un
40 ans, et 4000 euros pour un 70 ans. Vient lemoment de la
dégustation, modérée, en pleinmilieu d’aprèsmidi (et avant d’aller
rencontrer le PDG). Nous avons goûté trois appellations spéciales
(Dvin,Nairi et Akhtamar, pour les spécialistes) de 10 et 20 ans d’ge.
Pas vraiment connaisseur (pour être honnête), mais plutôt ouvert Ã
toutes les aventures gustatives, la finesse de l’alcool nous a plutôt
bluffés :mélange de saveurmiellée, caramélisée, d’abricot aussi,
parfumprésent mais délicat, très belle longueur en bouche ; et,
apanage de l’ge, une rondeur très agréable pour celui qui ne
recherche pas la puissance et la brûlure des alcools forts. Pour les
amateurs de cigares, on a récidivé le lendemain soir avec un Wide
Churchill de chez Romeo&Juliet (et dans un bar d’hôtel acceptant les
amateurs de havanes, grce à un extracteur surpuissant, chose
désormais si rare), l’accord est formidable.

COCKTAILS. Ara Grigoryan, le PDG d’Ararat, est serein sur l’avenir de
son produit : « Le brandy est souvent offert comme un cadeau, consommé
dans les fêtes de famille, c’est une institution.Mais il faut être
vigilant car les manières de consommer de l’alcool évoluent doucement
chez les plus jeunes. Le whisky devient concurrentiel, ainsi que les
cocktails, d’ailleurs nous en avons lancé un à base de brandy. »Comme
lesArméniens dotés d’un certain pouvoir d’achat, Ara Grigoryan
apprécie plutôt le vin, « bourgogne, saintémilion, médoc,même si les
prix sont impressionnants ». Le patron d’Ararat peut néanmoins
commencer à La découverte de vases antiques remplis de pépins de
raisin, puis d’un fouloir et d’une cuve a permis de dater la première
vinification de l’humanité, il y a sixmille ans. se tourner vers les
vins arméniens qui, comme le brandy, s’inscrivent pleinement dans le
patrimoine et l’histoire du pays. En 2007, une équipe internationale
de 26 archéologues a déniché, au fond d’une caverne, des vases remplis
de pépins de raisin. Puis la découverte d’un fouloir et d’une cuve a
permis de dater avec certitude la première vinification de l’histoire
de l’humanité, il y a sixmille ans. Après une longue phase de déclin,
notamment liée à la nationalisation de la production viticole, l’heure
semble être à la renaissance du vin arménien. Ainsi, en 2009, la
production de brandy a enregistré une baisse de 38,4%avec une
production de 98690 hectolitres. En revanche, celle du vin a augmenté
de 30,8%, avec 143721 hectolitres produits sur 15000 hectares par une
vingtaine de vignerons indépendants, aidés par des vinificateurs
étrangers. Parmi eux, Zorik Gharibian, unArménien travaillant dans
lamode en Italie, qui a décidé d’acheter un vignoble au pied du mont
Ararat, au lieu d’investir en Toscane. Il y a produit le zorah karasi,
un vin rouge (sa base est l’areni noir, un cépage autochtone) qui
s’est vite retrouvé sur quelques tables étoilées. Une autre valeur
sûre est le karas,mélange des cépages syrah, petit verdot, tannat (né
dans le sud de l’Aquitaine) et de montepulciano, dont on retrouve la
fraîcheur et l’acidité. En blanc, il est produit grce au chardonnay,
tout en gras et rondeur. Une autre cuvée locale appréciée est le
novarank qui, là encore, rappelle furieusement les vins toscans.

« GROSSEARTILLERIE ».

L’ouverture récente de plusieurs bars à vin à Erevan témoigne aussi de
cette frénésie. A In Vino, on se fait conseiller par Emma Tadavosyan,
une jeune biologiste qui suit une formation spécialisée dans la
viticulture : « C’est dansmon sang :mes grandsparents etmes parents
faisaient leur propre vin. »Le lendemain, on tombera effectivement sur
des agriculteurs, Ã une centaine de kilomètres de la capitale, qui
produisent leur vin et leur vodka, dont une gorgée suffit amplement.
En revanche, leur vin n’en a que le nom, en réalité une boisson claire
et alcoolisée et, certes, faite à base de raisin : la comparaison avec
du vin s’arrête néanmoins lÃ.

InVino propose, outre de délicieux sandwichs, des crus locaux ainsi
que des vins étrangers, dont nombre de français. L’offre laisse encore
à désirer, tant on sent que quelques bureaux d’importateurs ont livré
« la grosse artillerie », soit une flopée d’étiquettes qu’on croise
dans toutes les grandes surfaces de l’Hexagone pour moins de 5
euros.Mais, protégés dans une armoire à vins, reposent malgré tout un
margaux, un clos-vougeot ou encore un corton- charlemagne. Nous
revient alors l’image d’un chteau Latour 1982 gardé glacé dans le
frigo d’un hôtel. Mais c’était en Thaïlande. L’Arménie est désormais
loin de ce genre de sacrilège.¢

dimanche 20 avril 2014,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

SYRIE-ARMENIE
« Même s’il y pleut de l’or, je ne retournerai pas en Syrie » dit
Haroutioun, un refugié arménien installé Ã Zanguelan au Haut Karabagh

Haroutioun Iskintrian est un Arménien d’Alep réfugié en Arménie. Mais
au lieu de rester à Erévan, H. Iskintrian a choisi de partir
s’installer à Zanguelan dans les territoires libérés du joug azéri au
Haut Karabagh. En Syrie, H. Iskintrian était orfèvre. Mais au Haut
Karabagh il est devenu agriculteur. « Alep était une très belle ville,
nous avions notre maison, un travail, de l’argent. La vie y était
facile » dit-il tout en affirmant que la capitale de la République du
Haut Karabagh est également très belle. Cela fait bientôt deux ans
qu’Haroutioun Iskintrian est installé au Haut Karabagh. Sa sÅ`ur est Ã
Erévan, sa mère et ses deux frères sont toujours à Alep. Régulièrement
il s’informe des évènements en cours en Syrie. « Ils y vivent avec la
peur. Ce n’était pas notre combat mais nous avons été pris en otage et
subissons des pertes…c’est toujours ainsi le destin de l’arménien !
» dit-il désabusé et ajoute « En Syrie, nos écoles, nos églises, nos
clubs ou centres culturels étaient en activité. Personne ne nous
dérangeait. Aucune interdiction ne pesait sur nos têtes. Nous étions
acceptés et appréciés par les syriens ». Il estime toutefois que la
vie est difficile en Arménie et que le travail manque. Mais il s’y
adapte progressivement. « Retourner et y habiter avec les musulmans,
pour moi c’est impossible. Même s’il y pleut de l’or, je n’y
retournerai pas ! ».

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 20 avril 2014,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

15:16 19/04/2014 ‘ SOCIETY
Armenian Genocide commemoration events planned in Fresno area

A series of events are planned this week in the Valley to mark the 99th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, The Fresno Bee reports.

– Two showings of the movie, “Music to Madness: The Story of Komitas,” will
be held Monday at the Tower Theater, 815 E. Olive Ave. in Fresno. One
showing is at 2:30 p.m., the second at 7:30 p.m. The movie portrays an
Armenian boy with a perfect singing voice who becomes a great performer as
an adult, but who gets caught up in the genocide and ultimately falls into
madness.

– On Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Ararat Cemetery, 1925 W. Belmont Ave. in
Fresno, wreaths and flowers can be laid at the monument of the Remains of
the Unknown Martyr of the Armenian Genocide. A requiem service will be
officiated by Armenian clergy from throughout the San Joaquin Valley.

– At 9:30 a.m. Thursday, there will be a commemoration and flag raising at
Fresno City Hall, 2600 Fresno St. Among the speakers will be Mayor Ashley
Swearengin and Reps. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, and David Valadao, R-Hanford.
Special attention will be paid to recent attacks by Syrian rebels on the
city of Kessab, where many Armenians were living and have been uprooted in
the fighting.

– A commemoration of the genocide will start at 7 p.m. Thursday at St.
Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church, 220 Third St. in
Fowler. Fresno County Superior Court Judge Debra Kazanjian will be the
featured speaker.

– And for the months of April and May, there is a photo exhibition at
the UC Merced Center, 550 E. Shaw Ave. in Fresno, called “The Living
Martyrs,” which shows children who survived the genocide.

Centre Daily Times
April 19 2014

Debate over Armenian museum will continue at appellate hearing

By Michael Doyle

WASHINGTON — The legal fight over a proposed Armenian Genocide Museum
and Memorial has lasted nearly as long as the horrors the project is
supposed to commemorate.

Soon, the bitter wrangling will reach a crucial crossroads.

On Monday, in a courthouse about 10 blocks from the run-down site of
the proposed museum, three appellate judges will sort through the
dispute, which has outlasted several of the key parties. The museum’s
future might hang in the balance.

“There is no doubt we are committed to building the museum in
Washington, D.C.,” Edele Hovnanian, the treasurer of the Armenian
Assembly of America’s board of trustees, said Friday. “We are
absolutely committed.”

The case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
Circuit is still called Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial v.
Gerard L. Cafesjian, though this has become a misnomer. Cafesjian, the
businessman and philanthropist who won an earlier round, died last
year in Naples, Fla., at the age of 88.

Another man once at the center of the dispute, former Cafesjian
lieutenant John J. Waters Jr., was convicted last month in Minneapolis
of 25 felony counts relating to embezzlement from Cafesjian. Waters is
awaiting sentencing.

Years ago, Cafesjian, Waters and the Armenian Assembly of America
leadership were allies. They wanted to build a center marking the
period from 1915 to 1923, when by some estimates upward of 1.5 million
Armenians died at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.

In downtown Washington, project supporters bought a four-story
National Bank of Washington building in 2000. Cafesjian provided
funding and bought adjacent properties, with a clause that the
properties would revert to his control if the project wasn’t finished
by Dec. 31, 2010.

Relations eventually collapsed and the first in a series of suits and
countersuits was filed in 2007. In 2011, U.S. District Judge Colleen
Kollar-Kotelly ruled that the property belonged to Cafesjian’s
foundation, of which Waters once served as vice president.

“The court sincerely hopes that after years of fighting legal battles,
the parties can put aside their differences and accomplish the
laudable goal of creating an Armenian genocide museum and memorial,”
Kollar-Kotelly wrote in January 2011.

That hasn’t happened.

Instead, the fight that Kollar-Kotelly said “quickly escalated into an
unfortunate exchange of accusations and allegations grounded in
suspicion and mistrust” has ground ever onward. Though the museum has
plans prepared and an online exhibit posted, the litigation has
hindered efforts to raise the $100 million or so needed for
construction and operations.

The Armenian Assembly of America has appealed its trial-court loss,
contending in part that Kollar-Kotelly had previously undisclosed
“ties” to the Cafesjian side. Kollar-Kotelly had contributed, as had
Cafesjian, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s purchase of expensive
modern glass art by an artist whom Cafesjian also sought for the
Armenian genocide museum.

“If the assembly had known of the shared and beneficial interest
between Judge Kollar-Kotelly and Cafesjian as investors in
contemporary studio glass art, it would have moved for Judge
Kollar-Kotelly’s disqualification,” attorneys for the Armenian
Assembly of America declared in an appellate brief.

Attorneys for the Cafesjian Family Foundation didn’t address the
judicial recusal question in their appellate brief, which focused on
other parts of the dispute.

“I hope that the (appellate) decision will finally resolve the case,”
the foundation’s attorney, John B. Williams, said Friday, while noting
that “there is always the Supreme Court.”

The 30-minute oral argument Monday comes three days before the events
that traditionally recognize the genocide. In this, Congress has
likewise continued to struggle.

By a 12-5 vote, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a
resolution April 10 that’s intended to “remember and observe the
anniversary of the Armenian genocide.” That may be the resolution’s
high-water mark.

Vigorously opposed by the Turkish government, and historically viewed
skeptically within the State Department and the Pentagon, this
genocide resolution has an uncertain future. Senate rules will make it
easy for a single lawmaker to block the measure.

Turkey questions the casualty count and denies there was a systematic
effort to exterminate the Armenian people. Some American diplomats and
military professionals fear antagonizing Turkey, a key NATO ally.

A like-minded resolution in the House of Representatives, authored by
freshman Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., and backed by 50 co-sponsors,
hasn’t moved since it was introduced last year. Visiting Turkey this
month, House Speaker John Boehner effectively called the measure dead.

“Don’t worry,” the Ohio Republican said, according to Turkish news
accounts. “Our Congress will not get involved in this issue.”

In the meantime, lawmakers are participating in Armenian-American
community events, with Valadao and Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., expected
at a flag-raising ceremony Thursday at Fresno, Calif., City Hall and
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., joining the annual march through the Los
Angeles-area Little Armenia.

Read more here:

Crown City News, CA
April 18 2014

Rep. Schiff asks U.N. to help 2000 Armenians forced out of Syria

by Anna Buss

The starting date of the genocide is conventionally held to be 24
April 1915, the day when Ottoman authorities arrested some 250
Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople.

Although the United States has not officially recognized the Genocide
by name, one local Congressman continues the fight for not only
recognition of the atrocities but also to render aid for a city of
2000 men women and children in Kessab who were forcibly removed from
their homes in March. The Armenian-populated town is located in
northwest Syria.
United Nations Security Council members have mentioned Kessab in their
speeches or interviews of the recent takeover of the historically
Armenian town of Kessab, Syria, and urged the world body “to do more
to meet the needs of these people,” U.S. Ambassador to the United
Nations Samantha Power told Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and members of a
key House Appropriations panel recently during a Congressional
hearing, according to the Armenian National Committee of America.

“We join with Armenians across California and around America in
thanking Congressman Schiff for raising the plight of the Armenians
driven out of Kessab with Ambassador Power,” said ANCA Executive
Director Aram Hamparian. “We appreciate Ambassador Power’s statement
that Kessab is ‘an issue of huge concern,’ and value her explanation
to Congress about the UN Security Council’s efforts to help the
Armenian civilians driven from their homes by extremist militants. We
will continue to work, in partnership with our friends in Congress, to
encourage our government to speak directly to the cause of Kessab’s
suffering – namely the clear complicity of Turkey in the al-Qaeda
linked attack that drove more than 2,000 Armenians from their
ancestral homes.”

The ANCA has called on the Senate and House Intelligence committees to
investigate Turkey’s role in the recent attacks against the Kessab
civilian population. A new action alert has been posted and has
received broad support following social media posts by citizens and
celebrities alike.

During a question and answer session at the House Appropriations
Committee State-Foreign Operations Subcommittee hearing with
Ambassador Power last week, Rep. Schiff asked “In March, the town of
Kessab, which is predominantly Armenian Christian, was attacked by
Al-Qaeda-linked fighters who had crossed over from Turkey and the town
was emptied in a bloody assault. Many of the residents are descendants
of the Armenian Genocide and there is particular poignancy in them
being targeted in this manner.” Rep. Schiff went on to ask what
efforts the United Nations and its agencies are making to address the
crisis.

Ambassador Power, noting that the recent attacks on Kessab are a “huge
concern,” went on to note that: “Most of the [UN Security] Council
members raised the issue of Kessab, calling on the UN to do more, to
try to meet the needs of these people. […] I would note that,
unfortunately, the extremist group that appears to have taken hold of
that town is not one that the United States and the United Nations
overall has a great deal of leverage over. And so, our emphasis now,
is on supporting the moderate opposition in Syria that is taking on
those extremist groups and making sure that the UN has the funding it
needs, and the resources of all kinds that it needs to accommodate
[…] in this case, the Syrian Armenian community, as you said, an
internally displaced population flow. So, it’s resources, it’s
strengthening the moderate opposition which is taking on ISIL – the
very group that appears to have taken over that town – making sure
that none of the neighbors are giving support to terrorist groups or
extremist groups which would aid their efforts in seizures like that,
and going on a funding drive internationally because only a very small
percentage of the UN funding appeal for Syria generally has been
filled at this point.”

Located in the northwestern corner of Syria, near the border with
Turkey, Kessab had, until very recently, evaded major battles in the
Syrian conflict. The local Armenian population had increased in
recently years with the city serving as safe-haven for those fleeing
from the war-torn cities of Yacubiye, Rakka and Aleppo. On the morning
of March 21st, extremist foreign fighters launched a vicious attack,
from Turkey, on Kessab civilians, forcing over 2000 to flee to
neighboring Latakia and Bassit. An international social media campaign
– #SaveKessab – has garnered broad media attention to the tragedy with
over 100,000 tweeting about the crisis and tens of thousands calling
for immediate U.S. and U.N. action.

In a statement issued last week, the U.S. State Department noted that
they are “deeply troubled by recent fighting and violence that is
endangering the Armenian community in Kasab, Syria and has forced many
to flee. There are far too many innocent civilians suffering as a
result of the war. All civilians, as well as their places of worship,
must be protected.” The statement went on to note that “We have long
had concerns about the threat posed by violent extremists and this
latest threat to the Armenian community in Syria only underscores this
further.”
Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Jim Costa
(D-CA), James McGovern (D-MA) and Jackie Speier (D-CA) have condemned
the attacks and urged the State

Department to investigate Turkey’s involvement. In a joint letter to
President Obama issued recently, Congressional Armenian Caucus
co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Michael Grimm (R-NY) and Armenian
Genocide Resolution (H.Res.227) lead authors David Valadao (R-CA) and
Adam Schiff, commented on the Kessab attacks, noting ” When coupled
with a mass exodus of the Armenian community, these events are far too
reminiscent of the early days of the Armenian Genocide, which took
place nearly 100 years ago in Ottoman Turkey under the cover of World
War I.” The letter goes on to note,” With the Christian Armenian
community being uprooted from its homeland, yet again, we strongly
urge you to take all necessary measures without delay to safeguard the
Christian Armenian community of Kessab. We also believe that now is
the time to redouble America’s efforts to ensure that all minority
communities at risk in the Middle East are afforded greater
protection.”

The Ottoman military uprooted Armenians from their homes and forced
them to march for hundreds of miles, depriving them of food and water,
to the desert of what is now Syria. Massacres were indiscriminate of
age or gender, with rape and other sexual abuse commonplace. The
majority of Armenian diaspora communities were founded as a result of
the Armenian genocide.

The very last Armenian survivors of the 1915 genocide – in which a
million and a half Christians were slaughtered by the Ottoman Turks –
are dying, and Armenians are now facing the same fearful dilemma that
Jews around the world will confront in scarcely three decades’ time:
how to keep the memory of their holocausts alive when the last living
witnesses of Ottoman and Nazi evil are dead?

The Turks used railway wagons to transport Armenian men, women and
children to their deaths, while in the northern Syrian desert – the
scene of further killing in the present civil war – the Ottomans
engineered the first primitive gas chambers by driving thousands of
Armenians into rock caves and asphyxiating them by lighting bonfires
at the entrances.

April 19, 2014
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMEMORATIVE BILLBOARD REMOVED FROM THE MBTA PROPERTY IN
BOSTON

BOSTON – Just about one week before the 99th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide, Peace of Art was notified by Clear Channel that the Armenian
Genocide commemorative billboard, which has been on display at Lechmere
Station in Cambridge, MA, had to be removed. It seems that this year, an
anonymous entity has deemed the message on the billboard to be of a
political nature. `Recognize the Crime of the Century, the Armenian
Genocide,’ is the message which was deemed to be political and thus
required to be removed from the MBTA property. However, the 2013 message
read `Honoring the memory of 1.5 million lives lost, Armenian Genocide.
Recognition and condemnation’ was displayed on the same location without
incident, offered by the billboard company.

Peace of Art, Inc., is a non-profit educational organization registered
with the Massachusetts Secretary of State, and tax exempt under section 501
(C) 3. Our projects consist on bringing awareness to the human condition,
such as hunger, homelessness, deportation, etc. One of our projects is to
sponsor billboards to bring awareness to genocide. Since 2003 Peace of
ART, Inc., has sponsored the Armenian Genocide commemorative billboards
calling for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The human suffering
and the impact on its survivors and descendants lives on. We are not a
political organization, we are not associated with political
organizations, and we do not issue political opinions, beyond stating that
genocide is a crime against humanity. Our focus is the global human
condition.

Clear Channel, the billboard company, informed Peace of Art, Inc. that it
classified the billboard message as a political awareness message, `Cone of
two sides of an issue` and it was required to remove the billboard located
at Lechmere Station and offered to place the billboard in one of two unsold
locations in Cambridge. Therefore, for the remaining of the month of
April, the Armenian Genocide commemorative billboard can be seen on
Massachusetts Avenue, Walden street in Cambridge.

Daniel Varoujan Hejinian, the president of Peace of Art, Inc., stated that
the removal is unjust and unjustified. He further stated that `it doesn’t
matter how many sides an issue has, the truth has only one side. The
Armenian Genocide is recognized by twenty one countries and forty two
states of the Union including Massachusetts.’

AZERBAIDJAN
Azerbaïdjan : Adopter une approche plus souple pour les Jeux
olympiques européens

La date limite est dans plus d’un an, mais l’Azerbaïdjan a lancé le
sprint pour terminer les préparatifs pour les Jeux européens, un
concours au format des Jeux Olympiques pour les athlètes de 49 pays
européens. Dans embellissement de Bakou pour l’événement, les
responsables ont adopté une approche plus souple de rénovation urbaine
que pendant la période qui a précédé le concours Eurovision de la
chanson il y a un peu moins de deux ans.

Le coût du projet d’accueillir les Jeux européens, qui se tiendra à la
fin de Juin 2015, est actuellement de 1 milliard de manats (1,25
milliards de dollars). Au total, 6351 athlètes sont attendus pour
participer à 19 sports différents. Un nouveau terminal de l’aéroport
et une mise à niveau des systèmes de métro et de bus sont prévus pour
Bakou, avec un stade de 65000 personnes et quatre autres installations
sportives et résidentielles.

Comme ce fut le cas lorsque Bakou a accueilli l’Eurovision en 2012,
certains plans de construction pour les jeux à venir suscitent la
controverse. Un point de discorde est notamment la destruction prévue
d’un centre-ville délabré, 50 hectares appelé Sovetskaya (soviétique),
doit être remplacé par des « zones vertes ».

Le relooking aura un impact sur quelque 40000 personnes sur une
population totale de Bakou de l’ordre de 2,5 millions. Et, se
souvenant de la controverse de l’Eurovision, de nombreux habitants de
Sovetskaya affirment qu’ils n’ont pas reçu d’offres adéquates de
compensation du gouvernement pour les appartements qu’ils vont perdre.
Résident à Sovetskaya Elsever Hamidov a dit EurasiaNet.org que le
gouvernement lui a offert 1 500 manats (plus de 1912$ ) par mètre
carré pour son appartement de 20 mètres carrés, soit une somme totale
de 30 000 manats (plus de 38 250$). « Il n’est pas possible d’acheter
même un petit appartement à la périphérie de Bakou avec cet argent »
se plaint Hamidov. D’autres résidents, qui se sont réunis à deux
reprises par milliers pour protester contre les plans d’expulsion du
gouvernement, disent la même chose.

Compte tenu de la couverture médiatique négative générée par le
déplacement des résidents de Bakou pour le concours de l’Eurovision,
le gouvernement maintenant s’aventure prudemment dans sa réponse aux
protestations de Sovetskaya. Plutôt que d’utiliser la force pour
disperser les manifestants, le vice-Premier ministre Abid Sharifov et
le maire de Bakou Hajibala Abutalybov ont été dépêchés pour assurer
les résidents que « personne ne sera déplacé par la force ».

Le vice-Premier ministre Sharifov a déclaré aux participants lors
d’une manifestation le 3 Mars, que, bien que le gouvernement
n’augmentera pas son montant de dédommagement, les résidents
Sovetskaya qui ne sont pas d’accord pour vendre leurs maisons peuvent
rester sur place. « Personne ne va vous toucher » s’est-il engagé. Le
27 Mars, il a répété cette promesse précisant à l’agence de presse APA
que le gouvernement se prépare soigneusement et méthodiquement avec un
« inventaire » des propriétés de Sovetskaya. Au dernier rapport, 302
familles ont accepté les compensations, a-t-il dit et sur ce nombre,
72 ont été payés.

Mais tout n’est pas aussi lisse que le gouvernement veut le laisser apparaître.

Comme avec l’Eurovision , les activistes de la société civile ont
l’intention d’utiliser les Jeux olympiques européens comme un moyen
d’attirer l’attention internationale sur l’Azerbaïdjan et son piètre
bilan de la démocratisation . Actuellement, les militants sont
toujours en train de formuler leur stratégie, ils s’attendent à lancer
une campagne de sensibilisation en Juin, un an avant le coup d’envoi
de l’événement, selon le militant des droits de l’homme Rasul Jafarov,
un acteur de premier plan dans la campagne de la démocratie pendant
l’Eurovision . « Nous avons une tche difficile – comment obtenir des
résultats et, dans l’intervalle, ne pas nous retrouver en prison » a
déclaré Jafarov.

Sept participants à une manifestation le 3 mars ont été condamnés Ã
entre 15 et 30 jours de prison pour violation alléguée de l’ordre
public, selon les médias locaux. Mais en s’appuyer sur des
arrestations – longtemps la tactique favorite des réponses officielles
à des manifestations – a maintenant ses risques pour le gouvernement.

Le coup d’envoi pour les protestations des militants des droits de
l’homme devrait débuter le 1er mai quand l’Azerbaïdjan prend la
présidence du Comité des Ministres du Conseil de l’Europe, l’organisme
européen en chef pour la surveillance des droits de l’homme. Les hauts
fonctionnaires de l’Union européenne ce mois ont critiqué
l’Azerbaïdjan pour la poursuite des dirigeants de l’opposition
emprisonnés Ilgar Mammadov et Tofiq Yaqublu comme « contraire aux
engagements internationaux de l’Azerbaïdjan en tant que membre du
Conseil de l’Europe ».

Les fonctionnaires azerbaïdjanais affirment que le pays observe tout
simplement la loi. Mais il y a des raisons de croire que l’examen
externe des pratiques de Bakou va s’intensifier dans les mois à venir.
Plusieurs tendances ont déjà attiré l’attention des groupes de
surveillance. Le plus inquiétant, au cours des deux derniers mois,
concerne les suicides et les tentatives de suicide qui sont devenus
une forme de protestation contre la corruption, les maux
socio-économiques ou les violations des droits.

Ce tableau d’ensemble fait de la discorde sur Sovetskaya une situation
« Ã risque » pour le gouvernement, a commenté l’analyste politique
Elhan Shahinoglu, directeur du centre de recherche indépendant Atlas Ã
Bakou. « Si les demandes de la population sont satisfaits, il pourrait
créer un précédent pour« faiblesse du gouvernement »et inspirer
d’autres groupes sociaux vulnérables à protester » a déclaré
Shahinoglu. « D’autre part, le gouvernement ne peut pas utiliser la
violence contre les personnes, encore et encore ».

« Cette situation va créer un casse-tête pour le gouvernement pendant
un certain temps » a-t-il prédit.

Note de la rédaction :
Shahin Abbasov est un journaliste indépendant basé Ã Bakou.

Eurasianet
samedi 19 avril 2014,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

American Professor: Nagorno-Karabakh is a case of remedial secession 15:48
19/04/2014 – INTERVIEWS Panorama.am presents an interview with Dr. William
Slomanson, Professor of Law at Thomas Jefferson School of Law and visiting
Professor at Pristina University. Dr. Slomanson argues that
Nagorno-Karabakh qualifies as a case of remedial secession under the
International Law.

– Dr. Slomanson, in one of your articles you argue that the cases of
Ossetia, Abkhazia and Kosovo do not qualify as remedial secession,
while in your article `Nagorno-Karabakh: An Alternative Legal Approach
To Its Quest For Legitimacy’ you argue that Nagorno-Karabakh presents
such a case. How exactly does Nagorno-Karabakh qualify as a case of
remedial secession and according to you what are the strongest points
in NK’s argument of remedial secession?

– The internationally accepted sources of International Law include
=80` treaties, state practice and judicial decisions (as embedded in
ICJ Statute, Article 38d). There is no treaty on secession, and there
never will be, as that would be a political suicide for states. As for
state practice, it has characterized three of the last four unilateral
secessions as being unique (Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Kosovo-with no
word yet on Crimea). There have otherwise been numerous conflicting
state approaches to the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. The remaining
recognized source on secession in the International Law is thus
judicial decisions – those issued by national/international courts.

In this regard the undisputed lead case is the Canadian Supreme Court
Quebec Secession case, with its three prongs. According to the first
prong there must be a `People,’ for which Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians
within Azerbaijan no doubt qualify. Second, there must be `gross human
rights violations’ against this people – these violations were in
place starting in 1915, when NK emptied out most of its Armenian
population because of Turkish regional policies. These policies
continued through and including 1989 (the Armenian population declined
considerably as a result of gross human rights violations over many
decades). In 1989 the US Senate-House passed Resolution 178 that
expressed a concern on the ongoing violence in Nagorno-Karabakh –
`seeking (2) Soviet re-establishment of economic and supply routes’;
(4) `urge[s] … investigation of the violence against the people of
Nagorno-Karabakh;’ and (5) `express[es] the serious concern of the
American people about the ongoing violence … interfer[ing] with
international relief efforts.’

The Quebec decision’s third prong is `no alternative but
secession’. Given the fact that the status of Nagorno-Karabakh was
altered for a number of times – in 1919 (when the United Kingdom
forced NK authorities to conclude an interim agreement with
Azerbaijan), in 1921 (when Moscow annexed NK to the Azerbaijan SSR),
in 1988 (by war) and in 1991 (by the declaration of independence) as
well as taking into account the 2004 Minsk Group statement that NK
independence is not possible under the USSR statute of 03 April 1990
(all of which are addressed in my 2012 article) I do not see how one
could logically suggest that there is an alternative to secession.

– If Nagorno-Karabakh presents a strong case for remedial secession what
implications can this have, given that the right to remedial secession is
not a hard law?
– Given the non-existence of a secession treaty, multiple changes in
sovereign status of Nagorno-Karabakh as well as national/international
concerns (such as those expressed in the above US Congressional position),
the above-mentioned recognized sources of International Law leave only one
logical source for supporting Nagorno-Karabakh’s bid for legitimacy – a
national (Canadian) Supreme Court decision on a matter of International
Law. While not a primary source, such as State practice, it is a recognized
source of International Law. If by `soft’ law you mean enforceability, the
arguable lack thereof is a discrete political point, while the Quebec
elements are widely acclaimed and thus are more akin to hard law than soft
law.

– Azerbaijan has officially adopted a stance that unless the conflict is
resolved by peaceful means Azerbaijan has the `right’ to take back
Nagorno-Karabakh by force, appealing to the right of self-defense under
Article 51 of the UN Charter and referring to alleged `occupation’ of its
territory. Is this stance of Azerbaijan compatible with international law
or not (considering its international obligations and the 1994 ceasefire
agreement)?
– Citing the UN Charter Article 51 self-defense by Azerbaijan is illogical,
given the comparative size of both the Azeri land mass and military
strength. NK, for example, does not have the Israeli drones that the Azeris
use for patrolling the border. As 2006 Russian-American Dartmouth
Conference report indicates, no single document (i.e., the 1994 ceasefire
agreement) will supplant the need for all necessary parties to come to the
table to hammer out a peace accord. One result of that not happening is the
Azeri threat to use its military force to shoot down any plane/helicopter
attempting to make the trip between the Yerevan and NK airports. So it
would be NK, not Azerbaijan, that would end up with a decent Art 51 defense
argument in this context.

Interview by Nvard Chalikyan