Author: nina hovnanian

IS ABERYSTWYTH ACTING AS AZERBAIJAN STOOGE?

Paul Flynn MP, Wales, UK
Nov 8 2013

Aberystwyth University is adrift from its moral compass. Has this
revered institution become a stooge of an odious repressive regime?

To Aberystwyth’s John Grattan “an outstanding and
high quality partner” but it’s a front for academic suppression
.
…

Azeri Government condemned by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty
International, US Governmnent & OSCE: approved by Aberystwyth
University.

Aberystwyth students to learn democracy in Azerbaijan, 139th of 167
in world for democratic rights! Election results before votes cast.

Naive Aberystwyth University collaborates with Azerbaijan to import
hand-picked student ambassadors for their foul oppressive regime.

Weak defence of Aberystwyth exchanges with Azerbaijan that jails
students, condones racial murder, rigs elections & persecutes
oppositions.

In August of this year, Aberystwyth University announced that it had
signed a

Memorandum of Understanding with the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy
(ADA).

They claimed that this was to promote academic and cultural cooperation
between

the two institutions. The two institutions have also signed a formal
Exchange

Agreement which means that students from both institutions will be
able to study at

the partner institution for either one semester or one academic
year. Under the

agreement, Aberystwyth will receive two students from the Azerbaijan
Diplomatic

Academy every year.

ADA however is an arm of the Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and is heavily

funded by the government. Therefore there can be real concerns about
a project that

involves a country that is ranked 139th out of 167 for democratic
rights and is rated

as ‘not free’ in US freedom house rankings which measure democracy
and freedom.

The regime led by President Aliyev since 2003 has become increasingly
totalitarian and is heavily criticised by many human rights bodies.

The country is rich in natural resources and for this reason has
managed to avoid much criticism from states which rely on its oil such
as the UK. It is now looking to cement its place on the world stage
by spending vast amounts of its funds on ‘caviar diplomacy’ in which
it tries to make itself seem more palatable to the outside world. In
reality though the government is one that has little interest in the
established universal ideals of human rights and rule of law.

A particularly extraordinary example of this is that of Ramil Safarov
who hacked an Armenian to death in Hungary in 2004 while on a NATO
run course. Safarov killed his victim after he claimed he was insulted
by him. He attacked the Armenian with an axe while he was sleeping.

Hungary released Sarafov in 2012 only after they had been promised
that his sentence would be enforced in Azerbaijan. However on his
return Safarov was given a full pardon, a hero’s welcome, and was
promoted to major in the army. A man guilty of a cowardly racial
murder freed and elevated to the status of a national hero.

The human rights abuses and clamp downs on any anti government
activities particularly intensified in the lead up to the recent
presidential elections of October 2013. Oppositions were restricted
in where they could hold meetings and demonstrations and experienced
repeated disruptions to their campaigns. Dozens of political activists
were arrested on bogus charges according to Human Rights Watch.

Two opposition leaders in Azerbaijan, Ilgar Mammadov and Tofiq Yaqublu,
werecharged with staging riots in the town of Ismayilli.

Supporters of Mammadov and Yaqublu said they had nothing to do with
a protest sparked by local concerns, and were being framed by the
authorities. Mammadov, chairman of the REAL (Republican Alternative)
movement, and Yaqublu, deputy chairman of the Musavat Party, were
arrested and charged on February 4. If found guilty, both could face
up to twelve years in jail. Rachel Denber from Human Rights watch
said that ‘In the past year Azerbaijan’s government has launched
an unprecedented crackdown on critics…. Ilgar Mammadov and Tofig
Yagublu are among the victims of Azerbaijan’s dragnet to silence
dissent.’ During a pre trial hearing Mammadov told a judge that he was
promised release if he wrote a letter of apology to President Aliyev
indicating theseriousness of the abuse of democracy that is ongoing.

Amnesty International has declared them prisoners of conscience. They
have now been imprisoned for ten months

The Aliyev regime also tries to create charges for the opposition in
other ways. From May 2012 to May 213 at least six government critics
were arrested on drug charges. On each occasion the charges were based
on narcotics found by the police following arrests for other offences.

No lawyers were present during the searches. Following the arrests
the victims were questioned mainly about their criticism of the
government. Their lawyers reported that they had been beaten with
bruises and cuts to the face to prove the matter.

Following all of these abuses, it is no surprise to find that the
actual elections gainedconsiderable condemnation. The OSCE described
it as a ‘deeply flawed’ election. Inan almost unbelievable example
of these problems, President Aliyev was announced as victor on a
government phone app the day before voting began. There was also
evidence of ballot box stuffing, intentional miscounting and numerous
other procedural failings.

However, restrictions do not only apply to elections. Freedom of the
press is severely restricted and dozens of journalists have been
prosecuted and then imprisoned or fined in the past six years. A
leading investigative journalist, Khadija Ismayilova, has been
subjected to a smear campaign in which a camera was secretly put in
her bedroom, most recently in a newspaper associated with the ruling
party, in retaliation for her anti-corruption reporting. The BBC is
not broadcast in the country and anyopposition or independent media
is again severely restricted. The government iskeen to ensure that
any rumblings of discontent are quickly wiped out.

Academic freedom

According to a report by the Scholars At Risk Network, the independent
Azad Fikir University (Free Thought University) was shut down by
local police in April 2013 in connection with an investigation into
an opposition student group, after which the University’s lease on
their building was terminated, leaving them homeless for the upcoming
academic year. According to the Network, AFU is funded largely by
international organizations and the US and UK governments, and is
“dedicated to promoting democracy and human rights” in Azerbaijan.

International human rights organisation Freedom House devote a section
of their 2012 report to academic freedom in the country:

“The authorities have linked academic freedom to political activity
in recent years. Some professors and teachers have reported being
dismissed for links to opposition groups, and students have faced
threats of lowered grades for similar reasons. In April 2011, a student
was expelled from Baku State University and banned from further
study after participating in protests, and a university professor
was demoted after criticizing the arrest of a youth activist.”

The 2013 report by Freedom House describes Azerbaijan as “not an
electoral democracy” where elections are considered “neither free nor
fair” by international observers. Freedom House describe corruption as
“widespread”, and “critical institutions”, including the media and
judiciary, as “largely subservient” to the president and ruling party.

At a time when these problems are not only continuing but are actually
real questions can be asked as to why a university with a proud history
in international politics is choosing to engage with a regime that
is consistently violating human rights and is using caviar diplomacy
to establish itself on the international scene.

POLITICAL PRISONERS IN AZERBAIJAN

Session: 2013-14 Date tabled: 06.11.2013 Primary sponsor: Flynn,
Paul Sponsors:

That this House observes that the already dire situation of human
rights abuses in Azerbaijan has deteriorated further in the past year;
is appalled that the ten-month imprisonment on trumped-up charges of
two opposition politicians continues; and calls on the Government to
make representations on behalf of Ilgar Mammadov and Yeni Musavat,
plus many others imprisoned for political reasons by the Aliyev regime.

AZERBAIJAN ELECTION

Session: 2013-14 Date tabled: 24.10.2013 Primary sponsor: Flynn,
Paul Sponsors:

Bottomley, Peter

Clark, Katy

Shannon, Jim

Corbyn, Jeremy

Durkan, Mark

That this House is appalled at the evidence of many abuses in
the recent general election in Azerbaijan, including an official
announcement of the result before voting began; applauds the thorough
scrutiny by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe
that reported manipulation of voter lists, results and protocols,
including cases of votes being reassigned to a different candidate,
with 58 per cent of observed polling stations assessed as bad or very
bad, with clear indications of ballot box stuffing in 37 polling
stations and every conceivable violation of voter identification;
notes that the US State Department found that the election fell short
of international standards.

QUIRKY COLLECTION AN EXUBERANT CHRISTMAS INDULGENCE

Canberra Times (Australia)
November 23, 2013 Saturday

FICTION

Quirky collection an exuberant Christmas indulgence FICTION PETIT MAL.

By DBC Pierre. Faber & Faber. 208pp. $29.95.

Reviewer: PETER PIERCE T he self-willed enigma, and now resident of
Ireland, D(irty) B(ut) C(lean) Pierre (born Peter Finlay at Reynella,
South Australia, he apparently grew up in Mexico), is back in print
(or in many cases reprint) with Petit Mal. Illustrated with such
cartoons as “Horace the Magic Hedgehog”, photographs and full-colour
illustrations – all by the author – this small, rectangular book is
sub-titled “Allegories of Youth, Wrongness and Right”. It follows
Pierre’s End Times trilogy of novels that began with his surprise
2007 Booker Prize winner, Vernon God Little.

This work is described as “a collection of short fictions,
philosophical vignettes and aphoristic interludes”. The opening is an
ecstatic piece of writing called Night: “Open your feelings at night
and nobody’s there to question them, stain them, stifle their air.”

The book ends with a collage on which, inside a speech bubble,
appears the injunction “Sit Down”.

Many of the pieces have appeared previously, in places as various as
the Frankfurter Allgemeine, the Sunday Times, New Statesman, Time Out
and the Erotic Review. There are running gags, including summaries of
the News at Ten from a harshly paternal near future and four contacts
made with the author by “the possible mother of God”, the Virgin Mary.

The first begins “the man was going to show me something secret …

the Church’s banker across millennia, an unplayed trump card”. Yet is
it her or the other Mary – Magdalene? Soon enough, she is hitting on
the author for 300 Euros and accommodation. Pierre plays it straight.

As in all the successful parts of this miscellany, the unbridled nature
of the content becomes more striking for being presented deadpan.

His openings are typically quirky and arresting: “If Swedenborg says
there’s a paradise for Turks and the Dutch, I want one for poets
and dogs. Because we’re passionate, and know all the right places to
shit.” In Quantopia, an affable stranger knocks on the door and asks
to kidnap a couple’s son, promising that “he can do the one where
Darren is found shaken but unharmed by Thursday”. An axolotl reproves
his son for eating another axolotl (there aren’t many of us left). A
news flash reports a £68million defamation claim by the Association
of Urban Solution Technicians against a 43-year-old man who called
them “builders and labourers”. In Torgren, Pierre’s parodic target is
the travel guide, where we learn that “Australia having been an open
prison in Austro- Hungarian times, it continues to define itself by
suspicion and law”.

A number of the pieces in Petit Mal are set around the world. Cox
is the affectionate memoir of a supposed building security guard in
Port of Spain, who is dying of AIDS: “He had the largest wardrobe
in Trinidad, and it was also his bed”. In Paradise, Pierre opts out
of comedy.

Visiting Armenia with Medecins sans Frontieres, he marvels at a land
where “apricots and cherries originated, along with wheat … where
leopards still roam, where Noah’s Ark came to rest, where the first
Christian state arose, where Winston Churchill declared the brandy
finer than any cognac”. Now it is a ruined place. Most of the patients
of a lunatic asylum that he is shown will never leave. There is no
one to take them. Lust imagines another terminal condition. A dying
man who knows that his life support is about to be turned off watches
his son shuffle past “charged like all children with dismantling a
net of family lies”.

Since this exuberant, indulgent book is timed for the Christmas season,
let us end with Pierre’s suggestion of the affinities between Santa
Claus and a terrorist: “He speaks occasionally from an implausible
destination”; “A majority of the population undergoes inconveniences
and alarm preparing for his arrival”; “He laughs at us, and is never
caught”.

ARGENTINIAN HOPEFUL FOR ARMENIAN NATIONAL SQUARD COACH TO VISIT ARMENIA ON DECEMBER

21:44, 25 November, 2013

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. The Argentinean coach Gustavo Alfaro
who is one of the candidates of becoming the head of the National
team of Armenia will arrive in Yerevan in December.

The President of the Football Federation of Armenia Ruben Hayrapetyan
stated it at the interview with “Time” news program of “Armenia”
TV. “He was the first to ask us what task he will come across. We
noted, in our turn, that the first task for the team is obtaining
a referral to Euro 2016.” Ruben Hayrapetyan saied as reported by
“Armenpress”. At the same time the President of the Football Federation
of Armenia informed that the search for the coach of the National
team of Armenia is ongoing, they carry out negotiations with around
10 coaches.

Gustavo Julio Alfaro (born 14 August 1962) manages Arsenal de Sarandí.

Alfaro had a short career as a footballer, he was captain of the
Atletico de Rafaela with which he won promotion to the Argentine
Primera Division in 1989. Alfaro retired from football in 1992 to
concentrate on his coaching career. He won his first league title
with Arsenal de Sarandí in the 2012 Clausura. Alfaro started his
career as manager working for Atletico de Rafaela and Patronato de
Parana in the early 1990s. He then had his first spell as manager of
Quilmes and a second spell at Atletico de Rafaela. In 2001, Alfaro
became the manager of Olimpo and led them to the Primera B Nacional
Apertura 2001 championship and promotion to the Primera. In 2003,
Alfaro led Quilmes to promotion. He stayed to manage the team for the
following season(2003-04), achieving a 4th and a 6th place finish which
earned them qualification for the 2005 Copa Libertadores and 2004 Copa
Sudamericana tournaments. Alfaro then had relatively unsuccessful
spell in San Lorenzo, before joining Arsenal de Sarandí in late
2006. Alfaro helped Arsenal to two 5th place finishes, allowing
the club to qualify for the Copa Libertadores for the first time
in their history. They also earned qualification for the 2007 Copa
Sudamericana, where they beat Argentine champions San Lorenzo in the
qualifying round to earn a place in the round of 16. In that stage,
they faced Brazilian team Goias Arsenal won 3-2 in Brazil and recorded
a 1-1 draw in the second leg to win the tie 4-3 on aggregate, their
official first victory over foreign opposition. Arsenal eventually
reached the final of the competition, leaving a wake of sacked managers
in their wake, including Daniel Passarella, who resigned from River
Plate after their defeat by Arsenal in the semi-finals. In the final
of the competition, Arsenal drew 4-4 with Mexican America, winning the
title on the Away goals rule. This was the first major championship
in the history of Arsenal de Sarandí and also Alfaro’s first major
title. In the end of the 2007-08, season he was replaced by Daniel
Garnero as manager of Arsenal. In October 2008, he was named as the
manager of Rosario Central. At 2009 he went to Saudi Arabia to work
in Al-Ahli (Jeddah), he came with high expectations from the fans. he
stayed as the coach for 4 months, then on 20 of November he resigned
for personal reasons. On 17 May 2010 Arsenal de Sarandí confirmed
that the new manager for next season would be Alfaro, who arrived
along assistant coaches Sergio Chiarelli, Carlos Gonzalez and Claudio
Cristofanelli. On June 24, 2012 he won with Arsenal the first league
title of the club’s history and Alfaro’s first league title.

Bio- by Wikipedia

WOMEN FREEDOM-FIGHTERS BEGIN STRUGGLE

20:08 ~U 25.11.13

Susanna Sargsyan, the first woman freedom-fighter (participant in
the Nagorno-Karabakh war) and one of the first hunger-strikers as
far back as 1988, told Tert.am that a group of women freedom-fighters
plan to hold a march from Freedom Square to the Armenian president’s
residence, on Tuesday.

“We have run out of patience. We are starting a struggle as mothers,
as women freedom-fighters. We have reached a point when children are
losing touch with their parents. We have reached the poverty line
when we cannot stand it any longer,” Ms Sargsyan said.

As regard the possibility of hostilities and President Serh Sargsyan’s
decree mustering up military doctors, she said:

“Freedom-fighters are always ready to defend Armenia. But we must not
pin our hopes on Serzh Sargsyan. He has not honored his commitments
to the citizens.”

Asked about society’s attitude to freedom-fighters, Ms Sargsyan said
that “the Republic” means “Armenia” and “Armenia’s people” for her.

“It is disrespect for freedom-fighters. It means that the word
‘freedom-fighter’ does not mean anything for them,” she said.

Several times a year, high-ranking officials visit the Yerablur
pantheon. “Their visits are disrespect for freedom-fighters as well.

They are defiling the memory of our companions-in-arms. Our perished
friends do not need flowers,” Ms Sargsyan said.

The Armenian MP Samvel Alexanyan, who is affiliated with the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), is implementing a construction
project at the Yerablur pantheon.

“He cannot do anything good. We can only expect bad. A person that
dares desecrate freedom-fighters’ tombs will be punished severely. The
authorities are mocking at the people, at the freedom-fighters that
sacrificed their lives for the homeland,” the woman said.

According to her, it is only the people that must support
freedom-fighters in their struggle. No political organizations must
be recognized. The authorities have left nothing for the people. They
have forced the people to borrow money to flee the country.

“I am struggling for the people. It is not only a matter of women
freedom-fighters or democracy. I am speaking as a citizen of Armenia,”
Ms Sargsyan said.

“Present-day Armenia is far from the Armenia of my dream. We want
see Armenia crowded with Armenians, but we cannot,” she said.

With respect to the planned march, Ms Sargsyan stressed
freedom-fighters’ determination “for Armenian citizens’ voice to be
heard throughout the world.”

“We would rather die than lie on the ground with our backbones broken.

We are not slaves to wait for being beaten.”

JUDICIAL NOMINATION EXHUMES ADL FIASCO;

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

by Nanore Barsoumian/ The Armenian Weekly25 Nov 2013

Councillors Condemn ADL Complicity in Armenian Genocide Denial Click
on image for a larger version [IMG_9085.jpg]

The statement signed by five councilors, declaring that if the vote
had taken place as expected on Nov. 20, the undersigned would have
voted ‘No.’ Superior Court Nominee Faces Opposition for Failing to
Act in Face of Genocide Denial

BOSTON, Mass. (A.W.)-“I don’t enjoy voting no, but it is the right
thing to do,” Councilor Marilyn M. Pettito Devaney told the Armenian
Weekly during an interview, as she explained why she opposes a
Superior Court judicial nomination that would put a member of the
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on the bench. “They have bullied Congress
into defeating [Armenian] Genocide resolutions, and they continue to
deprive the Armenians of their history,” she said.

Devaney is leading the opposition in the Governor’s Council against
Gov. Deval Patrick’s nomination of attorney Joseph S. Berman to the
position of Associate Justice of the Superior Court. Devaney deems
problematic Berman’s involvement with ADL-an organization that claims
to combat anti-Semitism and discrimination but refuses to unequivocally
recognize the Armenian Genocide- and his failure to resign from the
organization’s Board when it became clear that ADL had been lobbying
Congress against the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Berman would need the support of five of the eight councilors to be
confirmed for the judgeship. Berman’s public hearing took place on
Nov. 13, during which he was questioned for a span of four hours. On
Nov. 20, the vote was postponed by an eager Governor, after it became
clear that five councilors would instead oppose Berman’s nomination.

The ADL fiasco took center stage in arguments against his nomination.

“I received a letter asking, what does a 100-year-old Armenian
Genocide by the Turks have to do with the nomination of a Justice
for the Superior Court? Simple answer: Justice for all,” Devaney told
the panel.

Devaney was referring to the ADL’s refusal to recognize the Armenian
Genocide, and the organization’s lobbying efforts against Congressional
resolutions recognizing the Genocide.

Berman, a partner at the Looney & Grossman law firm in Boston, has
been a national commissioner for ADL since 2006, and a member of its
New England Board and Executive Committee.

Devaney told the panel that when she was a Watertown Councilor At
Large, she urged towns to cut ties with the ADL’s “No Place for Hate”
program in 2007. That year, she also authored a Watertown Town Council
proclamation that was passed unanimously, severing ties with the
organization. Watertown was followed by eleven other Massachusetts
municipalities (Belmont, Newton, Arlington, Northampton, Bedford,
Lexington, Westwood, Medford, Needham, Newburyport, and Peabody) in
severing ties with the ADL program, following broad-based community
opposition as part of the “No Place for Denial” Campaign lead by the
Armenian National Committee of Massachusetts.

Berman ADL’s New England Regional Director Andrew Tarsy then called
on the organization to recognize the Armenian Genocide; ADL responded
by firing him.

“At the Governor’s Council hearing, when Councilor Jubinville asked
why he didn’t withdraw his membership from ADL, Mr. Berman answered:
‘I wrote a resignation letter in my head but didn’t write it because
of all the good things the ADL does,'” recounted Devaney before the
Council on Nov. 20.

“I asked Mr. Berman if he belonged to an organization who denied the
Holocaust, would he remain as a member because of all the other good
things they do. I said I would resign,” added Devaney.

“The refusal of the ADL to properly acknowledge the Armenian Genocide
and its long-time opposition to Armenian Genocide resolutions in
Congress is deeply offensive to the Armenian-American community and
discredits an organization that claims to defend human rights,”
Dikran Kaligian, Chairman of the Armenian National Committee of
Eastern Massachusetts, told the Armenian Weekly.

“Complicity in the Turkish Government’s international denial campaign
must be condemned by those who believe in justice for those subjected
to crimes against humanity. Press statements by ADL officials this
week show that they still don’t get it.”

In 2007, once the scandal around ADL’s policy on the Armenian
Genocide had erupted, the organization issued a “Statement
on the Armenian Genocide,” declaring that “The consequences of
those actions were indeed tantamount to genocide.” Many found the
statement unsatisfactory, as the wording placed the issue of intent
under question-a main factor in the 1948 UN Genocide Convention
definition-and sneaked a qualifier before the word genocide.

Armenian Weekly contributor Michael Mensoian was one such critic. he
wrote: “The belated backtracking of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
in acknowledging the planned, systematic massacre of 1,500,000
Armenian men, women and children as ‘tantamount to genocide’ is
discouraging. Tantamount means something is equivalent. If it’s
equivalent, why avoid using the term? For the ADL to justify its
newly adopted statement because the word genocide did not exist at
the time indicates a halfhearted attempt to placate Armenians while
not offending Turkey.”

Later, when ADL National Director Abe Foxman was confronted, he
reportedly retorted, “No one can dictate to you to use the word that
you want us to use. We will use the words that we feel comfortable
with.”

Devaney said she expected Berman, who had held a prominent position
in the organization, to have done more. “Joseph Berman could have
made the difference by collecting signatures of all the members of
the New England ADL chapter and presenting them to the National ADL
to support the recognition of the Genocide,” she told the Council.

At his hearing, Berman had said he had chosen to stay, since he was in
agreement with ADL on all issues except for the Armenian Genocide, and
he believed that it would be more effective to change the organization
from within.

During her interview with the Armenian Weekly on Nov. 22, Devaney said
the issue was important to her especially since she had heard about
the atrocities that took place during the Genocide from survivors
themselves. She remembered how in 2007, Genocide survivor Areka
Derkazarian, whom she calls a friend, accompanied her as she appeared
before the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) to urge them to
withdraw sponsorship from ADL’s program. The MMA unanimously voted to
end its affiliation with the ADL program in April 2008, following the
“No Place for Denial” action campaign and a petition signed by over
30 local churches and organizations.

The statement signed by five councilors, declaring that if the vote had
taken place as expected on Nov. 20, the undersigned would have voted
‘No.’ Devaney said that soon after news of her opposition to Berman
got out, she began getting hate mail from Berman supporters. “I’ve
never experienced in my tenure getting hate mail for doing the right
thing,” she said, shaking her head. Then, leaning forward, she added,
“This has been really misunderstood… The ADL has been working hard
to prevent the Armenians from having their history.”

Earlier, at Berman’s hearing on Nov. 13, councilors also criticized
ADL for sending letters to U.S. Senate Judiciary Committees before
candidate hearings, which according to Councilor Jennie Caissie, amount
to “bona fide litmus tests.” “I don’t want ideologues on the bench,”
added Cassie. Councilor Jubinville, too, had noted that Berman’s
involvement with ADL raised concerns regarding his ideology. In
response, Berman said that he was not going to assume the position
of an “ADL judge,” and that he would “decide cases based on the facts.”

Berman’s ‘Contributions campaign’

Berman’s campaign contributions were another sore point during the
hearing on Nov. 13. After his 2004 bid to a judgeship were rejected by
the Judicial Nomination Committee-a body appointed by the Governor to
oversee judicial nominations-Berman’s campaign contributions increased,
surpassing $110,000 in ten years.

Among the state candidates receiving Berman’s donations were Gov.

Patrick, Congresswoman Katherine Clark, Attorney General Martha
Coakley, State Treasurer Steven Grossman, Senator Elizabeth Warren,
and others. All the recipients were Democratic candidates.

When grilled about whether he contacted any of those elected officials
on behalf of his judicial nomination, Berman acknowledged that he
had contacted Katherine Clark that morning and asked her to call
Councilors Albano and Jubinville.

“After he applied for a judicial appointment in 2004 and was rejected,
he started his contribution campaign and donated $110,000 total,
giving the appearance he was going to buy his way to a judgeship,”
Devaney later told the Weekly, adding, “In my tenure, I’ve never seen
any nominee contributing so much.”

“I don’t look for a political activist/fundraiser as a quality in a
judge,” Devaney told the panel on Nov. 20.

Berman’s “demeanor” and “behavior” were also bothersome to Devaney,
who found some of the attorney’s responses arrogant and short.

In addition, Berman’s lack of criminal trial experience-he specializes
in commercial litigation- and his interest in “time standards” in
the courtroom were also raised as points of concern.

Vote postponed

Only one of the councilors, Terrence W. Kennedy, voiced his support
of the attorney.

Disappointed with the councilors’ position vis-a-vis his nominee,
Gov. Patrick said he would postpone the vote, indicating that in the
coming days he would work to sway the votes in favor of Berman.

“This Council will have the opportunity… to vote on this nominee. I
am going to work hard to get the votes. I have not had an opportunity
to do that, and I am not ready today,” said the Governor, adding,
“I appreciate that some of you have views that had been hardened.

But I think that this is a candidate who is more than ready to
serve…”

“We are not going to change our minds,” said Devaney. “We are going
to stand by the vote. I want you to know that.”

Anticipating the Governor’s move, Councilor Robert L. Jubinville had
prepared a typed statement declaring that if the vote had taken place
as expected on Nov. 20, the undersigned would have voted “No.” The
document was signed by Jubinville, Devaney, Oliver P. Cipollini, Jr.,
Jennie L. Caissie, and Christopher A. Iannella, Jr.

“We put on the record our objection to continuing the vote on Mr.

Berman’s confirmation,” further read the statement.

The vote is expected to take place on Dec. 4. However, it is also
possible that the nomination would be withdrawn before that date.

See also:

sco-councilors-condemn-complicity-in-denial/

AIR FRANCE TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF FLIGHTS TO ARMENIA

15:39 25.11.2013

Armenia, France

An agreement has been reached between “Armenia” International Airports”
CJSC and Air France to increase in the flight schedule of 2014 the
number of weekly flights to 7, as compared to the last year’s 3-4
flights a week.

Considerable progress is also observed in the direction of the United
Arab Emirates.

The number of flights to the United Arab emirates will increase from
7 to 11 flights a week starting from December of the current year.

“Armenia” International Airports” CJSC is presently considering the
issue of increasing the number of flights with other companies, as
well. Developments in this direction shall be presented in the next
few days.

The progress comes after the Armenian Government decided to transfer to
“open sky” policy.

NKR PRESIDENT CONGRATULATES THE US ON 230TH ANNIVERSARY OF INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION

13:35 25.11.2013

Nagorno-Karabakh, US

On 23 November Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan arrived in
Los Angeles for a working visit. On 24 November the President partook
in the “Telethon – 2013â~@³ Gala dinner party and delivered a speech,
Central Information Department of the Office of the Artsakh Republic
President reported.

President Sahakyan presented the process of socioeconomic development
in Artsakh, highlighted the Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora trinity, touched
upon issues related to the construction of the Vardenis-Martakert
highway, which is the main goal of the “Telethon-2013.”

According to the President, the exploitation of the highway will
immediately solve numerous socioeconomic and strategic problems,
serve as a serious basis for the development and strengthening of
the Martakert and Shahoumyan regions, as well as Artsakh in general.

Bako Sahakyan also congratulated the participants on the 230th
anniversary of the U.S. international recognition, indicating
that it was one of the most pivotal victories of the nations’
self-determination, as well as recognition of and respect towards
human rights in the world history.

1.460 MILLION EUROS RAISED AT PAN-EUROPEAN PHONETHON

12:28 25.11.2013

Despite the crisis affecting Europe, Armenians throughout the
continent have responded overwhelmingly to the calls of filmmaker
Robert Guediguian and actress Ariane Ascaris to donate whatever they
can, Nouvelles d’Armenia reports.

This Phonethon, organized by the All-Armenia Fund in France, raised
~@1,460 million in four days, an increase of 4% compared to 2012,
for the benefit of Karabakh, Armenia and the construction of schools
in Syria.

WHAT TURKEY AND RUSSIA HAVE AGREED ON

Armenia has appeared in the middle of culmination of absurd, and
it was impossible not to notice this despite the West’s minimum
attention. Russia toughly and bluntly pointed Armenia to its place
in the zone of defense of the Russian national interests. No matter
how this situation is presented in semi-official statements (there
have been no official statements), Armenia is an opponent and enemy
to NATO and the United States.

The Armenian society cannot realize what has happened, especially
that the majority of the Armenian mass media were working for Russia’s
interests. It would be strange if the West treated Armenia otherwise,
but this will be stated officially when the right time comes.

In addition, the West has never taken CSTO seriously because there is
no such a military alliance, whereas Armenia’s commitments to Russia
and its capacity of a vassal is serious in terms of the defense and
national interests of the West. CSTO fell from the first shot, whereas
Armenia will be the target in a possible military conflict. Aside from
several statements by the State Department on the U.S. intentions to
develop relations with Armenia, Armenia is not listed in the Congress
resolution on the Russian pressure on the members of the Eastern
Partnership beside Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. This is not an
accident. In fact, Armenia is currently excluded from the intentions
of the United States regarding the Eastern Partnership. However, the
United States and NATO still have some intentions relating to the South
Caucasus, and these goals cannot be limited to short-term frameworks.

The notion “corridor” has not been used in regard to the South
Caucasus it’s been a decade. However, there can be a corridor when
there are two states, i.e. Russia in the north and Turkey and Iran
in the South. In this case, Iran does not have a key importance. The
clash of interests of Russia and Turkey and the space in the South
Caucasus that is free from their influence was and is concerned. This
has not been achieved properly but eventually a lot has been done
despite such strong Turkish influence on Turkey and Russia.

Not having enough political experience, the Georgian government has
been able to configure successfully its relations with both the West
and Russia. Azerbaijan will remain under the Western aegis until it
runs out of oil, and after that it will pass under Turkish protection
(currently it is in place but partly). However, neither Georgia,
nor Azerbaijan will be able to curb Turkish expansion because it is
not in their cardinal interests.

This goal is assigned to Armenia. In addition, the Russian military
base in Armenia is viewed by the United States as a component of
containment of Turkey. (It would be possible to notice that the West
has never expressed a “wish” on withdrawal of the Russian base from
Armenia.)

The current state of affairs is in line with the interests of the West
to ensure the balance of forces and oppose Turkey and Russia. Whether
Russia wants it or not, its military presence in Armenia is a function
planned by the West, at least in line with its interests.

Under different objectives and problems, the Russian policy relating to
Turkey involves a u-turn in strategies, i.e. ending their confrontation
and considering their military and political positions as a factor
vs. NATO and the United States. Turkey also aspires to this but
it fears even an insignificant distance from the United States and
NATO. Without these relations its international status will plummet.

In this regard, in the West’s strategy Armenia is a factor of
resistance to Turkey and Russia though this circumstance may be
overcome successfully. The game is complicated by Turkey’s NATO
membership although their relations are close to a crisis.

If the EU experiences discomfort and even a sense of loss in the
result of Russian pressure on the EaP member states, for the United
States this is not an emergency. Like the state of Georgia did not
change much after the war between Georgia and Russia in August 2008,
Armenia has not changed much since it has been becoming a vassal.

Speaking in a newspaper language, neither before, nor after the
shameful act of September 3 was decision making in Armenia sovereign
and depended heavily on Russia. Unlike modern Europe, the United States
runs into such tricks in international politics for many times, and is
hardly ever surprised. At the same time, unlike its neighbors in the
South Caucasus, Armenia has mental peculiarities and motivation for
implementing certain tasks that the strategies of the United States
and the West require.

Furthermore, the conditions and approaches in the current U.S. foreign
policy, cardinal change in foreign political means, limitation of
large-scale foreign intervention supposes the growing role of new
partners to NATO, i.e. countries which are not members but cooperate
actively. In the next summit in the U.K. in November 2014 major
corrections will be made to the program of cooperation with new
partners, and a new program may be adopted. At any rate, NATO is
actively working out proposals on these issues.

Having an active participation in the IPAP, Armenia has achieved
certain limits, and limitation of its further cooperation would mean
blunt and tough intervention of Russia in the affairs of a country
though there must be such expectations. Russia is trying to force
Armenia to give away its cooperation with NATO. And this would be
an unpleasant precedent for the alliance. Therefore, it is possible
that this time the game is worth the candles, and the United States
will try to prevent such a scandalous decision by Armenia.

Of course, the United States and their European partners are not
likely to view Armenia as a factor of Turkey’s containment but to use
Armenia’s problems to pressure Russia. First and foremost, the West
intends to try to “normalize” relations between Turkey and Armenia
and unblock its way towards the West. At the same time, there will
be initiatives or rather pressure relating to the Karabakh topic.

Russia is known to fear loss of initiative regarding both issues,
as well as deployment of peacekeepers of NATO member states in
the Karabakh conflict area. The West had a different position until
“September 3”. The European Union worked towards opening the Abkhazian
railway to minimize Turkey’s political resources relating to its
problems with Armenia. Now the situation has changes, and the West
is hardly interested in opening the Abkhazian railway.

There is only one point for optimism in this game – if the United
States and Iran agree at some stage to create new communications for
Armenia. And Russia is aware of this. So what is awaiting us in this
aspect? The goals are corrected promptly, especially that all the
options have been worked out a long time ago. However, whatever the
possible options, now and for a long term, the leading partner of the
United States, NATO and the West in the South Caucasus is Azerbaijan.

Armenia is not a partner; Armenia is a factor and an instrument but
not a partner.

The game is getting complicated, which would allow even the small
players to play but one needs sovereignty to play.

Igor Muradyan 13:23 25/11/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

UNE DEPUTEE ARMENIENNE DENONCE DES MENACES

ARMENIE

Une politicienne de l’opposition en Armenie s’est vue attribue des
gardes du corps de la part de la police après avoir affronte la
critique feroce de la part des membres du parti au pouvoir parce
qu’elle a demande au president s’il jouait [dans les casinos].

Zaruhi Postanjyan, un membre du Parti l’Heritage, a utilise le
sommet de l’Assemblee parlementaire du Conseil de l’Europe (APCE)
du 2 octobre pour demander au President Serge Sarkissian s’il etait
vrai qu’il avait perdu 70 millions d’euros dans un casino en Europe.

Serge Sarkissian a categoriquement nie, disant qu’il n’avait pas
visite un casino en Europe et ne disposait pas de ce montant d’argent.

” Je ne joue pas dans les casinos ” a-t-il dit.

Les membres du Parti republicain qui domine le parlement, etaient
furieux, et Postanjyan a ete limoge de la delegation armenienne a
l’APCE et remplacee par un politicien du parti de la primaute de la
Loi .

Le President du Parlement d’Armenie, Hovik Abrahamian, a publie une
declaration condamnant les propos de Postanjyan. ” Le droit garantit
la libre expression des opinions politiques et ceci-ci est l’une
des pierres angulaires de la democratie ” a-t-il dit. ” Toutefois,
l’expression de convictions politiques n’est pas un droit absolu.

L’article 66 de la Constitution armenienne stipule que le droit d’un
depute a la liberte d’expression est limitee par l’irrecevabilite
de la diffamation ou de la calomnie “. Les autres membres du Parti
republicain l’ont egalement sevèrement critique a la fois dans des
declarations publiques et sur leurs pages Facebook.

Khachik Asryan, vice-ministre des sports et de la jeunesse, et
membre du conseil du parti, a compare Postanjyan a Ramil Safarov ,
un officier azerbaïdjanais qui a tue un Armenien lors d’une reunion
de l’OTAN a Budapest en 2004. ” Zarouhi Postanjyan doit etre brûle
vive sur un bûcher, mais pas comme Jeanne d’Arc – comme Ramil Safarov
” a declare Asryan dans une interview pour le site

Le lendemain, Asryan a requalifie ses remarques en disant qu’il avait
voulu dire que la politicienne devrait etre brûlee en effigie. Aucune
mesure disciplinaire n’a ete prise contre lui, mais ses commentaires
ont rendu furieux Postanjyan et ses allies.

” Les lois d’Armenie interdisent diffamer ou de menacer les gens ”
a declare Postanjyan a l’Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR). ”
Ces lois definissent egalement la punition pour de telles choses.

Cependant, nous pouvons voir que la police et les procureurs en Armenie
prennent absolument aucune action quand je suis diffamee et critiquee
par les representants de l’actuel gouvernement.

Cela me rappelle l’Inquisition au Moyen Age, quand les gens ont ete
brûles a mort pour leur foi “.

Le parti Heritage de Postanjyan n’a pas depose de plainte en justice
contre l’incitation presumee, mais a exige que le gouvernement ”
mette un terme a la persecution politique et aux abus, et punisse
tous les responsables qui l’ont menace “.

Par la suite, a la mi-octobre, deux policiers ont ete affectes a la
garde de Postanjyan.

Dans une interview pour l’IWPR, Galust Sahakian, le vice-president
du Parti republicain, a declare : ” Vous voyez – le gouvernement
se soucie de la securite de la deputee de l’opposition. Maintenant,
personne ne peut lever le petit doigt contre Zarouhi Postanjyan “.

Sahakian a refuse de commenter les menaces et les critiques formulees
a son egard, en disant seulement que ” nous sommes des etres humains,
aussi, et nous ne pouvions pas ne pas repondre a la diffamation du
president par Postanjyan “. Ce n’etait pas assez pour Artur Sakunts,
chef du bureau de Vanadzor de l’Assemblee des citoyens d’Helsinki, une
organisation des droits de l’homme. Il a declare a l’IWPR que l’Armenie
etait desormais un pays ” où les representants du gouvernement peuvent
emettre ouvertement des menaces et rester impunis “.

” Ces evenements montrent une fois de plus que l’Armenie n’a pas
seulement un regime autoritaire – vous n’avez meme pas le droit
de poser des questions qui deplaisent a la personne a la tete
de ce regime – elle a aussi des lois qui ne servent a rien ” dit
Sakunts. ” Quelqu’un peut menacer de brûler a mort une personne
et de rester impuni. Si les policiers reconnaissent que la menace
existe et envoyent des agents pour assurer la securite Postanjyan,
alors pourquoi ne pas suivre la menace a ses racines ? ”

Armen Karapetian est un journaliste pigiste en Armenie.

Institute for War & Peace Reporting

lundi 25 novembre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com