Author: nina hovnanian

LE FILS D’UNE FIGURE DE L’OPPOSITION EN AZERBAIDJAN POIGNARDE

AZERBAIDJAN

Le fils d’une figure de l’opposition azerbaïdjanaise a ete poignarde
et battu par des inconnus.

Ali Gulaliyev, le fils d’Oqtay Gulaliyev, le porte-parole du candidat
de l’opposition a la presidentielle Camil Hasanli, est en convalescence
dans un hôpital de Bakou après une attaque le 23 Septembre.

Un porte-parole du ministère de l’Interieur a confirme les informations
parues dans les medias le 24 Septembre, mais a nie que l’attaque
avait un motif politique.

En outre, le 23 Septembre, le fils du chef de l’opposition
azerbaïdjanaise du Parti du Front Populaire (AXCP), Ali Kerimli,
a ete condamne a 25 jours de prison.

Turkel Kerimli a ete reconnu coupable d’avoir detruit
intentionnellement les affiches de campagne des opposants.

samedi 28 septembre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

JAZZ : MACHA GHARIBIAN CE SOIR AU SUNSET

Spectacle

Le jazz est très apprecie des armeniens. De nombreux musiciens
d’origine armenienne sillonnent le monde, emportant avec eux un peu
de terre d’Armenie. C’est le cas du grand Tigran Amasyan. Et depuis
quelques temps, Macha Gharibian trace egalement son sillon, dans la
cire comme dans les coeurs.

Des compositions lumineuses, inspirees de ses voyages où planent
l’ombre du Mont Ararat, les pulsations de Brooklyn et la “french touch”
parisienne. Pianiste et chanteuse, Macha Gharibian cree son univers,
emouvant et personnel, et joue un jazz qui marie avec bonheur folk
songs, traditionnels armeniens et musique pop. “Mars”, son premier
album, nous entraîne dans une ballade poetique sur des textes signes
de sa plume, de William Blake, et William Parker.

Macha Gharibian – piano, voix ; Chris Jennings – contrebasse ;
Bertrand Noel – batterie

28 septembre a 21h30 au Sunset : 60 rue des Lombards 75001. Metro
Châtelet

Se rendre sur les lieux une demi-heure avant le concert.

Informations : 01 40 26 46 60

samedi 28 septembre 2013, Jean Eckian ©armenews.com

BRITISH LORD: TAKING OVER UN SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENCY TO INCREASE AZERBAIJAN’S REPUTATION

Trend, Azerbaijan
Sept 27 2013

Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 27 /Trend I.Izzet/

It is clearly more than time for the UN Security Council Resolutions,
affirming Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and requiring Armenian
withdrawal are implemented, Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party
with special responsibility for relations with the City of London
Lord Flight said.

He made the remarks when answering questions from The European
Azerbaijan Society (TEAS), on the issues – TAP, British investments
on Azerbaijani economy, Azerbaijan’s participation in international
peace keeping missions, Azerbaijan taking on the UN Security Council
Presidency, as well as the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.

Azerbaijan’s assumption of the UN Security Council Presidency next
month is important and should give Azerbaijan the opportunity to
become well-known in the world, Lord Flight believes.

According to him, the extent Azerbaijan handles the Presidency well,
should also make Azerbaijan better known and increase its reputation.

The fact that Azerbaijan has supplied troops for peace keeping
operations in Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan should also be much better
known in the West and the West should recognize this more publicly,
he said.

Lord Flight also exchanged ideas about the economic projects.

“The new Trans Adriatic Pipeline is clearly of huge strategic
importance and should increase greatly Azerbaijan’s importance to
Western Europe and it will also contribute to the development of EU’s
energy security,” Lord Flight said.

He went on to add that, in the first quarter of 2013 the UK accounted
for 44.1 percent of Foreign Direct Investment in Azerbaijan, making
it the largest foreign investor.

“I am pleased to note that the UK is the largest foreign direct
investor in Azerbaijan and this should clearly be of importance to
the UK stance towards Azerbaijan,” Lord Flight said.

FAMED ARMENIAN PIANIST RETURNING TO MONTGOMERY CHAMBER SERIES

Times Herald-Record, NY
Sept 27 2013

Piano power

Armenian Karine Poghosyan has played before at the Montgomery Senior
Center, and she’s making her return Sunday to play works by Liszt and
Khachaturian. Specifically, Poghosyan will play Liszt’s Piano Sonata in
B minor and Khachaturian’s Piano Sonata. She’s played Carnegie Hall,
Steinway Hall, and at a variety of festivals, and is known as one of
the top rising pianists in the world.

What: Karine Poghosyan When: 3 p.m. Sept. 29 Where: Montgomery Senior
Center, 29 Bridge St., Montgomery Price: Free Information: 457-9867

JIHADISTS TORCHES STATUES, CROSSES IN SYRIA CHURCHES: NGO

Agence France Presse
September 26, 2013 Thursday 5:24 PM GMT

BEIRUT, Sept 26 2013

Jihadist fighters linked to Al-Qaeda set fire to statues and crosses
inside churches in northern Syria on Thursday and destroyed a cross
on a church clock tower, a watchdog said.

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters entered the
Greek Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation in the northern
city of Raqa and torched the religious furnishings inside, the Syria
Observatory for Human Rights said.

They did the same at the Armenian Catholic Church of the Martyrs,
and also destroyed a cross atop its clock tower, replacing it with
the ISIL flag, the Observatory said.

Most of Raqa, located on the banks of the Euphrates River and capital
of the province of the same name, fell to anti-regime fighters
in March.

Where the ISIL dominates in the city, it imposes a strict version of
sharia (Islamic law) on the populace.

The London-based Observatory denounced these attacks “against the
freedom of religion, which are an assault on the Syrian revolution.”

Not only have there been attacks on Christian places of worship in
Syria, a predominantly Sunni Muslim country wracked by more than two
years of civil war, but also on Shiite Muslim mosques.

Additionally, Christians clerics have been kidnapped, and some brutally
murdered, by jihadists.

In January, the Middle East director of Human Rights Watch, Sarah
Leah Whitson, said: “The destruction of religious sites is furthering
sectarian fears and compounding the tragedies of the country.

“Syria will lose its rich cultural and religious diversity if armed
groups do not respect places of worship.”

The New York-based group said that “while some opposition leaders
have pledged to protect all Syrians, in practice the opposition has
failed to properly address the unjustified attacks against minority
places of worship.”

At the outset of the rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad,
rebels welcomed the support of jihadist groups, largely made up of
foreign fighters.

But the jihadists, where they have reached a position of dominance
in specific parts of the country, are increasingly alienating the
native population.

On Thursday, an ISIL commander from the United Arab Emirates was killed
in fighting with Kurds in the north of Syria, the Observatory said.

BAKO SAHAKYAN WELCOMES BRITISH BARONESS’ JUBILEE VISIT TO KARABAKH

19:44 ~U 26.09.13

President of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic Bako Sahakyan
received on Thursday a delegation head by Caroline Cox, a cross-bench
member of the British House of Lords, who is on her 80th visit to
the country.

Welcoming the guests, the president said that the baroness’ jubilee
visit to Karabakh is a fair manifestation of her sincere friendship
with the country.

According to a press release by the NKR Presidential Office, Sahakyan
honored Ms Cox with the Mesrop Mashtots order, praising her service
to Nagorno-Karabakh and its people.

He highly appreciated the baroness’ contribution to the country’s
development, and her efforts towards raising the NKR recognition issue
at different international tribunals. He expressed belief that the
baroness will continue her humanitarian mission with the same energy
as before.

The meeting was also attended by President of the NKR National
Assembly Ashot Ghoulyan, the writer and public and Zori Balayan,
and different government officials.

VETERANS V. COURT: SUPPORTERS CALL FOR RELEASE OF RETIRED COLONEL

SOCIETY | 27.09.13 | 15:47

Photolure

By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

Comrades-in-arms and friends of retired army colonel Volodya Avetisyan,
in custody for “cheating and money misappropriation”, have circulated
a petition to appeal the general jurisdiction court decision at the
Court of Appeals, by which the war veteran was denied a bail-out. More
than 350 people have signed the petition.

The war veteran council state that they are not defeated by
Avetisyan’s arrest – he initiated and led a series of sitting strikes
and civil protests demanding improvement of their social conditions
and legislative changes to consolidate the reform.

“We want to inform the authorities that we will not be taking the
path they choose for us. Parallel to supporting Volodya Avetisyan we
will continue our fight for decent social conditions for our fellow
veterans, their families and the families of the deceased freedom
fighters,” members of the Freedom Fighters’ council, rallied at
Republic Square, told the press Friday.

Avetisyan together with a group of fellow veterans declared a sit-in
in Yerevan’s Liberty Square in May, which later grew into a more
structured and united stand-off demanding improvement of their social
conditions and legislative changes to consolidate the reform, has been
charged with fraud. On September 20, the Defense Ministry reported that
“by cheating and abuse of trust Avetisyan has misappropriated $2,000
under the pretence of support to citizen H. Zakaryan in releasing
his grandson from compulsory army conscription.”

“Khachakir” NGO leader Gagik Sarukhanyan raised the issue of those who
gave and took a bribe, after he had declared that Avetisyan’s case was
“fake”.

“Even if the charge is accurate, which we do not believe, there is till
someone who gave a bribe and there is a mediator – they are trying to
turn Avetisyan into one – and there is the person who took the bribe
to free that young man from army service. Now, how come those who
bribed and got bribed are free, and Avetisyan is under arrest?” he
said, adding: “The case is clearly connected with the issues raised
by Avetisyan, who with his standoff demonstrated the true face of the
authorities unable to resolve even tiny issues. He hit a weak point,
hence it made sense to neutralize him.”

It is worth mentioning that retired lieutenant colonel Samvel
Lazarian and “Pre-Parliament” secretariat member, Shushi special
division commander Zhirayr Sefilyan both claim that during the four
months of the veterans’ standoff Avetisyan was repeatedly offered a
bribe by various people to stop his civil activities. Sefilyan says
“if Avetisyan’s persecution continues” he will name those who offered
bribes.

Avetisyan has refused to tell anything to the investigative body and,
his attorney says, will soon make a public statement.

MOODY’S ASSIGNS BA2 RATING TO ARMENIA’S BONDS

September 27, 2013 | 16:52

Moody’s has today assigned a rating of Ba2 to the Armenian government’s
700 million US$-denominated notes due 2020. The notes will bear
interest at a rate of 6% per annum. The rating is derived from
Armenia’s Ba2 government bond rating with stable outlook, says the
statement issued by the agency.

Moody’s notes that Armenia’s rating is supported by its prudent fiscal
policy, which is reflected in recent deficit reduction from 7.5%
in 2009 to 1.5% in 2012, in part achieved by under-realised capital
expenditure and gradual revenue-mobilization.

The latter is underpinned by tax reform to broaden the tax base and
the introduction of a funded multi-pillar pension system from 2014
onwards. Other credit positive factors include the favourable cost
of funding due to borrowings from official lenders.

At the same time, Armenia’s Ba2 rating is constrained by the economy’s
small size and its reliance on commodity exports and on remittances,
mainly from Russia. In this regard, Armenia’s already high economic and
financial exposure to Russia is set to intensify within the Customs
Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan as opposed to the previously
considered EU Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). Moreover,
the country’s limited tax take and relatively high corruption rank
also represent credit challenges.

In August Moody’s revised its sovereign credit outlook for Armenia
changing it to stable from negative, but later changed Armenia’s
foreign-currency bond ceiling to Ba1 from Baa3.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Cihan News Agency (CNA), Turkey
September 26, 2013 Saturday

Coups, coup plots and plotters

ISTANBUL (CIHAN)- A number of high-ranking officers and influential
civilians were put on trial in Turkey because of their activities that
sought to overthrow the democratically elected government by force.
Most of them are now in jail, while others had to permanently leave
the country.

These coup trials have sparked a heated political debate in Turkey as
large segments of society had some unanswered questions in their
minds: For example, why we are judging only those who have “tried” to
overthrow the government, while many other generals and civilians who
in the past actually did intervene in national politics in one way or
another are walking free? When I say this, I am primarily thinking
about the Feb. 28, 1997 process, but one could add the 2007 military
memorandum to the list, as well. In addition, the public feels that
many other crimes committed to lay the groundwork for a military coup
also remain unpunished, like the murder of the Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink on Jan. 19, 2007. In that case, they have, of course, found
those who pulled the trigger, but not those who planned or cleared the
way for this murder. Similarly, I remember the assassination attempt
on the late President Turgut Özal in 1988, when they also caught the
gunman but never uncovered the masterminds.

All attempts to overthrow the democratically elected government with
political violence are crimes against democracy. One could even label
murders committed to achieve that goal as crimes against humanity.
Unfortunately, we are still not in a position to claim that there will
be no more coup plots from now on in Turkey simply because we had
dramatic coup trials. There are still many people who dream of getting
rid of the government by undemocratic means.

In the wake of the coup trials, the new trend is to effect a “coup”
without using the military. That means that the army stays behind and
remains silent while the “deep state” continues to work in different
ways. Don’t forget that the military establishment is but a component
of the deep state, not all of it, and that the deep state includes
many other players.

We have some clues that the deep state is still very active. The
essence of their new strategy is to have social uprisings that will
paralyze the government. These people must be very smart, as they
manage to get the government make the necessary mistakes that provoke
people to go into the streets to protest.

Every time the government prepares to make important decisions about
one of Turkey’s crucial problems, the deep state tries to prevent it
by using judicial and political tools. Social unrest, or contradictory
information about the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) intentions, or
false intelligence about foreign developments are all used to
destabilize the government, and the latter sometimes takes the bait
for various reasons.

2014 will be a critical year for Turkey, with two important elections;
those who oppose the government want to seize the opportunity. They
have a problem; however, as they want the current government to go,
but they have no idea yet who will replace it or what kind of policy
the new team, whoever they might be, will implement.

If the deep state is still functioning — and I think it is — it is
trying to limit the government’s room to maneuver and buy time to
prepare those who are supposed to replace the current government. The
latter is well aware of what is going on, and perhaps that’s the
reason why it uses very harsh language these days. The government
gives the impression that it is angry at every single player in the
country and abroad because it doesn’t want to be destabilized or to be
limited. This struggle will probably deepen as the elections approach.
Maybe the way to break the vicious cycle is for the government to ease
the tension and find ways to cooperate with those who have problems
with the government.

BERIL DEDEOGLU (Cihan/Today’s Zaman) CIHAN

Global Times, China
Sept 28 2013

Armenian president visits Chinese embassy

Xinhua | 2013-9-28 21:25:19

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Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan visited the Chinese embassy here
Saturday to express congratulation for the upcoming 64th anniversary
of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

The president congratulated the Chinese people and Chinese President
Xi Jinping in particular on the Oct. 1 occasion and expressed his
satisfaction with Armenian-Chinese political and economic relations.

He stressed China’s importance to Armenian foreign policy both in the
region and worldwide, and took the opportunity to invite Xi to his
country.

Chinese ambassador Tian Changchun said China was proud of its
relationship with Armenia, which he described as China’s most reliable
partner in the region.

Armenia and China forged diplomatic relations on April 6, 1992.