6 –Sarkisian, Aliyev Agree to Intensify Peace
Talks
7 –Armenian Legal Center
(ALC) Launches
Property
Documentation Database Project
8 –2
Armenians Featured in Variety’s
Hollywood New Leaders’ List
9 – Commentary
Possible Solution to Denial of the Armenian
Genocide
When Turkey
Becomes Member of the European Union
By Dr. Simon John Simonian
10-Descendant
of Armenian Genocide
Survivor
Awarded ‘Genius Grant’
11-Anthony
Bourdain Travels to Armenia
And
Artsakh
Filming for CNN’s ‘Parts Unknown’
*******************************************
1 –Commentary
European Court Finds
Catholicosate’s Suit
Inadmissible; and Could Not
be Appealed
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
The Armenian Catholicosate
of Cilicia (headquartered in Antelias, Lebanon) filed a lawsuit on April 25, 2015,
against the government of Turkey
seeking the return of its historic seat in Sis (present-day Kozan district of
the Adana Province) which was confiscated in 1921.
The first of its kind
lawsuit was filed in the Constitutional Court of the Turkish
Republic because the claim raised
issues of property rights that lower courts would not have jurisdiction to
overturn the maze of laws adopted by Turkey in 1915 and succeeding
years. At the recommendation of the Justice Ministry of Turkey, the Constitutional Court
referred the Armenian Church lawsuit to the lower courts. The lawyers for the
Catholicosate of Cilicia, however, decided to appeal the case directly to the
European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg,
France, on
December 8, 2016.
The issue of sidestepping
submission of the Catholicosate’s lawsuit to a lower court in Turkey is
critical in view of the requirements of the European Court of Human Rights that
before any case is brought to the ECHR, all local legal remedies must first be
exhausted, starting with the lowest court and ending with the highest court of
the country being sued.
On October 19, 2017,
addressing the conference of the Armenian Cause in the European Parliament in Brussels, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of
Cilicia criticized the single judge from ECHR who had rejected the Armenian
Church’s lawsuit finding it inadmissible. Until this announcement, there was no
news about the status of the lawsuit. I contacted the ECHR headquarters in Strasbourg inquiring about
the Armenian Church’s claim. I was informed that a single judge indeed has the
authority to reject any lawsuit, which in this case was not first submitted to
a lower court in Turkey
in order to exhaust all local remedies, and that the letter of rejection was
sent to the Catholicosate in March 2017. More ominously, I was told by ECHR
that the judge’s decision could not be appealed!
I then contacted Payam
Akhavan, a member of the Catholicosate’s legal team and Professor of
International Law at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, inquiring why no
announcement was made earlier by the Catholicosate regarding the rejection of
the lawsuit six months ago. Prof. Akhavan explained that the ECHR judge had
sent the letter to the wrong address! The Catholicosate then wrote to that
judge “expressing serious concern on miscarriage of justice; that a single
judge could throw out what was clearly a well-argued case, and waited until
recently for a standard response that there is no appeal, and the decision is
final.”
In his Brussels speech on
Oct. 19, 2017, Catholicos Aram the First harshly condemned the ECHR for
rejecting the Church’s lawsuit: “Why would the European Court of Human Rights
so easily reject our case knowing that no lawyer would dare to bring such a
case before the Turkish courts? How could a single judge throw out a 900-page
Application, historically and legally well substantiated by some of the best international
lawyers? Why was our legal team not given a chance for a hearing? Is everybody
now afraid to confront Turkey’s
appalling record of human rights violations? We are astonished and, in fact,
deeply disappointed at this miscarriage of justice, particularly at this
crucial juncture of modern history when Europe is expected, in faithfulness to
its values and principles, to consider justice above geopolitical interests…. Europe is essentially a community of values, not merely
political and economic interests. Therefore, I still hope that the European
Court of Human Rights will reconsider the admissibility of the case on the
basis of justice and human rights. In spite of the denial of justice, the
Armenian people will continue to struggle for justice.”
Prof. Akhavan called the
ECHR judge’s decision “scandalous.” He then added in his email to me: “By the
measure of several highly experienced ECHR lawyers, this decision is totally
unacceptable. It shouldn’t be forgotten that our counsel was Tim Eicke QC [Queen’s
Counsel], who is now the British judge on the ECHR. He of course is conflicted
from involvement in the case, but there is a sense among many that the Court is
too afraid of confronting post-coup Turkey with such controversial
cases.”
Prof. Akhavan also stated
that the next steps for this lawsuit “are either to re-submit the case with
some new facts such as the impossibility of going back to the Turkish courts
under current circumstances, or to go back to the Turkish courts, waste a lot
of resources, and come back to the ECHR once again. It is a ludicrous decision
because everybody knows that is exactly what will happen. It is a hot potato
the ECHR doesn’t want to handle….”
In conclusion, I would
suggest that the Catholicosate of Cilicia make public the complete files of its
lawsuit, including the 600-page submission to the Turkish Constitutional Court and its
response, and the 900-page filing to the European Court of Human Rights and its
response. After all, this is not a private lawsuit, but one dealing with the
Armenian nation’s property demands from Turkey!
NEW YORK –
More than 300 business, education, government, foundation, and policy leaders
gathered at The Pierre in New York City on Oct.
16 to pay tribute to Carnegie Corporation of New York president Vartan Gregorian, who was
presented with the Stephen D. Duggan Award for Mutual Understanding by
the Institute of International Education (IIE).
Allan E.
Goodman, IIE president and CEO, saluted Dr. Gregorian as a “trusted advisor,
keen advocate, and good friend to IIE for many years,” renowned internationally
for his global leadership on many issues, including the protection of academic
freedom.
The
partnership between the IIE — a world leader in international education — and
Carnegie Corporation of New York
dates back to 1919.
In the
years leading up to WWII, the foundation was a lead donor to IIE’s efforts to
bring 335 at-risk scholars facing Nazi persecution to the U.S. under the auspices of the
Emergency Committee in Aid of Displaced Persons. The relationship between
Carnegie and IIE has remained strong to the present day.
The IIE
Gala honored Vartan Gregorian for his lifelong commitment to philanthropy and
education, and Scott Powell, CEO of Santander US, for providing educational
opportunities to students with financial need.
FRESNO -The
heralded National Chamber Choir of Armenia will perform at 6 p.m., on October 29, in the Concert Hall, East Music Building, on the Fresno State
campus.
This concert is co-sponsored by the Armenian
Studies Program and the Hamazkayin Taniel Varoujan Chapter of Fresno.
Acclaimed composer and song-writer Robert
Amirkhanian, President of Armenia’s Composers’ and Musicians’ Union,
will accompany the National Chamber Choir.
The Armenian Chamber Choir (ACC) was established
with the generous sponsorship of “Vatche and Tamar Manoukian” Benevolent
Association in October 2000. Robert Mlkeyan, a “Movses Khorenatsi” medal
recipient and an Honored Art Worker of Armenia since 2008, was invited to
occupy the post of the Artistic Director and the Principal Conductor of the
Choir. Under Mlkeyan’s leadership, the ACC was recognized as the best chamber
choir of Armenia
in a short span of time. In 2008, the ACC acquired the status of a state
(public) choir and was renamed the National Chamber Choir of Armenia (NCCA).
NCCA is a professional choir consisting of 35
musicians. Their repertoire includes the works of Gabrielli, Bach, Brahms,
Vasks, Schnittke and other great composers. SCCA brilliantly performs works of
Komitas, as well as works of contemporary Armenian composers. Over the years
the choir has presented audiences with world-premieres featuring the works of
Tigran Mansourian, David Halajian, Edward Hayrapetian, and many others.
Tickets for the concert are $20 per person and
are available by calling Serpouhie at 559-298-0445. Tickets will also be
available at the Concert Hall box-office before the Concert begins.
Admission is free for students with ID. Free
parking in Lot1 P1, at the northeast corner of Shaw and Maple Ave., Fresno
State..
For more information about the concert, please
contact the Armenian Studies Program at 278-2669, or visit our website at
www.fresnostate.edu/armenianstudies or follow us on Facebook
@ArmenianStudiesFresnoState or on Twitter @armstudiesfs.
Even as tensions with the United States continue to churn, Turkey has turned its ire on European partners,
with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accusing Brussels
of double-dealing and daring it to unilaterally end Turkey’s decades-long membership
bid ahead of a summit this week.
Relations with the United
States hit a nadir after Washington
suspended non-immigration visas in Turkey on Oct. 8 following the
arrest of a second consular employee. Turkey
responded in kind, and Erdogan spent much of last week blasting Washington. “We are not
beholden to you,” he thundered.
Then Erdogan lashed out at the European
Union, which Turkey
has long hoped to join, angry that he is hit with “a new assault every day.”
Erdogan accused both the EU and the US
of speculative attacks on Turkey’s
economy and using Kurdish militants to undermine the country in an address of
provincial leaders of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Oct.
13.
“Those who are unable to bring Turkey to its knees politically,
socially and diplomatically appear before us with a new game,” he said. “Europe continues to stall, but we remain patient. You
will be the ones to leave the table, not us. If you are honest, make
your statement and let’s finish this. We have no need for you,” he said,
going on to add that the need must be mutual.
But Western capitals have questioned Turkey’s
loyalty as its foreign policy, especially on Syria, appears to align more
closely with Moscow and Tehran’s, as well as its commitment to human rights
amid a clampdown on civil society in the wake of a failed coup last year. For
its part, Turkey is fuming over
US support for Kurdish rebels in Syria,
widely seen as linked to militants who have waged war against Turkey.
“From a cultural and political standpoint,
Erdogan thinks the EU and the US
are detrimental to his long-term ambitions,” Aaron Stein, a senior fellow at
the Atlantic Council, told Al-Monitor. “He’s also in a rhetorical cul-de-sac
[in which] it is easier to deflect attention from his own faults if it
appears the international community is against him.”
Erdogan’s taunting comes ahead of this week’s EU
summit, at which European leaders are expected to discuss the strained
relationship. Germany, the EU’s biggest member with the most clout, is outraged
over the detentions of at least 11 of its citizens for “political reasons,”
including two journalists and a human rights activist, in Turkey’s post-coup
crackdown, and Chancellor Angela Merkel said last month membership talks with
Turkey should end.
“Turkey’s
foreign policy is viewed as a resource to address the needs of domestic
policy,” Ilter Turan, professor emeritus of international relations at Bilgi University
in Istanbul,
told Al-Monitor. Pointing out grievances abroad, he said, “puts the strife he
is leading inside on the back burner. It can be assessed as an uncomplicated
political tactic.”
In a sign of conciliation, a US State Department
delegation is due to hold talks in Ankara
Oct. 17.
Erdogan also said that Europe and the United States were seeking to divert Turkey’s focus and energy away from regional
matters, perhaps a reference to his military’s latest incursion into northern Syria, agreed upon with Iran and Russia, Turkish adversaries for
centuries.
Despite a half-dozen high-profile meetings,
Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin remain at odds over
agricultural exports and a missile defense system Ankara
wants from Moscow.
Confusion persists about whether Turkey, an outspoken critic of the
current Syrian government, could switch sides.
“If the EU is a goal for Turkey, that entire policy has
collapsed. If managing relations with the United States is a goal, that too
has collapsed,” said Stein. “If you peel back the facade with
Putin, you have disputes. Erdogan has run Turkish foreign policy into the
ground. I have never seen Turkey
this isolated,”said Aaron Stein, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – State Senator Anthony J.
Portantino arranged a meeting on Oct. 16 on behalf of Armenian Deputy Prime
Minister Vache Gabrielyan, ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian and ANCA-WR Advisory
Board Member Levon Kirakosian with Governor Jerry Brown.
The Deputy Prime Minister signed the Under 2
Environmental and Green Energy Climate Accord between Armenia and California, joining a coalition of two dozen
other governments around the world which work to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions to combat climate change. Gov. Brown has been a leading voice
for progressive environmental policy and welcomed Armenia’s participation.
In addition, Gov. Brown, Senator Portantino,
Hovsepian and Kirakosian discussed the re-creation of the California-Armenia
Trade Office and a formal business relationship. Portantino chairs the California
State Senate Select Committee on California, Armenia
and Artsakh Trade, Art and Cultural Exchange. The original Trade Office
was a project spearheaded by the ANCA-WR and Portantino’s predecessor, Jack
Scott.
“It was an excellent meeting with Governor Brown
and the Deputy Prime Minister. Trade opportunities are extremely important to
the Armenian American Community, and we are very grateful to Senator Portantino
for arranging today’s meeting,” commented Hovsepian.
Sen. Portantino represents nearly 930,000 people
in the 25th Senate District, which includes Altadena, Atwater Village,
Bradbury, Burbank, Claremont, Duarte, Glendale, Glendora, La Cañada Flintridge,
La Crescenta, Lake View Terrace, La Verne, Los Feliz, Monrovia,
Montrose, Pasadena, San Dimas, San Marino, Shadow Hills, Sierra
Madre, South Pasadena, Sunland-Tujunga, and Upland.
6 –Sarkisian,
Aliyev Agree to Intensify Peace Talks
GENEVA—The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan,
Serzh Sarkisian and Ilham Aliyev, met Oct. 16 at the residence of the Swiss
permanent representative to the United Nations to discuss next steps in the
ongoing negotiations to resolve the Karabakh conflict, with the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairmen mediating the discussion.
Following the meeting, Sarkisian and Aliyev held
a one-on-one meeting for 45 minutes, according to Vladimir Hakobyan,
Sarkisian’s press secretary.
Presidents Serzh Sarkisian and Ilham Aliyev held
a 45-minute one-on-one meeting on Oct. 16
During the meeting mediated by the co-chairs,
the presidents agreed to take steps to intensify the negotiations and take
additional steps to reduce tensions along the Armenia,
Artsakh and Azerbaijan
borders, commonly referred to as the Line of Contact.
“The meeting took place in a constructive
atmosphere,” read a joint statement issued following the meeting by the foreign
ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan
and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen.
“The Presidents agreed to take measures to
intensify the negotiation process and to take additional steps to reduce
tensions on the Line of Contact,” added the statement.
“The Co-Chairs expressed their satisfaction with
these direct talks, which took place after a long interval. They remain ready
to work with the sides on mediating a peacefully negotiated settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. As a next step, the Co-Chairs will organize working
sessions with the Ministers in the near future,” said the statement.
President Serzh Sarkisian briefs Armenian
community members at the Armenian Embassy in Geneva on Oct. 16
Shortly after the meetings, Sarkisian met with
representatives of the Armenian community in Switzerland at the Armenian
Embassy.
“No concrete alternatives were agreed to
regarding the [conflict] resolution process,” Sarkisian told the group of
community members gathered at the Armenian Embassy.” But we have agreed to take
measures to ease the tension so that we do not have losses on the frontlines. I
must say that both the president of Azerbaijan and I are deeply
concerned about that.”
“God willing [Aliyev] will always be think that
way. He, too, understands the complexity of the problem just as I do, of
course, but the problem is such that there will never be an easy solution.
However, I wish to assure you that we do not see any such solution as may
undermine Karabakh’s security in a way or form,” added Sarlisian.
“The only solution acceptable for us is that
Karabakh be outside Azerbaijan.
Never can any Armenian leader accept and implement any other solution
whatsoever, and for that reason, we will do our utmost to develop Armenia
by strengthening our country’s economy,” said Sarkisian.
The Artsakh government welcomed the
Sarkisian-Aliyev meeting, saying that Artsakh’s direct participation in the
talks would go a long way in ensuring long-term peace.
““We believe that the restoration of
full-fledged talks with the direct participation of the Republic of Artsakh at
all the stages should be another step on the way of achieving real progress in
the settlement process of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict,” said the Artsakh
foreign ministry.
Artsakh presidential spokesperson David Babayan
also welcomed the meeting, adding that implementation of the Vienna
and St. Petersburg
agreements would go a long way in ensuring the security of the region.
PASADENA, CA – Kate Nahapetian, Executive Director of the Armenian Legal Center
for Justice and Human Rights (ALC), announced the ALC’s Property Documentation
Database Project while discussing several of ALC’s initiatives and the path to
reparations at the Armenian National Committee’s Western Region Grassroots
Conference on October 7.
The ALC announced its project, a database
documenting stolen, confiscated, or lost property taken during the Armenian
Genocide, such as homes, orchards, land, bank accounts, insurance policies,
bonds, art, jewelry and other properties.
During the talk, Ms. Nahapetian noted that a
collection of this information is vital to efforts to realize reparations as
these records are not being collected nor consolidated by any community organizations
and can act as a reliable source of data that will strengthen the Diaspora’s
ability to advocate for justice in the political and legal spheres, as well as
future diplomatic discussions or arbitration with Turkey.
Because of the mass violence and destruction
associated with the genocide that resulted in the loss of documentation of
properties, the ALC will not only collect physical documentation, but also
testimonies on properties from survivors or their descendants, which the ALC
hopes can eventually be compared to Turkey’s own records.
In a talk co-sponsored by the ALC earlier this
year at the George Washington School of Law, Dr. Ümit Kurt, a Post-Doctoral
Fellow at Harvard University’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies, spoke
on the issue of Turkey’s
property records, noting that they are well-organized and can provide a
detailed history to Armenian heirs. Dr. Kurt noted that despite plans in
2005 to make land records public, they still are not because of Turkey’s
National Security Committee’s intervention. The abandoned properties and
liquidation commissions set up to confiscate Armenian properties also kept
meticulous records.
The ANCA-WR conference panel, entitled Road to
Reparations, included UCLA Law professors Asli Bali and Jessica Peake, who are
respectively the Faculty Director and Assistant Director of The Promise
Institute for Human Rights. Nahapetian noted ALC’s partnerships with law
schools, including UCLA Law and USC’s Human Rights Clinic. Through such
partnerships with pro bono attorneys and students, the ALC is examining novel
approaches to reparations and the best venues to pursue claims.
The ALC fights to redress human rights
violations emanating from the Armenian Genocide that continue to this day and
undermine stability in a region that has for far too long been marred by
policies founded on genocide, not human rights and justice. ALC promotes
scholarship on the legal avenues for addressing the challenges emanating from
the Armenian Genocide, in addition to pursuing litigation, while promoting the
protection of Armenian cultural heritage through the return of stolen
properties and artifacts.
To submit documentation concerning stolen or
lost properties from the Armenian Genocide, please visit:
The Armenian
Legal Center
can be contacted with questions or inquiries by emailing [email protected]
or calling +1 (202) 742-8702.
LOS ANGELES—The entertainment industry magazine
Variety has featured two Armenian-Americans in its annual list of “Hollywood New Leaders: Agents and Managers,” whom they
honored during an event at the Jeremy
Hotel rooftop on Oct. 18.
Included in the list is Aram Tertzakian, 35, who
along with his co-founders at XYZ Films Nate Bolotin and Nick Spicer were also
part of Variety’s “Hollywood New Leaders in Film” list. Also making the list
was Antranig Balian, 37, a co-founder and partner at Mortan Media.
“XYZ specializes in creative financing
structures, utilizing international co-productions to maximize soft money,
North American backstop deals, SVOD pre-sales, crowd-funding and combinations
of traditional debt and equity. The result? Fifty films produced and executive
produced since 2008 and more than 200 feature films licensed since 2009,” wrote
Variety in its profile of Tertzakian, Bolotin and Spicer.
“The trio have produced seven Netflix Originals
in the past two years, licensed 21 films to major studios for production and
distribution; they also launched ‘The Raid’ franchise. In 2016, XYZ moved into
distribution, branding the global release of ‘Under the Shadow’ and horror
anthology “Holidays,” and partnered with Vertical Entertainment to utilize its
global digital platform deals. This year, their pic ‘I Don’t Feel at Home in
This World Anymore’ won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. They had six films
accepted at Toronto,
including Zoe Saldana starrer ‘I Kill Giants’ and ‘Brawl in Cell Block 99,’
starring Vince Vaughn,” added Variety.
“Balian’s path into showbiz was not a straight
one,”Variety wrote. “He started out as a deputy district attorney, then got his
MBA from USC, concentrating on entertainment, eventually moving into management
posts. Balian has helped his deep roster of unscripted series stars and digital
talents grow their brands, as he did with ‘Jersey Shore’ star Nicole ‘Snooki’
Polizzi, who’s got a house-flipping show on FYI Network, which he executive
produced, and Richard Rawlings, star of Discovery Channel’s ‘Fast N’ Loud,’ who
has a fourth series set to debut, ‘Garage Rehab,’ and has several national
brand endorsements.”
“My mom is my focus group — if she hasn’t heard
of you then you aren’t as famous as you think you are,” Balian told Variety
about his method for signing new clients.
Every year, Variety’s “New Leaders” feature
profiles the most prominent up-and-comer in the entertainment industry who are
all 40-years old or under.
Possible Solution to Denial of the Armenian
Genocide
When Turkey
Becomes Member of the European Union
By Dr. Simon John Simonian
Garo Paylan, Member
of Parliament in Turkey, was
a guest speaker on October 9, 2017 at the UCLA Law School co-sponsored by Promise
Institute for Human Rights and The Richard Hovannisian Endowed
Chair of Modern Armenian History. Paylan commented that despite
efforts by human rights activists in Turkey, the Turkish
Government’s denial of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 is still a problem
after 102 years.
There
is a possible solution of the problem of denial when Turkey
joins as a full member of the European Union.
“Intent to Destroy,” (ITD), a movie
documenting the Armenian Genocide was shown on October 12, 2017 at the UCLA Law
School co-sponsored by
several human rights organizations. It was followed by a
panel discussion with Mike Medavoy, Producer of the movie
The Promise; Carla Carapetian, Consulting Producer of
ITD and Eric Esrailian, Producer of ITD.
Accession of Turkey
to the European Union
The European Union is a
“Federation” of 27 sovereign countries in Europe
with Supra-Sovereign Laws to which sovereign laws are subordinated. The
European Union is committed to Democracy (dictatorship is prohibited), Human
Rights (human rights abuses such as genocide, war, violence,
injustice, racial or religious prejudice and lawlessness are prohibited,
and corruption is eliminated) and the Rule of Law (violation
of laws are prohibited).
Turkey was officially recognized as a candidate for full membership in
1999. Negotiations for full membership were started in 2005. Progress
was slow. Out of 36 chapters necessary to complete the accession only
15 had been opened by May 2016.
Accession talks came to a
stop as a result of the 2016-17 purges in Turkey. As Turkey’s journey toward autocratic
rule continued EU accession became impossible. As of 2017,
following the passage of the constitutional referendum, Turkish accession
talks have stopped.
On October 15, 2017, Turkey’s government determined to maintain the
EU accession process ahead of the EU summit for two days, October 19-20, 2017
which will discuss the frayed relations between Brussels
and Ankara.
Angela Merkel was quoted as saying, “the summit will not make a conclusive
decision on Ankara’s
accession bid.”
Simon J.
Simonian, MD, ScD, DSc Hon., is a spiritual leader; human
rights, justice and peace activist; Harvard and Oxford
University graduate and Professor of Science
of Surgery; a published author of 300 articles and
books; 350 world presentations; with collaborators they have
saved four million lives each year since 1977, 160 million lives to
date; 16 Simonian prizes are awarded annually at Harvard and Oxford;
for eradication of smallpox, their team is a three-
times nominee for a Nobel Medicine Prize.
NEW YORK (John Hopkins Newsletter) – John
Hopkins University alumnus Greg Asbed, who is a descendant of an Armenian
Genocide survivor, was awarded a $625,000 MacArthur fellowship, or a “genius
grant,” last week for his efforts to improve workplace conditions for
farmworkers in Immokalee, Florida.
Every year, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation awards
about two dozen $625,000 grants to individuals who have demonstrated
“exceptional creativity” and “promise for important future advances.”
The MacArthur Foundation is a philanthropic organization that addresses
global issues such as climate change, mass incarceration and threats to
independent journalism. Recipients of the “genius grants” are anonymously
nominated and selected by a committee, which has given 942 awards since 1981.
Asbed said that he is committed to improving human
rights because of his family history as a first-generation Armenian American.
His grandmother survived the Armenian Genocide after being sold to a Turkish
family when she was 13.
“In our family, the idea of universal human
rights has always been a central tenet, sort of our family’s 10 commandments,”
he said.
Asbed co-founded the Coalition of Immokalee
Workers (CIW), a worker-based human rights organization. Within CIW, he
developed the Fair Food Program, a system that helps protect workers from human
rights violations like workplace harassment, sexual assault and wage theft.
Asbed is currently developing the Worker-Driven
Social Responsibility Network, which aims to spread systems like the Fair Food
Program to underrepresented workers around the world to improve the livelihood
of millions.
Asbed said that he feels lucky to be part of a
community which shares his vision of universal human rights.
SHUSHI (Armenian Weekly) — American food icon
Anthony Bourdain posted a picture to his social media account on Tuesday night
of his cameraman, Jerry Risius, boarding a Russian helicopter, likely to make
the journey from Armenia
to Artsakh, where he has been featured in pictures across social media.
According to a report by ANI Armenian Research
Center editor Tatul Hakobyan, Bourdain is traveling with a film crew to produce
a segment on the region for his CNN television show “Anthony Bourdain: Parts
Unknown.” In Shushi, Artsakh, an interview and lunch were held at the Jdrduz
canyon, where Bourdain “enjoyed a spread of ‘jingalov hats,’ ‘shila,’
‘khorovatz,’ homemade Armenian yogurt, and mulberry and cornelian cherry
vodka.”
A short video also appeared two days prior on
the social media feed of local nonprofit ONEArmenia, where Bourdain is featured
with Armenian comedy duo and stars of the television show Armcomedy, Narek
Margaryan and Sergey Sargsyan, touting the name “Spyurk Report.”
Described
by The New Yorker as a “swaggering chef,” Bourdain has built an empire around
food, which started with his New York Times best-selling book Kitchen
Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (2000). Today, he is
well-known as a TV personality, and has starred in shows on Food Network and
his Travel Channel show “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations,” which saw Bourdain
travel to unexpected locations, indulging in region’s the local culinary
traditions.
In CNN’s
“Parts Unknown,” which aired on Sunday evening, Bourdain travels the world
uncovering lesser known places and exploring cultures and cuisine. The show has
won five Emmy Awards, as well as a 2013 Peabody Award.
California Courier Online provides viewers of
the Armenian News News Service with a few of the articles in this week’s issue of The
California Courier.Letters to the
editor are encouraged through our e-mail address, . However,
authors are requested to provide their names, addresses, and/or telephone
numbers to verify identity, if any question arises. California Courier
subscribers are requested not to use this service to change, or modify mailing
addresses. Those changes can be made through our e-mail, [email protected], or by
phone, (818) 409-0949.
Monday,
Sarkisian Said To Stay On As Party Leader
. Karlen Aslanian
Armenia - President Serzh Sarkisian addresses the Sixth
Armenia-Diaspora Conference in Yerevan, 18Sep2017.
President Serzh Sarkisian will continue to lead the ruling Republican
Party of Armenia (HHK) after serving out his second and final term in
April, the chief HHK spokesman said over the weekend.
"The Republicans have one leader and that is Serzh Sarkisian, and
Serzh Sarkisian will remain our leader after 2018," Eduard Sharmazanov
told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). "In what capacity?
Where? The president will discuss that with the party # and we will
present [a decision] after April."
Sarkisian himself has declined to shed light on his precise political
plans so far. In a televised interview aired in July, he claimed that
"it doesn't matter" who will be Armenia's next prime minister because
the country will become a parliamentary republic immediately after the
end of his presidency. Sarkisian would not say whether he will replace
Prime Minister Karen Karapetian. But he did praise the latter's track
record.
Sharmazanov was also vague on that score, saying only that the switch
to the parliament system of government will end one-man rule in
Armenia. "In accordance with the constitutional reform, power in the
country will be concentrated in the hands of those political forces
that have a majority [in parliament.]
The HHK won 58 seats in Armenia's 105-member parliament elected in
April. Shortly after those elections it struck a new power-sharing
deal with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, which won 7
parliament seats.
Sharmazanov described Sarkisian's decade-long rule has been a success,
saying that the president has improved the conduct of elections and
human rights protection, boosted the country's security and maintained
stability." But he was evasive about economic consequences of
Sarkisian's presidency which Armenian opposition groups consider
highly negative.
Karabakh Warns Baku After `Azeri Shelling'
Nagorno-Karabakh - A photograph of what the Karabakh Armenian army
described as fragments of an Israeli-made anti-tank missile fired by
Azerbaijani forces towards its on frontline positions, 23Oct2017.
Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenian-backed military threatened "painful"
retaliation on Monday as it accused Azerbaijani forces of shelling its
frontline positions for the first time in two months.
The Defense Army claimed that they fired five mortar shells and one
anti-tank rocket in northeastern Karabakh on Sunday. It released video
footage purportedly showing two such shells exploding in a field and
the Israeli-made Spike rocket flying over a Karabakh military facility
and hitting the ground.
In a statement, the Karabakh army warned that it will retaliate in a
"disproportionate and quite painful" fashion if the Azerbaijani side
continues such "deliberate provocations."
Another statement issued by it later in the day said Azerbaijani
forces fired another Spike rocket at a different section of "the line
of contact" around Karabakh on Monday afternoon. It said Karabakh
Armenian troops again did not shoot back "in order not to deepen
tension" on the frontlines.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry dismissed the first Karabakh
statement as "slander." It said that the Armenians themselves resorted
to a "provocation" by killing an Azerbaijani soldier on Sunday. The
ministry did not specify the frontline section where the soldier,
identified as Jabbar Zeynalov, died.
The truce violations were reported one week after a meeting of
Armenia's and Azerbaijan's presidents held in Geneva. In a joint
statement issued there, their foreign ministers and international
mediators said Serzh Sarkisian and Ilham Aliyev "agreed to take
measures to intensify the negotiation process and to take additional
steps to reduce tensions on the Line of Contact."
Just three days after the Geneva summit, an Armenian soldier was
killed in Karabakh by Azerbaijani sniper fire. Armenia's ruling party
responded by accusing Baku of "trying to walk away" from the
understandings reached in Geneva. Still, Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian made clear on Friday that Yerevan will not avoid further
talks with Baku.
The joint statement released in Genevan said the U.S., Russian and
French mediators co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group will soon hold
follow-up "working sessions" with Nalbandian and Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.
Babayan Friend Admits Link To Confiscated Weapon
. Karlen Aslanian
Armenia -- Samvel Babayan (R), Nagorno-Karabakh's former top military
commander, stands trial in Yerevan, 23Oct2017.
A longtime friend of Samvel Babayan insisted on Monday that he, rather
than the retired army general linked to an Armenian opposition group,
was behind the illegal acquisition of a sophisticated rocket system
that led to their arrest in March.
Babayan, who was Nagorno-Karabakh's top military commander from
1993-1993, was arrested after Armenia's National Security Service
(NSS) claimed to have confiscated the surface-to-air Igla system. The
arrest came about two weeks before Armenia's parliamentary elections.
Babayan was unofficially affiliated with the ORO alliance led by
former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian and two other opposition
politicians. ORO condemned the criminal case as politically motivated.
Babayan, his comrade-in-arms Sanasar Gabrielian, and five other men
went on trial in July. The once powerful general has repeatedly denied
prosecutors' claims that he promised other suspects to pay $50,000 for
the delivery of the weapon.
Gabrielian also denied any connection with the weapon until now. But
he said at the latest court hearing in their trial that it was he who
commissioned the confiscated Igla. He claimed that he wanted to donate
the launcher along with its shoulder-fired rockets to
Nagorno-Karabakh's army.
Gabrielian insisted that Babayan was not involved in that in any
way. He said he only showed the general a photograph of the acquired
Igla system because the latter "knows everything" about
weapons. Babayan, he went on, told him that the rocket launcher lacks
some components and is therefore not usable in its current form before
advising him to hide it in a Karabakh village.
Babayan did not deny this version of events at the court hearing. He
said only that he warned Gabrielian that the Igla acquisition was
illegal.
Another defendant, Armen Poghosian, suggested in his pre-trial
testimony that Babayan is most probably the one who ordered the
weapon. Petrosian renounced that claim in the courtroom on Monday,
however.
The NSS said in July the Igla system was transported to Karabakh and
hidden near a local village after it was delivered by an Armenian
national who was arrested in Georgia later in March. The security
agency never clarified, however, why the former Karabakh army chief
sought to get hold of the rockets designed to shoot down planes and
helicopters.
Babayan Friend Admits Link To Confiscated Weapon
. Karlen Aslanian
Armenia -- Samvel Babayan (R), Nagorno-Karabakh's former top military
commander, stands trial in Yerevan, 23Oct2017.
A longtime friend of Samvel Babayan insisted on Monday that he, rather
than the retired army general linked to an Armenian opposition group,
was behind the illegal acquisition of a sophisticated rocket system
that led to their arrest in March.
Babayan, who was Nagorno-Karabakh's top military commander from
1993-1993, was arrested after Armenia's National Security Service
(NSS) claimed to have confiscated the surface-to-air Igla system. The
arrest came about two weeks before Armenia's parliamentary elections.
Babayan was unofficially affiliated with the ORO alliance led by
former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian and two other opposition
politicians. ORO condemned the criminal case as politically motivated.
Babayan, his comrade-in-arms Sanasar Gabrielian, and five other men
went on trial in July. The once powerful general has repeatedly denied
prosecutors' claims that he promised other suspects to pay $50,000 for
the delivery of the weapon.
Gabrielian also denied any connection with the weapon until now. But
he said at the latest court hearing in their trial that it was he who
commissioned the confiscated Igla. He claimed that he wanted to donate
the launcher along with its shoulder-fired rockets to
Nagorno-Karabakh's army.
Gabrielian insisted that Babayan was not involved in that in any
way. He said he only showed the general a photograph of the acquired
Igla system because the latter "knows everything" about
weapons. Babayan, he went on, told him that the rocket launcher lacks
some components and is therefore not usable in its current form before
advising him to hide it in a Karabakh village.
Babayan did not deny this version of events at the court hearing. He
said only that he warned Gabrielian that the Igla acquisition was
illegal.
Another defendant, Armen Poghosian, suggested in his pre-trial
testimony that Babayan is most probably the one who ordered the
weapon. Petrosian renounced that claim in the courtroom on Monday,
however.
The NSS said in July the Igla system was transported to Karabakh and
hidden near a local village after it was delivered by an Armenian
national who was arrested in Georgia later in March. The security
agency never clarified, however, why the former Karabakh army chief
sought to get hold of the rockets designed to shoot down planes and
helicopters.
Press Review
Saturday, October 21)
"Zhoghovurd" comments on statements that were made by Poland's Foreign
Minister Witold Waszczykowski during his visit to Armenia on
Friday. Waszczykowski said after talks with Armenian Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian that he is visiting Yerevan not only in his capacity
as Poland's top diplomat but also as a representative of the European
Union and NATO. He also said that Armenia and other countries involved
in the EU's Eastern Partnership program should be eligible for
eventual membership in the EU. The paper says that Russia "will fight
against that prospect with all possible means." "As a result, Armenia
will once again find itself at the center of a clash between big
powers," it speculates with alarm.
"Zhamanak" is also intrigued by Waszczykowski's reference to EU
membership. The paper says that this statement is much more important
than even a recent Armenian opposition motion aimed at ensuring
Armenia's exit from the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).
"Aravot" says that "pro-government circles" that normally justify any
government initiative are quite critical of a government bill aimed at
combating domestic violence in Armenia. "Is that the worst ever bill
drafted by the government?" the paper asks in an editorial. "Of course
not. We can presume that those people were allowed by higher echelons
to speak out against the bill or that such a behavior is actually
encouraged # Why the authorities are allowing the strong criticism of
the bill is hard to tell." The paper also makes the point that the
bill, if passed by the parliament, will hardly make a difference
unless it is genuinely backed by many Armenians.
(Tigran Avetisian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2017 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org
Please find the attached press release of the Ministry of Diaspora.
Sincerely,
Media and PR Department:
( 374 10) 585601, internal 805
----------------------
Sincerely
Department of Press and Public Relations
( 374 10) 585601, extension 805
417. The international scientific conference entitled "Mkhitaryan Congregation of Venice-300" was launched.docx
application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
Manchester United’s midfield Armenian Henrikh Mkhitaryan is the subject of a brand new film that has been produced by MUTV’s award-winning documentaries team.
Coming soon to your club channel, the 60-minute access-all-areas programme will highlight Micki’s incredible journey from the streets of his homeland to the highest levels of club football, including the untimely and tragic death of his 33-year-old father, Hamlet, due to a brain tumour.
It was always Henrikh’s dream to follow in his dad’s footsteps by becoming a professional footballer and he realised that in 2006 by appearing for FC Pyunik, aged 17. He then joined Metalurh Donetsk and was made the youngest club captain in their history, before sealing a move to Shakhtar Donetsk.
Four seasons at Shakhtar led to his transfer to Borussia Dortmund and he won plenty of admirers throughout his spell in Germany, including Jose Mourinho, who head-hunted the forward during his first summer in charge of United, leading to Micki’s emergence as a star at Old Trafford.
As the first Armenian to join a Premier League club, Heno – as he is known to friends – has since become known as a major figurehead in the country. To many people, his professionalism and successes represents the ‘new Armenia’ and he is regularly described as ‘The Pride of Armenia’.
‘Micki: An Armenian Hero’ is coming soon to MUTV and fans can subscribe now via www.MUTV.com.
Armenian boxers start EUBC Youth Championships with victories
The EUBC Youth Championships kicked off on Saturday, October 21 in the Turkish town of Antalya, with the Armenian boxers snatching victories in their first bouts.
Benik Nikoghosyan, in particular, defeated Italy’s Armando Casamonica, while Toni Galstyan beat Adam Trncak of the Czech Republic, both reaching the 1/8 elimination round.
Armen Mashakaryan, also representing Armenia, lost his first bout and was left out of the tournament.
The Armenian weightlifting team recorded an outstanding result winning 32 medals, including 18 gold, 8 silvers, and 6 bronze at the U-20 and the U-23 European Weightlifting Championships held from October 15 -21 in Durres. Albania
As the country’s ministry of sport and youth affairs reported, in the U-20 tournament the representative of Armenia Arpine Dalalyan, competing in the 90+ weight class, was named the European champion with a total score of 228kg, claiming small gold medals both in the snatch and the sneak and jerk.
In the 75kg weight category, Sona Poghosyan of Armenian claimed the title of the European Champion. In the men’s competition of the U-20 tournament Simon Martirosyan claimed gold medal in the 105+ kg weight category, with a total score of 433kg, winning the gold in both events.
In the men’s competition of the U-23 tournament Gor Minasyan, competing in the 105+ kg weight class, Karush Ghukasyan – in the 94kg weight class, and Andranik Karapetyan – in the 85kg weight class, were declared European Champions.
Meanwhile Simon Martirosyan and Andranik Karapetyan were named the best athletes of respectively the U-20 and U-23 tournaments and awarded with special prizes.
The final results placed the Armenian national team the first at the championships with the most number of medals won during the competition.
Overwhelmed with fear and panic, Armenians see modern Azerbaijani weapons everywhere, including Spike guided anti-tank missile systems, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry told APA.
“Having killed an Azerbaijani soldier shortly after the Geneva meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents, the Armenian side is seeking to cover up [the consequences of] its provocations and divert the international attention from its crimes,” the Defense Ministry stressed.
“During the April battles in 2016, the Azerbaijani army adequately retaliated against the enemy. And now, with the weapons and military hardware at its disposal, our army is ready to re-demonstrate its power to the enemy,” the Defense Ministry warned.
The Armenian side reported on Oct. 22 that the Azerbaijani army used artillery pieces, including Spike anti-tank missile system on the frontline.
An attempt by “representatives” of the illegal regime established in the occupied Azerbaijani territory – Nagorno-Karabakh to participate in the fourth “congress” of Armenians of Europe held last week in the European Parliament building in Brussels, which was organized by the Armenian diaspora, failed.
So, despite the fact that the “head” of the illegal regime, Bako Sahakyan, and his assistants arrived in Brussels and wanted to take part in the “congress”, this was stopped. Thus, the desire of these “representatives” to address the event was not destined to come true.
The question arises: what is the purpose of Armenia in carrying out such provocations? The fact is that the occupying country wants to create the appearance that allegedly European institutions recognize the illegal regime, and for this purpose, whenever possible, attempts are made to organize visits of “representatives”, “leaders” of this regime to Brussels. As it is known, all these attempts have failed completely in recent years.
Despite the fact that Sahakyan arrived in Brussels on October 18-19 as a “guest” of the fourth congress of Armenians in Europe, he was not even allowed to go to the European Parliament building where the event was held, he was not received at local executive bodies and the federal parliament. Bako Sahakyan concluded his tourist visit to Belgium with meetings with representatives of Armenian diaspora organizations, as well as “meetings” held in the Armenian church in Brussels.
At another meeting, organized by the lobbying organization “European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy” led by businessman, millionaire Gaspar Karapetyan, Bako Sahakyan was unofficially received by 3-4 regional MPs. The parliaments of the Brussels capital region and the Flemish region, in which the MPs are represented, stressed that these informal meetings are solely the initiative of the MPs themselves and have nothing to do with the activities of parliaments.
It should be reminded that earlier these MPs, under the influence of the Armenian lobby in Belgium, illegally visited the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan with the “organizational support” of Gaspar Karapetyan, and also organized the slanderous actions of the Armenian lobby in Belgium.
Thus, despite the efforts of the Armenian lobby, Bako Sahakyan’s attempts to impart “legitimacy” to the illegal regime during his Brussels visit failed.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.