The initiative group “Kamq” which is running a petition campaign named “No to Istanbul Convention” arrived on Monday in Echmiadzin, Armenia’s Armavir region. “Our campaign continues in Echmiadzin, at central square near Komitas Vardapet statue. Join us through signing the petition,” the Group posted on Facebook, calling on the citizens to leave signatures in support of their cause.
To note, the Istanbul Convention which is subject to ratification by Armenia protects women against all forms of violence against them and obliges states to prevent, prosecute and eliminate violence against women and domestic violence. However, the document has triggered a debate among the public and expert circles in Armenia over what they say some of controversial concepts in that do not serve the purpose of preventing violence, but rather jeopardize the national identity.
Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan was present today at a solemn opening ceremony of the international Armenian studies conference “Eastern Armenia: History and Culture” held at the Matenadaran-Gandzasar Scientific Cultural Center.
As the press department at the President’s Office reports, in his welcoming remarks the President emphasized the scientific and practical value of the conference, noting that such events enable provide a more substantive and objective overview of the chapters of our history, identify the causality of diverse developments and bring it to the attention of the international community.
“It is even more important now, when there are countries and circles, which apply a politicized approach towards historical facts, seeking to offer distorted narrative of history and present it in the light of vested interests. The best way to respond to all these endeavors is to hold such events, within this very format and with this very agenda”, Bako Sahakyan underlined in his remarks.
Daniel Varuzhan was a major Armenian poet of the early 20th century. At the age of 31, when he was reaching international stature, he was deported and murdered by the Young Turk government, as part of the Armenian Genocide.
Varuzhan was born Daniel Tchiboukkearian in the Prknig village of Sivas, Turkey. After attending the local school, he was sent in 1896, the year of the Hamidian massacres, to Istanbul, where he attended the Mkhitarian school. He then continued his education at Mourad-Rafaelian school of Venice, and in 1905 entered Ghent University in Belgium, where he followed courses in literature, sociology and economics. In 1909 he returned to his village where he taught for three years. After his marriage with Araksi Varuzhan in 1912, he became the principal of St. Gregory The Illuminator School in Istanbul.
The Armenian writer and doctor Roupen Sevag and three other eyewitnesses described the torture and death of Varuzhan. After being arrested and jailed, they were told that they were being taken to a village. On the way, a Turkish official and his assistant, accompanied by five heavily armed “policemen”, stopped the convoy. After robbing the five prisoners, the first two who were in charge left and ordered the other five to take them away. After taking them to the woods, they attacked the prisoners, took off their clothes until all of them were left naked. Then they tied them one by one to the trees and started cutting them slowly with knives. Their screams could be heard by witnesses in hiding from a long distance.