Category: 2021

We will forever respect the perseverance of the Armenian people, a senior White House official told The Hill.

The comment comes after a bipartisan coalition of nearly 40 lawmakers led by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) urged President Biden to become the first U.S. president to officially recognize the Ottoman Empire’s Armenian genocide. 

When reached for comment, a senior administration official noted Biden’s statement on the Armenian genocide as a presidential candidate, adding in a statement to The Hill, “He said then that we must never forget or remain silent about this horrific campaign. And we will forever respect the perseverance of the Armenian people in the wake of such a great tragedy.” 

The official said the Biden administration “is committed to promoting respect for human rights and ensuring such atrocities are not repeated. A critical part of that is acknowledging history.”

President Armen Sarkissian sent a congratulatory message to the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani on the occasion of Nowruz.

The message reads: “The neighborly relations of our peoples have always been a solid basis for the continuous development of cooperation between Armenia and Iran.

The difficult situation in the region forces us to work to expand the agenda of bilateral political and economic relations.

I am convinced that, realizing the existing challenges, we will make greater efforts to implement the current programs as soon as possible and to reach new agreements.”

President Sarkissian wished Hassan Rouhani good health, all the best, and peace and prosperity to the friendly people of Iran.

President Armen Sarkissian sent another congratulatory message to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Seyed Ali Khamenei.

The message reads: “I warmly congratulate you, the friendly people of the Islamic Republic of Iran, on the Iranian New Year, Nowruz.

May the coming year be a year of political and economic success for the people of Iran. The new problems and challenges facing the region make it imperative to further develop and deepen Armenian-Iranian relations.

Continuation of a constructive dialogue based on respect for each other’s religion and culture is essential for cooperation between Armenia and Iran in various fields.”

Central Valley, CA Congressman Jim Costa was joined by Congresswoman Anna Eshoo(CA) and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Jackie Speier(CA) and Frank Pallone Jr.(NJ) in calling on Azerbaijani Ambassador to the U.S. Elin Suleymanov to outline “specific steps you are taking to ensure the release of Armenian hostages and how the Azerbaijani authorities are working to ensure adherence to the November 9 agreement.”

In their March 19th letter, the U.S. Representatives noted that “we’ve heard reports that Azerbaijan continues to detain an estimated 200 Armenian prisoners over 100 days after the end of the conflict. Estimates also suggest that more than ten percent of detainees were civilians. Furthermore, Human Rights Watch has released findings of mistreatment, torture, and even extrajudicial executions of ethnic Armenian prisoners by Azerbaijani military forces. In light of these events, the swift and safe return of these individuals has become a pressing humanitarian concern and of critical importance to ensuring a peaceful postwar future in the region.”

The full text of the letter is provided below:

Dear Ambassador Suleymanov,

We write to express our concern over Azerbaijan’s continued detention of ethnic Armenians as prisoners of war following last year’s conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Nagorno Karabakh region. Despite the cessation of open hostilities and in accordance with signed peace agreements between the two countries, we write to urge you to take action to ensure the immediate return of all Armenian prisoners of war and captured civilians.

According to the tripartite statement signed between Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia on November 9, 2020, all parties agreed to the exchange of prisoners of war, hostages, and other detainees, as well as the return of remains to their country of origin. Furthermore, under the third Geneva Convention, which Azerbaijan has signed, international law requires the release of prisoners of war and captured civilians after the termination of hostilities, as well as humane treatment of all detainees.

Despite these commitments, we’ve heard reports that Azerbaijan continues to detain an estimated 200 Armenian prisoners over 100 days after the end of the conflict. Estimates also suggest that more than ten percent of detainees were civilians. Furthermore, Human Rights Watch has released findings of mistreatment, torture, and even extrajudicial executions of ethnic Armenian prisoners by Azerbaijani military forces. In light of these events, the swift and safe return of these individuals has become a pressing humanitarian concern and of critical importance to ensuring a peaceful postwar future in the region.

We would appreciate hearing directly from you about the specific steps you are taking to ensure the release of Armenian hostages and how the Azerbaijani authorities are working to ensure adherence to the November 9 agreement. We look forward to your response.

Quebec Armenian Student Associations (ASAs) Prevent Turkish Ambassador’s Conference on Nagorno-Karabakh in Concordia University.

The ASAs inform that the event at Concordia University which was scheduled to host the Turkish Ambassador, on a matter concerning Armenian ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh, is cancelled. ASAs appreciate the cancellation of the event organized by International Relations Society and the Strategic and Diplomatic Society, two subsidiaries of Concordia Political Science Students Association – PSSA.

The ASAs acknowledge the efforts made by the aforementioned organizations to rectify the errors of inviting a Turkish official to spread misinformation and propaganda on the subject, in addition to the clear Armenophobia that is codified in Turkish policy.

“Following our efforts to restructure the biased event into a more diplomatic dialogue presented as a series of conferences on Nagorno-Karabakh, the societies sought permission from the Turkish Embassy to invite her Excellency, Anahit Harutyunyan, the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Canada, for a completely separate event. Furthermore, by deleting Armenian students’ comments which questioned the ethics of this event on Facebook and Instagram, the moderators countered their declared neutrality, obstructed free speech, and exhibited clear favouritism. In an academic setting, we condemn any efforts to present a biased and one-sided argument, all while silencing the other party,” the Student Associations said.

It is important to note that any steps taken to raise awareness on Nagorno-Karabakh is praiseworthy, but this awareness cannot come from the side of the aggressor’s accomplice, the misinformation spreader, and genocide perpetrator. The ASAs remind their audience that the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict is not a matter of controversy or contention; rather, it is a matter of human rights violations, a denial of inalienable right to self-determination, and cultural genocide. By choosing to provide a free platform to a representative of a State with an official policy of #ArmenianGenocide denial, and invite them to speak about the Artsakh conflict, the IRS and SDS failed to evaluate the harmful and offensive consequences of the “perspective” of the Turkish official.

ASAs invite any and all student organizations to host appropriate and academic discussions on the subject of Artsakh, with the condition that there may be adequate representation of the oppressed party.

Freestyle wrestler Vazgen Tevanyan (65 kg) defeated three-time world champion and Olympic vice-champion Haji Aliyev of Azerbaijan 9:0 to clinch gold at European Boxing Qualification Event in Budapest, Hungary.

Vazgen Tevanyan defeated Bulgaria’s Vladimir Dubov 11:0 in the opening fight, then in the 1/8 final he defeated Nyurgun Skryabin (Belarus) with a score of 7:5.

In the quarterfinals, Tevanyan defeated Olympic champion Vladimir Khinchegashvili (Georgia) 6:4 in a tenacious fight, and in the semifinals he defeated Magomedmurad Gadji (Poland) 4:2.