Category: 2021

Armenian Catholic bishops gather in Rome to elect new patriarch

Andranik Taslakhchian

Save

Share

 12:08,

ROME, SEPTEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Bishops of the Armenian Catholic Church met in Rome to begin their second attempt at electing a patriarch for their church, UCANews reported.

The bishops had met in Lebanon for two weeks beginning June 22, but no candidate had garnered the two-thirds vote necessary to succeed Patriarch Grégoire Pierre XX Ghabroyan, who died in Beirut May 25.

In accordance with church law, after the unsuccessful election, the bishops turned to Pope Francis. He asked them to gather in Rome and begin the electoral process again Sept. 22 after two days of prayer and reflection.

Artsakh Ombudsman receives representatives of French organization L’Œuvre d’Orient

Arsine Chaltikian

Artsakh Ombudsman receives representatives of French organization L’Œuvre d’Orient

Save

Share

 13:12,

STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Artsakh Gegham Stepanyan met with the representatives of the French organization L’Œuvre d’Orient, his Office said.

During the meeting the Ombudsman introduced the manifestations of vandalism against the Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage during the Azeri-Turkish aggression in 2020 and events recorded after the war. Detailed reference was made to the humanitarian issues in Artsakh, situation of protection of the rights of the displaced persons.

An agreement was reached to continue the joint work on raising international awareness on the protection of the Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage under the occupation of Azerbaijan.

Following this, accompanied by the Ombudsman and the Head of the Department of the Ombudsman’s Staff Margarita Gasparyan, the representatives of the L’Œuvre d’Orient visited the ‘Lotus’ Hotel in Stepanakert and met with the displaced families from the occupied communities of Artsakh.

The representatives of the organization listened to the stories of the displaced persons, got acquainted with their living conditions and problems and undertook to take actions to support the people of Artsakh within their competence.

Artur Davtyan participates in session of CIS Coordination Council of Prosecutors General

Badalian Vardan

Save

Share

 13:14,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Prosecutor General of Armenia Artur Davtyan is taking part in the 31st session of the Coordination Council of Prosecutors General of member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Kazakhstan’s capital of Nur-Sultan, e-gov.am reports.

The session will last until September 24.

Artur Davtyan is accompanied by Head of the Department of International-legal cooperation at the Prosecutor’s office Yeghiazar Avagyan and his advisor Artur Baghdasaryan at the session.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

No prison time for attack on Armenian protesters

Manouk Vasilian
Sept 22 2021

A Fresno man will not go to prison for his attack on Armenian protesters who blocked traffic near River Park last year.

Jaime Fonseca claimed self-defense and a jury couldn’t reach a unanimous decision on whether he committed an assault, so the conviction and punishment came down to a plea deal.

Cell phone video shows Jaime Fonseca slashing a sign and going toe-to-toe with people protesting Azerbaijan’s aggression in Armenia.

A man walked away gripping his right forearm after Fonseca slashed him too, one of two people to suffer injuries at Fonseca’s hand.

Fonseca’s defense in court was that he was one of the first people stuck in traffic because the protest blocked Blackstone.

“I think it does, to a certain extent, start with the decision to block traffic,” said public defender Jason Westerfeld. “That’s what kind of kept Mr. Fonseca there. That’s what kept him there unable to leave.”

Fonseca got out of his car more than once before heading for the sign with a knife and a large stick.

Prosecutors say he was not provoked in any meaningful way.

“There were a number of other alternatives that he could have exercised that did not need to result in the stabbing of two victims,” said depity district attorney Alison Wilson.

After a hung jury at trial, Fonseca agreed to plead “no contest” to one count of assault with a deadly weapon.

A judge said he understood why someone would get frustrated, but the 41-year-old was responsible for the incident turning violent and there’s no excuse for that.

He noted no violence in Fonseca’s history, though, and agreed to give him no more than a two-year prison sentence.

“I think it would send a significantly damaging message to the community were the Court to say ‘If you get stuck in a traffic jam and you’re frustrated, go ahead and take out those frustrations at the point of a knife,'” said Judge Jonathan Conklin.

Fonseca has already served about eight months in jail.

The judge could’ve sent him to prison for less than three months, but gave Fonseca probation instead, with the understanding that if he commits another crime, he’ll go to prison for two full years instead of just the remaining 77 days.

 

Armenian-American Museum Garners More State Funding

Ara Felekian
Outlook Newspapers
Sept 22 2021

First published in the Sept. 18 print issue of the Glendale News Press.

State Sen. Anthony Portantino announced this week that $1.8 million for the Armenian American Museum and Cultural Center was approved by lawmakers in Sacramento, fulfilling his latest budgetary request to the legislature.
The much-ballyhooed project, which broke ground in July on the former Central Park site, has now garnered nearly $10 million in state funding. It has additionally garnered millions more from local government, corporate and individual donations.
Portantino, a La Cañada Flintridge Democrat who represents Glendale, had previously worked to secure state funding for the project.
“I am thrilled to secure additional funds to keep the museum’s positive momentum going for this important cultural center in Glendale,” said Portantino, whose district office is located in Glendale, in a statement. “The landmark museum will impact and inspire generations to come. This is an investment that represents our shared vision with the Armenian American community. I am pleased to be in a position to help make it a reality and very grateful to our senate leadership and the governor for supporting this educational investment that will benefit California for decades.”
The groundbreaking ceremony in July drew more than 1,000 to the park site, where they braved the heat for hours as officials and donors extolled what construction of the museum would mean for them and the Armenian diaspora in California and throughout the world. The institution will boast a permanent exhibit as well as rotating ones, on top of various other programming and research endeavors as it seeks to promote the history of Armenian Americans’ contribution to the nation’s history. Ten Armenian American cultural, philanthropic and religious nonprofit institutions are represented on the museum’s board.
“We are incredibly grateful to Senator Anthony Portantino for his unwavering support of the Armenian American Museum,” said Berdj Karapetian, executive chairman of the Armenian American Museum, in a statement. “It is an exciting time for the project as we celebrated the historic groundbreaking with the entire community and now have commenced construction at the future site of the museum. Senator Portantino’s efforts to secure additional funding, and the state of California’s continued commitment and partnership, will help bring to reality a landmark center that will be the pride of our Jewel City and Golden State.”
Prior to the groundbreaking, Portantino helped secure $8 million in state funds in support of the project. After there was a $1 million grant approved by the legislature in the 2016-17 year, Portantino secured an additional $3 million for the museum in 2017-18. This latest addition brings the total state investment in the museum to $9.8 million.

Tagavard villagers in Karabakh demanded to ensure their safety

Emil Lazarian
Caucasian Knot, EU
Sept 23 2021

Residents of the Tagavard-Kaler village in Nagorno-Karabakh have demanded to set up posts of Russian peacemakers in the village and arm the men in order to ensure villagers’ safety.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that as a result of the 2020 autumn war the above village of Tagavard came under Azerbaijan’s control; and the lower part of the village, named Tagavard-Kaler, remained on the Armenian side. By February this year, 140 families returned to Tagavard-Kaler, but they were deprived of drinking water and opportunity to engage in agriculture and animal husbandry, since under the terms of the armistice, a part of the Tagavard village had passed to Baku.

Margarita Saakyan, the principal of the Tagavard-Kaler school, said that the building was badly damaged by missile attacks. She has noted that the school is clearly visible from the Azerbaijani combat positions; and she has to constantly remind schoolchildren about this.

Liana Stepanyan, the school librarian, said that four missile shells hit her house. While it is restored, she and her family have to rent housing. She hopes very much that the safety of the village will be ensured, because people would not like to leave their houses and their native village.

Apres Avagimyan, a father of four children, has stated that the number of Armenian and Russian posts around the village should be increased, so that Azerbaijani militaries could not try invading the village.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on at 09:23 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:

Soldier wounded in a shelling attack in Nagorno-Karabakh, Karabakh Ombudsman accuses Azerbaijan of a shelling attack on a village, Karabakh residents accuse Azerbaijani armed forces of a shelling attack on a village.

Author: Alvard Grigoryan; Source: CK correspondent

Source: 
© Caucasian Knot

US Congress demands from Baku to release Armenian prisoners

Emma Nadirian
Caucasian Knot, EU
Sept 23 2021

The US Congress has passed an amendment demanding an immediate release of all Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) and civilians kept by Azerbaijan, as well as conducting an inquiry into the use of American technologies in Turkish drones that were used during the 2020 escalation of the Karabakh conflict.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on September 16, Armenia filed a complaint with the UN International Court of Justice with a demand to oblige Azerbaijani authorities to stop torturing and killing Armenian POWs and compensate for human rights violations.

Azerbaijan admits that it is holding 45 Armenian citizens, while the Armenian party possesses data about 280 POWs, Artak Zeinalyan, a human rights defender, asserts.

The amendment posted on the US Congress’ website recalls that Azerbaijan had joined the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of POWs, but continues holding about 200 Armenian POWs. The authors of the amendment referred to the December 2020 Human Rights Watch’s report that claimed ill-treatment of Armenian POWs.

The amendment emphasizes that Azerbaijan fails to provide reliable information about Armenian POWs and civilians.

The document also calls for investigating the use of white phosphorus, cluster bombs and prohibited ammunition against the Karabakh population, as well as the recruitment of foreign terrorists to participate in military operations.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on at 03:37 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:

Armenia files complaint against Azerbaijan at UN Court, Armenian rights defenders claim abuse of POWs in Azerbaijan, Terms for giving out POWs from Azerbaijan spark criticism in Armenia.

Author: Armine Martirosyan; Source: CK correspondent

Source: 
© Caucasian Knot

First meeting between Foreign Minister Dendias and Armenian counterpart Mirzoyan

Alex Jidarian
Greek City Times
Sept 23 2021


by PAUL ANTONOPOULOS

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias congratulated new Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan during their first meeting on Wednesday.

The pair discussed the strong and long-standing Greek-Armenian ties, as well as bilateral relations and current regional developments with a focus on the Caucasus region.

Mirzoyan said in a tweet that they also discussed the situation resulting from the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression against Artsakh.

The Armenian foreign minister also emphasised resumption of the Artsakh peace process with the Organization for Security and Co-operation.

EU & Armenia, Qatar, Tunisia & Ukraine Reach Common Agreement to Ease Flight Operations

Khoyetsian Rose
Sept 23 2021


The European Union Member States authorities, together with the leaders of Armenia, Qatar, Tunisia and Ukraine, have reached a Euro-Mediterranean Aviation Agreement that aims to facilitate flight operations between the EU and these countries.

Such an announcement has been confirmed through a statement issued by Latvia’s government on September 21, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

“These agreements will ensure reciprocal access to the air transport markets of the European Union and the countries concerned on equal terms and with uniform rules, including flight safety, aviation security, air traffic management, social aspects and the environment,” the statement published by Latvia’s government reads.

Earlier this year, authorities in the European Union have made known their attempts to reach a common agreement with the Armenian government in order to ease commercial flights between both the EU countries and Armenia.

In a bid to make such a thing happen, the Council also approved separate draft agreements with Ukraine and Tunisia for the same purpose, in order to facilitate the travel process between both territories.

“The three neighbourhood agreements will remove market restrictions in relation to the EU’ s neighbouring countries and associate these countries with the EU’s internal aviation market, as they will adopt EU aviation standards and implement EU aviation rules,” the statement pointed out back then.

At the same time,  the Council of the EU had previously announced that a similar agreement would soon be reached with Qatar.

Authorities in the EU back then stressed that the four agreements would be finalized in autumn 2021 while clarifying that they would have to be ratified by the authorities in all 27 EU Member States.

– Advertisement –

In 2019, the Commission of the EU announced that Qatar and the EU reached the first agreement regarding the aviation rules. The Commission back then stressed that regulations and standards for flights between both territories would be updated through such a deal.

The Coronavirus situation has made the travel process more complicated, especially due to the entry bans and travel restrictions imposed in order to stop the virus’ further spread.

Due to COVID-19 situation, air traffic in European countries marked a 61 per cent decrease in May 2021, compared to the same period in 2019, the European Organization for Safety of Air Navigation, EUROCONTROL reports.

However, the Organization back then stressed that the situation could ameliorate, even though the COVID-19 situation continues to affect other countries.

In this regard, the Airports Council International Europe (ACI) stressed that air passenger traffic was suffering a deep crisis due to the COVID-19 situation.

According to the press release published previously by ACI, air passenger traffic decreased by 87.7 per cent in the European airport network, during the first quarter of this year, compared to the same period, in 2019.

Armenian bishops elect former US pastor as patriarch

Talar Tumanian
Sept 23 2021
by CNS

Bishops of the Armenian Catholic Church celebrate Mass at the Pontifical Armenian College in Rome this week.
CNS photo/Paul Haring

The bishops of the Armenian Catholic Church have elected Archbishop Raphaël François Minassian, the ordinary for Armenian Catholics in Eastern Europe, to be their church’s new patriarch.

Upon his election, the 74-year-old patriarch took the name Patriarch Raphaël Pierre XXI Minassian, the Vatican said in an announcement today.

The patriarch-to-be and his 11 confreres began meeting in Rome earlier this week to begin their second attempt at electing a patriarch.

The bishops had met in Lebanon for two weeks in June, but no candidate had garnered the two-thirds vote necessary to succeed Patriarch Grégoire Pierre XX Ghabroyan, who died in Beirut in May.

In accordance with church law, after the unsuccessful election, the bishops turned to Pope Francis. He asked them to gather in Rome and begin the electoral process again, yesterday, after two days of prayer and reflection.

Patriarch Minassian was born in Beirut in 1946 and prepared for the priesthood at the patriarchal seminary in Bzommar before studying philosophy and theology at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University and doing special studies in educational psychology at the Pontifical Salesian University.

Ordained to the priesthood in 1973, he served as pastor in Armenian parishes in Lebanon and as secretary for five years to Patriarch Jean Pierre XVIII Kasparian.

After serving as a judge in the Armenian church tribunal in Beirut and teaching Armenian at a Catholic university, he was transferred to the United States where he served as a pastor in New York before serving as pastor of Armenian Catholics in California, Arizona and Nevada.

In 2005, he was named patriarchal exarch of Jerusalem and Amman and was named an archbishop and the ordinary for Armenians in Eastern Europe in 2011.

Before electing the new patriarch, the Armenian bishops had two days of prayer in Rome.

Preaching at the opening Divine Liturgy Sept. 20, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches, told the bishops that just as they believe the elements of the earth, such as bread and wine are transformed by the Holy Spirit into the body and blood of Christ, they must believe they, too, can be transformed by the Spirit.

“We who are constituted as ministers of the Eucharist, who invoke in the epiclesis the outpouring of the Spirit of consecration, we risk at times setting limits to the Paraclete, keeping in ourselves, in our hearts or in our judgment of others areas of shadow where the only criterion is personal or worse, that of the spirit of the world,” the cardinal said.

“With the bread and the wine, place your personal lives and those of your brother bishops on the altar, asking for yourselves and for them the gift of purification, transformation and mission.”

After decades of suffering persecution and the ravages of war in their traditional homelands, members of the Armenian Catholic Church now live in communities scattered across the globe, Cardinal Sandri said. He prayed that the Holy Spirit would guide the bishops because their people “need shepherds who will lead them, seek them out, and know how to call them by name like the good shepherd described in the Gospel”.