Monday,
Armenia’s Civil Aviation Chief Resigns
• Gayane Saribekian
Armenia - Tatevik Revazian, head of Armenia's Civil Aviation Committee, speaks
at an official ceremony at Zvartnots airport, June 10, 2022.
The head of Armenia’s Civil Aviation Committee, Tatevik Revazian, resigned on
Monday after four years in office.
Revazian gave no clear reason for her resignation which she announced on her
Facebook page just days after returning to work from maternity leave.
“I have decided to return to the world of business,” she wrote without
elaborating.
Revazian suggested that her resignation will give rise to “fake news and
gossips.” “I am resigning from office with positive emotions and do not have
interpersonal differences with anyone,” she said.
Revazian, 34, was named to run the government agency in 2018 shortly after the
“velvet revolution” that brought Nikol Pashinian to power. She lived in Denmark
until then. Her family had migrated to the northern European country in the
1990s.
Revazian did not say whether she will stay in Armenia. She could not be reached
for comment on Monday.
The government did not immediately appoint a new head of its Civil Aviation
Committee. The agency was run by Revazian’s deputy Mihran Khachatrian during her
parental leave.
Armenia - A passenger jet at Yerevan's Zvartnots international airport,
10Apr2017.
Revazian’s four-year tenure was marred by the European Union’s decision in June
2020 to ban airlines registered in Armenia from carrying out regular flights to
EU member states. The EU’s executive European Commission said that they do not
meet international safety standards.
The ban sparked bitter recriminations between the Armenian government and its
political opponents. The latter accused the government and Revazian in
particular of incompetence. Pashinian put the blame on the country’s former
leadership.
“It wasn’t [Revazian’s] fault,” said Shahen Petrosian, who had headed the civil
aviation authority in the early 1990s. “She was just wrong not to have been
consistent enough to sort out what had happened in the past.”
Revazian actively encouraged Western budget airlines to start flying to Armenia.
Two such carriers, Ryanair and Wizz Air, launched first-ever flights between
Yerevan and several European cities in early 2020 only to end them weeks later
due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
Top Security Official Avoids Prosecution For Violence
• Robert Zargarian
Armenia - Security forces disperse opposition protesters blocking a street in
Yerevan, May 2, 2022.
Armenian law-enforcement authorities have refused to prosecute the head of Prime
Minister Nikol Pashinian’s security detail who reportedly assaulted two
journalists during a recent opposition demonstration in Yerevan.
Sargis Hovannisian, who runs the State Protection Service (SPS), was approached
by a cameraman and a reporter for the news website Mediahub.am on May 2 as he
apparently issued orders to security forces confronting opposition protesters at
a major street intersection.
Videos circulated online showed Hovannisian shouting at the female reporter,
Nare Gevorgian, before hitting her microphone. Gevorgian said he also kicked the
cameraman, Arman Gharajian, during the incident strongly condemned by Armenian
media groups.
Responding to the uproar, prosecutors ordered the Investigative Committee to
look into the incident and determine whether Hovannisian broke the law.
In a statement issued late last week, the committee cleared Hovannisian of any
wrongdoing. It put the blame on the journalists, saying that they interfered
with the high-ranking officer’s work and ignored his legitimate orders to stop
filming him and asking him questions.
Gevorgian on Monday denounced the Investigative Committee’s decision as
“ridiculous” and said she will challenge it in court.
“Our live stream and footage represent complete evidence of a crime,” the
journalist told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
Armenia - Journalist Nare Gevorgian speaks to RFE/RL, .
Hovannisian, whose agency provides bodyguards to Pashinian and other senior
state officials, was already caught on camera kicking an opposition protester in
Yerevan last year. He was not prosecuted or subjected to disciplinary action.
Opposition leaders have questioned the legality of Hovannisian’s presence at
anti-government demonstrations, arguing that the SPS’s powers do not include
crowd control. Some of them have accused the SPS chief of ordering riot police
to beat up opposition supporters demanding Pashinian’s resignation.
Videos posted on social media in recent weeks showed some police officers
kicking and punching protesters arrested by their colleagues. None of those
officers is facing criminal proceedings.
Law-enforcement authorities have instead arrested and pressed assault charges
against more than three dozen participants of the Armenian opposition’s “civil
disobedience” campaign launched on May 1.
Armenian Authorities To Decriminalize Insults
• Naira Bulghadarian
Armenia - The main government building in Yerevan, March 6, 2021.
After months of criticism from domestic and international civil rights groups,
the Armenian authorities have decided to scrap controversial legislation that
made it a crime to insult government officials and public figures.
Government-backed amendments to the Criminal Code passed by Armenia’s parliament
last summer made “grave insults” directed at individuals because of their
“public activities” an offense punishable with hefty fines or prison sentences
of up to three months.
More than 50 Armenians have been charged with defamation and hundreds of others
investigated on the same grounds since the amendments took effect in September.
At least six of them have already been found guilty by courts.
Many of those individuals have been prosecuted for insulting Prime Minister
Nikol Pashinian.
Opposition and human rights groups have strongly criticized the criminalization
of insults. Western watchdogs such as Freedom House and Amnesty International
have added their voice to the criticism.
Pashinian’s political allies have repeatedly dismissed calls for a repeal of the
legislation, insisting that it does not constitute an infringement of free
speech.
In a surprise announcement, Justice Minister Karen Andreasian said over the
weekend that the punitive measure will be excluded from a new Criminal Code that
will come into force next month. Pashinian and other government officials now
believe that its enforcement is no longer “expedient,” he wrote on Facebook.
Andreasian defended the authorities’ earlier decision to criminalize insults,
saying that it was necessary to “rein in the shameful and unacceptable behavior
of certain groups and individuals.”
Armenian press freedom groups welcomed the move while questioning the reason for
it given by the minister. They said that the authorities simply bowed to the
domestic and Western pressure.
“I think that this law has never been necessary and it has not had any positive
impact,” said Ashot Melikian of the Yerevan-based Committee to Protect Free
Speech.
Melikian said that the Armenian Civil Code, which sets fines for insults, must
be the sole legal instrument for dealing with slanderous public statements. The
authorities tripled the maximum amount of those fines to 3 million drams
($6,800) last year.
All forms of slander and defamation had already been decriminalized in Armenia
in 2010 during former President Serzh Sarkisian’s rule.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2022 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
Category: 2022
The California Courier Online, June 16, 2022
1- Azerbaijan Donated to Queen of England
A ‘Karabagh’ Horse: An Obvious Bribe!
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- Protesters Disrupt Zareh Sinanyan’s Speech in North Hollywood
3- Homenetmen Embraces the Young Heroes of Hrashq
4- Hovnanian, Hovsepian Stage Installations at Venice Art Biennale
5- Armenia Continues Fight Against COVID-19
************************************************************************************************************************************************
1- Azerbaijan Donated to Queen of England
A ‘Karabagh’ Horse: An Obvious Bribe!
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
A delegation led by President of the Equestrian Federation of
Azerbaijan, Elchin Gulliyev, presented on May 16 ‘a rare Karabagh
horse’ named ‘Shohrat’ (glory) to the Queen of England as ‘a gift’
from President Ilham Aliyev.
Azerbaijan was invited to perform at Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee
celebrations. Among the participants in the May 12-15 Windsor Royal
Horse Show were Azerbaijan’s cavalry detachment and in national
costume the Border Guard Service’s dance ensemble who performed a
program called ‘Land of Fire.’ Azerbaijan has been participating in
this Show since 2012.
Queen Elizabeth II, 96, holding a walking cane due to her mobility
issues, waited in the courtyard of Windsor Castle to personally
receive Azerbaijan’s ‘gift.’ The Monarch, who has a lifelong love of
horses, said it was a “very kind, very generous” gesture. A similar
horse was recently sold at an auction for $17,000. The Queen was also
gifted two sculptures of horses, made by Azerbaijani sculptor Faiq
Hajiyev. Interestingly, Nikita Khrushchev, the First Secretary of the
Communist Party of the Soviet Union, during his visit to the UK in
1956, had also presented to Queen Elizabeth II ‘a Karabagh horse’
named ‘Zaman.’
Making no secret of the propaganda value of the Azeri ‘gift’ to the
Queen, the press center of Azerbaijan’s State Border Service
explicitly stated, with an obvious distortion of the historical facts,
that the UK Horse Show “has become an extremely important platform for
promoting the ancient and unique Azerbaijani culture.”
However, the Azeri propaganda backfired when Phil Miller, chief
reporter of ‘Declassified UK’ wrote a highly critical article titled:
“Anger as Queen Bags ‘Generous’ Gift from Dictator.” The article
started with: “As the Queen celebrates her Platinum Jubilee, she is
facing calls to return a horse she recently received from a repressive
regime—the third autocracy from which she has accepted such a gift.”
Miller reported: “Republic, a group that wants to abolish the monarchy
and replace it with an elected head of state, slammed the Queen for
having a ‘cozy relationship where she receives horses from
dictatorships.’ Republic spokesman Graham Smith told Declassified: ‘It
doesn’t look good for a British head of state to be having these kinds
of relationships with people who have very questionable records in
office and who are repressing their own people. I think it is
distasteful and something that a different head of state might have
chosen not to do. I’m surprised the government hasn’t advised her to
refuse these sorts of gifts but I assume that it’s something she’s
very invested in—horse racing. I think the best thing she could do is
return the gifts and ask them not to offer her any more in the
future.’”
Miller added: “The Aliyev family network is widely accused of
embezzling state funds and acquiring more than $500 million worth of
property in London, one of which was sold to the Queen’s crown estate
in an $82 million deal.”
Miller quoted dissident Azeri journalist in exile Arzu Geybullayeva:
“President Ilham Aliyev is not only notorious for his authoritarian
leadership, but he has also successfully managed to corrupt the whole
governing system — [putting] cronies, oligarchs, and family members
in high government positions.”
On June 2nd, the Armenian National Committees of Australia, Canada,
New Zealand and United Kingdom, all four British Commonwealth
countries, issued a joint statement titled: “Your Majesty, Beware of
Dictators Bearing Gifts!” The ANCs stated that Azerbaijan was
attempting to “gift their way to whitewashing an appalling human
rights record.” The ANCs called the gift “the latest in a series of
cynical attempts by the authoritarian regime of Azerbaijan to color
their shortcomings in a positive light.” The joint statement also
highlighted that “human rights organizations have consistently exposed
Azerbaijan’s use of Caviar Diplomacy in several corruption scandals,
where they were found to pay their way to enhancing the country’s
image amongst the international community.”
The four ANCs reminded that “in 2012, President Aliyev became the
inaugural winner of the Organized Crime and Corruption Person of the
Year award bestowed by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting
Project (OCCRP).” The ANCs alerted the Queen that “Freedom House has
summarized Azerbaijan’s human rights record as follows: ‘Power in
Azerbaijan’s authoritarian regime remains heavily concentrated in the
hands of Ilham Aliyev, who has served as president since 2003, and his
extended family. Corruption is rampant, and the formal political
opposition has been weakened by years of persecution. The authorities
have carried out an extensive crackdown on civil liberties in recent
years, leaving little room for independent _expression_ or activism.’”
ANC-UK Chairperson Annette Moskofian stated: “There is no doubt in our
minds that the gift is a deliberate and targeted act by the
Azerbaijani regime to glorify its war crimes and cause psychological
harm to Armenians in the Commonwealth countries, as well as in their
ancestral homeland of Artsakh, who are facing an existential threat
and who have witnessed parts of their ancestral homeland be occupied
and ethnically cleansed by a foreign dictatorship.”
Sevag Belian, Armenian National Committee’s Executive Director in
Canada, added: “We are confident that, upon being fully apprised of
the above, Her Majesty should rightly reconsider acceptance of this
‘gift’ and reject Azerbaijan’s blatant and nefarious caviar
diplomacy.”
There is little chance that the Queen will return the Azeri horse,
unless the British public pressure their government that this ‘gift’
is nothing more than a crude bribe to whitewash the Aliyev regime’s
crimes against the people of Azerbaijan as well as Artsakh and
Armenia.
************************************************************************************************************************************************
2- Protesters Disrupt Zareh Sinanyan’s Speech in North Hollywood
LOS ANGELES (Oragark)—On June 7, Zareh Sinanyan, Armenia’s Diaspora
High Commissioner attempted to gather supporters for a meeting at the
“La Reve” restaurant in North Hollywood, California. The restaurant
was filled near its capacity with attendees. However, the vast
majority of attendees were not there to hear or support Sinanyan in
defense of the Pashinyan regime, but rather to protest both his
presence in Los Angeles and his ongoing role in Pashinyan’s
government.
The capacity crowd greeted Sinanyan with boos, along with chants of
“Sinanyan Traitor” and “Nikol Traitor”. Sinanyan was visibly shaken.
He has been visiting the United States and had thus far managed to
avert large crowds, opting instead to hold small, controlled meetings.
On June 7, however, Sinanyan was unable to avoid coming face to face
with a large crowd.
Armenian Youth Federation held up “Zareh Sinanyan Traitor” signs at
the event. Similar signs had also been posted in multiple locations in
Los Angeles, including freeway bridges and the Armenian Consulate.
Last month, Sinanyan had outraged the Diaspora by stating that those
who are against Pashinyan’s policies regarding Artsakh and his
government’s propositions are “traitors.”
The organizers of the event, upon realizing that the crowd was
gathered to protest Sinanyan, became visibly hostile and began to hurl
insults and threats against the demonstrators. According to video
evidence, there were several instances where organizers tried to grab
signs away from protesters as well as to pull them off the venue’s
stage. Sinanyan, who also was visibly irritated, started yelling at
the crowd and was rushed out by the organizers.
The owners of the restaurant then notified the crowd that the event
was being cancelled. The large group of protesters exited the venue,
but later discovered that Sinanyan had re-entered via the back door
and was trying to meet with the remaining dozen or so people,
including the organizers, who remained inside. About one hundred
demonstrators continued their protest outside the venue.
An hour into the protest, the Los Angeles Police Department arrived at
the scene and inquired about the ongoings. The police had apparently
been called by Sinanyan’s organizers.
It was explained to the police that the demonstrators had gathered to
protest Sinanyan, whose policies they disagreed with, and the police
left shortly thereafter.
The demonstrators concluded their protest by singing Armenian
patriotic songs “Zartir Lao” and “Gini Lits”, along with the Armenian
National Anthem.
************************************************************************************************************************************************
3- Homenetmen Embraces the Young Heroes of Hrashq
By Katy Simonian
“You are stars and the world is watching you. By your presence you
send a message to every village, every city, every nation. A message
of hope. A message of victory.” Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s words echo
through eternity and continue to create a ripple effect for families
in America and across the world. As the founder of the Special
Olympics, she shared her vision of inclusion with the world, opening
hearts and minds to the powerful gifts of a community that had long
been kept in the shadow.
Homenetmen Western US Region established Hrashq, a program for
athletes with special needs. With a unique coaching system tailored
for the needs of each child, Hrashq builds skills and confidence in
young athletes, providing them with socialization and inclusion
opportunities, while combating the stigma often associated with
disabilities.
For members, Hrashq (which means “Miracle”) is an opportunity to
create a resource of support for parents and children alike, as they
meet the challenges of life.
The story of Hrashq began back in 2018, when Founding Member Dr. Nanor
Kabakian joined a group of parents who sought to create an avenue for
their children to participate in athletic activities and be part of an
Armenian organization. Kabakian has long served as the facilitator of
the Armenian Parents Support Group of the Lanterman Regional Center,
which offers parents of children with special needs presentations and
resources to enable them to advocate for their rights.
She approached Homenetmen’s leaders with the prospect of having a
booth at the Games. Their conversation led to a transformative
idea—having athletes with special needs participate in the 43rd
Navasartian Games on the occasion of the Homenetmen Centennial.
Homenetmen’s Western Regional Executive Board gave the concept the
green light, forming a committee whose mission it was to plan Hrashq’s
inaugural participation in Navasartian Games. Their goal was to
provide the athletes with the accommodations needed to make their
historic debut a success. Indeed, Hrashq athletes participated in
competitions and the Parade of Champions, a highlight of the annual
Navasartian Closing Ceremonies.
The program quickly went from 20 athletes to 50, and has benefited
from the leadership of an Adaptive Physical Education Teacher, Dave
Beard, who has created specific lesson plans for each individual
student. Athletes receive one-on-one support from volunteers,
including parents, speech and language pathologists, occupational
therapists, Homenetmen members, and AYF Sardarabad Pyunic Basketball
Committee members.
One of the most influential figures to support Hrashq’s noble mission
is State Senator Anthony J. Portantino, who secured a grant of
$100,000 to support Homenetmen’s many programs including Hrashq.
**********************************************************************************************************************************************
4- Hovnanian, Hovsepian Stage Installations at Venice Art Biennale
VENICE (Combined Sources)— For the past 127 years, the Venice Biennale
International Art Exhibition has been dominated by male curators and
artists. But the 59th iteration of the show—which opens this week and
borrows its title, The Milk of Dreams, from a text by the surrealist
Leonora Carrington—primarily features women artists. Among them are
the Sheree Hovsepian and Rachel Lee Hovnanian.
Angel iconography is universal, but there’s something truly arresting
in the seven cherubs created by Rachel Lee Hovnanian, cast in white
bronze and silenced by two sculpted, crossed pieces of tape over their
mouths.
The artist’s immersive installation, “Angels Listening,” which is will
be on view at the Venice Biennale until Nov. 27, has the angels staged
around a silver confessional, dubbed the “Cathartic Box.” The artist
invites viewers to write on a ribbon their most personal thoughts,
whether repressed due to fear of judgment or out of an inability to
speak them.
Visitors will be able to place the ribbons into the box while ringing
an awakening bell that symbolizes the role of the angels as mute
listeners.
At the end of each day, the messages will be taken out of the box and
ironed on prayer-like mats in the garden, and made permanent. “The
performers become the listeners,” Hovnanian explain.
“‘Angels Listening’ offers a space that transforms hundreds of
silenced voices into a chorus of confessions, allowing to reflect on
issues related to identity and relationships, and on the role of art
in this unprecedented moment in history,” says Hovnanian.
The messages at the installation will also contribute to a sense of
freedom as “you can’t be traced through a global platform.”
This is a very personal installation, reflecting Hovnanian’s own
struggles to speak up as a victim of sexual harassment and, as a
child, growing up with a father whose issues with alcohol drove her to
silence, thinking that “maybe nobody will want to be friends” with her
if others knew what was happening at home. The artist has explored the
image of a silenced angel before, illustrating the suppression of
truth and the _expression_ “be an angel and keep your mouth shut.”
The Venice Biennale’s epic proportions tend to lure artists into
blowing up their own scale of choice to meet the show’s expectations
but Sheree Hovsepian stuck to her guns, making her contributions to
the show some of the most intimate viewing available in the Giardini’s
main pavilion. “Sometimes asking a viewer to come close is actually
asking them to come with you. You are demanding more but through that
process you become more connected,” Hovsepian explains,. “I often
refer to my practice as a kind of exquisite corpse process,” the
artist explains. “Using all these materials, the ceramic, the string,
the wood—I’m putting together limbs and making the body whole again.”
These anecdotal references to the body, sometimes literal and
sometimes more abstract, accumulate within Hovsepian collages—building
towards a larger more inclusive body that can reflect back on all its
disparate parts. “I often refer to my practice as a kind of exquisite
corpse process,” the artist explains. “Using all these materials, the
ceramic, the string, the wood—I’m putting together limbs and making
the body whole again.” The Venice Biennale’s epic proportions tend to
lure artists into blowing up their own scale of choice to meet the
show’s expectations but Sheree Hovsepian stuck to her guns, making her
contributions to the show some of the most intimate viewing available
in the Giardini’s main pavilion. “Sometimes asking a viewer to come
close is actually asking them to come with you. You are demanding more
but through that process you become more connected,” Hovsepian
explains, Hovsepian will be showing seven new works she created
especially for her debut at the exhibition, which are composed from
silver gelatin prints and tactile materials.
***********************************************************************************************************************************************
5- Armenia Continues Fight Against COVID-19
More than 2.2 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been
administered in Armenia since commencing the vaccination program a
year ago, authorities said on Monday, June 13. For the first week, no
new caes or deaths were reported. Armenia has recorded 423,006
coronavirus cases. Armenia has recorded 8,629 deaths; 412,661 have
recovered. ***************************************************************************************************************************
************************************************************************************************************************************************
California Courier Online provides readers 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, . Letters are published with
the author’s name and location; authors are required to disclose their
identity to the editorial staff (name, address, and/or telephone
numbers for verification purposes).
California Courier subscribers can change or modify mailing addresses
by emailing .
CivilNet: Armenia’s climbing inflation rate may rise further, says Central Bank chief
CIVILNET.AM
13 Jun, 2022 10:06
- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has held talks with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al Thani in Doha.
- Tatevik Revazian, the head of the Civil Aviation Committee of Armenia, has stepped down from her post.
- If the Central Bank artificially devalues the Armenian dram currency, Armenia will face a new wave of inflation, said Central Bank head Martin Galstyan.
Historic Church Service in Turkey Marred By Attack on Assyrian Family
Posted 2022-06-13 23:02 GMT
A service was held in Mor Gevargis Church, Brahîmîye village for the first time in nearly a century. ( Süryaniler)A Christian family were attacked in a village in Mardin province, south-eastern Turkey, shortly before a church service on Sunday, June 5.
The service in Mor Gevargis Assyrian Church, Brahîmîye village, was the first held in the building in almost 100 years, after renovation work which began in 2015.
The Yilmaz family — the only Assyrian family who live in the village — were attacked at their home by a group of around 50 Muslims. The family were at the time entertaining visiting clergy who had come to officiate at the service.
Dispute Over Land
The mob attacked the home with stones, sticks and other weapons. They then set fire to wheat being grown by the Yilmaz family. None of the family were injured, and the fire was eventually extinguished after witnesses alerted the police.
Some members of the Muslim family were arrested in connection with the incident.
“They threatened us,” said Cengiz Yilmaz, “saying that they would not let us live in the village … But we are not afraid. We will continue to stay here.” He accused the attackers of specifically choosing the day of the church ceremony to re-open the land dispute.
The tiny remnant Christian community in Turkey is mainly historic Christian ethnic groups such as Assyrians (like the Yilmaz family) and Armenians; they still bear the trauma of the Armenian, Assyrian, Syriac and Greek genocides of the early twentieth century. During these genocides, at least 3.75 million believers were killed by Ottoman Turks, with many attacks occurring in south-eastern Turkey.
There are also a small number of Turkish converts from Islam.
In August 2021 an Assyrian Christian village in northern Syria was bombed by the Turkish air force in a campaign against Kurdish militants.
Russia threatens to strip anti-war protester of citizenship
The case of Armenia-born Arshak Makichyan could set a new precedent with activists warning of a new tactic to silence dissent.
Published On 13 Jun 2022
On February 24, Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.
That same day, Arshak Makichyan, who had earned the title of Moscow’s “lone climate protester”, married his girlfriend, Polina Oleinikova – and both were quick to join peace protests despite a widespread Russian crackdown on dissent.
list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3list 2 of 3list 3 of 3end of list
In March, as the atmosphere for anyone publicly opposed to Moscow’s so-called “special operation” grew more repressive, the couple decided to go to Germany.
Now, Makichyan, who was born in Armenia but has Russian citizenship, fears he may never be able to return home to Moscow.
On June 27, the question of Makichyan’s citizenship will be raised at a court hearing in Russia’s capital. While officials say he illegally obtained his citizenship, he along with other activists claim the case is politically motivated.
No stranger to being arrested, Makichyan, who had been inspired by the ideas of Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, was detained at a climate protest deemed unlawful by authorities in 2019. He was also detained in January over a one-man picket against Russian intervention in Kazakhstan. And then on February 25, he and his wife were detained while leaving their house and fined for taking part in unauthorised rallies.
Protests are tightly restricted in Russia and demonstrators must seek the approval of authorities before holding an event.
Makichyan, now in his late 20s, has lived in Moscow most of his life and held Russian citizenship since he was 10 years old. He believes the government wants to strip him of his nationality not only for his outspoken position, but as a warning to other foreign-born dissidents.
“I was against this war, and I was against this war publicly, but I think this case is not about me,” Makichyan told Al Jazeera. “It’s about millions of people like Armenians and many, many other nationalities in Russia. The government warns them to be afraid, to be silent.”
“I grew up in Russian culture, but I don’t think it’s about being Russian or Armenian or whatever; it’s about having the same rights for living in Russia. There are millions of Armenians and other nationalities in Russia, and if I lose my citizenship on the grounds that I was against the war, they can use the same instrument against many, many other people.”
Russia has a large foreign-born population, with most immigrants hailing from ex-Soviet republics such as Armenia, Ukraine and Tajikistan.
If Makichyan’s suspicions are correct, revoking his citizenship would be an unprecedented decision that could clear the way for further abuses in the future.
According to the constitution, Russian nationals cannot be deprived of citizenship, and those who are citizens by birth – as well as those who acquire it later in life – enjoy equal rights.
But sometimes it happens that due to bureaucratic errors, citizens discover their passports have been issued “illegally”.
“Citizenship annulment cases are very common in relation to those people who received citizenship not by birth, but for other reasons,” said Olga Podoplelova, head of litigation at the NGO Russia Behind Bars.
“Migration services often lose documents and thus try to cover up their mistakes,” Podoplelova told Al Jazeera. “This practice has been repeatedly condemned by the European Court of Human Rights, and in general, citizens often win cases against the Ministry of the Interior on this basis.”
However, the case against Makichyan is being brought under Article 22 of the Citizenship Law. This maintains that the citizen provided false statements in their original application, making it void. He is accused of living at a different address to the one given in his application, while other supporting documents have apparently been lost.
At the time of publishing, the Russian Prosecutor General’s office had not responded to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.
In 2018, fearing a gang war, Russia’s Ministry of the Interior used Article 22 to deprive Tariel Oniani, a crime lord of Georgian origin, of his citizenship on the grounds that he acquired it dishonestly. Russia extradited him to Spain, where he was wanted for organised crime charges.
But according to Podoplelova, Makichyan’s case marks the first time such a move has been made against a political activist.
“We have before us a very simple and convenient scheme for the state, which can be applied to almost any activist who has received Russian citizenship not by birth,” she explained. “So far, this is the first such case, but the migration authorities have already mastered the scheme. It’s more frequent use for political purposes is a matter of time.”
More commonly, opponents of the Russian government have found themselves facing criminal charges, which they claim are politically motivated.
This includes possession of narcotics, which demands a low threshold of evidence. Other charges include hate speech, fraud, and shows of “extremism” (which can be merely sharing a post on social media). Opposition leader Alexey Navalny is currently serving nine years on charges of embezzlement.
According to human rights observer OVD-Info, more than 15,000 Russians have been arrested for protest actions since the start of the war. Many are awaiting trial.
Meanwhile, politicians have already proposed rescinding unpatriotic Russians’ citizenship more straightforwardly.
In April, lawmaker Vyacheslav Volodin called for “traitors” against Moscow’s “special operation” to be stripped of their citizenship, and lamented there was “no procedure for revoking citizenship and preventing them from entering our country”.
Volodin earlier tried to pass a law for revoking citizenship in 2017, but it was dropped as unconstitutional.
In December last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has referred to those opposed to his war as pro-Western “scum” and “traitors”, introduced amendments to the citizenship law.
He proposed launching an “institute of citizenship termination”, and called for the grounds for deprivation of acquired citizenship to be expanded to include treason, espionage and drug trafficking.
These proposals are yet to be made law.
Also last year, lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein asked on his Telegram channel, “Why do you need a Russian passport if you hate your country and your people?”
But Makichyan says he loves his country.
“I’ve been doing activism for three years and risking my freedom for a beautiful Russian future, and Russia is very important for me,” he said.
“Of course, I am going to fight [this case]. We are trying to make this case as visible and loud as possible because the only way to influence the government’s decision is public pressure. And we are trying to reach out to as many people as possible who can be affected by this case, and it’s millions of people in Russia.”
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
Armenia, Russia looking for new areas of Cooperation: Deputy PM
GOA CHRONICLE
Yerevan: Armenia and Russia are working to find new areas of cooperation, Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan said during a reception organised by the Russian Embassy in honour of the Day of Russia.
“Armenian-Russian allied relations are distinguished by interaction in the military and political sphere, effective and close cooperation within the framework of EAEU, CSTO, CIS and other international organisations, successful bilateral partnership in trade, economic, energy, transport and other important areas. Today, our joint efforts are aimed at finding new promising areas of strategic cooperation,” Grigoryan said.
He expressed confidence that through joint efforts, the two countries will be able to expand allied relations and enrich them with new initiatives in the interests of the citizens of Armenia and Russia, economic and social progress, security and stability in the world and the region.
He congratulated the Russians on the holiday, wishing “well-being and prosperity to fraternal Russia.”
https://goachronicle.com/armenia-russia-looking-for-new-areas-of-cooperation-deputy-pm/
Prime Minister of Armenia leaves Doha, Qatar
Qatar –
Published: 14 Jun 2022 – 07:43 pm | Last Updated: 14 Jun 2022 – 07:45 pm
QNA – Doha – Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia HE Nikol Pashinyan left Doha on Tuesday afternoon following an official visit to the country.
His Excellency and the accompanying delegation were seen off upon departure at Doha International Airport by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs HE Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Armenia HE Mohammed bin Hamad Al Hajri and Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the State of Qatar HE Armen Sargsyan.
https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/14/06/2022/prime-minister-of-armenia-leaves-doha
Qatar: QBA holds meeting with Armenian PM, reviews investment opportunities
Qatar –
QBA holds meeting with Armenian PM, reviews investment opportunities
07:54 PM
The Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA) held a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his accompanying delegation Tuesday, in Doha to discuss co-operation opportunities and develop economic relations.
The meeting was also attended by Gegham Gharibjanian, Armenia’s ambassador to Qatar, as well as QBA first deputy chairman Hussain Alfardan, QBA members Khalid al-Mannai, Maqbool Khalfan, Youssef al-Mahmoud, QBA deputy general manager Sarah Abdallah.
During the meeting, Alfardan underscored the importance of discussing ways of co-operation between the two countries and working to boost economic and trade relations. He also stressed the interest of Qatari businessmen in identifying possible areas of co-operation in Armenia and the available investment opportunities.
Pashinyan thanked the QBA for hosting the meeting, during which he expressed the importance of developing relations between the two countries and presenting the business environment in Armenia and other major investment projects that may attract the interest of Qatari businessmen.
The Prime Minister discussed Armenia’s economic sector, describing it as a resilient economy. He expressed optimism over World Bank figures, which predicted a 3.5% economic growth for Armenia in 2022, citing the World Bank Group’s ‘Global Economic Prospects’ report. The report also expects Armenia’s economic growth to be 4.6% in 2023 and 4.9% in 2024, he said.
Pashinyan also spoke about the most important sectors and investment opportunities in Armenia, such as the tourism and agricultural sectors, which he considers “great opportunities” for co-operation between the two countries.
QBA members expressed their interest in exploring new international markets and their readiness to identify areas of cooperation in Armenia. They also confirmed their keenness to support and develop bilateral relations in various fields and agreed to organise a visit to Armenia to explore and learn more about the opportunities there.
Armenia enjoys ‘very close ties with Iran’: PM
TEHRAN TIMES
Iran –
– 22:1
TEHRAN – Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has hailed relations with Iran as friendly, expressing hope for further enhancement of ties with Iran in the realm of trade.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, the Armenian prime minister touched on the relations with neighboring countries, including Iran.
“We have four neighbors, and with two of them we have very good relations, I mean Georgia and Iran. Iran is a friendly country for us, and we consider Iran as a friendly country, which also has good relations with Azerbaijan too,” he said, according to ARMENPRESS.
He added, “It isn’t our intention not to have good relations with countries which have good relations with Azerbaijan. But now we have very close ties with Iran.”
He also expressed hope that through cooperation with Iran, Armenia will be able to enhance the bilateral trade with Qatar as well.
He said, “And we are working on developing the communications connecting Iran with Armenia, and now we are in the process of constructing a very strategic highway named North-South, connecting our Georgian border with our Iranian border.”
Pashinyan noted, “And we hope that as a result of that project, our economic relations with Iran will increase. By the way, the Eurasian Economic Union has free trade agreement with Iran which is very important for our bilateral relations as well.”
Iran enjoys strong relations with Armenia and during the last war in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, Iran sought to make peace between Yerevan and Baku.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Monday that the speaker of the Armenian Parliament is traveling to Tehran this week.
Earlier in June, Pashinyan spoke over the phone with Iranian President Ayatollah Seyed Ebrahim Raisi.
In the call, Raisi described the ongoing consultations as a sign of the importance and depth of friendly relations between the two countries and said, “Iran considers Armenia a friendly country and attaches great importance to neighborly relations with Armenia.”
He described one of Iran’s main policies as supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries. “Preserving the geopolitics of the region, including international borders and respecting the national sovereignty of countries is emphasized by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the president asserted.
Expressing Iran’s support for the development of bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the fields of energy and transportation, Raisi noted, “This cooperation will strengthen peace, stability and economic and trade prosperity in the region,” according to the official website of the Iranian presidency.
Raisi further stated that Iran supports the progress in the peace talks between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, and said, “We hope that the remaining issues in this field are resolved peacefully and with respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the two countries, in accordance with the principles of international law and also paying attention to the rights and security of all the people of the Caucasus region.”
The president emphasized, “The Islamic Republic of Iran is deeply committed to the fact that the issues of the region must be resolved with the consensus and cooperation of all countries in the region and on the basis of common interests and mutual respect.”
Raisi pointed out, “The Zionist Regime is by no means a friend of the nations of the region and the oppression that this regime has inflicted on the Palestinian people is unprecedented in history. The activities of the Zionist regime must be faced with sensitivity and caution in order to prevent its influence in the region.”
In the telephone conversation, the Armenian prime minister reported on the implemented agreements and appreciated the principled positions of Iran in the developments in the region and insisted on maintaining the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries. He also described Iran’s role in the region as important and effective.
Expressing his country’s interest in developing economic, trade, political and cultural interactions and cooperation with Iran, the Prime Minister of Armenia said, “The continuous holding of a joint commission on economic cooperation between the two countries will definitely facilitate and accelerate the expanding process of relations between the two countries.”
Explaining the process of negotiations and consultations between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, Pashinyan welcomed the holding of the 3+3 countries summit in Tehran as soon as possible.
Talk of "corridor" unacceptable for Armenia – PM
PanArmenian
Armenia –
– 15:36 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net – Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that the wording involving the provision of a “corridor” to Azerbaijan is unacceptable for Armenia.
The Azerbaijani side has on multiple occasions raised the question about a “corridor” through the southern Armenian province of Syunik that would connect Nakhijevan to the rest of Azerbaijan. The Armenian side, however, has repeatedly denied being involved in negotiations for the provision of a corridor to Azerbaijan, stressing that they have only agreed to unblock transport communications in the region.
“You know, the wording, the narrative about the so-called corridor is unacceptable for us, it is a red line for us, because in our region, according to the trilateral statement I mentioned at the beginning of our conversation, we have one corridor, it is the Lachin corridor that connects Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia,” Pashinyan told Al Jazeera.
“But we have another provision in our trilateral statement, which is about opening communications. I mean railways, roads, and we are ready, in fact we are already discussing the issue of opening regional communications based on the principle of mutual respect for sovereignty and the inviolability of borders.”
https://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/300888/Talk_of_corridor_unacceptable_for_Armenia_%E2%80%93_PM