Category: News

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Saturday confirmed the release of Armenian Arsen Voskanyan, who was held captive by the Cimarron Resistance Front of the ELN, Colombia’s second-largest rebel group,  reports.

“This morning a person of foreign nationality who was detained by the ELN was handed over to a humanitarian mission of the ICRC at the rural area of ​​the department of Chocó,” the organization said in a statement.

According to the authorities, the Armenian citizen was kidnapped in Pizarro, Chocó when he was looking for golden frogs to export them – apparently illegally – from the country.

In a communication intercepted by the authorities, the rebels said that they had a Russian citizen in their possession.

The golden frog produces a deadly toxin used in laboratories in Europe to manufacture pain drugs. These animals are sold up to 1,500 euros on the illegal market.

Armenian Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan had a meeting with Philippe Boillat, Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, Council of Europe.

The parties agreed to deepen the joint cooperation and implement new programs in the field of protection of the rights of people in detention and servicemen and others. They attached importance to the work with the civil society and journalists.

Arman Tatoyan and Philippe Boillat discussed the issue of extradition of Russian-Israeli blogger Alexander Lapshin.

The Armenian Ombudsman noted that “decision on his extradition is of political nature, poses a direct threat to the freedom of speech and creates an impermissible precedent.” “It’s a harsh violation of the European human rights protection system,” Tatoyan said, adding that “journalists’ visits to Artsakh cannot be subject to any persecution.”

According to the Ombudsman, the case comes to prove the need to make visits to Artsakh more frequent and intensify the involvement of the Artsakh Ombudsman and the civil society in international processes.

The Ombudsman handed over the report on the consequences of the Azeri attack on Armenia’s Chinari village to Philippe Boillat.

 AP Photo/Sergei Grits

 

Talks on the Syrian crisis have begun in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana, TASS reports.

The issues topping the meeting’s agenda include strengthening the ceasefire and advancing the negotiation process in order to hold consultations in Geneva on February 8.

On the whole, seven delegations are participating in the meeting including those of the Syrian government and the armed opposition, as well as Russia, Turkey and Iran, who act as guarantors of the ceasefire agreements adopted on December 29. Besides, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura’s team is also taking part in the talks while US Ambassador to Kazakhstan George Krol acts as an observer.

Russia’s delegation is headed by Special Presidential Envoy for the Syrian Settlement Alexander Lavrentyev, Iran’s delegation is led by Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari and Turkey’s delegation is headed by Deputy Undersecretary for the Middle East and Africa at the Foreign Ministry Sedat Onal. Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Bashar Jaafari leads the Damascus delegation.

The Syrian opposition delegation comprises representatives of the groups active, first and foremost, in the northern and central parts of the country, as well as some of the groups from southern Syria. Jaish al-Islam member Mohammed Alloush is one of the negotiators.

The talks are scheduled to be completed on January 24 at 13:00 local time (7:00 GMT) while at 14:00 local time (8:00 GMT) the final press conference is expected to start. However, the organizers and the participants do not rule out that, if necessary, the talks may be prolonged.

Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan had a meeting with Guido Raimondi, President of the European Court of Human Rights.

Issues related to the cooperation between the Armenian Ombudsman’s Office and the European Court were discussed.

In particular, reference was made to the mechanism of Armenia’s intervention as third party in cases before the European Court. The SCHR President attached importance to this initiative of the Armenian Human Rights Defender, noting that it would be an example of best international practice and help raise the effectiveness of the European Court’s activity.

The parties agreed to ensure cooperation towards the implementation of the European Court rulings and purse the protection of human rights, in general.

PHOTO: THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT

 

A manuscript handwritten by Armenian monks in 1351 containing the Gospels of Luke and John is the oldest book in the Rare Book Room of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, according to .

“It is not a complete Bible. Little holes in its leather cover probably once held stones or jewels,” says Edward Hill, Toledo-Lucas County Public Library special collections librarian.

On the third floor of the main Toledo-Lucas County Public Library is one of the building’s coziest rooms and one of its best-kept secrets.

Yet, the most important thing about The Blade Rare Book Room isn’t its decor but what’s inside.

And there are some beauties, not just because they’re old or valuable.

“Some of these books go beyond books and are works of art,” Edward Hill, says.

The oldest item in the collection isn’t a book; it is a Babylon clay tablet believed to be 4,000 years old. It has a cuneiform inscription, one with wedge-shaped characters used in ancient writing systems.

Hermine Naghdalyan, Head of the Armenian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), has been elected PACE Vice-President.

The Vice-Presidents were elected at the opening session of the Winter plenary session today.

The seats for the Vice-Presidents in respect of the Republic of Moldova and Romania remain vacant.

Aleksandra Djurovic (Serbia)
Axel E. Fischer (Germany)
Sir Roger Gale (United Kingdom)
Adele Gambaro (Italy)
Antonio Gutiérrez (Spain)
Carles Jordana (Andorra)
Talip Küçükcan (Turkey)
Georgii Logvynskyi (Ukraine)
George Loucaides (Cyprus)
Robert Madej (Slovak Republic)
Ana Catarina Mendes (Portugal)
Marianne Mikko (Estonia)
Hermine Naghdalyan (Armenia)
Zsolt Németh (Hungary)
Ria Oomen-Ruijten (Netherlands)
René Rouquet (France)
Ingjerd Schou (Norway)
(Republic of Moldova, Romania : vacant seats)

Twenty Vice-Presidents are elected annually at the beginning of an ordinary session and remain in office until the opening of the next session (but a Vice-President whose delegation is renewed in the course of a session does not remain in office).

Armenia captain Henrikh Mkhitaryan turns 28 today. Manchester United hopes to celebrate the day with three points against Stoke City.

“Let’s celebrate Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s special day with three points!” the club wrote on its official Facebook page

Atıf Çiçekli, the trustee appointed to Van’s Edremit district has ordered to remove the signs in Armenian, reports.

Van’s Edremit District Municipality used signs in Turkish, Kurdish, Armenian and English in busy parts of the district as part of efforts for a multilingual life. These efforts were especially prominent in Edremit as it is a touristic district. The second trustee Atış Çiçekli made a name for himself first with firing the workers and implementing bans, and now he had the signs in Armenian removed.

The Edremit district is by the Van Lake and has a high potential for nature and tourism. The district is also the closest to the Akhtamar Island where Armenian ceremonies are held every September. Edremit is filled with remnants of Armenian legacy. There is a fountain in the district made by the Armenian artist Arshile Gorky, which had been restored by the DBP municipality.

Armenians hold ceremonies on Akhtamar Island in Van Lake on the first week of every September. As a service to Armenians coming to the island for the ceremony, the Edremit Municipality had put up signs in Armenian in various places in the district as per a decree by the municipal council. But the trustee Atıf Çiçekli removed these signs, without citing a reason.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence has appointed Ken Nahigian to replace Rick Dearborn as executive director of the Trump-Pence presidential transition, the transition team said in a press release on Wednesday.

Nahigian, who served as the head of strategic planning and support for President-elect Donald Trump, will now support Trump’s nominees through their confirmation hearings.

“In the days following the election, [Nahigian’s] role evolved to not only manage President-elect support, but also prepare our great cabinet designees for their hearings,” Dearborn was quoted as saying in the release. “The transition is in capable hands with Ken Nahigian, who has tirelessly supported it from day one and will carry it through the finish line.”

“Ken has been a tremendous and critical asset to the Transition,” said Mr. Dearborn.  “In the days following the election, his role evolved to not only manage President-elect support but also prepare our great cabinet designees for their hearings.  The Transition is in capable hands with Ken Nahigian, who has tirelessly supported it from day one and will carry it through the finish line.”

Throughout the pre-election and Transition periods, Mr. Nahigian served as the head of President-elect support, the body that oversees all strategic planning and support to the President-elect, Vice President-elect, their families, and nominees, where pre-planning is critical to ensure a strong foundation is built for a successful transition minutes after the election is called.  In this role, Mr. Nahigian and his team led the organization of critical functionality of the Transition pre-election, which included the creation of GreatAgain.gov, the structuring of a communications strategy post-election, the building of the resources infrastructure to be ready on day one, and creation of a network for public engagement during the Transition period.

“I’m honored that the President-elect, Vice President-elect and Rick Dearborn have entrusted me with this responsibility and it is my honor to continue my service to this new administration,” said Mr. Nahigian. “It has been a tremendous honor to be part of this historic and successful process of building our government.”

While not working on the Presidential Transition, Mr. Nahigian serves as a principal in a 17-year old public relations and communications planning and strategy firm.

Dearborn is leaving the post to assume his role as White House deputy chief of staff.

Trump’s inauguration will be held January 20 in Washington, DC, in front of the Capitol, the seat of the US Congress.