Category: News

Hundreds of Azerbaijanis in Armenian captivity
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Dec 23 2004
The State Commission on Captives, Hostages and Missing Persons held
its first meeting in a new composition at the Ministry of National
Security on Saturday.
The Commission chairman, Minister Eldar Mahmudov stated that the
commission, in its new format, will be even more active in conveying
to Azerbaijani and international community the facts on violation of
international norms by Armenia, which perpetrated ethnic cleansing,
massacre and vandalism against Azerbaijanis and holds them in
captivity.
Members of the commission said that international organizations are not
providing the needed assistance in searching for Azerbaijani captives
and hostages and pointed out the importance of seeking other ways of
resolving the problem.
The speakers also reaffirmed that up till December 1, 2004, 4,852
Azerbaijanis became missing in the conflict zone, including 54
children, 323 women, and 410 elderly people.
In 1998-2004, 1,360 Azerbaijanis were released from Armenian
captivity, including 166 children, 335 women and 286 elderly people.
The undisputed facts show that at least 783 Azeri citizens, including
18 children, 46 women and 69 elderly people, were taken captive and
hostage by Armenia. However, this was concealed from international
organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC). The list of these people has been compiled based on witness
testimonies of Azerbaijanis released from captivity and those from
other sources.
Most of these people were killed while in Armenian captivity, died
from either torture or diseases, while some of them are still being
withheld in Armenia and the occupied Azerbaijani territories and used
for slave labor.

Israel Vazquez-Art Simonyan on Dec. 28
EastsideBoxing.com
Dec 23 2004
22.12.04 – International Boxing Federation Association junior
featherweight champion Israel Vazquez defends his title under the
Sycuan Ringside Promotions banner for the first time when he meets
undefeated and No. 1-ranked contender Art Simonyan Tuesday, Dec. 28,
at the Sycuan Resort & Casino in El Cajon, Calif..
The world championship card, promoted by Sycuan Ringside Promotions
in association with Banner Promotions, will be held in the Sycuan
Showcase Theatre at the Sycuan Resort & Casino. The card starts at
6 p.m. (Pacific) with doors to the Sycuan Showcase Theatre opening
at 5:30.
Also on the card will be six other fights, featuring two women’s
bouts and three boxers from San Diego.
The IBF 122-pound championship will be a belated birthday gift for
either Vasquez or Simonyan.
Vazquez turns 27 on Christmas Day while Simonyan becomes 29 on Dec.
27.
This is the fifth boxing card presented by Sycuan Ringside Promotions
since it burst onto the international boxing scene earlier this year.
Sycuan Ringside Promotions is considered by many to be the
fastest-growing and most dynamic promotional entity in the sport.
Sycuan Ringside Promotions made its promotional debut during February,
but already has presented world championship bouts on premium cable
networks.
Tickets for this championship card, priced at $100, $200 and $250,
are on sale 24 hours daily in the gift shop at the Sycuan Resort
& Casino. Tickets also can be ordered by calling 619-445-6002 or
619-659-3380 24 hours daily.
Vazquez, originally from Mexico City but now living in Los Angeles,
won the IBF junior featherweight championship in his most recent bout,
March 25 in Los Angeles, when he stopped Jose Luis Valbuena in the
12th round.
Vazquez has a record of 36-3 with 27 knockouts. He has a mark of 16-1
dating back to 1999, that lone loss coming in a bout for the World
Boxing Council super bantamweight championship during 2002.
Simonyan, who was born in Armenia but now lives in Glendale, Calif.,
has a record of 14-0-1 with seven knockouts. He earned the right to
challenge Vazquez with a 12-round decision over Fahsan Por Thawatchai
in a title elimination bout May 21 in Elk Grove Village, Ill.
“Simonyan is a tough fighter and he’s strong,” says Vazquez, “but
I’m motivated and anxious to fight.”
The undercard bouts include undefeated super welterweight Carlos Mainor
of San Diego against Steve Parker of Pomona, Calif.; cruiserweight
Shane Johnston of San Diego against Moses Matovu of Los Angeles;
Jay Horton of Pomona against James Harling of Long Beach, Calif.,
in a heavyweight fight; and unbeaten super lightweight Eddie Mapula
of Tijuana against an opponent to be determined.
In the two women’s bouts undefeated featherweight Crystal Hoy of Las
Vegas faces Jessica Mohs of Chandler, Ariz., and junior bantamweight
Heather Donahue of San Diego makes her pro debut against an opponent
to be determined.
Sycuan Ringside Promotions has many notable boxers in its stable in
addition to Vazquez, including WBO junior featherweight champion Joan
“Little Tyson” Guzman, IBF lightweight champion Julio “The Kidd” Diaz,
former World Boxing Association cruiserweight king Orlin “Night Train”
Norris and highly regarded welterweight Antonio Diaz.

The Washington Holocaust Memorial
Crikey, Australia
Dec 23 2004
A little while ago Miscellany mentioned the historian of the Armenian
massacres/genocide, Norman Stone, doubting the authenticity of
Hitler’s quote about the Armenians which is featured on the wall of
the Washington Holocaust memorial.
We have just noticed (the TLS 19 November 2004) a letter from Vahakn
Dadrian and Stephen Feinstein of the University of Minnesota Centre
for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. In the letter they say Professor
Gerhard Weinberg (reported in the New York Times June 18 1985) found
the quote in secret notes Admiral Canaris had taken of Hitler’s speech
delivered to German generals on August 22 1939 in Obersalzberg.

Armenia willing to be flexible on Nagorno-Karabakh
Interfax
Dec 23 2004
Yerevan. (Interfax) – Armenia is willing to be flexible on when
Nagorno-Karabakh will be able to exercise its right to self-
determination, Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian told a Wednesday news
conference in Yerevan.
“The final agreement on settling the Karabakh conflict should proclaim
the right of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to self- determination,
which would be recognized by the international community, and we are
ready to be flexible on the question of timing the realization of
this right,” he said.
Armenia will not sign any treaty that does not recognize the right
of Karabakh to self-determination, he said.
Speaking of the participation of Karabakh in the talks, Oskanian said
that Armenia had faced an alternative – either refuse to continue
talks with Azerbaijan without the participation of Nagorno-Karabakh,
or agree to continue them for the sake of preserving the process. The
Armenian leadership has chosen the latter option, he said.
“It is unimportant who holds the talks on the Armenian side,
Armenia or Nagorno-Karabakh. What is being discussed at the talks
is important. But sooner or later the time will come when the
participation of Nagorno-Karabakh in the talks will become inevitable,”
Oskanian said.
He reminded journalists that Nagorno-Karabakh had been a party to
the talks until spring 1997.
In the middle of January 2005, Prague will host the next meeting of
the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh in an armed conflict
with Armenia in the 1990s.

Armenian economy expands 10% in 11 mths
Interfax
Dec 23 2004
Yerevan. (Interfax) – Armenian GDP grew 10% year-on-year to 1.672
trillion dram in January-November, the National Statistics Service
told Interfax.
GDP in November this year fell 22.2% compared with October.
Industrial output rose 1.6% to 473.9 billion dram year-on-year in
the 11 months.
Armenian foreign trade grew 4.5% year-on-year to 1.001 trillion dram
in the same period.
The government forecasts GDP growth of 7% in 2004. GDP in 2003
increased 13.9% year-on-year to 1.618 trillion dram, with industrial
production up 14.9% to 425.3 billion dram.
The official exchange rate on December 22 was 484.97 dram to the
dollar.

Palestinian leader Abbas receives EU envoy, church delegation
Voice of Palestine, Ramallah
23 Dec 04
PLO Executive Committee Chairman Mahmud Abbas, Abu-Mazin, received
Marc Otte, the European envoy for the Middle East peace process,
at the presidential compound this morning. The meeting dealt with
the efforts being exerted to revive the peace process as well the
forthcoming presidential elections.
Abbas had earlier received a Jerusalem church delegation headed by
Armenian Patriarch Torkom Manoogian and a number of patriarchs and
bishops on the occasion of the advent of Christmas.

The Islamic Republic’s Christian Minority
By Golnaz Esfandiari
12/39e8de10-59b8-4b9b-ad25-8a10f1c34402.html
Iran is officially designated the “Islamic Republic,” yet among its more
than 66 million people is a small but important Christian minority. Most
of Iran’s Christians are Armenians and Assyrians, who remain relatively
free to follow their faith. The numbers of Protestants and evangelical
Christians are said to be growing. For these people, life is often much
more difficult. RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari takes a look at
Iran’s Christian minority.
Prague, 23 December 2004 (RFE/RL) — Christian Armenians and Assyrians
have lived for centuries on the territory of what is today Iran.
Vigen, one of Iran’s most famous singers, came from the country’s Armenian
community. He was loved by all Iranians in spite of the fact his faith was
different from the vast majority. He died recently, but remains a legend.
The number of Armenians, Iran’s largest Christian minority, was estimated
at about 300,000 in 1979. It has declined in recent times but remains
culturally important.
Mardo Soghom, the director of RFE/RL’s Radio Farda, is Armenian by origin
but grew up in Isfahan, in central Iran.
“The 400-year history of the Armenian community in Iran is perhaps the
greatest example of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence, even at
the time when the country experienced isolation and socio-economic
backwardness,” Soghom said. “In the 20th century, as the country
modernized, the Armenian community thrived both economically and
culturally. After the revolution, dislocations and restrictions affecting
the general population also created hardships for Armenians, nearly half
the community left Iran. Some discriminatory policies and restrictions
came into effect, but still community rights are generally protected.”
Armenians have two seats in the Iranian parliament but continue to face
cultural, social, and administrative difficulties. They report
discrimination in finding work, and just a few Armenian schools are
fortunate enough to have an Armenian schoolmaster.
The Assyrian Christian population is estimated at some 10,000. They have
one seat in the parliament.
Iran is also home to a small number of Catholics and a small but growing
number of Protestants.
A relatively new phenomenon is the rising number of Muslim-born Iranians
who convert to Christianity.
Issa Dibaj is the son of reverend Hassan Dibaj, a Christian convert who
was jailed and later found murdered in 1994. Issa Dibaj left Iran five
years ago and now lives in the U.K.
“There is another Christian minority that people know little about, these
are Iranians who are born as Muslims and then later become Christians,”
Dibaj said. “Their number is growing day by day. [There] may be around
100,000 [of them], but no one really knows the exact number.”
Such Christians run a potentially dangerous risk. Under Islamic law as
practiced in Iran, a Muslim who converts to another faith can face the
death penalty.
The government has refrained from executing people for this in recent
years, nevertheless it has taken measure to curb proselytizing by
Christians.
Some churches have been closed and reports say the authorities are putting
pressure on evangelicals not to recruit Muslims or to allow them to attend
services.
In September, 85 member of the Assemblies of God church were arrested
during a conference in Iran. One remains in jail.
Dibaj said in spite of the restrictions, he sees a growing interest in
Christianity: “[Iranians] see that the establishment which came in the
name of Islam has brought them only war, rancor, hatred, and killings. At
the same time, they see the message of Jesus, which is love. It attracts
them through programs they see on satellite or through their Christian
friends.”
He added: “People are very curious, very interested. Iranians [are] open
and they like to know more about different cultures, ideas, and religions.
I had friends who had been prisoners of war in Iraq, at the university
they were my best friends, they were very interested [about my faith], and
I gave some of them the Bible.”
Iranian Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus pretty much like other
Christians around the world. They decorate Christmas trees, exchange
gifts, and attend services. Depending on the calendar, Armenians and
Assyrians celebrate Christmas on 6 January. Others celebrate usually on 24
December.
According to some reports Persia may even be the land of origin of the
“Three Wise Men” who — according to the Bible — arrived bearing gifts
for the birth of Christ. Some say they were Persian “Magi” — members of
priestly caste at the time.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 23, 2004
Contact: Linda Yepoyan
Phone: 610-642-6633
[email protected]
BIRTH RIGHT ARMENIA SPONSORS STRING OF OPPORTUNITY FAIRS
Young diasporans interested in learning more about the wealth of
volunteer programs being offered in Armenia, will want to take advantage
of the Opportunity Fairs being sponsored by Birthright Armenia this
coming January. Birthright Armenia is organizing these unified
promotional and recruitment events for all sponsored organizations that
offer youth programs to Armenia, with the goal of providing young
diasporan adults with a one-stop shop of information pertaining to
volunteer and study abroad opportunities in the Homeland under one roof.
Birthright Armenia will be pilot testing the Opportunity Fair idea in
Montreal and Toronto prior to conducting larger outreach events in
Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. The key objectives
of the Opportunity Fairs are three-fold: to promote the idea and
importance of volunteerism in Armenia to large groups of youth; to
support the organizations implementing youth programs in Armenia in
getting a jump-start on their recruitment with captive audiences of
youth; and to simplify the research process of all available volunteer
opportunities for the youth in attendance. Opportunity Fairs of this
kind are unprecedented, so if these six pilot events prove to be
successful, Birthright Armenia vows to move forward with the idea of
sponsoring them annually on a national level.
Attendees of the Opportunity Fairs along the east coast can expect
presentations from more than half a dozen of the various diasporan
organizations implementing volunteer and internship programs in Armenia.
The organizations already scheduled to present at one or more of the
fairs include: ACYOA, Armenian Assembly of America, ASA-NY, Armenian
Tree Project, Armenian Volunteer Corps, AYF, Fund for Armenian Relief,
Habitat for Humanity, and Land and Culture Organization. It is
Birthright Armenia’s goal to get all of the diasporan organizations to
mobilize their staff, program alumni and volunteers to participate in as
many fairs as possible to speak to interested youth, to share first hand
experiences with fair attendees, and to encourage early submission of
applications. In addition, Birthright Armenia staff will inform the
audience about the availability of newly created local Armenian NGO
internship programs designed specifically for diasporan youth in the
areas of arts, education, environment, health, human rights, public
policy, social welfare, and youth affairs.
The Opportunity Fairs are currently scheduled for the following days,
cities, venues and times:
January 14: MONTREAL – McGill University, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
January 15: TORONTO – location to be finalized
January 20: BOSTON – Armenian Library and Museum of America in
Watertown, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
January 21: NEW YORK – NYU, Kimmel Center 803, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
January 23: PHILADELPHIA – St. Sahag & St. Mesrob Armenian Church in
Wynnewood, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
January 24: WASHINGTON, DC – Embassy of the Republic of Armenia, 6:00 –
9:00 p.m.
For those interested in learning more about Birthright Armenia and the
Opportunity Fairs listed above, please visit
for more detailed, up-to-date information on exact venues and event
times as they become available or email: [email protected].
Birthright Armenia’s mission is to strengthen ties between the homeland
and diasporan youth by affording them an opportunity to be a part of
Armenia’s daily life and to contribute to Armenia’s development through
work, study and volunteer experiences, while developing a renewed sense
of Armenian identity. This is accomplished by supporting and
complementing the initiatives of existing diasporan organizations that
offer youth programs in Armenia, and encouraging them to expand their
offerings in depth and breath. Birthright Armenia assists with travel
fellowships, language instruction, in-country seminars, orientation and
excursions in exchange for community service in Armenia.
# # #
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri official dismisses Armenian threat to quit peace talks
Ekspress, Baku
23 Dec 04
Excerpt from report by Alakbar Raufoglu in Azerbaijani newspaper
Ekspress on 23 December headlined “Iravan [Yerevan] is blackmailing:
‘We will officially walk out of the dialogue with Azerbaijan, if
Nagornyy Karabakh is not involved in the talks'”
The next meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign
ministers will be held in Prague in mid-January, Armenian Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan has told Armenian Public TV.
[Passage omitted: reported details]
The non-involvement of Karabakh’s separatist regime in the talks has
no effect on Yerevan’s position: “This is not about the strengthening
or weakening of our position. Karabakh’s involvement in the talks is
a need. Despite Azerbaijan’s approach to the problem, Azerbaijan and
Karabakh are the parties to the conflict. Armenia is taking part in the
talks because Baku does not want to talk to Xankandi [Stepanakert]. If
Azerbaijan interprets our involvement in the talks differently and
tries to change the essence of the issue, Armenia will refuse to take
part in the dialogue. That’s why, we want the settlement process to
be held in the format of the [OSCE] Minsk Group. The inclusion of
the issue in the UN agenda changes the format, and Yerevan will not
be able to represent Nagornyy Karabakh in this format.”
[Passage omitted: more details]
“One should put an end to unlimited manipulations in the Karabakh
talks. Moves of this kind promise nothing positive to the peace
process,” the Azerbaijani deputy foreign minister and the president’s
special representative on the Karabakh issue, Araz Azimov, told
Ekspress newspaper, commenting on Oskanyan’s views on the need to
involve the Armenian community of [Karabakh] in the talks.
Baku hopes that the upcoming talks will be held “on the basis of
more specific positions”. Armenia should send “precise signals”
in this connection.
Azimov did not speak about the essence of the current discussions.
“Everything will be clear after the next meeting. In any case,
the discussions have been held for 14 years now. The international
community has been making persistent statements on the process as
well. All these factors will be recorded,” Azimov said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Venezuela recognizes China as full market economy
Xinhua news agency
23 Dec 04
Beijing, 23 December: The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela recognized
China’s full market economy status Thursday [23 December]. The
Venezuelan government made this recognition in the third meeting
briefing of the high-level mixed committee. The document was signed
by the two governments here during Venezuelan President Hugo Rafael
Chavez Frias’s five-day state visit to China.
Both sides believed this recognition will help the two countries
cooperate in the World Trade Organization and further boost the
bilateral economic relations. So far, 27 countries have recognized
China’s full market economy status, including New Zealand, Nigeria,
Russia, Pakistan, Venezuela, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Antigua
and Barbuda, Benin, Djibouti, South Africa, Togo, Guyana, Armenia,
Kyrgyzstan, and the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations.