Category: News

Artsakh Defense Ministry reports 35 cases of ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side on April 35 and the night of May 1.

The rival firearms of different calibers as it fired over 420 shots in the direction of the Armenian positions. The Azeri forces also used an automatic grenade launcher (2 shells) in the southern direction of the line of contact.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army keep the situation under control and confidently continue with the protection o military positions all along the line of contact.

President Serzh Sargsyan has issued an address on the occasion of Labor Day

Dear Compatriots,

I cordially congratulate you on the occasion of Labor Day.

On May 1, laborers all over the world traditionally celebrate their holiday and praise honest work. This is truly a holiday of human dignity.

Peaceful work, honest gain, and mutual respect are timeless values which because of the rich traditions formed through the millennia have found their steady place in our reality. These values were passed from generation to generation by our parents and forefathers, and we have to pass them on intact to our children and heirs.

Today, when Armenia is an independent state, we are obligated to revisit these traditions and reinforce them. Diligence, creative and innovative approach to work, solidarity of the different strata of the society constitute the most solid base for our Fatherland’s sustainable development. I am confident that this is the best road towards the implementation in Armenia of fundamental changes and modernization of our economy.

Dear Compatriots,

The working people – you, are the foundation of our country’s prosperity.
I once again congratulate you on this great holiday and wish that your life is full of interesting and productive work, new ideas and enterprising activities which will bring light, warmth, and prosperity to each Armenian family.

Being the winner of Armenian national selection in December 2016, Artsvik will represent Armenia at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest with her song ‘Fly With Me’.

Shortly before the first rehearsal at Kyiv’s International Exhibition Centre Artsvik had no doubts about smooth running of the preparations. “I’m sure the rehearsals are going to be great, because there are a lot of professionals here, so I´m sure I´m in safe hands,” she said.

Artsvik made her way through the world of music and art through hardship and difficult choices. She initially decided to start her career as a speech therapist however later realised it was music that captured her soul. The singer believes that it is crucial to remain true to yourself, be honest with others and pursue the dreams no matter what happens. “Although I started to sing very late, I can say one thing, I know that dreams do come true and I want to encourage everybody to follow their dreams irrespective of age and profession,” said Artsvik.

Regardless of the results, Artsvik is here at Eurovision to share her music and reach new audiences with one key message; love is love. “I think nowadays world needs a lot of love,” said Artivik. The entry will incorporate colourful and mysterious graphics, fireworks as well as two dancers performing on the stage.

When talking to the Armenian participant underlined the importance of 2017 slogan Celebrate diversity that she finds very meaningful and important; “It really shows how so many different countries are united in one place by music”. Artsvik was so inspired by the slogan that even came up with her own idea of creating a Celebrate Diversity Challenge where she challenged other participants to sing traditional songs.

“I’m challenging other participants from other countries by singing folk songs from their countries and in response they sing something traditional from Armenia”, explained Artsvik. The challenge has already been accepted and undertaken by five countries.

Armenia’s second rehearsal will take place on 4th May. Artsvik will participate in the First Semi-Final on Tuesday 9th May.

Turkish historian Taner Akcam has recently uncovered a telegram, which, he says, will force the Turkish government seek new ways of denying the Armenian Genocide.

“Are the Armenians who were deported from there being liquidated? Are the troublesome individuals whom you have reported as having been exiled and expelled being exterminated or merely being sent off and deported? Please report back honestly,” reads the telegram sent from Ezrum by Behaeddin Shakir to Kharberd Governor Sabit Bey.

The document dated July 4th, 1915 consists of two parts – the actual text on top and the coded four-digit Arabic numbers on the bottom.

Taner Akcam, a history professor at Clark University in Massachusetts, says the telegram is important for two reasons. “First, it is written on a paper with the letterhead of the Ottoman Ministry of Interior. Second, separate from the text there is a decoded message on the bottom,” he said in a phone interview with .

The historian has compared the coding system with that of other documents from Ottoman archives and  found matches with 24 documents from the same month. The same words are coded the same way. “So there is no escape for Turkish authorities, there is no way to say these are forgeries. And this is a very crucial document in that sense,” Akcam said.

This telegram is well known in Armenian Genocide research and has been quoted in main indictments in Istanbul military tribunals. This was one of the most important evidences that helped convict Behaeddin Shakir and sentence him to death. However, most of the court materials vanished at the time and Turkey has since been building its policy of denial on the argument that the original documents from postwar military tribunals that convicted the genocide’s planners were nowhere to be found.

Taner Akcam knew the telegram was in a the archive of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem , but in the end found a film taken from the document in a private archive in New York. Thus, two stories need to be recalled to shed light on how the photo of the telegram ended up in the United States.

The Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople was representing Armenians in military tribunals and had access to the court materials.  The judge presiding over the tribunals at the time handed the materials over to the Armenian Patriarch. With the Turkish nationalists about to seize the country in 1922 the Patriarch shipped a huge package of documents to Marseille and then to Manchester for safekeeping. The materials finally ended up in Jerusalem.

“Armenian Catholic priest, Krikor Guerguerian went to Jerusalem sometimes towards the end of 1960s. He filmed the materials there and a lot of other Ottoman documents one of which was this document.  He had a private archive, which was saved and secured by his nephew,” Taner Akcham said.

Despite the crucial importance of the document, the historian does not believe it will lead to changes in Turkey’s stance on the issue in the short-term perspective.

I’ve thrown a stone in the water, and waves go to the shore, it takes a long time until they hit the shore. The shore is the Turkish denialism. I don’t know when it’s going to hit the shore

Taner Akcam

According to the historian, the telegram is a strong evidence Ankara can hardly argue, but he’s confident that Turkey will find some excuses. He’s also confident that “Turkey will continue its denialist policy, but this will put the government in a very difficult position and will force it seek new ways of denying.”

Towards the end of the interview, Mr. Akcam emphasized one point. “As everybody knows successive Turkish governments would argue all the time that Armenian Genocide should not be politicized, that the Armenian Genocide should be left to historians. And I’m just really doing it. I’m a historian and regardless of the fact whether the Turkish government recognizes the genocide or not, I keep working on this topic, because as scholars, as academicians our job is to teach the young generation about the historic injustices, about mass atrocities in the past so that they are not repeated in the future.”

Taner Akcam believes that “it’s important for Turkey to face its history.” If Turkey faces its history and acknowledges the wrongdoing, it can develop a very good relation with Armenia and develop a democratic society,” he says.

Private of the Artsakh Defense Army Mher Arzumanyan (born in 1998) was killed by Azerbaijani fire during the protection of one of the military units located in the southern direction of the Defense army.

Probe into the details of the incident is under way.

The Artsakh Defense Ministry shares the sorrow of the heavy loss and expresses its support to the soldier’s family and friends.

 – On April 24 the Museum of the Memory of Rosario, Argentina, inaugurated a permanent space on Armenian Genocide.

The Museum of the Memory (Museo de la Memoria) was opened in 1998 to promote access to knowledge and research on the situation of human rights and political memory of Argentina and Latin America. The patrimony includes material about human rights violations in Latin America and the world, particularly on the actions of state terrorism during the last military dictatorship in Argentina.

The exhibition shows the research work of the Armenian Chair of the National University of Rosario. During the inauguration, sponsored by the Armenian Embassy in Argentina and Aeropuertos Argentina 2000, a number of students were present. Viviana Nardoni, director of the Museum of the Memory, Vice-President of the National University of Rosario Fabian Biccire and Nicolas Sabuncuyan, director of the Armenian National Committee of Argentina also attended the inauguration.

Pulitzer Prize and Academy Award winning writer William Saroyan wrote in his short story “The Armenian and the Armenian” –

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia. See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.”

Those immortal words closed the recently-released film “The Promise,” which centers around the Armenian genocide in 1915.  They also adorn the left arm of Real Salt Lake and Armenian National Team forward Yura Movsisyan.

Last week, as the film premiered across the U.S., Movsisyan hosted RSL at a private screening.  Afterword, he spoke about the film’s historical importance, his reaction and the words that he had tattooed on his arm nearly a year ago. The club’s presents an interview with Yura Movsisyan.

“That quote defines and explains everything about the Armenians.  We’re a fighting nation.  We’re a nation that survived a genocide.  Our victory will be to survive.  For me, that has the best meaning in the world to have that quote engraved in my body.  It means everything.  It defines us and defines me as a person and who I am.  And it defines our nation and our race.  That’s the theme of the movie and it’s who we are.”

“With the worldwide release of The Promise, it’s finally a big movie about the reality of the genocide that happened 102 years ago.  Everybody has heard and read some stuff, but this is an opportunity for everybody to actually see the reality.  It’s definitely special because us Armenians have always fought to get it recognized.  It’s every Armenian’s duty to let it be known.  To have a picture with so many great actors and an Oscar-winning director film the movie … it can’t get bigger than this worldwide.  It’s about time people started understanding and learning about it.  These are the things we are seeing today – genocides.”

“When you are a kid and you are being raised, you are told the stories.  You are a survivor of a genocide.  Our duty is to make other people aware of what our history is.  It’s not just a small little country in Eastern Europe.  It’s a country that has seen a genocide.  You win by surviving and staying alive and telling others.  It’s great to see a lot of my friends and teammates come out and learn something new.  So it’s definitely special for me.  Once people learn about it, they will be more educated about Armenians.  And it isn’t just about the Armenian genocide.  It’s learning about history and letting people know that these things are happening today.  It can help the world out.”

“It’s tough.  You might know the story and the history, but every time you get reminded of it, it gets tougher and tougher – and heavier.  I think they did a fabulous job.  They put everything out there – the emotions and the reality.  But we still had that spirit to fight to survive and fight to help each other and save whoever we can.  That’s a big part of this movie and a big part of defining who we are.”

“It’s been 102 years that half of the world hasn’t recognized the genocide.  We’re still fighting for it.  We didn’t just move on – we’re always going to fight.  I always had to fight to reach the level that I’ve reached in life.  I didn’t have much, but I became a pro in a country of 300 million people.  I didn’t have any other goals but to be a professional.  That’s the fighting spirit that we have.  Nothing’s ever been handed to us.  Everything we’ve had to do has been done the hard way.  That’s the way it is for us and we embrace it.”

“Any Armenian who meets a fellow Armenian, no matter where in the world, you become close.  You just have that very warm, welcoming reaction.  We only had ourselves to protect each other and everybody is part of that lineage.  We are the grandchildren or great-grandchildren of genocide survivors or of people that were killed.  It’s an automatic that we are welcoming and warm toward each other.”

The Promise is in theaters now.  All proceeds from the film will be donated to various non-profit groups, with a focus on humanitarian and human rights groups.

The Spanish city of Villena has officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian Embassy in Spain reports.

The City Council voted 11 to 7 with 3 abstentions to pass the bill.

About 30 Spanish countries have now recognized the Armenian Genocide.

 – An academic ceremony commemorating the 102nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was carried out in the Legislative Palace of Uruguay in the afternoon of Tuesday, April 25 and in the presence of dozens of Uruguayan Legislators and other authorities.

In addition to political representation, the event organized by the Presidency of the House of Representatives and the Armenian National Committee of Uruguay was attended by the archbishops of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Hagop Kelendjian, and the Catholic Church of Montevideo, Cardinal Daniel Sturla. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay Rodolfo Nin Novoa, Minister of Tourism Liliam Kechichian, and Senator Luis Lacalle Pou, among others, sent an adhesion to the commemoration.

The event was headed by House Speaker Jose Carlos Mahia who said that “it is impossible under the characterization of genocide by the UN and the ample evidence presented, that the events in 1915 do not have its just qualification and recognition.”

Deputy Gloria Rodriguez analyzed the way in which Turkish denialism operates, stating that “the price that the whole humanity pays for the denial of the Armenian Genocide is very high.”

Uruguayan historian and political scientist Gerardo Caetano, who co-chairs the Nagorno-Karabakh Forum in Uruguay, coincided with Rodriguez in the current weight of denialism. “In the denialist practice of Turkey there is a continuation of the crime,” he said. He also added: “Those who undermine memory and justice regarding past traumatic are mortgaging the future.”

“No investment of Turkey or Azerbaijan is more valuable than the recognition of truth, than the defense of international law or than the claim for justice. And that’s not idealism, it’s realism,” concluded the renowned academic.

The human rights lawyer Oscar Lopez Goldaracena, who in February participated as an observer in the constitutional referendum of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, chose as a central theme of his speech the cultural genocide committed against the Armenians. Lopez Goldaracena stated that it is imperative to put an end to the cultural genocide that Turkey continues to perpetrate and urged to avoid further atrocities in those places where the Armenian population remains exposed to xenophobic ideologies, citing the case of the Armenian community of Syria against the “Islamic State” or what the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh face.

In his view, Uruguay can prevent the Armenian people from being subjected to attacks if it “advocates for peace in the Caucasus, recognizing the legitimate right of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to independence.” Noting that this does not imply a violation of any principle of international law, he concluded that “if Uruguay moves on principles and values ​​at the political level, it should be the first country in the world to recognize the State of Nagorno-Karabakh.”

To conclude, Shushanik Boyadjian expressed on behalf of the Armenian National Committee of Uruguay that “it is time that Turkey’s recognition of its criminal responsibility light a new stage in Turkish society and to the descendants of the victims of the Armenian Genocide.”

She also denounced that Turkey not only “puts unbearable pressure on the small Armenian community that still resists in the country and on the Republic of Armenia, which suffocates economically through the unilateral blockade of its borders”, but also “explicitly or implicitly supports any attack on Armenian civilians, whether in Syria, on the borders of Armenia or in Nagorno-Karabakh.”

On the morning of April 24, during the opening of the Open Council of Ministers held in Montevideo, the President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, Dr. Tabare Vazquez, adhered to the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. “We adhere to sadly commemorate one of the most nefarious episodes that mankind lived, as it was 102 years ago the Armenian Genocide,” said President Vazquez in a ceremony broadcast by official TV and with extensive press coverage.