Category: News

CoE’s anti-racism commission welcoms efforts of the Armenian authorities to revise the Criminal Code

Chmshkian Vicken

Armenia has shown determination in fighting racism and intolerance, integrating refugees and supporting ethnic minorities. However, numerous legislation gaps, rise in hate speech and violence, and institutional shortcomings remain of concern, said the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) in its new report published today.

The report covering the period from December 2010 to March 2016 welcomed the efforts of the Armenian authorities to revise the Criminal Code and draft comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation, integrate a large influx of refugees from Syria and increase the financial support for the ethnic minorities.

However, the criminal, civil and administrative legislation and procedures still suffer from numerous shortcomings which make it impossible to adequately combat racism and discrimination. The report notes a rise in hate speech leading to violence, main targets being members of the LGBT community and non-traditional religious groups, and the stigmatisation of these groups in the political and public discourse.

As priority recommendations to be followed up in two years, ECRI calls on the authorities to streamline the various integration strategies for all vulnerable groups, and to amend the Armenian criminal law. The list of “prohibited grounds” should explicitly include colour, language, nationality, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation and gender identity. Besides, incitement to violence and to racial discrimination, as well as the public denial, trivialisation, justification or condoning of crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes should be criminalised.

Other recommendations include making homophobic/transphobic motivation an aggravating circumstance; giving more powers to the Human Rights Defender to enable him/her to deal with discrimination in the private sector; establishing an independent mechanism for dealing with complaints against the police; and encouraging the adoption of a code of ethics for media and a code of conduct for parliamentarians.

ANCA praises Congresswoman Speier for bringing new energy to Congressional Armenian Caucus

Emil Lazarian
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) welcomes San Francisco Bay Area Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA) as a new Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, noting that her addition, as an American of Armenian heritage, will expand its bipartisan leadership, build upon its past accomplishments, and help chart an assertive, pro-active legislative course for the future.
Among the key public policy matters set to be advanced by Congresswoman Speier are priorities, supported by the ANCA, to secure a U.S.-Armenia Double Tax Treaty – an initiative being actively pursued by House Financial Services Committee member Congressman Brad Sherman. This long overdue accord, when adopted, will remove a key barrier to the growth of bilateral economic relations.  She is also exploring prospects for a second Millenium Challenge Account (MCA) compact with Armenia.  Among her other priorities is backing the continuation of direct U.S. aid to Artsakh, initiated in 1997 with the ANCA’s support. She is also working to put in place the legislative and regulatory framework for direct flights from airports in the United States to Zvartnotz airport in Yerevan, Armenia.
“We are deeply gratified that Congresswoman Speier is bringing her can-do track record to the table as a new Co-Chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus. She is, as our ANCA community in California has long known, a pro-active and relentless legislative leader,” said ANCA Chairman Raffi Hamparian. She joins current Co-Chairs Robert Dold (R-IL) and Frank Pallone, and new Co-Chairman David Valadao (R-CA) in the leadership of the Caucus. The new Vice Co-Chairs are Reps. David Trott (R-MI) and Adam Schiff (D-CA).
Jackie Speier represents California’s 14th Congressional District, which stretches from the southern portion of San Francisco through San Mateo County to Redwood City. She is a tireless advocate for women’s rights, the public good, and the security of Americans. She was named to Newsweek’s list of 150 “Fearless Women” in the world.
She serves on the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations, and on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI).
Rep. Speier first ran for Congress in 1979, facing a crowded field in a special election for a seat formerly held by Congressman Leo J. Ryan, for whom Speier had served as a legislative aide.
The special election had been called after Ryan was shot to death in Jonestown, at the compound of the People’s Temple, a cult in Guyana that had previously been based in Ryan’s district of San Francisco. Speier traveled with Ryan on that trip in 1978 in an attempt to rescue some of the cult’s 900 members. But Speier was left nearly lifeless herself on the airport tarmac after being shot five times at point blank range.
Speier needed multiple surgeries after the tragedy, and while recovering she realized she had a choice to make: Did she want to be a victim or did she want to be a survivor?  Speier chose to be a survivor.
Jackie Speier received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California at Davis, and a J.D. from UC Hastings College of the Law.

Co-Chairs hope for a meeting between Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan

Hambardsumian Paul

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs hope the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan Serzh Sargsayn and Ilham Aliyev will agree to hold the next meeting on Karabakh conflict settlement, US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

“We hope the Presidents will agree on a next meeting. The date and place have not yet been set for a meeting,” Warlick said.

According to him, the Co-Chairs are working with the sides to solve the conflict.

“During the UN General Assembly session in New York the Co-Chairs held separate meetings with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan to discuss the agreements reached in Vienna and Saint Petersburg and to outline the future steps,” the diplomat said.

“We plan to hold meetings and discuss issues with the parties during our visit to the region by the end of the month,” Warlick stated.

IS suicide bomber kills 30 at Kurdish wedding in Syria

Karapet Navasardian 
Photo: AFP

 

At least 30 people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack at a Kurdish wedding in north-eastern Syria, the BBC reports.

The bomber blew himself up on Monday night at a hall in Tal Tawil, outside Hassakeh city, reportedly while the bride and groom were exchanging vows.

There were conflicting reports about whether the groom was among the dead.

So-called Islamic State said one of its militants had attacked a “large gathering” of Kurdish fighters with a machine-gun and and explosive vest.

Kurdish-led forces have driven the jihadist group out of most of Hassakeh province, but they have been unable to prevent deadly bomb attacks.

PM Karen Karapetyan receives Russian Ambassador

George Mamian

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Armenia Ivan Volinkin.

Noting that the Armenian-Russian friendly relations of allied partnership have a solid foundation, the Prime Minister stressed that interaction is developing steadily in all directions. Emphasizing that Russia is Armenia’s main economic partner, Karen Karapetyan stressed the importance of further development and expansion of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

The Premier assured of his government’s readiness to take all necessary steps in this direction, adding that there is great potential to implement new investment projects and increase trade turnover.

Ivan Volinkin congratulated Karen Karapetyan on his appointment as Prime Minister and wished him new achievements. Convinced in the success of the new government, the Ambassador assured of his willingness to support the implementation of joint initiatives.

During the meeting, Karen Karapetyan and Ivan Volinkin discussed a wide range of issues related to bilateral relations and economic cooperation.

Al-Nusra Front shells Russian Embassy in Damascus

Maral Chavushian

The Russian embassy in Damascus has been shelled from the areas controlled by al-Nusra Front and Faylaq al-Rahman militants, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, Sputnik News reports.

“The Russian diplomatic mission came under mortar shelling on October 3. One of the mines exploded on the embassy area near its residential department. Fortunately, no one was wounded. The diplomatic mission sustained material damage. Another two mines went off next to the embassy.”

Rich nations ‘shirking’ responsibility to refugees: Amnesty International

Nahapetian Samvel 
Photo: Reuters

 

Amnesty International has accused the world’s wealthiest nations of shirking responsibility towards refugees, saying they host the fewest and do the least, the BBC reports.

Ten countries which account for just 2.5% of the global GDP are sheltering more than half the world’s 21 million refugees, says a report by the charity.

Salil Shetty, Amnesty’s secretary general, called for wealthier nations to take in many more people.

Mr Shetty called the UK a “sad example” of the failure to take responsibility.

The UK has accepted about 8,000 Syrian refugees since 2011, according to the UN. The US has taken just 12,000.

And according to recent UN refugee agency data, no Syrian refugees have been resettled by China, Russia or any Gulf states.

By comparison, Jordan, which has a GDP just 1.2% the size of the UK’s, hosts nearly 655,000 Syrian refugees.

With more than 2.7 million refugees in total, Jordan is sheltering more than any other nation. Turkey has taken in more than 2.5 million people; Pakistan 1.6 million; Lebanon more than 1.5 million.

The other nations with the largest refugee populations are:

  • Iran (979,400)
  • Ethiopia (736,100)
  • Kenya (553,900)
  • Uganda (477,200)
  • Democratic Republic of Congo (383,100)
  • Chad (369,500)

Armenian Prime Minister, US Ambassador discuss bilateral cooperation

Garnik Tadevosian

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan received today Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to the Republic of Armenia Richard Mills. The Premier described as quite effective the dynamically developing U.S.-Armenia relations and noted that Armenia is keen to build up strong ties of partnership with the United States, including in the fields of trade and investment.

Thankful for the reform-targeted multifaceted assistance provided by the Government of the United States ever since Armenia’s independence, the Prime Minister expressed his sincere appreciation of the assistance received under USAID-supported programs. Noting that relations between the two countries cover a variety of areas, Karen Karapetyan assured of his government’s readiness to take steps in a bid to tap the existing potential and expand cooperation.

On behalf of the U.S. Government, Richard Mills congratulated Karen Karapetyan on assuming the office of Prime Minister and wished him fruitful work. The Ambassador voiced confidence that the cooperation with Karen Karapetyan’s government may contribute to the reinforcement and deepening of bilateral ties. The parties took the opportunity to exchange views on the pace and prospects of bilateral cooperation.

British trio win Nobel prize in physics 2016 for work on exotic states of matter

Albert Nalbandian

The 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded for discoveries about strange forms of matter, the BBC reports.

Three Britons, David Thouless, Duncan Haldane and Michael Kosterlitz, will share the 8m kronor prize.

They were named at a press conference in Sweden, and join a prestigious list of 200 other Physics laureates recognised since 1901.

The Nobel Committee said this year’s laureates had “opened the door on an unknown world”.

In this mysterious realm, matter can exist in strange states.

Their discoveries had helped scientists designing new materials.

Prof Haldane commented: “I was very surprised and very gratified.”

He said the work had been carried out a long time ago, but that its applications were only now starting to be seen.

Maria Sharapova’s drugs ban reduced on appeal

Chalian Meline

Maria Sharapova’s two-year doping ban has been reduced to 15 months following her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), the BBC reports.

The five-time Grand Slam winner, 29, was initially banned by the International Tennis Federation for two years after testing positive for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open.

The Russian will be able to return to the tennis court on 26 April, 2017.

“I am counting the days until I can return,” she said on Tuesday.