Category: News

Asbarez – The Governor of Michigan Rick Snyder (R) on Tuesday signed a bill mandating the teaching of the Armenian Genocide in the state’s public schools into law.

The Michigan House of Representatives in February  passed House Bill (HB-4493), mandating genocide education, including the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide, in Michigan public schools. The bill passed with a nearly unanimous vote. Late last month, the Michigan Senate also passed a complimentary measure paving the way for the governor’s signature.

“Beginning in the 2016-2017 school year, the board of a school district or board of directors of a public school academy shall ensure that the school district’s or public school academy’s social studies curriculum for grades 8 to 12 includes age- and grade-appropriate instruction about genocide, including, but not limited to, the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide. The legislature recommends a combined total of 6 hours of this instruction during grades 8 to 12,” reads the final version of the bill, which was signed into law on Tuesday.

Armenian churches, political, cultural and social organizations in Michigan came together to form the Armenian Genocide Education Committee and advanced the effort through the state’s legislature, Rep. Klint Kesto marshaling the effort in the Michigan House of Representatives.

“We see history repeating itself today in the Middle East with ISIS targeting and committing acts of genocide against Chaldean and Assyrian Christian communities and other religious minorities such as the Yazidis. It is imperative that our students study the history of genocide as it occurred to the Armenian people by the Ottoman Turks, as well as to the Jewish people at the hands of the Nazis. Never again should mean never again,” said Rep. Kesto in February following the passage of the House version of the bill.

In a wide-ranging opening speech to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein shed a light on “preventable calamities” and worrying trends around the world, including detailed concerns about the situation in more than 50 countries.

“The rights of people still suffering from the protracted conflicts in the South Caucasus have long been a concern of my Office,” he said.

“We have received allegations of violations of international law in the context of the upsurge in hostilities along the line of contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, especially in April. Significant efforts are needed to address the situation of displaced people. My Office is ready to assist in the collection of objective information on human rights needs in the affected areas,” Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said.

Azerbaijan unleashed a large-scale military aggression against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh in April this year, violating international humanitarian law and committing war crimes.

Azerbaijani armed forces beheaded and tortured not only servicemen of the NKR Defense Army, but also civilians, including elderly people and women. 

The bodies of servicemen of the NKR Defense Army transferred to the Armenian side under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had signs of torture and mutilation.

Those acts constitute a grave violation of the international humanitarian law, in particular, the Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field (1949), Geneva Convention (III) relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War (1949) and the Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I).

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Ashot Hovakimyan participated in the Ministerial meeting dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

The meeting was aimed at summing up the results of the work done since the signing of the treaty and focusing the attention of the international community to the need to ban nuclear tests. Speakers at the event referred to the irreversible consequences of nuclear tests, voiced regret for the failure of the treaty to come into force and urged the countries that have not yet ratified the treaty to do so.

Addressing the meeting,  Ashot Hovakimyan reiterated Armenia’s commitment to the full and unconditional implementation of the treaty. The Deputy FM hailed the support for the functioning of the subsidiary seismic station stationed in Garni since 2005, which is included in the system of international control and sends data to Vienna headquarters through satellite.

Ashot Hovakimyan reiterated the willingness of the Armenian government to carry out an open and transparent cooperation with all partner countries and international organizations. He denounced Azerbaijan’s false and groundless accusations of alleged violations of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons by Armenia, which pursue the single goal of diverting the attention of the international community from the large-sale aggression unleashed against Nagorno Karabakh and the crimes committed against the civilian population.

German MPs with Turkish roots have criticized Turkish associations in Germany for providing a platform for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Many are supported by the Turkish government and do not act independently, reports.

The MPs say Erdogan’s influence goes beyond incendiary speeches in Ankara – a number of Turkish organizations in Germany receive Turkish state support, and as such act as the foreign arm of Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB) was founded in 1984 as a branch of the Presidency of Religious Affairs in Ankara, which funds religious education in Turkey. It pays for Turkish imams to work in Germany. It also claims to represent 70 percent of Germany’s Muslims.

“The Erdogan government’s control of mosque unions in Germany leads to him increasingly misusing these unions as a mouthpiece for his despotic policies,” Left party MP Sevim Dagdelen . “These unions are instrumentalized by Erdogan to establish a very dangerous kind of Islamism that is contrary to basic rights.”

“If mosque unions controlled by Erdogan try to exercise political influence, the critical media will have a tough time being heard,” Dagdelen continued. “This means that millions of people here in Germany are being showered with Erdogan’s inhuman propaganda – and the German government is not paying attention.”

Gökay Sofuoglu, chairman of the Turkish community organization TGD, agrees that many groups are under the influence of the Turkish government, particularly DITIB and the Union of European Turkish Democrats (UETD), a lobby organization for the AKP. “But there are other organizations, like the TGD, that don’t let themselves be influenced by either Turkish or German politics,” he said.

“I can’t prescribe to DITIB how they should act,” he told DW. “But I can call on the associations to adhere to the basic order and freedom of Germany. Groups that call themselves civil organizations should act in the interests of the population, not the government.” But he admitted that, as a state-supported organization, DITIB couldn’t act independently at all.

He also noted that other organizations like Milli Görüs, which specifically pursues a political Islamist agenda and is considered close to the international Muslim Brotherhood, are already under observation by the German intelligence agencies.

Several MPs, including Özdemir and Germany’s Integration Commissioner Aydan Özoguz, called on associations like DITIB to condemn the threats against them. “You don’t have to like the resolution,” Özdemir told the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.” “But Turkish organizations must condemn the death threats. There can’t be two opinions on that.”

Austria, who were undefeated in 10 qualifying games, were beaten 2-0 by old rivals Hungary in the opening match of Euro 2016 Group F on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

The Hungarians, who only reached the finals through the playoffs, took the lead with a rare goal by forward Adam Szalai in the 63rd minute.

It his first at international level since October 2014.

Austria thought they had equalised soon after but Martin Hinteregger’s effort was disallowed for a foul by Aleksandar Dragovic who was sent off after receiving a second yellow card.

Substitute Zoltan Stieber secured victory three minutes from the end.

As international visitors gather in Baku, Azerbaijan, for Formula 1’s European Grand Prix on June 19, Freedom House issued the following statement:

“The government of Azerbaijan tries to use sporting events like the Formula 1 race to portray itself as a modern, benign authority even as it conducts a brutal crackdown on its citizens’ fundamental freedoms and muffles all dissent,” said Daniel Calingaert, executive vice president.

“We urge the journalists and corporate sponsors arriving in Baku to look beyond the glossiness of the race by examining the government’s repressive policies, including the unjustified detention of more than 80 political activists, human rights defenders, and reporters.”

Azerbaijan is rated Not Free in , Not Free in , Partly Free in , and receives a democracy score of 6.86 on a scale of 1 to 7, with 7 as the worst possible score, in .

 

 

 

Over 92% of Armenians are confident the Armenian Armed Forces and the NKR Defense Army will be able to rebuff actions of the Azeri army, while 82% are ready to participate in military actions, if necessary, according to a poll conducted by the Armenian Representation of the Gallup International Association. Its director Aram Navasardyan presented the results of the survey on “Public response to the four-day April war” to reporters today.

The survey has been conducted among 1,106 citizens of the Republic of Armenia between May 13 and 24.

According to the public opinion poll, 72.5% consider that war is the most serious challenge facing our country, followed by unemployment.

What was the reason behind Azeri aggression in April? 46.7% believe it was incited by outer forces, namely Turkey; 32.5% consider the military actions served a cover for domestic problems in Azerbaijan.

More than 84.4% of the respondents said the Armenian Army is fully prepared to rebuff any large-scale assault, while 86.4% believe it’s necessary to purchase new military equipment to get better prepared for any possible attack in the future. Thirty-eight percent consider it’s necessary to reduce the corruption risks in the Armed Forces.

Which was the primary source of information during the four-day April war? Most respondents say they have received information from TV, Facebook, the public and the Facebook page of the Spokesman for the Ministry of Defense.

As for the reliability of information, 76.5% said they trust the official information. 82% pledged ready to participate in military actions, if necessary.

According to Artsrun Hovhannisyan, Spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, such surveys help reveal both the achievements and shortcomings.

“This optimistic study makes us return to reality, which often gets distorted on Facebook,” Hovhannisyan said.

France has deported a group of 29 Russian supporters who were involved in the shocking attacks on England fans at Euro 2016 – and intercepted another 50 heading to Lille, the reports.

French police have launched an anti-hooligan operation in Mandelieu, near Cannes, after verifying 29 Russian supporters suspected of being involved in the fighting in Marseille.

‘These verifications have been carried out on the basis of intelligence… leading us to think they were present in Marseille,’ said Xavier Lauch, cabinet director of the prefect of the Alpes Maritimes department.

In a separate incident, Alexander Shprygin, the head of a Russian supporters’ group, said French riot police had stopped a bus in Cannes carrying Russian fans on their way to Lille.

He said: ‘They want to deport almost 50 people including women who did not take part in anything.

‘The police are making up for their mistakes three days ago. We are in a bus in Cannes and we have been blocked in by riot police with machine guns and it was pushed towards some closed area. We are not going anywhere for the time being and are waiting for the consul.’

Later on, he said: ‘Police are now dragging us out of the bus, they’ve announced deportation. No reasons are being given. There are 50 people in the bus.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will host talks in St Petersburg on June 20 between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which flared up earlier this year, the Kremlin said.

By organising the meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, Russia is “continuing its mission as a mediator” in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.

He emphasized that Russia “will take active steps to assist the sides in the settlement of the conflict.” Ushakov reminded that Moscow already played an important role in introducing a ceasefire in the conflict zone at the start of April 2016.

Putin has already held several telephone conversations with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, visits of defense ministers and foreign ministers have took place, and Chiefs of General Staffs of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been invited to Moscow, the presidential aide reminded. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has also visited Yerevan and Baku at the start of April, he added.

“We will now continue our mediatory mission, of course, in full cooperation with other co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, on the basis of principles proposed in accordance with the statements of the presidents of Russia, United States and France from 2009 to 2013. We will see what results this three-party contact will lead to. Our side will hold the most interested and active dialogue,” Ushakov concluded.

Sargsyan and Aliyev last met in the Austrian capital, Vienna, on May 16.

The Venice Commission at its meeting on 10-11 June in Venice has endorsed a on the draft electoral code of Armenia.

Executive summary is below:

11. The Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR have closely followed changes to the Electoral Code of Armenia through several opinions. The proposed draft electoral code follows the 2015 adoption of a revised Constitution. In line with previous Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR opinions and reports, it is underscored that the key challenge for the conduct of genuinely democratic elections is the exercise of political will by all stakeholders to fully and effectively uphold the letter and the spirit of the law. The timeframe for reform is regrettably very short, as the Constitution provides that the new code has to enter into force by 1 June 2016. While the stability of the electoral system is a key principle, it is equally important to have sufficient time for a thorough, inclusive, and public discussion in order to build consensus and confidence around major changes in electoral legislation.

12. The draft electoral code could provide an adequate basis for the conduct of democratic elections, and has addressed some prior Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR recommendations. For example, it introduces a system to improve voter identification, enhances the Central Electoral Commission regulatory powers, strengthens the quota for the participation of women as candidates, removes provisions that could lead to the arbitrary withdrawal of observer accreditation, and systematises the rules on campaigning.

13. However, significant concerns exist in the draft code, including with regard to insufficient measures to enhance confidence in the accuracy of voter lists, a lack of clarity as to how the introduction of new technologies may be implemented, and the restrictions on citizen election observers. The draft code also does not address a number of prior recommendations related to the effectiveness of complaints and appeals procedures, the transparency and accountability of campaign finance, safeguards against potential abuse of state resources, and clarity of the role and oversight of media during elections.

14. Mainly in order to address the constitutional requirement to guarantee a “stable majority”, the new electoral system proposed in the draft code is rather complex. It establishes a number of significant deviations from a purely proportional system, which in combination with the short time allocated to carry out the reform, may affect voters’ trust in the electoral system.

15. It is recommended to address the following key issues:
A. The draft code establishes limitations and deadlines for the formation of coalitions after the first round of elections. These provisions unduly limit the possibility of building a political coalition as a means for ensuring the “stable majority” required by the Constitution. It is recommended to reconsider restrictions on the number of participants in a coalition and extend the time period for formation of coalitions after the first round.

B. Concerns regarding the accuracy of voter lists and potential impersonation of voters de facto abroad underlie longstanding opposition and civil society calls to publish signed voter lists after election day. Publication of signed voters’ lists raises a number of concerns regarding privacy of information. The concerns expressed by civil society seem to have been at least partially addressed in the interim version of the draft code, through the possibility of accessing the list of voters who voted. Considering the importance of ensuring a balance between data protection and the secrecy of the vote on the one hand and stakeholders’ interest in consulting the signed voter lists on the other, it is recommended, as a confidence building measure, to allow meaningful consultation of signed voter lists by stakeholders under specific conditions.

C. The draft code envisages the introduction of new technologies in respect of voter registration and identification. It is welcome that voter registration and identification issues are addressed, but the proper implementation of new technologies has to be ensured. Particularly in light of the short time before the next elections and the need to build trust in the electoral process, it is recommended that a number of issues be thoroughly considered, including harmonising new provisions with existing data protection laws and standards, applying proper procedures for procurement, ensuring public testing and certification of the equipment, guaranteeing contingency planning, providing sufficient training for electoral staff, and ensuring effective awareness-raising among voters and political parties. A gradual approach to the introduction of such technologies through a series of pilots would be a measure to enhance confidence in the system and provide opportunities to address technical issues regarding effective implementation. Initial pilots could take place, for example, during the upcoming local elections.

16. Additional recommendations include:

D. The draft code establishes or maintains restrictions on citizen election observers which may impede their activity and undermine transparency of the electoral process. It is recommended to remove the mandatory testing and certification of citizen observers, as well as the requirement that the charters of citizen observer organisations be in force for the three years preceding the elections, as this would deprive new organisations of the possibility to observe elections.

E. The code should further guarantee the independence of the electoral administration, notably, by ensuring that presidential powers to nominate members of the Central Electoral Commission in case of a parliamentary stalemate are exercised in consultation with all parliamentary parties and by clarifying the procedure for the early termination of mandate.

F. While the draft code improves the previous gender quota for candidate lists, increasing it from 20 to 25 per cent within certain brackets of the list, the impact might be limited. It is recommended that the draft code provide for a still more effective quota for women’s representation, for example by placing women among every two or three candidates.

G. Particularly in light of the extensive changes to the electoral system, the draft code would benefit from simplifying and clarifying procedures for voting, counting and tabulation, as well as the determination of election results. This would also require extensive training for electoral staff and comprehensive voter education well in advance of elections to ensure better understanding of the process and enhanced public confidence.

H. Electoral reform requires broad and public discussion in order to encourage participation in the process and acceptance of the outcomes. Final amendments to the code should ensure meaningful engagement with all relevant stakeholders, so as to encourage broad agreement and support for the new code.

17. In this joint opinion, the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR have made recommendations to the authorities of the Republic of Armenia in support of their efforts to improve election-related legislation and bring it more closely in line with OSCE commitments and European and international standards. However, it must be emphasised that, in addition to further amendments to the legislative framework, an effective and impartial implementation of the law is necessary to ensure conduct of elections in line with international standards.