Category: News

The Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee has released the schedule of events to commemorate the 101st Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Sydney and Melbourne, the Armenian National Committee of Australia reports.

This year, the National Armenian Genocide Commemoration Evening will be held on Sunday 24^th April from 7pm at the Willoughby Concourse Concert Hall, Victoria Avenue, Chatswood. The keynote speaker will be Professor Peter Stanley, Professor at the University of NSW (Canberra).

Statement
by Armenia in Relation to the Seventh Forum of the
United Nations Alliance of Civilisations

In the early hours of April 2, 2016 Azerbaijan unleashed large-scale offensive operations against Nagorno-Karabakh thus violating trilateral agreements of 1994 on cease-fire and of 1995 on the cease-fire consolidation, signed by Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, which do not have time limits. Azerbaijan has violated basic principles of international law, the decisions and declarations adopted by the OSCE Summits and Ministerial Councils, blatantly disregarding the statements of the presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries – the Russian Federation, United States of America and the French Republic, on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution.

From the very beginning of the Azerbaijani offensive the civilian infrastructures and civilian population, including children and the elderly, became intentional and indiscriminate targets. Among the first civilian victims were a 12 year old boy who was killed in front of the school building as a result of a Grad missile attack and two other schoolchildren wounded.

In one of villages in Karabakh three elderly persons, including a 92 year old woman, were brutally tortured, mutilated and killed. Moreover, three captive soldiers of the Nagorno-Karabakh armed forces were beheaded by Azerbaijani armed forces in ISIL style, which was subsequently celebrated in the towns and villages and publicized through social networks. Furthermore, during the exchange of bodies of the deceased between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan carried out through the mediation of the International Committee of Red Cross and the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman in Office, it was registered that the bodies of deceased transferred by the Azerbaijani side had the evidences of severe torture and mutilation.

Those barbaric acts of Azerbaijan, going beyond elementary norms of civilized world constitute violations of core international instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Convention on the Rights of the Child, etc. In this context, it is also imperative to specifically mention the blatant violation by Azerbaijan of Geneva Convention of 1949, which inter alia addresses groups exposed to specific risks, such as children, women and elderly and its additional protocols of 1977, 1989.

Azerbaijan demonstrates its total disregard for international human rights law and international humanitarian law. Persistent violations of human rights inside Azerbaijan, consistent attacks and imprisonment of its civil society representatives, the media and human rights defenders, coupled with the regular dissemination of intolerance and hatred against the Armenian people provides breeding ground for the criminal military adventurism of the Azerbaijani regime.

At the time of the gathering of the Seventh Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan continue to violate the cease-fire, with new human losses. Since the beginning of Azerbaijani aggression and up today as a result of Azerbaijan’s aggression hundreds were killed and wounded, including civilians. This is a manifestation of the absurdity of celebrating more peaceful and socially inclusive world, building mutual respect among peoples of different cultural and religious identities in a country, which is engaged in barbarity and killings a few hundred kilometres away from the venue of the Forum. This is an affront to the image and the integrity of the Alliance.

In this dire situation the convening of the Seventh Forum should have been cancelled in Azerbaijan – a country that grossly violates the very aims, principles, values of the Alliance of Civilizations.

Armenia remains committed to the purposes of the Alliance and remains its Friend. However, given the circumstances. Armenia does not join the consensus on the Declaration of the Seventh Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations. Therefore, in the absence of consensus the Declaration cannot be adopted.

Armenia rejects the Seventh Forum, to be held in Baku, in its entirety, including its outcome.

On April 19, the following text was send to the member states of the United Nations Alliance of Civilization.

At a meeting in Strasbourg PACE President Pedro Agramunt and the Head of the Armenian Delegation to PACE Hermine Naghdalyan discussed the current situation at PACE in the context of debates on Nagorno Karabakh and the perspectives of taking the discussions to a more constructive field.

The Head of the Armenian delegation also pointed to the biased and unilateral wording in the statements of Mr. Agramunt during the recent escalation at the line of contact.

“We have always said that we don’t see the Parliamentary Assembly as a proper podium for consideration of the Karabakh issue but this becomes a necessity under certain circumstances,” Naghdalyan told .

Mrs. Naghdalyan dismissed the reports on sanctions used against the  Armenian delegation.

“The question refers to the criticism related to the lack of co-operation of the Armenian parliamentary delegation during the preparation of the report on the Sarsang Reservior during the January session. And the discussions were a follow-up to that report with no legally binding consequences,” the Head of the Armenian delegation said.

She said dissemination of false information does no honor to media outlets and does not benefit the country.

She informed that the Armenian delegates are actively working to present materials and provide true information about the recent developments to colleagues at PACE.

A new documentary about the Armenian Genocide will premiere this week in Glendale, the reports.

“The Other Side of Home,” directed by Naré Mkrtchyan, follows the journey of an Armenian filmmaker and a Turkish woman whose lives have been defined by the genocide, which began more than 100 years ago, according to a news release.

The premiere will be at 8 p.m. Thursday at MGN Five Star Cinema, 128 N. Maryland Ave. It will run through April 28.

“It was important for us to create a documentary that tells a personal story about how this history-altering event affects us still today,” Mkrtchyan said in a statement. “Making this film, I realized that the sad reality is that genocide does not end the moment the killing stops. The effects actually continue and pass from generation to generation.”

The project was produced by Feeln, a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards.

On April 20, at 16.00, in accordance with the arrangement reached between the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan through the mediation of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, the Azerbaijani side handed over the body of a deceased serviceman near Bash-Karvend settlement.

 has raised the market value of Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

The 27-year-old Armenian international, who currently plays for Borussia Dortmund, now costs €30 million (up from €28 million).

Mkhitaryan moved to Dortmund from Shakhtar Donetsk for €27.5.

The Armenian has scored 21 goals and provided 28 assists in all competitions this season.

Ashot Melkonyan, Director of the History Institute of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) calls for resumption of military industry in the country.

Addressing the annual meeting of the Academy, Melkonyan first enlisted the weapons Azerbaijan used during the “four-day” war and urged to spare no means to acquire similar weapons or, why not, organize their production.

Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan said, in turn, that the government possesses necessary financial means to arm the military forces, and there’s no need to raise funds for acquisition of weapons, but added he does not mind voluntary assistance to the families of the deceased soldiers.

The military actions made it clear that the Armenian scholars also have a serious work to do. Director of the Institute of Radio Physics and Electronics Arsen Hakhumyan said “there is a great potential, and they are trying to achieve maximal results with scarce funds.”

Over the past years the Institute has developed a portable radar system that allows to spot the movement of people and equipment at the distance of 2-4 km, Hakhumyan said. He noted that that Armenia has the potential to produce laser systems, optical, engineering and communication systems, but added that large-scale machine production is necessary for producing attacking weapons.

Arsen Hakhumyan said different tools developed and produced in Armenia are being used at the frontline today.

The Academician added that today the world is moving towards a ‘clever war.’ Therefore, preference is given to the data processing, rapid response to problems, and assured that the country has a huge “scientific potential.”

President Serzh Sargsyan sent a congratulatory message to the Yazidi community of Armenia on the occasion of Melek Taus.

“I cordially congratulate Yazidi of Armenia on the occasion Melek Taus – the New Year. For the Yazidi community of Armenia, as well as for our entire nation, this bright New Year holiday was darkened by war actions and suffered losses. The Armenian people always share with their Yazidi brothers joy, sorrow, and the pain of loss. Brotherhood of the Armenian and Yazidi peoples withstood the test of centuries and became only stronger.

Dear Yazidi Compatriots,

I wish that New Year bring you only bounty and happiness, and that finally peace prevails on the borders of our country. I am confident that together we will build a thriving and secure country where all live in prosperity and dignity,” reads the congratulatory message of President Serzh Sargsyan.

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan visited a number of military units located in the northeastern and southern parts of Artsakh and held consultations with the command staff.

A wide range of issues related to the current situation and the course of service was on the agenda of the consultations.

The Defense Ministers of the two Armenian states and representatives of supreme command staff accompanied the Presidents.

Analysis of a windfall of data from inside Islamic State shows fighters of more than 70 nationalities joined the ruthless jihadist group, researchers said after examining thousands of records, AFP reports.

The analysis conducted by the provided not only a composite picture of the fighters but also an insight into how IS is “attempting to vet new members, manage talent effectively… and deal with a diverse pool of recruits,” said the report, which is available on the CTC website.

The recruits ranged in age from 12 to nearly 70, although the average age was 26 or 27.

Only 400 were under 18 upon entering the self-declared IS “caliphate.”

The leading nationality with 579 new fighters, was Saudi, followed by Tunisian (559), Moroccan (240), Turkish (212), Egyptian (151) and Russian (141).

There were 49 from France, 38 from Germany, 30 from Lebanon, 26 from Britain, 11 from Australia and seven from Canada, but none from the United States.

Azerbaijan is 11^th in the list with 122 fighters. According to the study, fighters have joined the Islamic State from Georgia, 1 – from Armenia.

Thirty percent said they were married, while 61 percent were single, with another eight percent unknown.

Some 1,371 said they had finished high school while 1,028 said they had attended university.