ARKADY GHUKASYAN DECLINES INTERVIEW WITH PUBLISHER APPO JABARIAN THREATENS LAWSUIT AGAINST USA ARMENIAN LIFE
By Appo Jabarian
USA Armenian Life Magazine
November 25, 2009
On November 14, Appo Jabarian wrote an article in USA Armenian Life
Magazine titled, "Former Pres. of Artsakh Arkady Ghukasyan Says
Protocols were unprofessional, and contained many mistakes; He also
Says Armenia’s Foreign Minister is Weak and Unprepared."
Almost immediately after the dissemination of the article, an
avalanche of reactions came from the media in Armenia and around the
world. Literally, dozens of various media outlets echoed the content
of the article, including ArmeniaDiaspora.com, News.am, Aaravot.am,
7or.am, PanArmenian.net, Lragir.am.
AraManoogian.blogspot.com, ArmAr.am, Nouvelles d’Armenie Magazine (in
French), ArmToday.info (in Russian), and Novoye Vremya (in Russian).
The media in Armenia presented various interpretations of the motives
behind Mr. Ghukasyan’s statement that Pres. Serge Sargsyan "must have
acted in the wrong way, but he is a sincere and patriotic person and
shouldered great responsibility," and that Armenia’s Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian "is weak and unprepared."
The most notable reactions came in the form of accusations and
disinformation that were hurled against Appo Jabarian by Ghukasyan’s
office in Yerevan which issued a denial contradicting his statements
he had made earlier.
Ghukasyan’s denial was circulated by certain media outlets and
officials of the Armenian Foreign Ministry in Yerevan along with the
Consulate General of Armenia in Los Angeles.
Armenia’s Consulate General in Los Angeles has never before responded
to Azeri or Turkish disinformation campaigns in the United States. But
the moment this writer authored an expose of the double-talk by
Former Pres. of Artsakh — now turned Armenia’s Ambassador-at-Large
Arkady Ghukasyan — Consulate officials resorted to a disinformation
campaign against him.
On November 17, Armenia’s Consulate e-mailed a communique carrying
false information against Jabarian. The communique was swiftly
rebutted by the Managing Editor of USA Armenian Life Magazine. An
official statement by the editor, countering the Armenian Consulate’s
misleading e-mail was expeditiously sent to various Armenian-American
media outlets. USA Armenian Life’s "Notice of Dissemination of a False
and Libelous Statement" informed the Armenian-American editors and
TV/Internet newscasters to "be advised that the information titled
‘Republic of Armenia’s Ambassador At Large, and the Vice-President of
the Board of Trustees of Armenia Fund Arkady Ghukasyan’s assistant E.
Atanessyan’s interpretation on USA Armenian Life’s news article’
that you have received from the Consulate General of Armenia in
Los Angeles is False and Libelous. Its electronic and/or print
dissemination/broadcast by your news organization may expose your
business entity/entities to legal liabilities."
On November 18, during Mr. Ghukasyan’s stay at the Hilton Hotel in
Glendale, this writer had a telephone conversation with him. In order
to give Amb. Ghukasyan a fair opportunity to present his rebuttal and
views regarding this issue, at the beginning of the conversation, this
writer proposed to have a taped interview either on the telephone or
in person at the hotel. But he declined. And instead he demanded that
this writer disclose the source(s) of comments that were reported in
the article, otherwise, he threatened to take him and USA Armenian
Life to court.
When this blatant threat was hurled at Jabarian, the latter told him
"Mr. Ghukasyan you should remember really well as to whom you have
said the reported comments. I encourage you very much to do so." Then
he immediately backpedaled and started to cajole this commentator by
saying that "we are both patriotic people" and that "we shouldn’t be
talking in the language of lawsuits."
On November 20, USA Armenian Life’s managing editor had a face-to-face
meeting with the source of the facts included in the article; and
re-examined their validity, and they all proved as being solidly
accurate.
Below is a partial list of headlines and comments featured by various
media outlets that followed the lead of USA Armenian Life Magazine’s
Nov. 14 article:
– Nov. 16, News.am’s title: "Nagorno Karabagh Republic’s Former Pres.
of Arkady Ghukasyan Has Labeled Armenia’s Foreign Minister ‘as Weak
and Unprepared.’"
– Nov. 16, 7or.am’s title: "Has Nagorno Karabagh Republic’s Former
President Become Honest?"
– Nov. 16, News.am title: "Arkady Ghukasyan: Edward Nalbandian ‘weak
and unprepared.’"
– Nov. 16, ArmAr.am title: "Arkady Ghukasyan Has Appealed to the
Diaspora to Continue to Be Rightful Demanders [of Justice]."
– Nov. 16, Panarmenian.net title: "Arkady Ghukasyan ascribed comments
he didn’t make."
– Nov. 16, Lragir.am carried Appo Jabarian’s article in its entirety
with the following title: "Ghukasyan’s Sensation in the U.S."
– Nov. 17, Aravot.am title: "Is the Ambassador Disagreeable with
the President?"
– Nov. 18, Lragir.am title: "SIMPLY A BLACKMAIL? or Guys! Money is
needed urgently!" The author, Bagrat Kheroyan, wrote: "The Ex-president
of Artsakh, Arkady Ghukasyan, has made a couple of announcements in the
USA, which raise some questions: In case he is ‘as honest and patriotic
as Serzh Sargsyan and values Shushi so much, why doesn’t he live in
Shushi? Wouldn’t Shushi develop fast had Arkady Ghukasyan and others
like him built their palaces and launched their businesses in Shushi?"
Kheroyan further wrote: "I would suggest the Diaspora to organize
fund-raising for changing the Constitution of the Republic of Artsakh
and writing there that the presidents and state officials of the
Republic of Artsakh will simply be considered betrayers in case after
they serve, they live and establish their businesses out of Artsakh,
especially in Armenia."
– On Nov. 19, Lragir.am followed up with a second commentary titled:
"SIMPLY A BLACKMAIL? No. 2; Or It Seems Like a New Stratagem is
Being Formed."
Lragir.am observed: "It seems like the promise of a future job is
the obvious reason that Arkady Ghukasyan has mercilessly criticized
and labeled ignorant … Republic of Armenia’s Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian. It seems like it is not difficult to understand
that the Republic of Armenia’s Foreign Ministry post is promised to
Arkady Ghukasyan."
Whatever were his motives, Mr. Ghukasyan should not have backed
out of the remarks he had made earlier, during his appearances in
North America.