1 - Shameful Story of Wounded Armenian
Soldier Ignored, Denied Medical Care
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- Kocharian Cleared of Coup Charges, Set Free; Sues PM Pashinyan
3 - Philanthropist and Homebuilder Hirair Hovnanian Passes Away
4- Dr. Edward Samourjian runs 100-mile Zion marathon for Orran Armenia
5- Armenia Faces 3rd Wave of COVID-19 Cases
6- UNLV medical school to be named for Kirk Kerkorian
7- Young Turks Record Label Changes Name,
Makes Donation to Armenian Institute
8- US Federal Court: Turkey Served With Lawsuit
despite Protest to State Department
9- Aivazyan, Lavrov Discuss POWs, Destruction of Churches
10- Religious leaders condemn party at Armenian monastery in
occupied Cyprus
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1 - Shameful Story of Wounded Armenian
Soldier Ignored, Denied Medical Care
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
I read the heartbreaking experience of an Armenian soldier who was
wounded in the recent Artsakh War and repeatedly denied medical
treatment in Armenia. This is so shameful. The Armenian government
should see to it that young men, who risked their lives to defend the
homeland, have their wounds treated without any bureaucratic hassles
and rude refusals.
Simon Hovhannisian, a soldier wounded in the 2020 Artsakh War, wrote
an open letter in Armenian, published by Hetq (an investigative
journal in Armenia) on April 3, 2020, describing how he was turned
away from numerous medical facilities when he sought treatment.
Regrettably, his nightmarish experience is not unique. Many other
wounded soldiers have faced similar inexcusable difficulties when
seeking treatment.
Hovhannisian wrote that on October 3, 2020 he went to the military
center in Yerevan and volunteered to fight in the war. On Oct. 25,
having received the proper authorization, he was transferred to the
Mardakert military unit in Artsakh and served on the frontline from
Oct. 27 to November 18.
On Nov. 10, shortly before the ceasefire, he was hit by missile
shrapnel. During the next eight days, he tried to contact military
officials seeking medical assistance for him and other soldiers.
Facing indifference, he tried on his own to go to the military
regiment. On the way, he encountered an ambulance and convinced the
driver to take him and two others to a medical facility to get help.
They were referred to the temporary hospital in Drmbon village, where
he was told that he suffered a contusion. However, since there was
nothing they could do for him, they suggested that he go to Yerevan.
Hovhannisian finally arrived in Yerevan after paying 45,000 drams
(around $90) from his own pocket. He went to the military unit there,
explained his situation, presented the documents and sought assistance
to be admitted to a hospital. The military unit told him: “You are no
longer registered with us. It is not our job. Go to the Military
Commissariat.” The Commissariat in turn told him: “You are no longer
in the service. You have to go to a civilian clinic.”
At the civilian clinic, he was told: “We do not have the appropriate
specialist for your ailment. The ear, nose and throat specialist will
return from his vacation in a month. Come back, he will check you. We
don’t even know where else to refer you to.”
At the Commissariat, he was told: “My boy, I am already telling you
for the second time, you are not on our list. Go to a civilian
hospital.”
At the privately-owned Asdghig hospital, he was told: “You need to be
seen by several specialists. If you need the state to cover your
medical bills, then bring a document that you have government
insurance. We will then serve you.”
He then went to the Kanaz hospital where he was told: “Your document
from the Commissariat is old. Go get a new document, so we can give
you fresh papers.”
At the Commissariat he was told: “Come back in two days to pick up
your new document.” When he went back, the hospital told him: “You are
already discharged from the military. We can’t give you such a
document and can’t examine you.”
Tired of the run-around, the wounded soldier went to the Nayiri
private hospital. After the examination, he learned that he had a
contusion, loss of hearing, and concussion.
He paid for the medicines and the examination. He then found out that
he was eligible for several government programs that could have
offered him free medicines and medical care. He was also told that he
could have applied for free military care for the handicapped.
So he applied to the Ministry of Social Services which promptly
rejected his application. They said: “You are not on the list of the
Defense Ministry.” He then phoned the Ministry of Social Services,
explaining his problem. He was told to call another phone number.
After two days of no one answering the hotline, he was given a third
phone number. He called that number the whole day. Finally, in the
evening, someone answered, and rudely said: “Why are you calling me? I
do not deal with such matters.”
He called back the hotline. They told him: “Call the Defense
Ministry.” No one answered there. He called the Defense Ministry’s
Treatment Center. No answer. He sent an email. Again, no answer!
He then called the Military Commissariat. They told him: “Brother, why
haven’t we received your papers from Artsakh until now confirming
where you were?” He told them his whole story all over again. They
replied: “We will inquire and call you.” They never called back!
He called again the Defense Ministry’s Treatment Center. He was told:
“Give us the hospital’s medical evaluation, so we can add you on our
list.” He responded that he could not provide that document since the
hospital had refused to treat him. They told him to go to the Military
Commissariat. He applied there one last time and asked for their
assistance. He was told: “We have received no papers, all questions
remain unanswered. If you want to solve your problem, go to Mardakert,
pick up your documents and come back.”
The wounded soldier then wrote a letter to Antranig Kocharian,
Chairman of the Parliament’s Defense and Security Committee,
explaining his whole story. He received two ‘absurd’ phone calls
saying: “Why did you write a letter? What is the problem?” He told
them his story. They told him: “We need you medical evaluation.” He
said he did not have it because they did not treat him. They told him:
“We will call you,” but he never heard from them again.
The wounded soldier ended his sad saga with the following powerful
words: “Now what? What’s next? Where are you, officials? Wake up! It
has been more than six months. There are thousands of other soldiers
like me…. Whichever office you go to, sitting with legs crossed, they
are drinking coffee, writing posts on social media, saying how
patriotic we are, and expressing their regret: ‘Sorry boys, you died
for us.’ How did it happen that you got blinded in the last day of the
war and you don’t give a damn about anyone’s pain and problems? You
are suggesting that this wounded soldier go to Mardakert and bring
back documents. In addition to psychological and security problems, I
ask you, don’t you see the degree of your cynicism? Are you telling
the same things to the parents and relatives of lost soldiers or a
badly handicapped volunteer with no documents? Please solve not only
my problem, but those of all of us without any delay. Otherwise, we
are the ones that will send you to hell and I hope that the public is
with us on this issue.”
This is very shameful. I am surprised that not a single Armenian
official has apologized to this wounded soldier and others like him
and arrange for their immediate medical care. Otherwise, when the next
war happens, no young man will volunteer or want to serve in the army.
Regardless of any partisan political issues, these wounded soldiers
are the sons of our nation and they deserve the utmost care. They paid
their dues to the homeland and now it’s the Armenian government’s turn
to take care of them.
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2- Kocharian Cleared of Coup Charges, Set Free; Sues PM Pashinyan
(Combined Sources)—Second Armenian President Robert Kocharian filed a
lawsuit on April 7 against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, according
to information posted on DataLex judicial information system.
The case has been assigned to the judge of the Court of General
Jurisdiction of Yerevan, Artur Mkrtchyan.
The platform reveals that Kocharian is demanding to oblige Pashinyan
to publicly refute statements he made about him and pay compensation
in the amount of AMD 4 million (approximately $7500).
Kocharian, who was charged under Article 300.1 for overthrowing the
constitutional order some 13 years ago, was recently acquitted. The
case was related to the crackdown on peaceful protesters marching
against the results of the presidential election in March 2008. At the
time, ten people were killed in clashes between protesters and the
police, about 200 were injured.
A judge in Yerevan threw out on Tuesday, April 6 coup charges against
former President Robert Kocharian which Armenia’s Constitutional Court
has declared unconstitutional.
Kocharian as well as two retired generals were charged in 2018 with
overthrowing the constitutional order” under Article 300.1 of the
Armenian Criminal Code. The accusation rejected by them as politically
motivated stems from the 2008 post-election unrest that left ten
people dead.
The current Criminal Code was enacted after the dramatic events of
March 2008. In a March 26 ruling, the Constitutional Court backed
defense lawyers’ arguments that it cannot be applied retroactively
against Kocharian and the other defendants.
Citing the court ruling, the lawyers demanded last week that the Anna
Danibekian, the judge presiding over their two-year trial, throw out
the coup charges. Danibekian accepted the demand.
The judge ruled that Kocharian and Gevorgyan, will continue to stand
trial only on bribery charges which they also strongly deny. She fully
acquitted the two other defendants, retired Generals Yuri Khachaturov
and Seyran Ohanian, who were prosecuted only in connection with the
post-election unrest.
Prosecutor-General Artur Davtian last week appealed to the
Constitutional Court to also declare unconstitutional legal provisions
that do not allow the prosecutors to alter the coup accusations
leveled against the defendants. The trial prosecutors said the coup
trial should therefore be suspended, rather than discontinued
altogether, pending a high court ruling on the appeal.
One of them, Petros Petrosian, said after Danibekian’s decision that
the prosecutors could again indict Kocharian over the 2008 crackdown
on opposition protesters in Yerevan if the Constitutional Court grants
Davtian’s request.
One of Kocharian’s lawyers, Aram Orbelian, insisted, however, that the
high court exonerated the ex-president from all responsibility for the
bloodshed. “There are no grounds for bringing new [coup] charges,”
Orbelian told reporters.
Meanwhile, a lawyer representing the families of nine victims of the
unrest deplored the development. Tigran Yegorian hit out at the
Constitutional Court, saying that its March 26 ruling was politically
motivated and violated the Armenian constitution.
Five of the court’s nine judges were installed after the “Velvet
Revolution” of April-May 2018 which brought Nikol Pashinyan to power.
nyan was one of the main speakers at daily opposition rallies held in
Yerevan in the wake of a disputed presidential election held in
February 2008 at the end of Kocharian’s second and final term in
office. Riot police used force to end the protests on March 1-2, 2008.
Eight protesters and two police servicemen were killed as a result.
Pashinyan and dozens of other opposition figures were subsequently
jailed for organizing what the former Armenian authorities described
as “mass disturbances” aimed at overthrowing the government.
Law-enforcement authorities radically changed the official version of
events shortly after the 2018 regime change. They first arrested
Kocharian in July 2018. He was twice freed and twice rearrested before
Armenia’s Court of Appeals released him on bail in June 2020.
The 66-year-old ex-president has said that his prosecution is part of
a “political vendetta” waged by Pashinyan. The Armenian prime minister
denies any interference in the probe of the 2008 violence.
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3 - Philanthropist and Homebuilder Hirair Hovnanian Passes Away
Philanthropist and homebuilder Hirair Hovnanian passed away on April 9, 2021.
President and founder of Hovsons, Inc., he was a founding benefactor
of the Armenian Assembly of America. He was born in 1930 in Kirkuk,
Iraq. From his arrival on a freighter in 1951 to the United States,
Mr. Hovnanian built one of the most successful privately held land and
housing development companies in his adopted country.
A 1956 Villanova University graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil
Engineering, Hovnanian began his career with a consulting firm
constructing the Connecticut Turnpike. In 1958, after seeing a
cousin’s home being built in Toms River, New Jersey, Hovnanian moved
there and started building homes. He was later joined by his brothers.
After several successful years working with his brothers, Hirair
Hovnanian broke out on his own and formed Hovsons, Inc. in 1963.
Within the first year, Hovnanian had built 74 homes and noticed that
eighty percent of his buyers were retirees. That was an epiphany that
changed his future. Hovnanian is referred to in books as one of the
innovators of the concept of large scale adult communities of single
family homes located on individual lots. This bold move became very
successful, and the communities grew and grew later becoming mixed use
communities including recreational, medical and commercial facilities.
Over tens of thousands of adult community homes and home sites have
been built by Hovnanian. Over the last five decades, his business
activities diversified to include the development and construction of
health care facilities, major retail centers, office complexes, rental
apartments and a 7,200 acre mining business.
In addition to his corporate business achievements, Hovnanian was
involved in numerous charitable and civic activities. He contributed
greatly to the Armenian community worldwide with a variety of civic,
charitable, educational, and philanthropic activities. He served as
Chairman of the Armenian Assembly’s Board of Trustees and was a
founding member of the Hayastan All Armenian Fund. Hovnanian directly
managed the construction of four housing component factories in
Armenia after the 1988 earthquake, on behalf of the Armenian Assembly
of America. Along with his contributions of time, his charitable
contributions exceeded $40 million.
“A bold, daring and caring individual, a visionary leader, the founder
and benefactor of many charities, and devoted longtime Chairman of the
Armenian Assembly of America’s Board, Hirair Hovnanian leaves behind a
remarkable legacy. Hirair was an amazing leader and mentor, always
ready to roll up his sleeves and tackle any challenge. Hirair’s
integrity, passion, dedication, commitment, work ethic, and love of
his people, were extraordinary,” said the Assembly in a statement. “We
are all saddened by this great loss and remain immensely grateful to
Hirair for his unparalleled legacy. He was the champion of every cause
that benefited the Armenian people, and he never hesitated to lead
from the front with unwavering dedication and commitment. May he rest
in peace.”
Hovnanian was buried on April 10, in Yerevan. He was predeceased by
his wife Anna, in 2018. He is survived by five children: Siran, Edele,
Armen, Tanya, and Leela, two sons in law, Toros and Levon, and five
grandchildren.
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4- Dr. Edward Samourjian runs 100-mile Zion marathon for Orran Armenia
By Araksya Karapetyan
GLENDALE—A local doctor is on a mission. Starting April 10, Dr. Edward
Samourjian ran a 100-mile marathon in Zion, Utah to raise money for a
charity that’s near and dear to his heart—ORRAN Armenia, a center
dedicated to helping children in need and the elderly in Armenia.
For Dr. Samourjian, a renowned vascular surgeon, the year 2020 was the
most challenging of his life. He’s been on the front lines treating
COVID patients in the intensive care unit and operating room at
Glendale Adventist Hospital since the pandemic began.
“It’s not like patients are coming in with a cough and cold. Patients
that I have are on a ventilator dying. And then they need me to put a
dialysis catheter in them or they need some emergency surgery — that
sort of thing,” Samourjian said.
Despite the challenges, Dr. Samourjian and his wife, Dr. Lara
Atchabahian Samourjian, were blessed to welcome their son Ethan—who
will soon turn one—to the world.
“It was incredible, having Ethan join our family. He was born on April
29th, 2020, which was literally the week of the peak of the first wave
of the pandemic,” he recalled.
Between the hospital and fatherhood, Dr. Samourjian committed himself
to the training intensely for the Zion Ultra Marathon in Utah.
For the past 4 months, he ran 210 miles a week.
“I live very hard. I pushed everything to the limit as much as I can.
I don’t leave any stone unturned,” said Dr. Samourjian.
He said it is all about time management and having a supportive partner.
“My wife is a warrior that she has allowed me to do this; she has
tolerated all of this training. I don’t think she’s going to allow me
to do this again for a while. I make this joke where once I pass the
finish line, she’s going to be like, ‘are you done? Get in the car!’”
After a course that included rough terrain and running throughout the
night, Dr. Samourjian crossed the finish line in Zion on the afternoon
of Sunday, April 11 where he was given a hero’s welcome by family and
friends.
For more information on Orran Armenia, visit www.orran.am
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5- Armenia Faces 3rd Wave of COVID-19 Cases
Armenian health officials are sounding the alarm of a third wave of
COVID-19 cases just as the country commences the vaccination phase.
The most recent rise in coronavirus infections following a loosening
of COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings.
On March 23, 1,164 positive cases were reported from 5,330 tests.
Armenian Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan previously warned of a
steady increase. “As of yesterday, we had 491 positive findings or
16-percent out of a total of 2,922 tests,” she said on March 4. “Only
5 to 7 percent of the tests conducted were positive in January and
February. We can see that the toll has increased to 16 percent, and
forecasts show that this figure will be up again next week.”
There were 16,738 active cases in Armenia as of April 12. Armenia has
recorded 203,327 coronavirus cases and 3,753 deaths; 182,836 have
recovered.
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6- UNLV medical school to be named for Kirk Kerkorian
By John Sadler
The UNLV School of Medicine will bear the name of prominent
businessman and philanthropist Kirk Kerkorian, the first time the late
Las Vegas icon’s name will be used on a building anywhere.
The naming, which requires approval by the Board of Regents, was
announced this morning at the construction site of the medical school
building. It will be known as the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at
UNLV.
Kerkorian’s name will not be used on any other building, said Lindy
Schumacher, a board member of the nonprofit Nevada Health and
Bioscience Corp., which is overseeing the construction project.
Kerkorian, who died in 2015, had refused numerous offers throughout
his life to have buildings named after him.
“His anonymous generosity is everywhere, but his name is nowhere,”
Schumacher said. “You can have his money. You cannot have his name —
until now.”
In a statement, the Nevada Health and Bioscience Corp. said the
Kerkorian estate’s donations toward the School of Medicine building,
as well as Kerkorian’s prominence in the community and philanthropic
history, made him a “clear choice for the naming.”
Construction on the 135,000-square-foot building started in October
and is expected to be finished next year.
The building, expected to cost about $150 million, is being funded
through a combination of charitable donations and state dollars. Gov.
Steve Sisolak this year reinstated $25 million earmarked for the
project that was cut last year because of the economic crunch caused
by the coronavirus pandemic.
Kerkorian’s influence on Las Vegas is massive, and he carried the
unofficial title of the “father of the Las Vegas megaresort.”
He built three major hotels in Las Vegas: The International, now the
Westgate; the MGM, now Bally’s; and the MGM Grand.
He was also a prominent philanthropist and made large donations
throughout his life, including $1 billion to Armenia and Armenian
causes in the United States.
Schumacher, whose father, Anthony Mandekic, is the executor of
Kerkorian’s estate, said Kerkorian’s philanthropy is evident around
Las Vegas.
Lindy Schumaker once asked Kerkorian why he worked so hard. “He said,
‘Lindy, your dad and I are great at making money, and the more money
we make, the more money we get to give away.’”
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7- Young Turks Record Label Changes Name,
Makes Donation to Armenian Institute
Young Turks, the venerable British label behind the xx, FKA twigs, and
Sampha, will now be known simply as Young.
Founder Caius Pawson explained that, when he named the label after a
Rod Stewart song in 2005, he had been “unaware of the deeper history
of the term.… and that the Young Turks were a group who carried out
the Armenian Genocide.” In retrospect, he admits, they “should have
listened more carefully to other voices and acted more quickly.” The
label’s publishing wing, now called Young Songs, has also adopted the
change.
The label will also donate an undisclosed sum to the Armenian
Institute in London.
Their Instagram says the following: Today we’re changing our name to Young.
“From today, Young Turks will become Young. The name change follows a
long period of reflection and I wanted to explain the origins of the
Young Turks name and the reasons for the change. We originally named
Young Turks after the Rod Stewart song of the same name. When I first
heard the song, it took a week of 2005-era internet searches to find
out what it was and even longer to understand its meaning. The name
intrigued me, evoking the solidarity of youth. In 2005, it seemed to
perfectly sum up what we were: teenagers, wanting and waiting to do
something, anything.
However, we were unaware of the deeper history of the term and,
specifically, that the Young Turks were a group who carried out the
Armenian Genocide from 1915 onwards. Through ongoing conversations and
messages that have developed our own knowledge around the subject,
it’s become apparent that the name is a source of hurt and confusion
for people. We loved the name for what it meant to us, but in
retrospect should have listened more carefully to other voices and
acted more quickly. We have always tried to affect positive change and
knowing what we do now, it’s only right that we change our name.”
April 24 is the day of commemoration of the 1915 Armenian Genocide. In
memory of those who were killed and those who survived, we have made a
donation to the @armenianinstitute, London, a cultural charity that
explores contemporary Armenian diasporan life in all its global
diversity through research and the arts.
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8- US Federal Court: Turkey Served With Lawsuit
despite Protest to State Department
LOS ANGELES—A lawsuit filed against the Republic of Turkey will
proceed, after the U.S. District Court for the Central District of
California held that Turkey was properly served.
The case, Ghazarian et al. v. Republic of Turkey, was filed almost two
years ago by 89-year-old Barkev Ghazarian and his son Garo B.
Ghazarian. Turkey has actively sought to reject service in the matter,
despite repeated service attempts made through U.S.
statutorily-mandated processes.
On October 13, 2020, Kerkonian Dajani LLP, counsel in the matter,
successfully caused service to be effected on Turkey by diplomatic
channels through the U.S. State Department. On November 20, 2020,
Turkey returned the court documents to the State Department with a
diplomatic note stating that Turkey expects the U.S. District Court to
refrain from exercising jurisdiction over the matter and even
directing the U.S. State Department to share this information with the
District Court “who should summarily dismiss these proceedings”.
Despite Turkey’s protests to the U.S. State Department, on March 16,
2021, the U.S. District Court agreed with Kerkonian Dajani LLP and
specifically found that “Defendant was properly served.” Turkey has
not responded to the lawsuit despite the December 12, 2020 deadline to
do so.
Currently pending in the case is the Plaintiffs’ request for an entry
of default for Turkey’s failure to appear before the U.S. District
Court and respond to the complaint. Turkey’s failure to respond may
result in judgment being entered against it for the claims brought by
the Ghazarians.
The lawsuit alleges violations of international law as well as
statutory and common law claims against Turkey stemming from conduct
committed by Turkey’s agents in the United States. It specifically
alleges that Turkey’s agents harassed, demeaned and degraded Barkev
Ghazarian, an elderly man from Glendale, California, because he sought
to exercise religious and cultural rights in Turkey as a native
Armenian Christian in 201
The pleading further alleges that Turkey’s agents interfered with the
inheritance of Garo B. Ghazarian, Barkev’s son, by thwarting his
father’s efforts to identify his family’s sacred sites within the
borders of Turkey and pass to his son direct knowledge of the same and
the native traditions practiced by generations of Ghazarians there.
The acts committed by Turkey’s agents were undertaken pursuant to a
specific policy of Turkey targeting native Armenian Christians, as
described in detail in the pleading. Plaintiffs claim that, in
implementing this policy, Turkey intended and ensured that Barkev’s
direct knowledge of his family’s ancestral traditions and pilgrimage
sites would not pass to future generations of Ghazarians.
The case, brought by Kerkonian Dajani LLP, is a seminal one litigating
the rights of Armenians to access and use Armenian cultural and
religious heritage under Turkish control, and to do so on the basis of
being indigenous to the land.
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9- Azerbaijan Inaugurates Morbid Museum Dedicated to Military Victory
Azerbaijan’s long-time leader, Ilham Aliyev, has officially opened a
museum dedicated to the country’s victory over neighboring Armenia in
a series of bloody battles that claimed the lives of thousands of
soldiers on both sides.
On Monday, April 12, the presidential press service released a series
of photographs showing the leader inspecting captured hardware and
equipment, and a video of him addressing troops decorated for their
service in the Nagorno-Karabakh war.
The features of the Military Trophy Park, located in the capital of
Baku, include Armenian tanks, trucks, weapons and even helmets
gathered up from the battlefields.
Among the attractions is a supposed reconstruction of a barracks used
by Armenian troops, featuring hook-nosed, bearded and dead-eyed
waxwork caricatures of enemy soldiers. The figures are portrayed as
bereft, hopelessly staring at their paperwork in despair.
Others are shown climbing out of armored vehicles wounded, or slumped
in the driver’s seat of trucks.
in February, Azerbaijan accused Armenia of violating the truce “by
firing 20 machine guns at the border checkpoint.” Armenia’s Defense
Ministry branded the allegations “an absolute lie.” Russian
peacekeepers have been deployed to the region under the terms of the
ceasefire, with the hope that they will be able to protect civilian
settlements and prevent the territorial demarcation lines from
shifting still further.
Both sides have accused each other of pursuing a policy of ethnic
cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. In December, footage emerged that was
said to show an Azerbaijani soldier cutting the throat of an ethnic
Armenian. Another purported to capture one of Baku’s troops boasting
of killing and mutilating a civilian.
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10- Religious leaders condemn party at Armenian monastery in
occupied Cyprus
(Financial Mirror)—Cyprus religious leaders condemned a group of young
Turks who held a party in the yard of Makaravank, Cyprus, without
permission. They used the grounds of the Armenian Monastery for a live
techno party uploaded on YouTube on Wednesday, April 7.
The Sourp Magar Monastery is located in the Pentadaktylos mountain
range in occupied north Cyprus. In a joint statement, the Religious
Leaders of Cyprus condemned “this unfortunate act, misuse, disrespect
and desecration of places of worship and cemeteries in Cyprus,
irrespective of intention, religion, dogma and denomination”.
The Religious Leaders reiterate their request that all places of
worship and cemeteries are protected against vandalism, misuse and
desecration.
“Disrespecting places of worship and cemeteries creates pain, nurtures
mistrust and becomes an obstacle to peaceful coexistence”, the
statement said.
An event-planning group organized the live techno party that
broadcasts electronic music events at entertainment venues, including
historical and cultural locations.
Sourp Magar is an 11th-century Monastery founded by the Coptic
Orthodox Church in memory of Saint Makarios, the hermit of Alexandria.
The monastery was transferred to the Armenian Community in the 15th
century and intrinsically linked to it ever since.
St Magar Monastery has been left uncared for since 1974 and is in dire
need of immediate protection, renovations and complete restoration.
It is the most important place of worship and pilgrimage and the only
Armenian monastery in Cyprus.
The US Embassy also “strongly condemned” the misuse of Saint Magar
Armenian Monastery.
“Freedom of worship is a fundamental value, and we echo the call from
religious leaders that all places of worship, in use or not, be
protected against misuse, vandalism, and desecration,” US ambassador
Judith Garber tweeted.
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