The California Courier Online, February 29, 20241- Aliyev Asks the Arab League and TurkeyTo Pressure PACE to Readmit AzerbaijanBy Harut
SassounianPublisher,
The California Courierwww.TheCaliforniaCourier.com2- France to deliver armaments to Armenia3- Dadrian Archive Project Housed at UCLA4- Catholic Armenian prisoner sends open letter to Pope Francis************************************************************************************
1- Aliyev Asks the Arab League and TurkeyTo Pressure PACE to Readmit AzerbaijanBy Harut SassounianPublisher, The California CourierTheCaliforniaCourier.comAzerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev repeatedly states: “I doesn’t care who says what about my country, I will continue doing whatever I want.” However, this is a cover up. Regardless of his public tough talk, Azerbaijan is working behind the scenes to manage its conflicts with other countries.
Last week, I wrote that Azerbaijan asked the Israeli government to intercede with France to improve their relations which have deteriorated in recent years due to the French support of Armenia in the Artsakh conflict. Since Israel turned down Aliyev’s request to mediate with France, Azerbaijan started looking for other channels to resolve its problems with Europe.
After the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) suspended Azerbaijan’s membership, Aliyev asked the League of Arab States to intervene with Europeans to restore Azerbaijan’s status. On February 13, 2024, at Azerbaijan’s request, Adel bin Abdul Rahman Al-Asoomi, the President of the Arab League’s Parliament, sent a letter to the President of PACE, Theodoros Rousopoulos, complaining about the resolution PACE had adopted refusing to ratify the credentials of the delegation of Azerbaijan.
The President of the Arab Parliament told PACE: “The Arab Parliament expresses its deep regret over the adoption of this resolution; the Republic of Azerbaijan is a friend and strategic partner of the Arab States and plays a significant and influential role to preserve cultural diversity and to promote dialogue among civilizations. …The Republic of Azerbaijan is a member of the Council of Europe since 2001 and plays a major role in promoting activities of this Organization and achieving its principles and objectives. At the global level, it makes concerted efforts to lower tensions and conflicts….”
The President of the Arab Parliament then counseled PACE: “Multilateral parliamentary diplomacy must be an instrument to reconcile points of view, and a wall of resistance in front of any divisions, and an added value for the diffusion of the principles of peace and tolerance.”
The letter ended by urging PACE to reconsider its earlier resolution that had refused to ratify the credentials of Azerbaijan’s parliamentary delegation “which contradict the principles of dialog and cooperation.”
Naturally, Azerbaijan’s Parliament (Milli Majlis) immediately publicized the Arab Parliament’s letter which was also published by several Azeri newspapers.
It is very odd that the Arab Parliament would intervene with PACE on a matter that has nothing to do with Arab states. Azerbaijan is neither a member nor an observer of the Arab League. How can the President of the Arab Parliament call Azerbaijan “a friend and strategic partner of Arab States,” when it is an ally of Israel and buys billions of dollars of Israeli weapons? That is the reason Azerbaijan’s request in the past for observer status was rejected by the Arab League. The only possible explanation for the Arab Parliament’s willingness to write a letter to PACE is that Azerbaijan was engaged in its usual practice of ‘Caviar Diplomacy,’ meaning that it made a very generous donation to the Arab League. Therefore, the Arab Parliament’s statement about Azerbaijan seeking dialog and peace has nothing to do with reality.
Since Armenia has had an Observer status with the League of Arab States since 2005, I am curious to know if Armenia’s representative in the League was aware that the Arab Parliament was considering sending such a letter to PACE in support of Azerbaijan. If yes, what actions, if any, he or she took to object to sending such a letter?
In addition to the Arab League, Azerbaijan is pursuing its lobbying efforts at PACE through its big brother Erdogan, the President of Turkey. Yasar Yakis, the former Foreign Minister of Turkey and founder of the ruling AK Party, wrote in ARAB NEWS on February 25: “Turkey has strongly opposed the suspension of Azerbaijan [from PACE]…. Even if Azerbaijan’s membership of the Council of Europe is suspended, it could survive without being a member.”
Earlier in February, when Aliyev visited Erdogan in Ankara, the Turkish President pledged to do everything possible “to get Azerbaijan's credentials validated at PACE. We will continue our support and efforts for Azerbaijan until the decision [not ratifying its credentials] is overturned.” Erdogan added that Turkey will stress that PACE should be a platform for “parliamentary democracy rather than conflict.” However, Aliyev and Erdogan do not have parliamentary democracy and peace in their own countries.
If Aliyev truly did not care what actions other countries take against Azerbaijan, he would not have gone to such great lengths to lobby the Arab League and Pres. Erdogan to restore his country’s credentials at PACE. He would have simply ignored PACE’s decision.
The truth is that Aliyev deeply cares about his image. Most dictators, having violated all sorts of domestic and international laws, do everything possible to whitewash their crimes and try to look like an angel in the eyes of the world.************************************************************************************2- France to deliver armaments to ArmeniaYEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. France will deliver a batch of defensive armaments to Armenia, Le Figaro reported..The supplies include three Thalès Ground Master (GM 200) radars which have a range of 250 kilometers, as well as night vision devices and other equipment.As part of defense cooperation, this year the French military will conduct mountain combat training courses for Armenian troops.French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu is expected to arrive in Armenia.***********************************************************************************3- Dadrian Archive Project Housed at UCLAMISSION HILLS, Calif. — The Ararat-Eskijian Museum Research Center (AEMRC) and the Armenian Genocide Research Program (AGRP) within the Promise Armenian Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) announced the launch of the Vahakn N. Dadrian Archive Project.
Prof. Dadrian (1926–2019) was a preeminent scholar of the Armenian Genocide and instrumental in establishing the larger field of genocide studies. He lectured and published widely in the field, leading to greater international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. His unique collection of archival materials and books is of extraordinary value to those researching the origins of the Armenian Genocide, the Genocide itself and its aftermath.
Throughout his career, Professor Dadrian accumulated a wealth of material on the Armenian Genocide in different archives, American, British, German, French, Armenian and Ottoman among them. His archive has also numerous unpublished manuscripts and newspapers from various languages. Before his death, he transferred these materials to the AEMRC. The Vahakn Dadrian Armenian Genocide Book Collection is now housed in the Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library located at the University of Southern California.
AEMRC initiated a project in 2009 to digitize his personal notes and archives of historical documents and make them available for future generations of researchers interested in furthering their knowledge of Armenian Genocide Studies and general genocide studies.
A total of 28,000 pages out of a total of 110,000 pages were digitized and indexed by 2018. It took two years of effort to appropriately preserve the entire archive collection into special folders and boxes. This full archive has been available to scholars and researchers by in-person appointment only at the AEMRC. Due to a large grant received in 2023, the remaining 80,000 pages are being digitized and indexed. Dr. Anna Aleksanyan, a post-graduate student from Clark University, has been involved in these efforts. She is also currently on fellowship with the AGRP.
The Vahakn N. Dadrian Archive Project is led under the direction of Professor Taner Akçam, the inaugural Director of the AGRP. This project is anticipated to be completed by December 2025. Upon completion, the entire collection will be available online.
The Ararat-Eskijian Museum was founded in June 1985 by Genocide survivor, Luther Eskijian, and includes a unique collection of Armenian artifacts as well as books and materials about the Armenian Genocide. The museum is also a cultural and educational center where scholars, artists, writers, and community leaders can present current and historical subjects related to the Armenian people, as well as Genocide education.
The Armenian Genocide Research Program (AGRP) was established within the Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA in early 2022. Led by Taner Akçam, Ph.D., the AGRP engages in research and scholarly activities pertaining to the study of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire during the early 20th century.**********************************************************************************4- Catholic Armenian prisoner sends open letter to Pope Francis
Christian PostBy Uzay Bulut and Luciana Minassian, Op-ed contributorArmenian prisoners of war (POWs) have been illegally detained and tortured in Azerbaijan’s jails for the past three years in violation of international humanitarian and human rights laws.
These prisoners were arrested by Azeri forces during Azerbaijan's war against the Armenian Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh in 2020 as well as its aftermath.
The military of Azerbaijan — with the help of Turkey — attacked Artsakh between 27 September 2020 and 10 November 2020. The war was suspended through an agreement mediated by Russia and signed by Azerbaijan and Armenia.
According to the agreement, all prisoners of war should have been returned and none other arrested after the agreement’s enactment. Azerbaijan, however, refuses to honor this and continues to illegally hold and abuse Armenian POWs.
One is a Catholic Armenian prisoner of war who through an open letter has called on Pope Francis and the Vatican to help him.
Gevorg Sujyan is the founding president of the “New Armenia Homeland-Diaspora Charitable NGO.” Along with another humanitarian worker, Davit Davtyan, Sujyan was arrested by Azeri forces in Artsakh after the November 2020 ceasefire agreement.
Both were part of the non-governmental organization that was providing humanitarian aid near the Shushi region of Arsakh, which was under attack by Azerbaijan.
Sujyan and Davtyan faced an unjust trial in 2021, resulting in a 15-year imprisonment sentence at a Baku detention center. The charges against them, including accusations of “espionage,” were based on a series of articles from the Azerbaijani criminal code. The Baku Court on Grave Crimes orchestrated these trials, which were marked by illegal, illegitimate, and improper proceedings.
Through his family, Sujyan sent an open letter to Pope Francis, asking for help to secure his release:
The Reverend Father,
I offer you the bitter sorrow and the tragic plea of my heart. Please receive these concise and sincere words with kindness, and not with anger. May my heartfelt appeal reach you now, and may the prisoner’s wish be granted in the name of God.
I repent of my sin. I am not a murderer. I have not cheated, yet I am condemned as a criminal. I am misunderstood. I am left with no hope of survival, I am trapped in endless despair…
And now I humbly beg you, merciful Father, to release me from the prison of sins for I have repented for my wrongdoings. Grant me, the undeserving, salvation and freedom. Alleviate my sadness with your mercy. I implore you, take me out of the profound abyss.
I have a family, a son who awaits my return, shedding endless tears. My pleas are filled with anguish, and they resonate from the very depths of my soul. Where will I find my salvation?
Please help me, be the mediator who will save my soul …
Gevorg Ruben Sujyan
The first Armenian genocide in modern history occurred in Ottoman Turkey in 1915. Approximately 1.5 million Armenians perished.
Over 100 years later, from 2020 to 2023, Armenians faced Turkish and Azeri military assaults, illegal blockades, and forced displacements. Azerbaijan and Turkey carried out an ethnic cleansing campaign against Armenians in Artsakh. This included methods such as starving, indiscriminately bombing and forcibly displacing around 120,000 Armenians. Azeri forces beheaded and mutilated Armenians — both civilians and soldiers — and posted videos of these beheadings on social media.
The subsequent mistreatment of Armenian captives is deeply concerning. Accused of violating various articles of Azerbaijan's Penal Code, Sujyan and Davtyan underwent sham trials in Baku's Serious Crimes Court. These trials were shaped by unlawfulness, arbitrariness, and a lack of due process. Armenian detainees faced false accusations and were denied basic guarantees, including the right to a defense lawyer from the moment of their arrest. This contravenes fundamental principles of justice and human rights.
Under the Geneva Convention, these individuals, classified as prisoners of war, should have been promptly repatriated after their arrest. The deliberate disregard for these international norms by Azerbaijan is a blatant violation of humanitarian principles.
A report by the University Network for Human Rights entitled “How Three Years of Atrocities Against Ethnic Armenians Led to Ethnic Cleansing” details the types of torture that the Armenian POWs are routinely exposed to in Azeri jails:
“Armenians captured by Azerbaijan during and after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, as well as in the course of fighting on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border in September 2022, have been subjected to torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment while in Azerbaijani custody.
Forms of torture and mistreatment have included prolonged and repeated beatings with batons, skewers, brooms, and firearms; laceration of wrists with zip-ties; employment of electro-shock and stress positions; sleep deprivation; confiscation of warm clothing during extreme cold; deprivation of food, water, and hygiene products; and infliction of mental suffering and humiliation.”
The actual number of Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan is unknown because Azerbaijan refuses to be transparent about the number. It is also unknown how many POWs were executed after their capture.
According tothe Center for Truth and Justice,
“Twenty-three Armenians are being illegally detained in Azerbaijan … However, it is suspected that many more POWs and civilian hostages are lingering in Azerbaijani prisons. Now that both wars have ended, all detainees must be freed immediately under the Geneva Conventions. However, Azerbaijan refuses to comply.”
Sujyan, Davtyan and other Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan are tortured for being Christian and Armenian. Governments across the world and international human rights organizations appear to abandon them and ignore their plight. Will Pope Francis and the Vatican hear their call and help liberate them from the captivity and torture they have been suffering for the past three years?
Uzay Bulut is a Turkish journalist formerly based in Ankara.
Luciana Minassian is a human rights lawyer based in Argentina.************************************************************California Courier weekly Englsh-language Armenian newspaper, based in California.Website: TheCaliforniaCourier.comemail: