Author: Anna Tamamian

The 2015 statistics of the European Court of Human Rights has been published. According to the report, in all countries of the Council of Europe, there were a total of 823 judgments in 2015, of which 692 (84%) found at least one violation of the convention.

The States with the highest number of judgments finding at least one violation of the Convention were Russia (109 judgments), Turkey (79), Romania (72), Ukraine (50), Greece (43) and Hungary (42).

There were 8 judgments on cases brought against Armenia, and in all cases at least one violation was found. This number of judgments in 2015 is higher than in 2014, when only 4 judgments were delivered.

The highest number of violations found in Armenian cases concerned the right to a fair trial (5 violations).

By the end of 2015 the total number of pending cases stood at 64,850, a decrease of 7 % compared with the end of 2014 (69,900 applications pending) and more than 50% from a highpoint of 151,600 in 2011.

The countries with the highest number of applications pending before the Court were Ukraine (21.4% of the total), Russia (14.2%), Turkey (13%), Italy (11.6%) and Hungary (7.1% – a sharp increase from 2.6% in 2014); between them, these five countries accounted for over two-thirds of the total number of pending cases. 958 applications against Armenia are pending before the Court.

In relation to population, the number of Armenian cases allocated to a judicial formation in 2015 was 0.40 per 10,000 people – comparable to Greece, Luxembourg and Russia. The countries with the highest number of cases allocated to a judicial formation were Ireland (0.04 per 10,000 people), Denmark (0.08) and the UK (0.09).

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French President Francois Hollande attended the annual dinner of the Co-ordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF).

Addressing the meeting, President Hollande said he had re-launched the debate on a law that would punish the denial of the Armenian genocide by entrusting a mission to the former President of the European Court of Human Rights Jean-Paul Costa. “I’ve asked Jean-Paul Costa to search any solid, incontestable route that would protect the memory of the Armenian genocide,” said the head of state. He said that Jean-Paul Costa will in a “very short time,” review the “conclusions” that will guarantee there will be no legal dispute.

He added that a law that could be condemned by the European Court of human Rights would be “a terrible defeat for France and the Armenian Cause.

The President assured the initiative had “nothing to do with future elections.” “The challenge is to reconcile,” he said, noting that “Armenia as Turkey will always find France at their side to help them advance on the path of dialogue.”

The CCAF presented four medals of bravery. The first medal was awarded to the Socialist Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, for her “unwavering commitment to the Armenians”, as recalled Mourad Papazian. He stated all she had done for the community during the genocide centennial: exhibition in the town hall of Paris, presence in the presidential delegation in Yerevan April 24, 2015 and then to the Komitas statue in Paris, her initiative to turn off the Eiffel Tower for the first time.

The three other awardees were Republicans MP Patrick Devedjian, Mark Moogalian, who helped prevent a terrorist act in a Paris-bound train and Meral Cildir, Vice President of the Turkish Association of Human Rights.

Photo: Sputnik/ Mikhail Voskresenskiy

 

China could join the fight against the Islamic State terrorist group, aiding Russia in its anti-IS efforts, Sputnik News reports, quoting The Washington Times reports.

China is concerned about a growing number of “Chinese-origin” terrorists within IS group, which is banned in a range of countries, including Russia and the United States, the newspaper said on Wednesday.

“The real question is whose side will they be on,” a defense official was quoted as saying by The Washington Times, which suggested that Beijing will side with the Russian campaign against ISIS instead of joining forces with the US-led anti-IS coalition.

Photo: Reuters

 

A meeting of Syrian opposition politicians and rebels in Riyadh has produced a statement of principles to guide peace talks with the government, the BBC reports

The statement calls for the creation of “a pluralistic regime that represents all sectors of the Syrian people”, according to the Reuters news agency.

It also stresses that President Bashar al-Assad and his aides can play no part in any transitional period.

Earlier, the powerful rebel group Ahrar al-Sham withdrew from the conference.

It complained that figures it regarded as too close to the government were being given too prominent a role.

World powers want negotiations between a unified opposition delegation and President Bashar al-Assad’s government on a political solution to the four-and-a-half-year conflict to start by 1 January.

Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan visited today Gyumri town on the 27th anniversary of the 1988 earthquake.

The Head of Government laid a wreath and observed a minute’s silence at the Earthquake Memorial in the Holy Savior church of Gyumri.

Photo: Handout/RIA Novosti/Getty Images

 

A joint missile Russian-Armenian air defense system will put the brakes on Azerbaijan’s goal of retaking Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent territories, Stratfor said as it analyzed the motives behind the Russian-Armenian air defense deal. Excerpts from the analysis are provided below.

On Nov. 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed his government to sign an agreement with Armenia to create a joint missile air defense system in the region. Not long after, the Armenian government confirmed that Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev is expected to visit Armenia in late November to officially sign the air defense system deal.

The move, though reminiscent of Moscow’s actions in Central Asia and Belarus in previous years, comes at a time when Russia is being forced to respond to a wider array of challenges than ever before. Threats are rising from the Near East, while the West is ramping up its military activities in Georgia and Nagorno-Karabakh moves closer to changing its political status.

And as Russia increases its military presence in Armenia, its competition with major regional powers for influence in the South Caucasus will intensify, adding to the growing list of issues Russia must contend with outside its borders.

An expanding military presence will put Russia in direct competition with Turkey’s ambitions in the South Caucasus and Georgia’s cooperation with NATO and U.S. forces. It will also put the brakes on Azerbaijan’s goal of retaking Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent territories.

For Armenia’s part, the joint air defense deal comes at an opportune time. Its government has received mounting criticism from Armenian politicians and media amid a growing belief that the country’s membership in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization and its reliance on Russia as a security guarantor have yielded few results, particularly as Azerbaijan pursues a more assertive military posture around Nagorno-Karabakh.

Under the new agreement, Armenian air defenses will be strengthened, and the country will likely see new air defense equipment, radios, radar systems and combat helicopters deployed to its territory. Armenian Minister of Territorial Administration and Emergency Situations Armen Yeritsyan also recently announced that the Stepanavan Airport, located a mere 20 kilometers (about 12 miles) from the Armenia-Georgia border, will host Russian Mi-24 and KA-32 heavy helicopters starting in 2016. While these aircraft do not amount to a projection of Russian force because of their limited range, they do reflect the Kremlin’s broader policy of boosting its air capabilities in Armenia — a process that dates back to January 2014, when Russia announced that it would strengthen Armenia’s Erebuni Airport with Mi-24P, Mi-8MT and Mi-8SMV helicopters. Along a similar vein, Nagorno-Karabakh’s president has said Russian forces may use his region’s Stepanakert Airport for air operations, an offer that may be in response to the recent uptick in air cooperation between Armenia and Russia.

Russia’s growing military presence in the South Caucasus will be especially worrisome to Turkey and Azerbaijan, Armenia’s longtime rivals in the region. The two countries have ramped up their joint military exercises with Georgia over the past year, posing a heightened threat to Armenia, whose strategic position is already weak. Since Turkey already had less ability than Russia to project power into the South Caucasus, the Kremlin’s recent moves will only increase the gap between Russian and Turkish influence there, thus intensifying their competition for sway in the wider region.

Meanwhile, Russia’s stronger aerial presence in Armenia could alter the military balance of power between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani politicians have already voiced concerns about the air defense agreement, and on Nov. 11 — the same day Putin gave his orders to sign the deal — Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev visited his country’s S-300 anti-aircraft missile brigade, the unit responsible for Azerbaijan’s aerial defenses.

The timing of the deal is significant for a number of reasons. First, it signals Russia’s response to recent developments in the ongoing standoff between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. As talks progress on Armenia handing over to Azerbaijan several regions adjacent to the breakaway territory, Russia will boost its military presence in the South Caucasus to ensure the security of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh and to make any further territorial concessions more politically palatable to Yerevan. Second, as Russia becomes more involved in the Syrian conflict, Moscow is keen to increase its ability to monitor its southern borders — a goal that a military presence in Armenia, with its proximity to the Middle East, is ideally suited to achieve.

Flights to Egypt have been suspended at the instruction of Russian President Vladimir Putin until proper security level is ensured, Putin’s presssecretary Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Friday, TASS reports.

“I would like to explain the following: [Russia’s Federal Security Service chief] Alexander Bortnikov referred to Putin recommendations of the National Anti-terrorist Committee to suspend air service with Egypt and the president agreed with these recommendations,” Peskov said. “The government has been instructed to elaborate a mechanism of transporting Russian citizens back home.”

“I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the president meant air service with Egypt is to be suspended until a due level of air service security is ensured,” he stressed. “We will work with the Egyptians to ensure due level of security taking into account all the risks.”

When asked how long it might take to solve this task, the Kremlin spokesman said, “We hope for close cooperation” with Egypt.

He stressed that this decision did not mean that terrorist attack was the main theory of the Russian plane crash on the Sinai peninsula. “Undoubtedly, none of the versions can be still dominating as there are no clear indications in its favor,” Peskov said.

Peskov also said he would not comment on whether Russia would tight security for flights to other Arab states after the Russian plane crash in Egypt. “I have nothing to tell you so far,” he said in reply to the question.

 

In an exclusive interview with , Garo Paylan speaks about the recent parliamentary election in Turkey, the future of the peace process, and the problems of Armenian community.

According to unofficial results, Garo Paylan was elected to parliament as the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) representative for Istanbul. He answered the questions of Agos’ chief editor, Yetvart Danzikyan.

“The moment the peace process was ended, the sides were rearranged”

Assessing the HDP’s reaction to the decline in their votes, Garo Paylan said, “Our expectation was higher. In the local elections in 2014, we received 2,900,000 votes. Just in a year, our votes have doubled. However, the moment the peace process was ended, the sides were rearranged and the polarization intensified. In such cases as this, new supporters get naturally confused. When the statements got harsh, people began to be worried. We see that the voters distanced themselves from us.”

HDP’s votes declined all around Turkey and Paylan assessed HDP’s position in Kurdish region, saying that, “people are more tired there. The peace was so close, but then the negotiations ended abruptly. The state used all of its apparatuses to increase AKP’s votes. It is said that they cannot talk about peace if there is only HDP. We also say this. Other political parties should be involved in this process, but there must be people who want peace. We hope that AKP [parliament members] in the region will focus on the peace.”

“AKP should use its power for peace again”

Evaluating the future of the peace process, Garo Paylan said, “AKP is able to convince its supporters to [do] almost anything.  Two years ago, when they said that they want to stop the tears, their supporters didn’t react. When they ended the process, again, none of their supporters reacted. We want AKP to use its power for peace, for parliament again. We continue to challenge them through democratic politics.”

“Our key phrase is constructive opposition”

Garo Paylan, as an Armenian parliament member, said that he will also speak for the Armenian community and the problems it faces. “Like many other issues, the Armenian Question is thrown aside. In this term, our key phrase is constructive opposition. We have issues like foundation elections, patriarchal election and problem of status, and I have bills for these issues. We held some talks before the election and we continue to work now that the election is over.

A Service of Commemoration of the Armenian Martyrs of 1915 will be held at Westminster Abbey at 7.00pm on Wednesday 28^th October.

The service will be attended by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, His Excellency Dr Armen Sarkissian, the Armenian ambassador to the Court of St James, and members of the Armenian Government.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport John Whittingdale discussed the preparations for the event at a .

 

Jurgen Klopp is set to take charge of his first European match at Anfield tomorrow night. Liverpool restart their European campaign in the Europa League against Rubin Kazan having drawn their opening two fixtures with Bordeaux and Sion.

Looking back at Klopp’s record year-by-year, the reveals that Jurgen Klopp’s first European campaign came via the Fair Play League, when his Mainz faced Armenia’s Mika in a qualifier in 2005.

2012/2013 season was the best in Klopp’s career, as  Borussia Dortmund become everyone’s second-favorite team in Europe.

They escaped unbeaten from the ‘Group of Death’ alongside Real Madrid, Manchester City and Ajax. They lost in an all-German final against Bayern Munich, who won the game in the 89th minute through Arjen Robben.