Author: Antranik Varosian

Turkish press: Turkish diplomat’s terrorist killer denied parole in US

Antranik Varosian
 ISTANBUL POLITICS 
MAY 27, 2020 9:59 AM GMT+3

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has denied the parole request of Hampig Sassounian, an Armenian who assassinated a Turkish diplomat in Los Angeles in 1982.

The announcement came Monday with Newsom reversing the Board of Parole Hearings' decision which found Sassounian suitable for parole.

"After reviewing and considering the evidence in the record, I believe that Mr. Sassounian must do additional work before he can be safely released. Accordingly, I find that he still poses an unreasonable danger to society if released and I reverse the Board's decision to parole Mr. Sassounian," the governor concluded.

On Jan. 28, 1982, Kemal Arıkan was shot to death 14 times by Sassounian and his accomplice, Krikor Saliba. Saliba escaped justice, but Sassounian was arrested and in 1984 was sentenced to life in prison.

He was a member of the Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide (JCAG), an Armenian terrorist group that targeted Turkish diplomats in the 1970s and 1980s in revenge for what they call the genocide of Armenians during the last years of the Ottoman Empire.

The terrorist was sentenced to life following the attack and is currently incarcerated in San Quentin Prison in California. He has had a right for parole since 2007 as he served 25 years under parole laws of the state of California. The Turkish Foreign Ministry has repeatedly pleaded with U.S. authorities to prevent his parole since then. The parole request was finally accepted in 2016, but Turkey appealed the ruling. California Gov. Jerry Brown canceled the parole ruling in May 2017. Sassounian applied for parole again, but the parole board rejected it again in June 2018, citing that he still posed "an unreasonable danger to society if released."

The Turkish American National Steering Committee (TASC) and the American Turkish Association of Southern California (ATASC) on Tuesday welcomed the governor's decision to reject Sassounian's parole.

The TASC and ATASC thanked Newsom and said they are leading a national and international coalition to make sure Sassounian serves his life sentence.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Wednesday also welcomed the decision saying: "This murder that terrorist Sassounian committed, with no signs of regret during his conviction, will never be forgotten as a crime that reveals the terrible dimensions of a sickly and distorted ideology. This welcomed decision shows once again that terrorism, hate speech and extremism will not go unpunished in the world. On this occasion, we once again commemorate Kemal Arıkan, our martyred diplomat and all our martyrs of terror with respect and mercy.”

Between 1973 and 1993, a total of 33 Turkish diplomats, employees and families based at Turkish diplomatic missions abroad were murdered by Armenian terrorist groups, with the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) being the most infamous one.

The JCAG was affiliated with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, a political party dating back to the early 20th century that still operates in Armenia. These militant groups, cooperating with each other and other terrorist groups despite differing in ideology, were mainly based in civil war-torn Lebanon, from where Sassounian's family emigrated to the U.S.

Armenian terrorist groups also targeted civilians in various attacks, including the 1982 Ankara Esenboğa Airport attack, which killed nine, and the 1983 Paris Orly Airport attack, which killed eight.

The vast majority of the attacks were conducted by the ASALA and JCAG terror organizations.

The assassinations took place in the U.S., Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Lebanon, Greece, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, Portugal, Iran and the U.K.

Coronavirus: Armenia reports 322 new cases, 293 recoveries on May 22

Antranik Varosian
Panorama, Armenia

Armenia has confirmed 322 new coronavirus infections, bringing the total number of cases to 5,928 in the country as of 11 a.m. Friday, May 22, the Ministry of Health reports.

293 more patients have recovered from the disease with the total number of recoveries now standing at 2,874.

The number of COVID-19 fatalities has increased by 4 to 74.

The latest victims were 52 (male), 81 (male), 61 (male), 82 (male) years old and had underlying chronic health conditions, the ministry said.

In addition, one case of death was recorded on Thursday when the patient had tested positive for COVID-19, but the cause of death was another disease. The total of such cases is 28.

The number of active cases is 2,952.

As many as 47,654 tests have been performed in the country since the disease outbreak.

The ministry once again urges you to:

• Stay at home

• Limit physical contact

• Take care of personal hygiene

• Wash hands for at least 20 seconds, especially before eating and after coming home

• Avoid public areas and transportation as much as possible

• Maintain at least 1-meter distance when speaking to someone

• Inform a doctor when experiencing flu-like symptoms instead of resorting to self-treatment

• Upon returning from a country where the coronavirus has a large spread, practice self-isolation for 14 days while being in touch with your polyclinic doctor

• Regularly check your temperature while informing your doctor of the results

• Don’t panic and follow your doctor’s advice

Source Panorama.am

Plane from China carries new batch of medical supplies to Armenia

Antranik Varosian
Public Radio Armenia
May 15 2020


Today, a plane from Beijing, China, transported the latest batch of essential personal protective equipment purchased by the United Nations World Food Program for the Armenian Ministry of Health to equip Armenian medical facilities fighting COVID-19.

Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has worked with the Armenian government and its partners to transport 125,000 pieces of personal protective equipment to Armenia to protect health workers at the forefront, including 80,000 medical uniforms and protective equipment – glasses, face shields, etc.

WFP was able to purchase equipment worth $ 1 million thanks to donations from the My Step Foundation, the Izmirlian Foundation, the Galust Gulbenkian Foundation, the St. Sargis Humanitarian Foundation, and the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the support of Eduardo Eurnekian’s companies, as well as the Office of the Chief Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs in the Republic of Armenia.

The air transportation was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

As long as the needs continue to grow, WFP continues to seek support from its partners so that it can provide support to the Armenian population and government during this difficult time.

All over the world, the United Nations is uniting its forces and working with governments to make medical equipment available to people in need. In Armenia, the UNHCR, in cooperation with the UN Resident Coordinator and the WTO, is in charge of the freight forwarding sector to assist the Government of Armenia and its partners in supplying medical equipment, food and non-food items. Thanks to the strong partnership with the national authorities, the aircraft will continue to transport medical equipment from Armenia and the world’s key hubs to Armenia.

Armenia PM, MP get into dispute about situation in education sector

Antranik Varosian
News.am, Armenia
May 6 2020

21:18, 06.05.2020
                  

Bright Armenia party MP comments on PM’s speech in parliament following brawl

Antranik Varosian
News.am, Armenia
May 8 2020
Bright Armenia party MP comments on PM's speech in parliament following brawl Bright Armenia party MP comments on PM's speech in parliament following brawl

19:59, 08.05.2020
                  

Nikol Pashinyan: It all started with the adoption of the law "On Confiscation of Illegally Acquired Property"

Antranik Varosian
Arminfo, Armenia
May 8 2020

ArmInfo. "I condemn any violence, in any manifestation, including moral-psychological one," Armenia's PM Nikol Pashinyan stated from the RA NA rostrum on May 8, commenting on the conflict between head of the "Bright Armenia" faction Edmon Marukyan and member of the "My Step" faction Sasun Mikayelyan.

Pashinyan said: <The incident that happened this morning in the  parliament is unacceptable. But at the same time, I want to note that  violence can be  also moral-psychological. For two years now, the  ruling political force, including the parliamentary faction "My  Step", has undergone permanent attacks>, the prime minister  emphasized.

The head of the Cabinet noted that women MPs from the ruling bloc on  social networks are being threatened with reprisal, as well as  threats to kill their children also sounds. "The goal of everything  that is happening is clear – to undermine the trust that has  developed between the country's authorities and the people,"  Pashinyan emphasized.

<Yesterday, I met with head of the "Bright Armenia" faction Edmon  Marukyan and noted that we have enough reason to believe that he and  his faction are part of a certain plan. A plan to render moral,  psychological and physical violence against the ruling force>,   Pashinyan said.  He also emphasized that it was unclear why Edmon  Marukyan interrupted his speech, and with a militant manner turned to  Sasun Mikaelyan. 

<All that happened is a provocation and we succumbed to it. But we  have no right to succumb to provocations. These people want to  unbalance us, turn us into killers, distract us from our values. And  yes, Serzh-Kocharyan's criminal group and the parliamentary force  serving them subject the ruling faction to constant attacks and  constant violence in the parliament. According to the RA Criminal  Code, a bribe is a crime>, the Prime Minister emphasized.  

Pashinyan noted that, however, in everything that happens, he  condemns himself and the ruling parliamentary bloc. <I believe that  this is our biggest defeat after the revolution But let no one treat  this as a weakness. We will recover from this defeat.  Yes, it all  started with the adoption of the law <On the confiscation of  illegally acquired property>. Indeed, if a number of people  confiscate their property, how will they pay for services to their  accomplices>, the head of the Cabinet asked.  

The prime minister also said that hatred and violence are  unacceptable in the new Armenia.  "We will live in a new Armenia, in  which there is no place for violence," he noted.  

It should be noted that the work of the National Assembly of the  Republic of Armenia was interrupted today due to the conflict that  arose between  head of the "Bright Armenia" faction Edmon Marukyan  and MP from the My Step faction Sasun Mikayelyan. Other members of  parliament were involved in the assault.  Clarification of relations  with the participation of parliamentarians continued during the  announced break, after which the conflicting parties finally  dispersed.

Number of confirmed COVID-19 cases reaches 2,066 in Armenia, 2 new deaths reported

Antranik Varosian
News.am, Armenia
April 30 2020

11:14, 30.04.2020
                  

Film: The film about William Saroyan is now available online

Antranik Varosian
Panorama, Armenia
April 30 2020
Society 17:32 30/04/2020 World

The film directed by Lusin Dink,  the daughter of renowned Turkish-Armenian journalist and columnist Hrant Dink’s brother “SaroyanLand” (2013) is now available online, Ermenihaber reports.

“SaroyanLand” is a documentary drama focusing on the journey of renowned American- Armenian writer William Saroyan to the birthplace of his Armenian family in Bitlis, Turkey in 1964.

Saroyan portrayed himself as an American and a Bitlis-tsi, an Armenian from the city of Bitlis in Turkey. In 1964 he made a long voyage in Anatolia, leading him to his home town Bitlis. The docu-drama road movie "SaroyanLand" tells the story of this voyage, making use of his own memoirs and short stories, as well as the accounts of his travelling companions. In Saroyan's own words, told by a voice over, we see his anger, passion, longing for his homeland, ability of empathy and love of humankind. The script of the film, based on interviews, reenactment of Saroyan's stories, and the authors memoirs is a collage of his voyage in Turkey, told in his own words. While replicating Saroyan's voyage 49 years later, we witness the self-discovery of a man, who by following the traces of his ancestors, also finds himself.


Music: Big online pan-Armenian concert expected to last 8 hours

Antranik Varosian
News.am, Armenia
May 1 2020
Big online pan-Armenian concert expected to last 8 hours (PHOTOS) Big online pan-Armenian concert expected to last 8 hours (PHOTOS)

15:10, 01.05.2020

YEREVAN. – The creative and technical staff of the “TOVMASYAN" Charity Foundation's online concert to be held on Saturday is making preparations to make the live broadcast as uninterrupted as possible. Hrach Keshishyan, the chief director of this concert, said this at a press conference Friday, emphasizing that this project will be unprecedented in its scale and type.

"The whole broadcast will take place online, not on television, and this has its interesting development," he said. "It means that we can gather a large audience, not only in Armenia, but also abroad. The team has done a lot of work, and we have come together to be able to create content and broadcast. Everything is being done at a very professional and high level."

Keshishyan informed that this concert marathon will be held in Armenian, English, and Russian.

"We will try to work as uninterruptedly as possible on air," he added. “During this time we are making very interesting videos. Everything is aimed at the fight against coronavirus, so that we can assist the medical staff and have a good situation.”

Hrach Keshishyan could not say exactly how long this concert will last and what scenario deviations there may be during it. According to him, this online broadcast will be interesting for this very treason. "According to preliminary forecasts, the concert will last about 8 hours. We will start at 20:20 Yerevan time, we will finish the next day at 04:00; at the moment, our assessments are as such,” he said. “But this is a live broadcast [concert] marathon, and there may be other surprises, too, that will make the broadcast even more interesting. Our entire technical staff is working to ensure that we have uninterrupted broadcasting.”

More than 60 artists from Armenia and Armenian diaspora have already joined this concert, and this number, according to the organizers, is increasing day by day.

Singers Alla Levonyan and Saro Tovmasyan, who also attended this press conference, lauded this project by the “TOVMASYAN" Charity Foundation, noting that they joined this idea without hesitation.

https://news.am/eng/news/575977.html

Asbarez: Stepanakert Remembers Brutal Attacks on Getashen, Martunashen, Shahumyan

Antranik Varosian

Residents of Shahumyan were lined up for “passport checks” before they were brutally driven out of their homes

The Artsakh Foreign Ministry on Thursday issued a statement marking the 29th anniversary of the Soviet and Azerbaijani forces’ attacks on Getashen, Martunashen and Shahumyan, which became the spark for the Karabakh war.

The operation known as “Koltso”—or “Ring”—was organized and coordinated by the central authorities of the Soviet Union and Azerbaijan, whose aim was to surround and empty Artsakh of its Armenian population.

Below is the Artsakh foreign ministry’s statement.

29 years ago, under the direct organization and coordination of the central authorities of the USSR and Azerbaijan, a large-scale operation called “Koltso” (“Ring”) was carried out to deport the Armenian population of the borderline villages of Artsakh. This bloody operation ultimately transferred the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict to the military phase, initiating the subsequent full-scale aggression of Azerbaijan against the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic).

On April 30, 1991, the massive shelling of Getashen and Martunashen villages of the Shahumyan region launched the operation ‘Koltso’, in the course of which tanks, combat helicopters, and artillery were employed for the first time against the civilians. Azerbaijani special police units (OMON), with the support of internal troops of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Soviet Army, broke into Armenian villages formally supposedly for “checking the passport regime”, but in fact for killing, robbery, terror against the Armenian population, followed by deportation.

As a result of the military-police actions, dozens of Armenian villages of Northern Artsakh, as well as the Shahumyan, Hadrut and Shushi regions were destroyed, about ten thousand people were deported, over 100 people were killed, and hundreds of people were taken hostage. The fate of many of them remains unknown so far.

The Azerbaijani authorities considered the operation ‘Koltso’ as the beginning of the complete cleansing of Artsakh from the Armenian population. It became another manifestation of the policy of ethnic cleansing conducted by Azerbaijan in 1988-1991 in Sumgait, Baku and other settlements of the Azerbaijani SSR, as well as in the villages of Northern Artsakh.

The Armenian pogroms carried out by the Azerbaijani authorities in response to the demand of the people of Artsakh to exercise its inalienable right to self-determination and the subsequent military aggression against the Republic of Artsakh in 1991, which was repeated in April 2016, demonstrated that only the establishment and strengthening of an independent statehood can ensure the right of the people of Artsakh to live freely and safely in its homeland. The international community’s recognition of this reality and the international recognition of the Republic of Artsakh will become an additional deterrent against Azerbaijan’s desire to unleash a new war and will ensure peace and security in the entire region of the South Caucasus.