Author: Arbi Tashjian

The reports that as a consequence of the International Olympic Committee’s reanalyses of samples from the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the samples of the following Athletes have returned Adverse Analytical Findings: Hripsime Khurshudyan (ARM), Alexandru Dudoglo (MDA), Nadezda Evstyukhina (RUS), Nurcan Taylan (TUR), Marina Shainova (RUS), Intigam Zairov (AZE), Ilya Ilyin (KAZ).

In line with the relevant rules and regulations, the IWF imposed mandatory provisional suspensions upon the Athletes, who remain provisionally suspended in view of potential anti-doping rule violations until their cases are closed.

Following the IOC’s decisions, the IWF will be in a position to take over the results management of these cases.

Should it be determined in any of the cases that no anti-doping violation was committed, the relevant decision shall also be published.

The IWF will not make any further comments on the cases until they are closed.

Photo: ITAR-TASS/Alexey Druzhinin

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s talks with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts, Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev, are not going to be smooth, Russian president’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

“Naturally, the talks will be difficult. The key task now is to secure that combat operations are not resumed, not to let the progress reached by the moment of violence outbreak around Nagorno-Karabakh be lost,” he told journalists. “So, the working day promises to be very busy and hard.”

According to Peskov, separate talks with the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents will be followed by a trilateral meeting and a working lunch.

– The Committee Against Racism and Discrimination of the Human Rights Association of Turkey, Istanbul branch, sent a letter to the Consul General of Germany in Istanbul, expressing gratitude regarding the German Parliament’s historic vote on June 2 recognizing the Armenian Genocide. The letter also denounces the racist announcements by Turkish government officials, the media, and members of society.

Below is the letter sent by the Committee Against Racism and Discrimination of the Human Rights Association of Turkey Istanbul branch:

Consulate General of the German Federal Republic İnönü Caddesi No. 10
Gümüşsuyu
Istanbul

June 8, 2016

Dear Dr. Georg Birgelen, Consul General of Germany,

As the Human Rights Association, Istanbul Branch, Committee Against Racism and Discrimination, we address you this letter to denounce and express shame for the extremely racist verbal and written attacks by the Turkish authorities, the media, and various nationalist elements of society, against Germany and the German people, following the German Parliamentary decision that recognizes the Armenian Genocide.

German Members of Parliament (MP) of Turkish origin have been labeled traitors following the vote, with some—including Cem Özdemir—receiving death threats.

As human rights defenders and activists against racism, we appreciate the fact that the German state has condemned the Holocaust by all means, created places for Holocaust memorialization in all areas of life, variously memorialized the crimes of the Nazi regime, established an educational system that insists on historical truth rather than denialist history, and made these permanent as state policy. On Dec. 7, 1970, German Chancellor Willy Brandt kneeled before the Warsaw Ghetto Memorial and apologized to the Jewish people, thereby vividly demonstrating to the world what states must do with regard to crimes against humanity. Without a doubt, Germany was able to arrive at this point as a result of the endless efforts of human rights defenders, thinkers and writers, politicians, and all influential individuals of the public sphere. For we see every single day how difficult it is both for the state and for society to rid themselves of all kinds of racism. It is moreover impossible for a crime against humanity such as genocide to be atoned for, restituted, or redressed; nevertheless, all steps in this direction are conditions of being a society, and being human.

A natural, if belated, consequence of this state policy, the German Parliamentary decision of June 2, 2016 is exemplary in showing the approach that the world must take with regard to crimes against humanity committed by states, in that in its decision to “remember and commemorate the genocide against Armenians and other Christians in the period 1915-16,” it has not only recognized the premeditated, systematic genocide perpetrated in Anatolia and Asia Minor, but also clearly stated that Germany was also responsible.

Opposed to this exemplary stance is the attitude in Turkey, which condones the crime. The insults and discourses of racial hatred directed toward Germany, German MPs, and the German people, as well as the actions in which such discourses were used, constitute crimes in the countries that enforce the standards of international law. Even more extreme racist insults and threats against German MPs of Turkish origin lay bare the dire situation in Turkey in terms of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

As human rights defenders in Turkey, we see these attacks by state authorities, the media, and nationalists as evidence that these crimes against humanity can always recur in this country. We believe that these discourses and actions are attacks on the will of elected representatives, on democracy, human rights, and universal law, not only in Germany but in all countries who have taken or will take a stance against the official view in Turkey.

We thus salute the German Parliament on the occasion of its decision and announce to the public opinion in your country that we deem the hatred and hostility against Germany and the German people to be hostility toward democracy and human rights.

Yours sincerely,

Human Rights Association, Istanbul Branch Committee Against Racism and Discrimination

The Human Rights Association (HRA) is a non-governmental and independent voluntary organization. Founded by 98 human rights activists in 1986. The Association today has 28 branches, 4 representation offices, and 10,938 members. The oldest and largest human rights association in Turkey, the HRA’s sole and explicit objective is to work for human rights and freedoms. 

Russia will play a key role in solving the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday, Sputnik News reports.

“Russia will, of course, play a key role in settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We will use our contacts to support the Russian government, as well as the American and the French ones — co-chairs of the Minsk group — in solving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” Merkel said at a joint press conference with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.

Lawmakers in Ankara are meeting to discuss possible measures to take against Germany following last week’s vote on Armenian Genocide, which sparked anger in Turkey, Deutsche Welle reports.

Turkey’s Cabinet will also discuss the German parliament’s decision to label the killing of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as “genocide,” Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said Sunday.

Ministers are expected to meet Monday – the first since Thursday’s Bundestag resolution, according to Anadolu Agency.

On 3 June Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan received a group of Armenian philanthropists from the USA and the Republic of Armenia, NKR President’s Press Office reports.

Issues related to the implementation of various charity programs in Artsakh were discussed during the meeting. Special attention was paid to social sphere.

President Sahakyan expressed gratitude to the philanthropists for active participation in the development of Artsakh calling it significant and demanded.

NKR minister of labor and social affairs Samvel Avanesyan and other officials partook at the meeting.

Today, the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Commonwealth of Australia to the Republic of Armenia Peter Tesch (residence in Moscow) presented his credentials to the President of Armenia.

President Serzh Sargsyan congratulated the Ambassador on assuming his position and expressed hope that during his tenure he will spare no effort to develop friendly relations between Armenia and Australia. Wishing Ambassador Tesch all the best, Serzh Sargsyan assured that the state structures of Armenia will provide comprehensive support to the activities of the Ambassador aimed at the strengthening of the Armenian-Australian relations.

In the context of making the bilateral relations more substantial and elevating them to a qualitatively new level, the two parties stressed the importance of high-level reciprocal visits and regular contacts at different levels, including in the interparliamentary format, close and efficient cooperation in the framework of international and regional organizations as well as the development of economic relations in the mutually attractive areas.

Ambassador Peter Tesch spoke with esteem about the large Armenian community of Australia and stressed that in his country the Armenians have fully integrated into the social and political life of Australia and bring their input to the development of different areas and at the same time promote the strengthening of the Armenian-Australian friendship.

Territorial integrity cannot be opposed to the right of peoples to self-determination, Armenian deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan has said.

The comment comes after PACE President Pedro Agramunt declared at a meeting with Chairman of Azerbaijan’s Parliament that “all conflict must be solved within the territorial integrity of the countries.”

“It would be preferable for an international official of that level to be familiar with the fundamental document of the international law – the UN Charter, according to which the territorial integrity cannot be opposed to the right of people to self-determination,” Kocharyan said in comments to Armenpress.

The anti-aircraft defense and electronic warfare divisions of RA Armed Forces neutralized an unmanned flying vehicle near Yelpin community in Vayots Dzor province.

Spokesman for the Ministry of Defense Artsrun Hovhannisyan uploaded the photos of the downed drone on his Facebook page.

Further details about the ownership and production of the drone will be provided later.

MEPs have stopped work on plans to give Turks visa-free access to the EU’s Schengen zone, putting a wider migrant deal in doubt, accoridng to .

Group leaders in the European Parliament’s “conference of presidents” quietly suspended work on the file last Wednesday. Some of the lead MEPs on the dossier, the group coordinators in the civil liberties committee (LIBE), found out about the suspension on Monday (9 May).