Author: Badalian Vardan

Arts & Book Review
February 28, 2015
First Edition

Anush Hovhannisyan, Opera singer, 28

ONE TO WATCH

The Armenian soprano, who is on the Jette Parker Young Artists
Programme at the Royal Opera House, will sing the role of one of the
girls in Rise and Fall in the City of Mahagonny and Kate Pinkerton in
Madama Butterfly, both in March. She’s also about to sing the lead in
Le roi de Lahore with the Chelsea Opera Group. She began opera singing
aged four at her dad’s opera studio in Armenia and trained at the
Royal Conversatory of Scotland. “I’m open to the most wonderful
opportunities to come,” she says.

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN
Litige foncier sur le Nouvel Aéroport de Batman

Après le litige sur la propriété du terrain sur lequel l’aéroport de
Diyarbékir se trouve aujourd’hui, le terrain sur lequel se trouve
l’aéroport Batman fait l’objet lui aussi d’une demande en justice.
Zuart Sudjian a intenté un procès au tribunal, se plaignant que l’état
avait construit un aéroport sur le terrain dont elle avait hérité. Le
terrain de Sudjian près de Diyarbékir avait également fait l’objet
d’une appropriation par l’état, et l’Aéroport de Diyarbékir avait été
construit en partie sur son terrain.

Zuart Sudjian est une Arménienne dont la famille a des racines à
Diyarbékir. Sudjian fait partie de la famille Basmacryan de
Diyarbekir, où elle vit aujourd’hui. Sudjian a découvert que le
terrain dont elle avait hérité de sa famille avait fait l’objet d’une
appropriation par l’état lors de travaux cadastraux ; par suite, elle
avait engagé un procès et demandé au tribunal qu’il décide de la
restitution du terrain. D’après son dossier, comme à Diyarbékir, un
aéroport a été construit sur les terres de Sudjian à Batman. La 2ème
Cour de Première Instance a reçu sa demande et ouvert un procès.

Demandes de Villageois rejetées au Motif d’Arméniens ‘disparus’

L’histoire du terrain est elle aussi intéressante. D’après le dossier
de l’affaire, sa famille ayant quitté la Turquie, les villageois
avaient usé des terrains pendant de nombreuses années. L’étude
cadastrale dont il est question avait eu lieu en 1960. Et cependant,
au cours des travaux cadastraux, les villageois soutenaient que c’est
à eux que l’usus du terrain était acquis, et entamèrent une action
afin que la terre leur soit donnée. En 1963, la Cour Cadastrale de
Batman rejeta les demandes des villageois. Dans ses attendus motivés,
le tribunal avait déclaré que la propriété des terrains dont il
s’agissait, avaient été transférée au Trésor, propriétés d’Arméniens
qui avaient ‘disparu’ 40 ans auparavant, et appartenaient depuis lors
au Trésor, et que les villageois qui avaient introduit l’instance
n’avaient aucun droit sur les terrains, et les débouta de leurs
demandes. Tel est le document officiel le plus important relatif à la
propriété des terres.

La Cour Accepte d’examiner l’affaire

Les avocats de Sudjian ont présenté la décision de la Cour Cadastrale
de 1963 comme pièce du dossier dans la nouvelle affaire. Les avocats
ont déclaré que l’enregistrement opéré par le Trésor était
‘irrégulière’ et ont demandé l’annulation de cet enregistrement, et le
paiement d’une indemnité.

Les avocats ont également relevé le fait que dans l’autre affaire
concernant les terrains de l’aéroport de Diyarbékir, la décision
précédente du tribunal de rejeter l’affaire du fait du délai de
prescription de 10 ans qui a trait à la perte des droits a été annulée
par la Cour de Cassation, laquelle a demandé que l’affaire soit
retenue. C’est ainsi que le tribunal a accepté le dossier et lancé
l’affaire. Le tribunal commencera à étudier le fond de l’affaire après
l’examen des enregistrements cadastraux des lots concernés et les
actes de propriété sur les terres présentés par les avocats.

Uygar Gültekin

Journal AGOS

Traduction Gilbert Béguian

dimanche 1er mars 2015,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

SHANT HARUTYUNYAN’S ADVOCATES FILE APPEAL WITH COURT OF CASSATION

13:09 | March 2,2015 | Politics

The advocates of Shant Harutyunyan, the leader of the opposition
Tseghakron party, and his friends have lodged an appeal to the Court
of Cassation requesting the latter to review the ruling of a lower
court. They have filed a motion to acquit their clients.

On October 19, a court in Yerevan found Shant Harutyunyan, leader
of the radical opposition party, his underage son Shahen Harutyunyan
and ten other activists who also participated in the November 5, 2013
anti-government protest, guilty of acts of hooliganism and sentenced
them from 1 to 7 years in prison. The court sentenced Shant Harutyunyan
and his son to 6 and 4 years in prison, respectively.

In February 2015, the Court of Appeal upheld the verdict against
Shant Harutyunyan and his friends.

Armenian Apostolic Church of Crescenta Valley-Education Committee
6252 Honolulu Ave.
Lacrescenta, CA. 91214
Tel: 818-244-9645
E-mail: [email protected]

Prelate H.E. Abp. Moushegh Mardirossian Lectures on the Canonization

On Sunday, February 22, 2015, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,
Prelate, presided over Divine Liturgy and delivered the sermon at the
Armenian Apostolic Church of Crescenta Valley. Following the service, by the
invitation of the parish Educational Committee, the Prelate delivered a
lecture on the canonization of Armenian Genocide martyrs.

The day began with Divine Liturgy celebrated by parish pastor Rev. Fr.
Ghevont Kirazian. By the ordinance of the Prelate and at the request of the
Armenian Relief Society Regional Executive, on this day requiem prayers were
offered in Prelacy Churches in memory of departed ARS members and sponsors.

Near the conclusion of the service, on behalf of the parish family, Fr.
Ghevont welcomed the Prelate and wished for God to bless him with many years
of good health and leadership of the Western Prelacy. He then invited the
Prelate to deliver the sermon.

His Eminence began by explaining the meaning and message of each Sunday of
Great Lent, then focused on the message of that day, Sunday of the
Expulsion, which recounts the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. Last
Sunday, on the eve of Great Lent, we celebrated the good life that Adam and
Eve enjoyed in Paradise in the presence of God. This Sunday, we recall the
consequences when they disobeyed God’s commandment, said the Prelate.
However, it was not the will of our merciful Lord for man to live a life
apart from Him, for man to be consumed with sin and death. And so, God
opened the path for our return to Him, He gives us the opportunity for
redemption, through sincere repentance and confession, concluded the
Prelate.

His Eminence then conveyed his message to the Armenian Relief Society
commending the organization’s invaluable contributions to our nation in the
past 105 years and praying for the souls of the departed to rest in peace.
The service came to a close with the requiem. Guests enjoyed a reception
prepared by the parish Ladies Guild, after which they took their seats at
the “Dikran and Zarouhie Der Ghazarian” Hall for the Prelate’s lecture.

Parish Board of Trustees Chair and Master of Ceremonies Mr. Dikran Der
Sarkissian welcomed the guests and invited violinist Ophelia Nanakoulian and
pianist Shoushan Hagopian to present two musical selections. He then invited
the Prelate to deliver his presentation. His Eminence first commended the
Parish Pastor, Board of Trustees, and Educational Committee for their hard
work in organizing the monthly lecture series, and then began his lecture,
giving unique insight to the guests as a member of the Canonization
Committee.

The Prelate began by noting that preliminary discussions to canonize the
martyrs of the Armenian Genocide began twenty-five years ago, on the 75th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, by His Holiness Vazken I and His
Holiness Karekin II of blessed memory. At the time, Archbishop Zareh
Aznavorian of blessed memory composed the hymn dedicated to the martyrs,
which the Prelate read passages from. The hymn memorializes our martyrs who
shed their blood for the preservation of our Christian faith, our Armenian
identity, and our religious and cultural treasures.

His Eminence spoke about the two Bishops’ Synods that were held in
Etchmiadzin in 2013 and 2014, stating that one of the issues discussed was
whether the martyrs should be canonized as individuals or collectively.
After lengthy deliberations, the Canonization Committee had decided that at
this stage, the martyrs would be canonized collectively, as the 1036 martyrs
of the Vartanants battle were. The Committee had also prepared the
declaration, the martyrology, and the procedure for the ceremony, which were
presented and approved by the Bishops’ Synod. Archbishop Zareh’s Hymn
Dedicated to the Martyrs of April was also adopted for the ceremony, which
will be conducted on April 23 in Etchmiadzin by H.H. Karekin II, Catholicos
of all Armenians, and H.H. Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia.

The Prelate explained the various conditions required for canonization; a
virtuous life, the embodiment of Christian virtues and the presence of the
Holy Spirit in their lives, martyrdom as a profession of faith, the presence
of miracles during their life, the incorruptibility of relics,
thaumaturgical power of relics, reveal signs of God’s authority in response
to prayers for intercession by faithful, and witnessing for the spread of
the Christian faith, for the defense of the church and the Orthodox tenet,
and for God’s Word. In the past, said His Eminence, people have been
regarded as saints for miracles performed during their lifetime, while in
the case of others, their relics have been found by future generations by
the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. There are also martyrs who were
proclaimed saints by Catholicoi, or who were honored with special feast
days.

In the last part of this lecture, His Eminence explained that status of our
martyrs post-canonization. He first clarified that we do not worship saints,
we seek their intercession. Also, upon canonization, we will no longer offer
requiem prayers for them, instead they will be remembered during Divine
Liturgy.

A question and answer session followed and the event came to a close with
the benediction.

No disagreements between opposition, civil society

14:28 * 01.03.15

Human rights activist Artak Zeinalyan does not see any disagreements
between the Opposition and civil society.

“Nothing bad if the political opposition attempts to get dividends
from civil initiatives’ actions or vice versa, nothing bad about it,”
Mr Zeinalyan told Tert.am.

Armenia’s civil society would have succeeded greatly but for the
authorities’ resistance.

“The more active is political opposition the greater are civil
movements’ achievements. If there is no political opposition, it
happens like in Azerbaijan: the political opposition has been done
away with, and human rights activities and journalists have turned
into targets,” he said.

Speaking of a number of protests, Mr Zeinalyan said:

“They were spontaneous actions resulting from civil society’s demands.
We have no efficient election mechanisms and authorities are
independent of election results nor are they serving the people for
their accountability to produce good results.”

According to him, protests achieved their aims.

Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Syria
February 26, 2015 Thursday

French delegation visits French Hospital and Armenian Church, Vial to
SANA: siege on Syria unreasonable

Damascus, SANA- French Senate member, Head of the Senate’s
French-Syrian Friendship Committee Jean-Pierre Vial and member of the
Senate and Mayor of Laval city François Zocchetto inspected the work
of the French Hospital in Damascus and the services it provides.

The senates were briefed on the needs of the Hospital and mechanisms
of work as well as the bad effects of the crisis on medical
institution in terms of capacity and medical equipment and drugs.

On the situation of the Hospital, Sister John Feiv said that a big
volume of medicine and equipment are not available in most cases due
to the siege and sanctions impost on the country.

She stressed that the French policy towards Syria should change
because the situation is getting more deteriorated, highlighting the
great sufferings of Syrians in different areas, particularly residents
of Hasaka where terrorist besiege its towns, leading to the death of
many children.

The two senates also visited Armenian Orthodox Church of Damascus
Diocese where they met Bishop Armash Nalbandian, who explained the
situation in Syria in general and particularly in cities of Damascus
and Aleppo in spite of the crisis taking place in the country.

For his part, Bishop Nalbandian indicated that national unity is still
embracing the fabric of the Syrian society, and all Syrian spectra are
united in countering the takfiri ideology that is targeting Syria.

He added that Turkey has played a big aggressive role in the crisis,
opening its borders to the terrorist organizations where perpetrated
massacres against the Syrian Armenians in the city of Kassab and other
Syrian cities, as their Ottoman predecessors did in 1915, committing
horrific genocide against the Armenians.

Bishop Nalbandian stressed that Armenians are deeply rooted in their
homeland, Syria, and they are part and parcel of the Syrian people, as
they wish that the solution to the crisis should be comprehensive- not
restricted to particular cities.

“A lot of innocent people in Damascus have been killed in almost daily
terrorist attacks with rocket and mortar shells,” Bishop Nalbandian
said, adding that the Church was targeted twice last year leaving many
children dead.

Vial stressed that the delegation’s visit to Syria is very important,
clarifying that Syria has always been a place for all sects and it is
exemplary for the co-existence and tolerance among its people.

In a statement to SANA, Vial considered that the siege imposed on
Syria has become unreasonable and it increases sufferings of the
Syrian people and leads to the lack of basic needs, especially
medicines.

He clarified that the delegation visited makeshift centers,
international organizations, schools, clergymen, hospitals in addition
to visiting a number of Syrian officials, pointing out that the
absence of France from Syria is because of its Embassy’s shutdown,
which should be put into consideration for restoring relations between
the two countries.

Vial said the latest attacks that hit Europe and France caused a shock
to the Europeans, who thought that terrorism is a plague targets
others in Syria and the Middle East and it will not reach them, yet it
turned out and reached Europe.

On the crisis in Syria, Vial saw that the solution lies in Aleppo
initiative proposed by the UN Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura and
supported by the Syrian government, as it should be accompanied with
the support of effective states to bear responsibility in this regard.

Rasha Milhem/ Barry

The Moscow Times, Russia
March 1 2015

Armenia’s Economic Growth Slows Amid Russian Slump

YEREVAN — Armenia’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth slowed to 3.4
percent in 2014 from 3.5 percent in 2013, and was down from an
initially projected 5.2 percent, the National Statistics Service said
Friday.

In nominal terms GDP reached 4.526 trillion drams last year, up from
4.267 trillion drams in 2013.

Armenia, a former Soviet state of 3.2 million people, is closely tied
to Russia through trade and remittances. It also belongs to Russian
President Vladimir Putin’s Eurasian Union, a bloc he hopes will rival
the European Union.

Russia’s economy slowed sharply in 2014 and is expected to contract
this year under the weight of low oil prices and sanctions imposed by
Western nations on Moscow over its actions in Ukraine. Russia’s
economic woes have caused slowdowns and currency devaluations in a
number of neighboring states.

The International Monetary Fund cut its forecast for Armenia’s
economic growth last September to 2.6 percent from 3.6 percent in
2014.

(Reuters, MT)

ARMENIANS NAME HERITAGE AS THE MOST OPPOSITIONAL PARTY

YEREVAN, March 2. / ARKA /. An Armenian political party led by an
American-born Raffi Hovanessian, who was Armenia’s first foreign
minister after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, was named by
Armenian citizens as ‘the most oppositional party’ in the country,
according to a survey conducted by Gallup International Association
in Armenia from November 20 to 27 in 2014 embracing 1,067 respondents.

The party called Zharangutyun (Heritage) scored 3.7 points on a 5 point
scale. It was followed by the Prosperous Armenia Party, led by one
of the wealthiest Armenian businessmen Gagik Tsarukyan (3.63 points).

The Armenian National Congress led by the first post-Soviet Armenian
president Levon Ter-Petrosyan was third with 3.62 points. Orinats
Yerkir (Country of Law) was named as the least opposition party with
2.4 points. The findings were unveiled today by Aram Navasardyan,
head of Gallup International Association in Armenia.

According to the survey, 40% of respondents predicted a political
failure to these three parties which until lately made the so-called
‘non-governing troika.’

“Only 11% of respondents said that the authorities will be forced
to negotiate with the troika and offer it levers of power and 9%
believe that the current administration will be forced to resign,”
said Navasardyan.

Also 65% said the troika was largely financed by the Prosperous
Armenia Party. Three percent believed it was Heritage and another 3
percent that it was the Armenian National Congress.”-0-

SOLDIER OF NKR DEFENSE ARMY SHOT DEAD: OFFICIAL VERSION SUICIDE

03.02.2015 12:32 epress.am

On February 27, at approximately 8:40, soldier Albert Safaryan (born
1996) died from a fatal gunshot wound at a defensive military outpost
of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army, reported the NKR Ministry of
Defense official website.

Further details were not mentioned in the NKR Ministry of Defense
statement. Later on the Investigative Committee released a statement
noting that Safaryan, according to the initial details, had fatally
shot himself under the chin with his service gun. A criminal case
has been initiated based on Article 110.1 of the RA criminal code,
i.e., Commission of Suicide.

In 2015, this is the 14th death of a soldier in the Armenian and
Nagorno-Karabakh armies.

CHURCH DEDICATED TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CENTENNIAL TO BE BUILT IN BLAGOVESHCHENSK, RUSSIA

14:50, 02 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

An Armenian Church dedicated to Gregory the Illuminator is planned
to be built in the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk.

The church will be dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Armenian
genocide in the Ottoman Empire, Bishop Lucian of Blagoveshchensk
and Tyndinsky said at a meeting with the local Armenian community,
Komsomolskaya Pravda reports.

He called on the Armenian community to support the initiative. Bishop
Lucian informed that an Armenian cross-stone will also be erected
in Amur.

The site of construction of the church should be determined this week.