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Author: George Mamian

Starting dialogue with Turkey doesn’t mean Armenia is abandoning key interests, says legislator Eduard Aghajanyan

George Mamian

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 14:46,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS. By starting dialogue with Turkey, Armenia doesn’t abandon its key state interests, and the establishment of relations cannot be accompanied by any preconditions, the head of the parliamentary committee on foreign relations Eduard Aghajanyan told reporters.

“In the context of relations with Turkey, Armenia’s stance has always been that we are ready to start the relations without any preconditions both from the Armenian side and the opposite,” he said.

Aghajanyan assures that the Armenian side is not abandoning anything, and this process is about the relations between Armenia and Turkey, about starting diplomatic relations. “This doesn’t anyhow mean that Armenia is abandoning its key state interests. On the contrary, we are convinced that establishing diplomatic relations with Turkey stems from Armenian state interests for various reasons,” the MP said.

He said that both Armenia and Turkey will benefit from this.

“Armenia has neighbors whom it can’t avoid geographically, and our neighbors can’t avoid our presence in this region. Therefore, there simply is no alternative to establishing good-neighborly relations with neighboring states. Indeed, this process isn’t easy given the regional processes of the last 30 years, but we are willing to take this path. And we will do everything for this process stemming from the Armenian interests to become reality,” he said.

He noted that over the last 30 years, Turkey was the one who was always pulling the plug on the process by bringing forward preconditions associated with the Artsakh conflict.

AW: AYF-ER condemns upcoming Princeton talk with Azeri ambassador

George Mamian
December 7, 2021 AYF-YOARF Open Letters, Youth 0

December 7, 2021

To the Princeton Institute for the Transregional Study and Princeton Faculty, 

We, the undersigned organizations, write to share our opposition to Princeton University’s decision to provide a prominent platform for Khazar Ibrahim, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United States, to discuss “peace and cooperation in the Caucasus.” The government he represents has, in actual fact, acted directly and violently against the interests of both peace and cooperation.

As has been widely documented, Azerbaijan, backed by Turkish-drafted extremist mercenaries, committed countless war crimes against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh during, before, and after the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war. To this day, Azerbaijan continues to invade Armenian sovereign land, choke off water from vulnerable populations, and illegally hold and maltreat hundreds of prisoners of war. Hosting Ambassador Ibrahim –without providing the audience with factual context or offering equal time to critics of the Azerbaijani government – risks normalizing racism and ethnic cleansing by an autocratic regime. 

Azerbaijan’s record is clear, and thoroughly documented, by our own government and leading human rights organizations:

State Department: The U.S. Department of State’s most recent Human Rights Country Report on Azerbaijan documents “Significant human rights issues,” including: “unlawful or arbitrary killing; torture; arbitrary detention; political prisoners; politically motivated reprisal against individuals outside the country; heavy restrictions on free _expression_, the press, and the internet, including violence against journalists, the criminalization of libel and slander, harassment and incarceration of journalists on questionable charges, and blocking of websites; systemic government corruption.

Freedom House: Freedom House rates Azerbaijan as Not Free, noting that: “power in Azerbaijan’s authoritarian regime remains heavily concentrated in the hands of Ilham Aliyev, who has served as president since 2003, and his extended family.

Amnesty International: “War crimes were committed by Azerbaijani forces in Nagorno-Karabakh. Several verified videos depicted the mistreatment of prisoners of war and other captives, decapitations, and desecration of the dead bodies of enemy soldiers.” 

Human Rights Watch: “Azerbaijan’s government continues to wage a vicious crackdown on critics and dissenting voices. The space for independent activism, critical journalism, and opposition political activity has been virtually extinguished as so many activists, human rights defenders, and journalists have been arrested and jailed and [there are] restrictions on media freedoms.”

The opinions of the undersigned organizations are supported by the United States House of Representatives, which recently passed five amendments to the 2021-2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Among these were measures demanding Azerbaijan’s release of Armenian POWs and calling for investigations of Azerbaijani war crimes.

We write this letter, sadly aware of Princeton University’s troubling history as a home of Armenian Genocide revisionism and denialism, most notably in the form of the scandal surrounding Heath Lowry, the widely criticized denialist installed as the Atatürk Professor of Ottoman and Modern Turkish Studies.

As you know, Princeton University has set forth its public commitment to “service to humanity.” The Vice Chair of the Board of the Trustees Brent Henry called on people to “be of service to humanity and help make the world a better place.” The Republic of Azerbaijan stands for exactly the opposite. The Aliyev regime and its representatives have forfeited any right to speak in the name of “peace and cooperation.”

We urge Princeton University to recognize how unsafe this event and other actions have made its students of Armenian descent and the surrounding Armenian community, and call on the university to cancel this racist and offensive lecture. Failing this, we ask that Princeton University provide an equally prominent platform for voices critical of the Azerbaijani government. 

Sincerely, 

Armenian Youth Federation, Eastern USA
Armenian Student Associations United

___________________________________________________________________________________

Princeton Armenian Society
Harvard University Armenian Students Association
Seton Hall University Armenian Student Association
Armenian Students Association at Northeastern University
Brown University Armenian Society
Armenian Society of Columbia University
Armenian Society at Fordham University
Bentley University Armenian Students Association
Michigan State Armenian Students Organization
UC Berkeley Armenian Students Association
Boston University Armenian Students Association
University of Pennsylvania Armenian Students Association
Georgetown University Armenian Student Association
University of Maryland Armenian Student Union
University of Michigan Armenian Students’ Cultural Association
Providence College Armenian Society
Ramapo College Armenian Students Association
Fairleigh Dickinson University Armenian Students Association
UC San Diego Armenian Students Association
University of Chicago Armenian Students Association
MIT Armenian Society
George Washington University Armenian Students Association
Villanova Armenian Students’ Organization
University of Virginia Armenian Cultural Student Association
Arizona State University Armenian Students Association
Armenian Club of Purdue University
Boston College Armenian Club
California Polytechnic State University Pomona Armenian Students Association
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo Armenian Students Association
Chapman University Armenian Students Association
Colgate University Armenian Students’ Association
Cornell Armenian Students Organization
California State University Northridge Armenian Students Association
Glendale Community College Armenian Students Association
Lafayette College Armenian Students Association
Loyola Marymount University Armenian Students Association
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Armenian Students Association
McGill University Armenian Students Association
Moorpark College Armenian Students Association
New York University Armenian Students Association
Occidental College Armenian Students Association
Pepperdine University Armenian Students Association
The Ohio State University Armenian Students Association
UC Davis Armenian Students Association
UCLA Armenian Students Association
UC Santa Barbara Armenian Students Association
UC Santa Cruz Armenian Students Association
UMass Amherst Armenian Students Association
University of Nevada Las Vegas Armenian Students Association
University of Rochester Armenian Students Association
University of Southern California Armenian Students Association

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Founded in 1933, The Armenian Youth Federation is an international, non-profit, youth organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF). The AYF-YOARF Eastern United States stands on five pillars that guide its central activities and initiatives: Educational, Hai Tahd, Social, Athletic and Cultural. The AYF also promotes a fraternal attitude of respect for ideas and individuals amongst its membership. Unity and cooperation are essential traits that allow members of the organization to work together to realize the AYF’s objectives.



Deputy PM Grigoryan presents scope of issues acceptable to Armenia-Russia-Azerbaijan working group

George Mamian

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 10:37, 8 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev’s statement about the “Zangezur corridor” was a surprise for the Armenian authorities, Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan said in an interview to the Russian news agency TASS, expressing hope that the Armenian-Russia-Azerbaijan deputy prime ministerial working group dealing with unblocking of regional communications will continue its work around the main principles which have already been agreed upon.

“Baku’s latest statement was a surprise to us. It was supposed that we would continue the work of the group in the coming days. I hope the situation will return to a constructive course, and we will continue the work around the main principles which are already agreed upon”, the deputy PM said.

He said that “as of now all sessions of the working group have been held in a format of constructive dialogue”. Grigoryan said that the sides “had a mutual understanding on the restoration of railway infrastructure and unblocking”. “There was also a perception according to which the sovereignty of roads will belong to the countries they will pass through, and that roads will in their turn be under the jurisdiction of the country they will pass through. There are still nuances on other issues”, deputy PM Grigoryan said.

The last session of the Armenian-Russia-Azerbaijan deputy prime ministerial working group was held in Moscow on December 1.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Azerbaijani press: Azerbaijani-Iranian ties rekindled with new gas swap deal

George Mamian
1 December 2021 13:30 (UTC+04:00)
877

By Orkhan Amashov

After a period of aggravated tensions and a series of regrettable episodes that should have been avoided, Azerbaijani-Iranian relations have entered a new age of rapprochement. 

It is evident that the worst is now behind. Iran was one of the 10 signatories of the final declaration of the 15th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) which, amongst many other clauses, incorporated a congratulatory part dedicated to Azerbaijan’s victory in last year’s war and the restoration of its territorial integrity. On top of that, a new gas swap deal was signed by Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Iran, which is perceived as another indication that the recent political rupture has been left behind.

No room for resentfulness

Iran’s recognition of Azerbaijani territorial integrity is not new. On a diplomatic level, at least, in terms of pure rhetoric, Tehran has consistently supported Baku on Karabakh throughout the 30 years of the protracted conflict, but those in the habit of taking any Iranian asseveration with a pinch of salt have always been wary of its sincerity and, if one is allowed to add, rightly so. As we know today, during the illegal occupation, certain business circles within Iran, possibly sanctioned by the official authorities in one way or another, made the best use of the lack of Azerbaijani control in the region to the detriment of far more important gains.

During the 44-day war, Iran maintained a supportive diplomatic tone, yet things went “slightly” awry afterwards. The crisis, prompted by the perfectly lawful arrest of two Iranian truck drivers by the Azerbaijani authorities, led to mutual accusations, and to a sufficient degree of reciprocal mistrust, which temporarily rendered any move in the direction of rapprochement impossible.

Yet the implications of the new geopolitical reality that emerged after the Second Karabakh War have proven to be too consequential to be ignored, even by such a resistant heavyweight as Iran. Victors are to be reckoned with and, thanks to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's suitably uncompromising stance, when such a course of action was justified, through carefully measured moves, Iran now seems to have finally come to terms with the present reality. Just after a month of sabre-rattling and some unprecedented war games near the Azerbaijani border, Tehran showed, in the most demonstrative manner, that it is willing to open a new chapter in its relations with Baku.

External culprit

During his meeting with President Aliyev on the sidelines of the Ashgabad summit, Iranian leader Ebrahim Raisi made a subtle and vague point about a hypothetical foreign intervention aimed at negatively impacting Azerbaijani-Iranian relations. Whatever that unmentioned force may be in Iranian parlance, many observers would agree that if there is one player that is genuinely troubled with the normalisation of the relations between Baku and Tehran, and that is Armenia. 

There is a clear sense in Yerevan that, in light of the dissatisfaction with the country's main strategic ally, Russia, which did not provide the anticipated support during last year's war, all avenues must be explored so as to ensure there remain constant frictions in Azerbaijani-Iranian relations. That perhaps explains why various circles in Armenia were jubilant when Tehran and Baku were exchanging mutual accusations, and, in the same vein, one can understand the reason substantiating the present Armenian disgruntlement. 

Trilateral deal

The most visible manifestation of the aforementioned rapprochement is a trilateral agreement on a gas supply swap signed by Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Iran. Under the new deal, 1.5 to 2 billion cubic metres of gas will be annually sent from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan through Iran. Given the trajectory and its final destination, the scheme is also important for the diversification of Europe’s energy supply.

President Aliyev called the document “historic” and expressed his hope that it would further deepen economic relations between the countries. President Raisi, in the best traditions of Iranian diplomacy, in a manner duly emollient, said that the relations between Iran and Azerbaijan "are not only neighbourly relations but are the relations of the hearts". One may perhaps infer that when mighty economic considerations happen to be of a prevailing nature, "hearts" tend to follow. 

Experts concur that the current trade turnover between Iran and Azerbaijan does not reflect the actual economic potential of Azerbaijani-Iranian relations, which is massive, and needless to say, far beyond the opportunities offered by the trilateral deal in question. Baku, if things go in the right direction, may play a significant role in fulfilling the energy needs of Iran's northern provinces. Tehran, in light of the Western sanctions and subsequent isolation, has found itself under the task of forming a resistive economy and developed some capacity for "import substitution". Azerbaijan does not share the same predicament, but some believe, in view of not being immune to worldwide inflation and the importation of goods, the prices of which are inflated, Baku may also find it beneficial to learn from its southern neighbour's experience. 

On a different note, Iran, despite its original resentment, no longer seems opposed to the concept of the Zangazur corridor, to which President Aliyev made numerous references in Ashgabat. Matthew Bryza, a former U.S. diplomat, believes the gas swap deal could give another layer of practicality to the corridor plan and bring Tehran closer to accepting its implementation. The diplomat conjectured that by means of ensuring that gas moves along the route in question, it may be possible to "build industrial zones along that road that could facilitate the use of the natural gas for petrochemicals production". 

To conclude, if to recapitulate what has been said, it behoves a rational man of cold reason to appreciate that politics, particularly in the realm of foreign policy, is not a place for romanticism and emotional expectations. Azerbaijan and Iran are neighbours and destined to remain so. Once guided by economic and political considerations based on the mutual interests of the sides, bilateral ties tend to flourish and let us hope that this will be the case in the example of Azerbaijani-Iranian relations for some considerable time to come.

In Armenia, why are just 15 percent fully vaccinated?

George Mamian
Al-Jazeera, Qatar
Dec 6 2021

The pandemic has been politicised in Armenia, where even doctors are responsible for spreading falsehoods about the effects of jabs.

By Liz Cookman
Published On 6 Dec 2021

Two months after Armenia introduced strict COVID-19 restrictions that made vaccinations near-mandatory amid record death rates, daily case numbers have dropped significantly, but the country is still battling a strong vaccine denial movement.

New reported infections remain relatively high at more than 500 a day but have dropped from more than 2,000 in late October.

About 15 percent of the population has now been doubly vaccinated, compared with five percent when new restrictions were brought in on October 1.

However, Armenia remains the country with the lowest vaccination rates in the Caucasus region country, with its deaths from coronavirus averaging more than 30 a day – a big number considering it has a population of just three million. It has one of the world’s highest per capita death tolls, according to Our World in Data website.

Under the new rules, most unvaccinated public and private sector employees were required to take a PCR test twice a month at their own expense, with prices amounting to roughly $20 each time – a significant sum considering the average monthly salary is little more than $400.

However, a recent update to the rules means PCR tests must now be taken weekly. From January 1 a health pass will need to be shown to enter cultural and leisure venues.

Dr Gayane Sahakyan, who manages Armenia’s national immunisation programme, said the country is aiming to have at least 50 percent of the population vaccinated with at least one dose by the end of the year.

However, she said that rampant disinformation and politicisation of the issue continues to increase mistrust of vaccines against COVID-19.

“Vaccine scepticism has a history in Armenia, it is a little politicised. If a political party wants to drum up opposition for the government they use immunisation and COVID-19 is no different,” said Dr Sahakyan.

“The main concern for people is safety and the effectiveness as they are new vaccines. Some think they are too new, others that they are a global tool to control the population. In Armenia, the only new thing here is that political parties now use doctors to deliver this message.”

According to local media, doctors and medical professionals have been key in spreading disinformation about the safety and role of COVID-19 vaccines.

One such doctor, a sex pathologist called Samvel Grigoryan, has attempted to give weight to a conspiracy theory that has circulated widely in the pandemic, claiming that the vaccines were created with the technology used for genetic engineering and could endanger reproductive health.

The US Centre for Disease Control has said that there is no evidence that the new vaccines against COVID-19 cause infertility.

Grigoryan has been a vocal critic of the Ministry of Health since he was fired from his position as the director of an HIV centre in 2020, reported media.am.

He and other critical doctors are affiliated with initiatives such as Free Will, a group set up by right-wing politicians to combat government vaccination efforts.

Dr Sahakyan said that Sinopharm is more trusted in Armenia than other vaccines, such as AstraZeneca, as people believe the side effects are milder.

In late November, Poland donated more than 200,000 AstraZeneca shots to the country in an effort to help it combat the lukewarm reception to the vaccines. However, as the British vaccination, as well as other Western-produced jabs such as Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, are not trusted by the local population, most went to vaccine tourists from countries such as Iran, said Dr Sahakyan.

‘We never got complete information’

Armenia’s vaccination drive is also hampered by health concerns among the elderly and the fallout from last year’s war with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.

Stress caused by border skirmishes and feelings of insecurity have left residents near the area apathetic towards the pandemic.

Many Armenian citizens are divided by the current measures, arguing that they are either too severe or do not go far enough to rein in high death rates.

Hasmik Sargsyan, 55, a teacher in the rural Aragatsotn region, said that it has become difficult to decipher fact from fiction, with the government doing little to address the population’s concerns.

“The information the government gives through TV and the internet is so limited and is hard to understand,” she said.

Sargsyan, who had COVID-19 in August, is yet to be vaccinated but plans to get the jab in the coming days, relying on her children to guide them on which to get.

“Some of the doctors in our hospitals make us more worried about the vaccines, while government officials tell us to rely on consultations with doctors. There are rumours about side effects everywhere and we have a lot of questions, but there is no one ready to give answers. It’s hard to distinguish which information is reliable and what we should be careful of,” she said.

Mariam Ghazaryan, 24, who works as a shop assistant at one of Yerevan’s largest bookstores, said that people do not respect COVID-19 restrictions such as wearing masks, putting her at risk every day.

“I meet roughly 400 to 500 people in the store a day and I ask most of them to put on a mask. The young people are the most reckless; every time I ask them, they react negatively as if they don’t care. Many don’t even believe COVID-19 exists at all or behave like it’s all a game,” she said.

Ghazaryan also contracted COVID-19 earlier this year but has since been vaccinated with Moderna. She said that little has been done to make sure people adhere to COVID-19 measures in public spaces.

“I personally don’t think anything bad about vaccines, but government drives have not been implemented as they should’ve been. It’s been done badly – we never got complete information about vaccines and you can’t understand how to read the flow of information to get the full picture.”

 

Putin, Biden start talks through video-conference

George Mamian

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 19:27, 7 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The Presidents of the Russian Federation and the United States of America have started their bilateral talks through video-conference, ARMENPRESS reports, citing TASS.

Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden will discuss the situation over Ukraine, NATO enlargement to the east, strategic stability, and the agenda of bilateral relations. Regional security issues can also be discussed.

Spokesman for the Russian President Dmitry Peskov said that Putin-Biden talk can last long. According to him, the conversation will last “as long as necessary”.

Armenian FM and OSCE MG Co-Chairs highlight peaceful settlement under the Co-Chairs’ mandate

George Mamian

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 21:40, 3 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan met with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov (Russia), Stefan Visconti (France) and Andrew Chaffer (USA) in Stockholm. Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk also took part in the meeting.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia, during the conversation, the importance of fully expanding the peace process within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs and under its mandate was stressed.

Ararat Mirzoyan considered unacceptable the continuous belligerent rhetoric of the Azerbaijani leadership and aggressive actions. In this context, the Armenian FM highlighted taking concrete steps to reduce tensions in Nagorno Karabakh and the region. The Minister considered it necessary to solve the humanitarian problems immediately, in particular, the immediate return of prisoners of war and other detainees, the detection of cases of enforced disappearances, the preservation of the Armenian historical and cultural heritage in the territories under Azerbaijani control, the creation of opportunities for international organizations to operate in Nagorno Karabakh.

The Armenian side reaffirmed its commitment to continue working within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs' mandate for a comprehensive, lasting settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict based on the well-known principles and elements.

Asbarez: Dr. Tatoyan Wraps Up 2-Week Delegation Trip to California

George Mamian
by Contributor

 

 December 3, 2021

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Latest, News, Top Stories

A scene from the panel discussion held at CSUN

LOS ANGELES—Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia Dr. Arman Tatoyan has concluded his trip to California at the invitation of the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region following a successful two weeks in which he engaged in meetings with community officials, elected officials, media and academic circles to report on the latest developments in the region.

Dr. Tatoyan’s trip kicked off with a meeting with the ANCA-WR Board of Directors and staff during which the discussion centered on the role which Diaspora organizations and communities can play in helping to secure the future of the Armenian Homeland.

During his two week mission, Dr. Tatoyan also held constructive meetings with community leadership which included Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, Bishop Torkom Donoyan, Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, the Pan Armenian Council of Western United States, the A.R.F. Western USA Central Committee, AMAA, and H.E. Ambassador Armen Baibourtian, Consul General of Armenia to Los Angeles.

  • Dr. Tatoyan in a meeting with Congressmember Adam Schiff
  • Dr. Tatoyan with Lieutenant Governor of the State of California Eleni Kounalakis

Several meetings with elected officials and government representatives also led to an exchange of concrete solutions and ideas on how the U.S. may use it influence to secure human rights for Armenian civilians and POW’s and help facilitate peace in the region, while simultaneously addressing the rising wave of armenophobia in the U.S.

Along these lines, Dr. Tatoyan held meetings with Congressmember Adam Schiff, during which he briefed the Congressmember on the recent Azeri invasion into Armenia’s eastern border, the illegal deployment of Azeri forces on the roads between Armenia’s towns and villages which endanger people’s lives and well-being, the unlawful detention of POWs, and the importance of international pressure for accountability. Dr. Tatoyan further thanked Congressmember Schiff for his recent statement about the attack and for his unwavering support for justice for the Armenian Genocide and a secure and prosperous Armenia and Artsakh. Congressmember Schiff asked many important questions and thanked the Ombudsman for the information, reaffirming that he will continue working with his colleagues to ensure that Azerbaijan is held accountable for its  ongoing war crimes.

  • Dr. Tatoyan met with Archbishop Derderian (center left)
  • Dr. Tatoyan met with Bishop Donoyan (center)

Dr. Tatoyan also met with the Lieutenant Governor of the State of California Eleni Kounalakis, San Francisco Board of Supervisors Aaron Peskin, Myrna Melgar, and representatives of the San Francisco Mayor’s office. During these meetings, he provided a briefing on Azerbaijan’s latest acts of aggression against Armenia and its incitement and export of Armenophobic violence – noting how this global wave of anti-Armenian violence had reached the Armenian community in San Francisco.

Dr. Tatoyan met with the Los Angeles Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department, a newly established agency in the City of Los Angeles focused on addressing discrimination and injustice across the city’s diverse communities. Meeting with the department’s executive director Capri Maddox, Dr. Tatoyan discussed the threat of hate crimes against the Armenian community emanating from the state-sponsored incitement of anti-Armenian sentiment by the governments of Turkey and Azerbaijan – noting the spate of Armenophobic hate crimes across the world, including in San Francisco.   

Dr. Tatoyan met with Consul General of Armenia to Los Angeles Dr. Armen Baibourtian (center)

On the media front, the ANCA-WR facilitated interviews for Dr. Tatoyan and RT America, where he discussed Azerbaijan’s incursion into Syunik and the capture of 12 Armenian prisoners of war. Dr. Tatoyan highlighted Azerbaijan’s repeated refusal to abide by ceasefire commitments, the immense human impact Azerbaijan’s ongoing aggression against Armenia has had on civilian populations, and the threat posed by Azerbaijan’s propagation of anti-Armenian sentiment.

Individual interviews were also arranged with foreign policy expert and political commentator Hagar Chemali for her “Oh My World!” show and Araksya Karapetyan of KTTV Fox 11 News, as well as Asbarez News, Horizon Armenian TV, USArmenia, PanArmenian television, and Zartonk Media. Dr. Tatoyan also spoke at a press conference to local and community media, providing a report on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border as well as presenting on his latest reports on Azerbaijan’s torture and abuse of Armenian prisoners of war and civilian captives.

Dr. Tatoyan with members of L.A.’s Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department

Dr. Tatoyan’s trip also included a series of meetings with the ANCA-WR’s coalition partners, including Ramond Takhsh, Board Member of the Assyrian Policy Institute, which focused on the Assyrian Community of Armenia – the effects of the economic downturn following the pandemic on Armenia’s Assyrian community, the impact and sacrifices of the Assyrian community during the 2020 Artsakh war, and other issues related to political participation. Dr. Tatoyan emphasized that as the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, the human rights of Armenia’s minorities – including Armenia’s significant Assyrian community – was an utmost priority. In turn, Takhsh thanked Dr. Tatoyan for his diligent work as Human Rights Defender and expressed his profound thanks for Armenia’s role as one of the few safe havens for the Assyrian people in the world today – emphasizing the inextricable links between the Armenian and Assyrian people. 

Following the meeting with the Assyrian Policy Institute, Dr. Tatoyan visited the Los Angeles Holocaust Museum where he met with leaders of the Jewish-American community, including executive director of Jewish World Watch (JWW) Serena Oberstein, executive director of the Israeli-American Civic Action Network (ICAN) Dillon Hosier, executive director of the museum, Beth Kean, and Regional Director of AJC-Los Angeles, Richard S. Hirschhaut.

  • Dr. Tatoyan at an Armenian Center in San Francisco
  • Dr. Tatoyan at the Town Hall Meeting held in San Francisco

Within the Armenian community, Dr. Tatoyan visited the sites of the anti-Armenian attacks at the Krouzian-Zekarian-Vasbouragan Armenian School and the community center adjacent to the St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church in San Francisco. The KZV Armenian school was the site of two separate incidents – an vandalism attack where anti-Armenian graffiti was plastered around school property, and a drive-by shooting of school property after hours – while the church community center, which housed the offices of the ANCA’s San Francisco chapter as well as other local community organizations, was severely damaged in an arson attack. The northern California leg of his trip culminated with a Town Hall Meeting in San Francisco, where he updated the community on recent developments in Armenia and presented information from his fact-finding missions.

In the Los Angeles area, Dr. Tatoyan headlined an ANCA-WR community town hall in partnership with the Armenian Youth Federation where he reported on the recent developments in Armenia and fielded a multitude of questions from the audience on a wide range of subjects, from Azerbaijan’s obligations under international law to protect the human rights of civilians and prisoners of war, to the need to establish a demilitarized security zone in the vicinity of villages in proximity to Azerbaijan’s military outposts.

Dr. Tatoyan speaking to Rose & Alex Pilibos Armenian School students

Dr. Tatoyan also visited the Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School in Little Armenia where he spoke to high school students about his role as the Human Rights Defender. Pilibos scholars asked him a series of questions regarding the rights of women and children in Armenia, the recent Azeri invasion into the sovereign territory of Armenia, and the rights of citizens in bordering villages. Dr. Tatoyan also had a chance to visit a classroom, where elementary students gave him hand-written cards thanking him for his selfless work. 

The main event of Dr. Tatoyan’s trip was the ANCA-WR’s Grassroots Luncheon on Sunday November 21st, hosted at the iconic Beverly Hilton Hotel where he was awarded the ANCA-WR’s “Human Rights Champion” Award in front of a sold-out crowd for his tireless pursuit of justice for the people of Armenia and the victims of Azerbaijan’s war crimes. Dr. Tatoyan was also presented with commendations by Senator Anthony Portantino on behalf of the Senate of the State of California and by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for his service to the Armenian nation. In turn, Dr. Tatoyan expressed his appreciation for the work of the ANCA-WR, presenting a certificate to the ANCA-WR, as well as to distinguished community members and legal experts Garo Ghazarian, Esq. and Karnig Kerkonian, Esq. for their enduring support of the Ombudsman’s office and for their efforts to hold Azerbaijan legally accountable for its violations under international law.

The next evening, Dr. Tatoyan participated in a panel discussion with leading international legal experts on the topic of justice and accountability in the wake of the Artsakh war that took place at California State University, Northridge and was co-hosted by the ANCA-WR, the University of California, Los Angeles Promise Armenian Institute, the UCLA Promise Institute for Human Rights, and CSUN’s Armenian Studies Department. Dr. Tatoyan was joined in conversation by Kate Mackintosh, executive director of the Promise Institute for Human Rights at the UCLA School of Law; Rajika Shah, director of the Genocide Justice Clinic at Loyola Law School; and Karnig Kerkonian, a seasoned international lawyer and legal counsel on Armenia’s case against Azerbaijan at the International Court of Justice. 

The extensive discussion examined a range of challenges associated with the justice and accountability process, the importance of international monitoring and reporting, a comparative study between the case of Artsakh and other examples of remedial secession and the prosecution of racially motivated war crimes, and the opportunities at Armenia’s disposal to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its violations of international law. 

Dr. Tatoyan returned to Armenia on Sunday, November 28 and immediately embarked on a fact-finding mission to the Syunik province to investigate the crisis situation along the border.

Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly expresses Canada’s solidarity with Armenian people

George Mamian

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 15:37, 3 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. Canada has expressed its solidarity with the Armenian people.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly met with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on the sidelines of the 28th OSCE Ministerial Council.

“Met with my Armenian counterpart at OSCE. I expressed Canada’s solidarity with Armenian people, reiterated Canada is deeply concerned by the recent Armenia-Azerbaijan border clash, which resulted in the deaths of Armenian troops”, the Canadian FM said on Twitter.

 

Editing by Aneta Harutyunyan

Sports: Armenian wrestler Malkhas Amoyan tops UWW ranking, to get $10,000 in reward

George Mamian
Public Radio of Armenia
Dec 2 2021
December 2, 2021, 11:24

 1 minute read

Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler Malkhas Amoyan tops the ranking of the United World Wrestling (UWW)in the 72 kg weight category and will be awarded $10,000.

Another Armenian wrestler Gevorg Sahakyan, representing Poland, comes second in the same weight category. Sergei Kutuzov of Russia is ranked third.

Wrestlers from eight different nationalities claimed the grand prize of $10,000 as United World Wrestling announced the prize winners of Greco-Roman in its year-end awards.

UWW will award $600,000 in prize money to 90 wrestlers, 30 from each style, based on a ranking system that honors the most active wrestler throughout the season. 

The top-ranked wrestler will get $10,000 followed by $7,000 for the second-placed wrestler and $3,000 for the third-ranked wrestler.

Malkhas Amoyan, 22, won men’s 72 kg event at the 2021 World Wrestling Championships held in Oslo, Norway. He snatched a silver medal in the 2021 European Wrestling Championships held in Warsaw, Poland.