Author: Jhanna Virabian

Joint Declaration on Sèvres Treaty Centennial

Jhanna Virabian
August 10,  2020


From left: Armenian Revolutionary Federation, the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party and the
Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (Ramkavar) Central Committee

Today marks the centenary of the signing of the Treaty of Sèvres for peace between the Allies and Turkey.

The Treaty of Sèvres is the only treaty signed by both Turkey and the Republic of Armenia, with the free will of the Armenian side. Not only does the Treaty of Sèvres recognize Turkey as responsible for its war crimes, it also demands that Turkey take steps to facilitate the process of punishing those directly involved in the crime. The Treaty also demands that Turkey repeal the 1915 Abandoned Property laws and the supplementary provisions thereof, compelling it to return all confiscated properties to individual or community owners. Finally, the Treaty of Sèvres provides a legal basis for the arbitration appeal to US President Woodrow Wilson to determine the Armenia-Turkey border.

For the past 100 years, Turkey has continued and continues to deny its crime against humanity, the Armenian Genocide. Not only has Turkey avoided and continue to avoid responsibility for the crime and its consequences, it also continues to treat Armenia as an enemy since the republic’s 1991 independence, and in recent days it has intensified its belligerent rhetoric against Armenia, Artsakh and Armenians in general through threats of possible military aggression.

The Treaty of Sèvres is a valid international treaty. Although it has not been ratified by all signatories, it has not been legally replaced by any other international instrument. At least from the point of view of the Armenian Cause, and the interests of the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian nation, it remains a legal obligation based on international law, compelling it to return all confiscated properties to individual or community owners.

Moreover, the arbitral award of the President of the United States of America Woodrow Wilson, published on November 22, 1920, continues to be the only international document delineating the legal border between Armenia and Turkey.

100 years after the signing of the Treaty of Sèvres, the Republic of Turkey continues to show hostility towards the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian people. Until Turkey fulfills its obligations under the provisions contained in the Treaty of Sèvres based on international law, Turkey is obliged to:

a. End the 27-year illegal land blockade of the Republic of Armenia
b. Stop its aggressive steps against Armenia, especially recently
c. Stop its anti-Armenian policies within Turkey – including on our historic and occupied lands – or outside, against the Armenian diaspora formed as a result of the Genocide

We are confident that the day will come when, as the author and perpetrator of the Armenian Genocide, Turkey will have to bear its responsibility and compensate all losses of the Armenian people.

We declare that as in the past also in the future we, in cooperation with other Armenian political forces, and especially with the Republic of Armenia, will continue our struggle until the restoration of historical justice.

Social Democrat Hunchakian Party Central Committee
Bureau of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun
Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (Ramkavar) Central Committee




The Literary Armenian News – 08/08/2020

Jhanna Virabian

ՄԱՔՐՎԱԾ ԷՋ

Անցյալներ կան, որ

Չեն վերադառնում

Նույնիսկ հուշերում…


Դու էլ երեվի դրանցից մեկն ես։


Սեվ բծի նման։


Ես գոհ եմ սրտանց,

Որ սեվ բծի պես

Էլ չես երեվում

Իմ հիշողության սպիտակ էջում…

ԳՐԻՇ ԴԱՎԹՅԱՆ

—
Grish Davtian has published three books of his poetries in Armenian, and one book in English. He is the president of the Armenian Writers Association of California, and founding and former editor of The Literary Armenian News.


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Armenian top diplomat expects to meet with Azerbaijani counterpart

Jhanna Virabian
TASS, Russia
Aug 1 2020
Armenian Foreign Minister expects to continue talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

YEREVAN, August 1. /TASS/. Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan expects to hold a meeting with Azerbaijan’s new top diplomat Jeyhun Bayramov for talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as Mnatsakanyan himself told the Shant TV channel.

"We haven’t established direct contact yet. The important thing is for us to ensure de-escalation [on the border] and prepare for the next phase of work," he pointed out.

"In this regard, I expect to meet with my Azerbaijani counterpart. We are ready to work with anyone in order to continue talks. I certainly hope that I will deal with a positive and responsible person," Mnatsakanyan added.

Tensions on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border started to escalate on July 12. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said that the Armenian military had attempted an artillery attack on Azerbaijan’s positions along the border. However, both countries say that the situation on the border has remained relatively calm since July 17. At the same time, reports keep coming in of shelling along the border and the line of contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Both sides have reported casualties.

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the highland region of Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory that had been part of Azerbaijan before the Soviet Union break-up, but primarily populated by ethnic Armenians, broke out in February 1988 after the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1992-1994, tensions boiled over and exploded into large-scale military action for control over the enclave and seven adjacent territories after Azerbaijan lost control of them. Talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement have been ongoing since 1992 under the OSCE Minsk Group, led by its three co-chairs – Russia, France and the United States.


‘When this "too late" is?’: Armenian defense minister comments on Azerbaijani president’s statement

Jhanna Virabian

'When this "too late" is?': Armenian defense minister comments on Azerbaijani president’s statement

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 14:48,

YEREVAN, JULY 31, ARMENPRESS. Armenian defense minister Davit Tonoyan commented on the statement of Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev who said “liberate our territories before it’s too late”.

Armenian defense minister’s spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan posted a video on Facebook where the defense minister is interested in when this “too late” is.

“First of all, given the fact that our Prime Minister, the President of Artsakh are always making peaceful statements, always call on to continue the negotiations, we cannot understand such statements [of the Azerbaijani president]. As a Defense Minister I would like to understand when this “too late” is”, Tonoyan said, adding that such statements are typical also to the Azerbaijani military leadership.

“Their military leadership states that they are ready to start military operations, they are just waiting for an order. Firstly, it’s not that as if we are not waiting for such an order. Secondly, the military operations in Tavush were the vivid evidence of the fact that the adversary, despite using latest equipment, has failed in a short period of time, suffering numerous losses”, the minister said.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Official car of Armenian Embassy in Germany set on fire

Jhanna Virabian

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 13:14,

YEREVAN, JULY 23, ARMENPRESS. On July 23, at 00:12, the official vehicle of the Armenian Embassy in Germany was set on fire, the Embassy said in a statement.

“The German Federal Foreign Office, the Berlin Police and respective police agencies have been officially notified about the incident. At the moment the police and experts conduct investigation, observing the possibility of arson”, the statement said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1022784.html?fbclid=IwAR0W3G9AfyG9f_BNbDyf1lUuZjbankhNU7AC_nDImZdFEkETVRk-WERgjuc


Azerbaijani press: Azerbaijani Defense Ministry: Rumors about Colonel-General Sadikov – misinformation

Jhanna Virabian
POLITICS 19:14 (UTC+04:00)

BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 21

Trend:

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense has issued an official statement in connection with the information spread recently on social networks that allegedly, First Deputy Minister of Defense, Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, Colonel-General Najmeddin Sadikov was dismissed, and that his brother holds a high position in the Armenian army, Trend reports on July 21 referring to the ministry.

“These are lies, slander and misinformation spread by Armenia for provocative purposes,” the ministry said. “Unfortunately, such news has been often spread and discussed on social networks recently. This is clearly done with malicious intent to cause confusion in the society.”

“We inform that Sadikov is performing his official duties at his post,” the ministry said. “Sadikov’s brother died in early 1980s. We call on the media outlets to be extremely careful and use the official sources when covering the activity of the Ministry of Defense.”

Turkish press: Turkish, Qatari defense ministers meet in Ankara – Turkey News

Jhanna Virabian
  • 09:09:48

Turkey's defense minister and his Qatari counterpart on July 20 met in the capital Ankara to discuss bilateral security cooperation as well as regional issues.

In the meeting, Hulusi Akar and Khalid bin Mohammed el-Atiye stressed the strategic partnership between the two countries.

On security cooperation, Akar said Turkey appreciates Qatar's efforts to promote stability in Libya.

Last weekend, Akar visited Qatar and met with Qatari officials.

Libya has been torn by a civil war since the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Its new government, headed by premier Fayez al-Sarraj, was founded in 2015 under a U.N.-led agreement.

Efforts for a long-term political settlement, however, have so far failed due to an ongoing military offensive by warlord Khalifa Haftar. In recent months, the Libyan Army has made significant gains against Haftar.

Turkey supports the country’s legitimate government, while Haftar has support from Russia, Egypt, the UAE, and France.

'Turkey will continue to stand with Azerbaijan'

Meanwhile, in the wake of aggression by Armenia, Turkey will continue to stand with its Azerbaijani brothers in the face of military attacks and other challenges, said Akar on July 20. 

Akar made the remarks in the capital Ankara when receiving Ramiz Tahirov, Azerbaijan’s deputy defense minister, and Kerem Mustafayev, army chief of the Nakhichivan Autonomous Republic, an exclave of Azerbaijan bordering Armenia, Turkey, and Iran.

At the meeting, also attended by Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaşar Güler and other top ministry officials, Akar and Azerbaijani officials stressed the brotherhood between the two countries.

Akar stressed, against the backdrop of the attacks by neighboring Armenia, that Turkey will always stand with its Azerbaijani brothers.On the security of Azerbaijan and the region, Akar said Turkey and the Turkish Armed Forces will continue to do what they have to do, adding: "No one should doubt that."

After killing a dozen Azerbaijani soldiers since June 12, Armenian forces, suffering losses from Azerbaijani retaliation, have withdrawn.

Azerbaijan has blasted Armenia’s "provocative" actions, with Turkey supporting Baku and warning Yerevan that it will not hesitate to stand against any attack on its eastern neighbor.

Since 1991 the Armenian military has illegally occupied the Upper Karabakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) region, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.

Four U.N. Security Council and two U.N. General Assembly resolutions, as well as decisions by many international organizations, decry the illegal occupation and demand the withdrawal of Armenian forces from Upper Karabakh and
seven other occupied regions of Azerbaijan.

Huge match-fixing scheme uncovered in Armenian soccer

Jhanna Virabian

Ani Mejlumyan Jul 8, 2020

Armenian soccer club FC Lokomotiv Yerevan in action against Pyunik 2 in June 2019. Lokomotiv was one of several Armenian clubs implicated in a match-fixing scandal. (photo: Facebook, FC Lokomotiv Yerevan)

A lengthy international investigation into Armenian soccer has exposed a massive match-fixing conspiracy.

The investigation was conducted by Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) and Interpol and implicated 54 people and five clubs in Armenia’s First League (which is in fact the second division in Armenia; the top is the Premiere League). Forty-five people have received a lifetime ban from international soccer and the five clubs have been disqualified for two years.

“The decisions were made after the Football Federation of Armenian (FFA) received undeniable evidence from international organizations and law enforcement agencies,” FFA President Armen Melikbekyan said in a July 2 statement announcing the investigation’s results.

Melikbekyan was elected president of federation in December following the departure of his predecessor, Artur Vanetsyan, who was head of both the NSS and FFA during the time that the matches were fixed but then fell out with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The investigation began during Vanetsyan’s tenure at the FFA; he has since become a prominent government critic, but the soccer investigation seems not to have a political tinge to it.

Evidence for the scheme was gathered over a year and a half, Artur Azaryan, the general secretary of FFA told local website vnews.am. “UEFA has provided us with a detailed report on each team's games for the season, as well as the individual actions of all the players and their chances of participating in the match-fixing.”

Many of the implicated players were foreign, in particular Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Latvian. Several of them had had previous records of match fixing.

Kirilis Grigorovs, a Latvian national, was involved in match-fixing controversies in Latvia, Ireland, the Czech Republic, and Cyprus before signing on with FC Yerevan in September 2019.

Midfielders and goalkeepers were disproportionately represented among the named players, as match fixing typically depends on defensive “lapses.”

“If we look closely, you see that none of the goalkeepers were locals and the central midfielders also mostly were foreign,” said Rafael Khalatyan, the editor of armfootball.com, in an interview with Eurasianet. “These people were exposed in match fixing scandals in other countries, like Egor Lugavoy from Torpedo, Yuri Okul, a coach from Ukraine who was disqualified in Ukraine and now has been disqualified with FC Aragats, Vitali Ridlevich from Belarus also played for Aragats. In other words, they were people who knew how the process of match fixing worked.”

It's not clear who organized the scheme, and the NSS and FFA have not given any clues. Second-tier soccer in the former Soviet Union is widely susceptible to match fixing, as the teams have few fans, the matches aren’t televised, and the outcomes are of interest mainly to bettors. Neighboring Georgia also has been the subject of several match-fixing scandals and investigations.

“In this particular case there were a suspicious number of bets [on the fixed matches] in Asia, especially China,” said one source with an Armenian bookmaker, speaking to Eurasianet on condition of anonymity.

As a result of the investigation, the FFA has tightened the restrictions for licensing a club for the First League. The people implicated in the scheme will not face charges as match fixing isn’t a crime under Armenian law, but the FFA is trying to change that. “We have applied to the Ministry of Justice to come up with a legislative initiative and to define a relevant article in the Criminal Code,” Azaryan said.

 

Ani Mejlumyan is a reporter based in Yerevan.

Azerbaijan made over 150 ceasefire violations at Artsakh line of contact within a week

Jhanna Virabian

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 13:08,

YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS. During the period from July 5 to 11 the Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire regime at the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact more than 150 times by firing nearly 1800 shots from various caliber weapons at the Armenian positions, the defense ministry of Artsakh told Armenpress.

The Artsakh Defense Army forces adhere to the ceasefire regime and continue confidently fulfilling their military tasks.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan