Author: Karlen Baghdasarian

Ranked voting system abolished in Armenia

Karlen Baghdasarian

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 18:38, 1 April, 2021

YEREVAN, APRIL 1, ARMENPRESS. The National Assembly of Armenia adopted a bill on making changes in the Constitutional Law, according to which ranked voting system will be abolished in Armenia and the upcoming elections will be held under the proportional system. ARMENPRESS reports 82 MPs voted in favor of the bill.

In the past, a mixed system of ranked voting and proportional system was used.

Opposition ‘’Bright Armenia Party”” was against this change, proposing open-list proportional system.

The signing of the President is still necessary for the bill to come into effect.

Asbarez: Baku Undermines Regional Stability, Says Stepanakert

Karlen Baghdasarian



The windshield of a van transporting the remains of fallen soldiers was attacked by rock-throwing Azerbaijanis

In recent days reports of Azerbaijanis throwing rocks at Armenian motorists in Artsakh has jeopardized the safety of Artsakh residents and further illustrates Azerbaijan’s aggression toward Armenians.

The Artsakh Foreign Ministry, in a statement issued on Tuesday, condemned the continued provocations by Azerbaijanis currently in the territories surrendered to Baku, saying that those acts are “aimed at preventing the population of the Republic of Artsakh to resume its normal life.”

“On March 25 and 29, 2021, the Azerbaijani side targeted civilian vehicles moving along the Karmir Shuka-Stepanakert and Stepanakert-Goris highways by throwing rocks. Furthermore, in the second incident, a vehicle carrying the remains of those deceased during the military aggression of Azerbaijan, Turkey and international terrorists against Artsakh was attacked,” explained the Artsakh Foreign Ministry.

“Such provocations against the civilian population of Artsakh attest that either Baku does not control the Azerbaijani armed units in the occupied territories of Artsakh, or the Azerbaijani authorities deliberately and purposefully undermine the stability in the region and the peacekeeping mission carried out by the Russian Federation. The actions of the Azerbaijani side blatantly violate the norms and principles of international law,” added the statement.

“In this regard, we consider it necessary to emphasize that these incidents are also a consequence of the illegal presence in the occupied territories of Artsakh of Azerbaijani armed units and international terrorist groups under the patronage of Azerbaijan and Turkey,” warned the foreign ministry.

“Such provocative actions deserve the strongest condemnation, and the organizers and perpetrators must be punished appropriately. Impunity and inaction are fraught with unpredictable consequences for peace and stability in the region,” concluded the statement.

Armenia PM To Resign Ahead Of Snap Election To Defuse Crisis

Karlen Baghdasarian
International Business Times

By AFP News
03/28/21 AT 12:31 PM

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced Sunday he will resign next month but stay in office until parliamentary elections due on June 20, in an effort to curb the political crisis gripping Armenia.

Political unrest erupted in the Caucasus country after Pashinyan in November signed a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement with Azerbaijan that ended six weeks of fighting for control of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The prime minister this month announced snap parliamentary polls that he said were "the best way out of the current internal political situation".

In a visit to northwest Armenia on Sunday, Pashinyan told villagers he will "resign in April" ahead of the vote.

"I will resign not to resign, but in order for early elections to take place," he said, according to a video published on his Facebook page.

"I will continue to serve as interim prime minister," he added.

Pashinyan has been under pressure to step down after agreeing to the ceasefire, which many in ex-Soviet Armenia saw as a national humiliation.

Yerevan handed over swathes of disputed territory to Azerbaijan under the deal and allowed Russian peacekeepers to deploy to regions it had controlled for three decades.

Both anti-government protesters and Pashinyan's supporters have regularly taken to the streets in the months since.

Under election laws, Pashinyan has to resign by April 30 for early parliamentary polls to take place.

Pashinyan said that if voters support him and his team, they will "continue to serve you better than before".

"If not, we will transfer power to whoever you select," he added.

The 45-year-old former newspaper editor came to power spearheading peaceful protests in 2018 and initially brought a wave of optimism to Armenia.

But the war over Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian region that broke from Azerbaijan's control during a war in the early 1990s, severely dented his popularity.

Fresh fighting erupted over the region in late September with Azerbaijan's better-equipped army backed by ally Turkey making steady gains. The conflict claimed around 6,000 lives from both sides.

Pashinyan has insisted he handled the war correctly, saying he had no choice but to agree to the peace deal otherwise Armenia's forces would have suffered even greater losses.

The post-war crisis reached a boiling point last month after Pashinyan fired the country's most senior military official, accusing the army chief of staging a coup after he urged the prime minister to resign.

Prominent members of the opposition had welcomed Pashinyan's announcement of snap polls earlier this month, saying that only a new government would allow the country to move past the Karabakh defeat.

Analysts however say that Pashinyan will likely retain his grip on power after the election, even if he has to form a coalition with other parties.

Turkish press: Turkish court sentences former officers over killing of Hrant Dink – Turkey News

Karlen Baghdasarian
  • 14:13:00

A Turkish court handed down prison terms to former police chiefs, gendarmerie officers and others linked to FETÖ for a cover-up related to the murder of Hrant Dink, a prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist who was shot dead in front of his Istanbul office in 2007.

A separate trial will be held for FETÖ leader Fetullah Gülen and 12 other fugitive defendants including former prosecutor Zekeriya Öz, Ekrem Dumanlı and Adem Yavuz Arslan.

A total of 76 defendants were on trial, but only six were in custody while others were released previously pending trial.

Ramazan Akyürek, former head of police intelligence, was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment on murder charges and an additional sentence of five years and seven months for destroying official documents on a charge related to the cover-up of intelligence tip-offs for murder.

Ali Fuat Yılmazer, former police chief, was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment on murder charges and an additional sentence of four years and six months for destroying official documents in a charge related to the cover-up of intelligence tip-offs for murder.

Ali Öz, former Trabzon Provincial Gendarmerie commander, was sentenced to 28 years imprisonment. Ahmet İlhan Güler, former Istanbul head of police intelligence, and Engin Dinç, former Trabzon head of police intelligence, were acquitted of “murder by negligent behavior,” and the “neglect of public office” charges against them were dropped for statute of limitations.

While Ercan Gün was sentenced to 10 years in prison for membership in an armed terrorist organization, the case in which Celalettin Cerrah, former Istanbul Police chief, was charged with neglect of public office was dropped due to the expiration of statute of limitations.

Charges against Sabri Uzun, a senior police intelligence official, were also dropped for the same reason.

Yavuz Karakaya, a petty officer who was serving for the Istanbul Gendarmerie Intelligence at that time, was sentenced to life imprisonment for “violating the Constitution” and to 12 years and six months in prison for “helping to kill deliberately.”

Muharrem Demirkale, a former soldier, was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment twice.

With the conviction that the murder was committed in line with the purposes of FETÖ, the court decided to file a criminal complaint against Ogün Samast, Erhan Tuncel, Yasin Hayal and Tuncay Uzundal on charges of “FETÖ membership.”

In addition, an arrest warrant was issued for six more defendants.

On Jan. 19, 2007, Dink was assassinated by Ogün Samast on Halaskargazi Street, a busy thoroughfare in Istanbul’s Şişli district.

Fleeing the city after the murder, Samast was caught the next day by police in the Black Sea province of Samsun.

Through deeper investigation, Turkish judicial and security authorities discovered a FETÖ connection behind the assassination.

Turkish authorities thus started a new investigation into the role in the assassination plot of senior FETÖ terror group figures, including cult leader Gülen, Öz, and former senior police officers Yılmazer and Akyürek.

According to an indictment by Istanbul prosecutors, Dink’s assassination constituted an important milestone which sparked a series of events leading to the defeated coup of July 15, 2016.

‘In liberated Artsakh Azeris’ graves were not being destroyed’: Reference to BBC report

Karlen Baghdasarian
Panorama, Armenia
Culture 12:21 26/03/2021Armenia

“In liberated Artsakh Azeris' graves were not being destroyed,” Facebook user Narine Arzumanyan said on Friday, referring to a part of the BBC News report “Nagorno-Karabakh: The mystery of the missing church”, which claimed the Armenians had allegedly destroyed the graves of Azerbaijanis.

“BBC News yesterday showed the totally demolished Armenian church in the territory of Artsakh occupied by Azerbaijan and then, to equate, some stones that Azerbaijanis were collecting and presenting as "ruined-by-Armenians-grave".

“These photos were taken at archeological site of Tigranakert in Artsakh years ago,” Arzumanyan wrote, sharing the photos.

BBC correspondent Jonah Fisher has investigated the disappearance of an Armenian church that fell under the control of Azerbaijan in the recent Nagorno-Karabakh war. An online video shows Zoravor Surb Astvatsatsin Church near the town of Mekhakavan (Jebrayil) was intact when Azerbaijan occupied the territory.

“Azerbaijan has said ethnic Armenians are welcome to stay in Nagorno-Karabakh but Armenia has accused it of damaging and destroying Armenian cultural heritage left behind in the region, including churches and monuments. Both sides accuse the other of war crimes,” the BBC reported. 

Robert Kocharyan has been unlawfully deprived of liberty for 537 days – Statement

Karlen Baghdasarian
Panorama, Armenia

"Moments ago, the Constitutional Court of Armenia issued a judgment, declaring Article 300.1 of the Criminal Code to be contrary to the Constitution and invalid. This Article was the pivot of the criminal investigation into the alleged overthrowing of the constitutional order former President Robert Kocharyan had been charged with," the official facebook account of President Kocharyan said.

"The defense team of President Kocharyan, authoritative international organizations had provided expert opinions over the unconstitutional nature of this case since the first day of Kocharyan's illegal detention. As a result of this unconstitutional case, President Kocharyan has been deprived of liberty for 537 days," the statement said.

To remind, Armenia’s Constitutional Court declared Article 300.1 of the country's Criminal Code, under which former president Robert Kocharyan is charged, to be unconstitutional.

Armenia’s Sarkissian congratulates Iran’s President and Supreme Leader on Nowruz

Karlen Baghdasarian

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 13:19,

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian has addressed congratulatory letters to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani on the occasion of the Iranian New Year – Nowruz, the President’s Office told Armenpress.

“The friendly relations between our peoples have always served as a base for the constant development of the mutual partnership between Armenia and Iran.

The complex situation in the region forces to work on expanding the agenda of the bilateral political and economic relations.

I am sure that by understanding the current challenges we will make greater efforts for quickly implementing the ongoing programs and reaching new agreements”, reads the Armenian President’s letter addressed to Rouhani.

President Sarkissian wished his Iranian counterpart good health and all the best, and to the good people of Iran – peace and welfare.

***

The Armenian President’s letter addressed to the Supreme Leader of Iran reads:

“I warmly congratulate you and the good people of Iran on the Iranian New Year – Nowruz.

Let the coming year be a year of political and economic achievements for the people of Iran. The new problems and challenges facing the region make an imperative the further development and deepening of the Armenian-Iranian relations.

The continuation of constructive dialogue is important for the cooperation between Armenia and Iran in different areas, which is based on the respect of each other’s religion and culture”.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

MEPs asking the High Representative about concrete measures to return the Armenian captives

Karlen Baghdasarian
Public Radio of Armenia
March 8 2021

On the initiative of the Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Costas Mavrides (S&D, Cyprus) 30 MEPs from all the main political groups addressed a priority written question to the EU High Representative/Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell.

The MEPs are asking what concrete steps the EU has taken to achieve the return of the Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) and other captives, including civilians and women held by Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan continues to keep many hostage despite the trilateral ceasefire statement of 10.11.2020 (which stopped the war in Nagorno Karabakh/Artsakh) and the reached agreement, stipulating the return of all the captives and prisoners of war.

Furthermore, the MEPs are asking the EU High Representative what measures the EU has taken to prevent the abuse and instrumentalization of Armenian captives, PoWs for political purposes and ensure that the Red Cross can visit them. To conclude the parliamentarians are raising the question whether the EU has requested Azerbaijan to communicate the exact number of the captives and if yes, what number has been communicated.

Elaborating on the cross-party written question MEP Mavrides stated: “In the face of the crimes against humanity, we cannot remain silent. That is why together with my colleagues from different political parties and member-states, we call on the EU to step up and proceed with concrete actions to achieve the fulfilment of paragraph 8 of the reached agreement, particularly with the return of the Armenian captives, prisoners of war, including civilians and women, being held by Azerbaijan despite the agreement. Azerbaijan blatantly violates the international law and we need to be vocal on this purely humanitarian issue.”

Commenting on the initiative of the MEPs, the EAFJD President Kaspar Karampetian said: “It is evident that violating the reached agreement Azerbaijan is abusing this humanitarian issue to elicit political gain and inflict more suffering.” “We welcome this initiative of the MEPs led by Mr. Mavrides. It is high time that the EU executive branch and the leaders of the EU Member states act. Human rights and human dignity are more than words and cannot be a bargaining chip. As EU citizens we expect the EU to use every diplomatic, political leverage and to stop this intolerable abuse of human dignity by the Azerbaijani authorities. It must be made clear that Azerbaijan has to respect its own commitment and immediately return all the Armenian captives,” Karampetian concluded.

Homeland Salvation Movement holds rally outside President’s Office

Karlen Baghdasarian

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 15:22,

YEREVAN, MARCH 13, ARMENPRESS. Supporters of the Homeland Salvation Movement are rallying outside President Sarkissian’s Office where Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is expected to arrive for a meeting.

The anti-government protesters were earlier rallying outside the foreign ministry headquarters.

“We have information that Pashinyan is going to come to the president’s office to meet the president, so we’ve come here to demonstrate,” said Homeland Salvation Movement member Gerasim Vardanyan.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

PM Pashinyan holds consultation with top ranking military officials

Karlen Baghdasarian

 

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 19:41,

YEREVAN, MARCH 10, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan held a consultation with the top ranking military officials at the Defense Ministry. Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan, Deputy Chiefs of the General Staff, Lieutenant-General Artak Davtyan and others attended the consultation.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister, at the beginning of the consultation Pashinyan said,

‘’I am glad to see you, though we all would prefer our meeting to take place in some other atmosphere. We all together, also our country and people are passing through rather a severe ordeal, but I want us to record that even at the period of the hardest challenge our country, our people, any citizen, any Cabinet member, any of us can underestimate the undeniable services that numerous generals, officers, sergeants and private soldiers, including many in this hall, have provided and continue to provide to our country.

I want to record that we together continue to bear shared responsibility and I am confident we will do it with honor. I want to record also the following – the needs of the Armed Forces were, are and will be in the focus of the Government. And of course, this means that we must be able to discuss together, analyze and answer a number of questions and of course, develop together a joint vision on the future of the Armed Forces’’, Pashinyan said, once again thanking everyone for their service.

‘’You know that Colonel-General Onik Gasparyan has been relieved of the post of the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces by force of law. I want to thank Mr. Gasparyan for the service he has provided to the Republic of Armenia, not only during the period of being the Chief of the General Staff, but during his all life, because he practically spent all his conscious life in the Armed Forces.

You are also informed that I have I have filed a request to the President of the Republic on appointing Lieutenant General Artak Davtyan Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. Mr. Davtyan used to be Chief of the General Staff in 2018-20 and everyone knows him and the path he has passed. I am confident we will be able to overcome this challenge together and as a result of this challenge the Armed Forces and the Republic of Armenia will become stronger’’, Pashinyan said, asking everyone to continue their service as Generals and officers of the Armed Forces, as pillars of the body securing Armenia’s security and territorial integrity.

Pashinyan added that they will have more detailed conversation on the occasion of the appointment of the new Chief of the General Staff, emphasizing that consolidation in hard periods is the most important thing.