Author: nina hovnanian

POLICE BARRICADED SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF PRESIDENTIAL PALACE FROM MOTHERS OF DEAD SOLDIERS (VIDEO)

03.05.2015 15:45 epress.am

Police officers created a barricade in front of the Presidential
Palace today, March 4th, in order to restrict access to the sidewalk
for the parents of soldiers killed during peacetime. Meanwhile, other
citizens were allowed to cross the sidewalk. The officers justified
their actions saying that the parents would stand in front of the
Presidential gates and protest.

“There have been other occasions when they said they were going
to the reception and letters department, but stood in front of the
Presidential Palace, which is not allowed because the Palace is a
specially protecting landmark,” said officer Madatyan.

A group of human rights defenders from the RA Ombudsman’s office
arrived at site after a phone call from Gohar Sargsyan, mother of
Tigran Ohanjanyan who died in the Army. Sargsyan told them that in
this case the police’s concerns were entirely ungrounded. “We have
no placards in our hands, no photos. We are going to the reception
department in order to demand the response to our letter we sent to
the President four months ago,” said Mrs. Sargsyan. In the letter,
the parents demanded that Serzh Sargsyan met with them and resolved
justly the criminal cases launched into the soldiers’ deaths.

Raphael Poghosyan, the head of the quick-response division of the
Ombudsman’s Office, negotiated with the police to open the way. The
police, however, refused, while Poghosyan explained to the parents
that the Ombudsman’s office could not force the police to do anything.

“Turns out, the Ombudsman’s office is a formality. Even the Human
Rights Defender’s rights are being violated,” said dead soldier Valery
Muradyan’s mother, Nana Muradyan.

Gohar Sargsyan also informed the staff members of the Ombudsman’s
office that the police used force against her and the other parents
and that after an internal investigation two police officers were
reprimanded for violating ethical norms. According to Sargsyan,
the latter was a formal decision because there were at the least two
police officers who subjected each of the protesters to force.

The members of the Ombudsman’s staff assured them that they were
dealing with that issue and have received a certain response, however,
that was not sufficient for them and they have directed new inquiries
to the police. However, Poghosyan refused to speak in further detail
about the case.

FRENCH MP VALERIE BOYER: WE WILL NOT YIELD TO THREATS BY THE TURKS

March 4, 2015

An exclusive interview of the member of the National Assembly of
France Valerie Boyer to Armenian News-NEWS.am

Madame Boyer, will you visit Armenia on April 24 to attend the events
on the occasion of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide?

I have visited Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh several times on the
occasion of April 24 events. This year, despite the requests to
attend events in Yerevan, I decided to stay in Marseille. Senator of
Marseille Jean Claude Gaudin devoted 2015 to Armenia. In this context
the city will host numerous cultural events referring to Armenia
and Armenians. On April 24 the municipality of Marseille and the
municipalities of all districts will turn into the colors of Armenia.

So, I chose to stay with the French of Armenian descent to show them
my support and commitment.

Besides, together with Blue Cross of the Armenia’s of France (ARS
France), I organized tree planting. 100 trees will be planted near
the April 24 monument, not to mention conferences and exhibitions
. We will honor the Armenian culture and our duty.

France has recognized the Armenian Genocide. What should be the
next step?

I think that acknowledgment is the first step, but today I expect
France to criminalize denial of the Armenian Genocide after adoption
of my bill by the National Assembly and the Senate in 2012 which was
a step forward in terms of a law on criminalization. The genocide
of 1915 is the second genocide that was recognized by France after
Holocaust. The text was adopted in 2001 and was confirmed without
raising the question of constitutionality, but did not envisage
punishment for denial.

The 2001 law must be supplemented by acknowledgment of the punishment
mechanisms. I worked on a new bill that is no longer referring to
free expression. This will be an important move forward and will ban
tarnishing the memories of thousands of men, women and children who
died just because their only crime was being Armenian Christians.

Last year you introduced a bill banning denial of the genocides and
crimes against humanity that were committed in the twentieth century.

The law has not been adopted yet. Do you think the French parliament
will pass the bill this year – on the centennial of the Armenian
Genocide?

Back in 2011 I introduced a bill, based on the right of the community
to fight against racism and denial of genocides that were recognized by
the French law, including the Armenian Genocide. The bill was passed
by all groups of the National Assembly and the Senate on January 23,
2012. Unfortunately, the Constitutional Council overturned it on
the grounds that the denial is part of freedom of expression, thus
putting an end to this attempt to criminalize denial.

Nevertheless, the possibility of criminalizing denial of all genocides
and crimes against humanity echoes the topical problem in the context
of persecutions similar to genocides, those targeted at Christians of
the Middle East, Yezidis, in particular in Iraq. They were described
by Ban Ki-moon as a crime against humanity.

There is obvious need to pass the law in order to offer new
characteristics to denial. Therefore, I am working hard to work out
an alternative and new version that was a fruit of my work with the
leading lawyers, experts on criminal law – Bernard Jouanneau and
Sevag Torossian. This is why I suggest that the denial was no longer
considered a simple abuse of the freedom of expression, but a crime
against humanity.

This offers two advantages: to get out of the legal impasse created
by the Constitutional Council in connection with the freedom of
expression, and to protect the memory of the victims of all genocides
recognized by our legislation.

So, I offer my fellow MPs to sign the legislative mechanism, an
apolitical bill that is pursuing the public interest, which is
free from party considerations. This text aims to be universal,
because it protects all the genocides recognized by French law,
and expresses its respect for human rights. This project relates
to human dignity. Since October 2014, the law has been available
on the website of the National Assembly, and I hope that it will be
reviewed in the near future, as this is not only close to my heart,
but is especially important for our commitment and our rights.

Hearing into Perincek vs. Switzerland case has been recently held in
the European Court of Human Rights. Perincek accused Switzerland of
violating his right for freedom of expression. Where do you think
is the limit when the priority is not to allow repetition of awful
crimes of the past at the same time not violating freedom of speech?

This is not about permitting or banning everything. Freedom of
expression, as well as its limitations, must be protected. The law
also establishes a framework. Freedom cannot exist without the rule
of law, and the government should take responsibility, if necessary,
allowing the popular representation to establish the scope and limits
of freedom of expression. This freedom is relative, not absolute,
and should respect the beliefs and memory of the victims.

The problem is that now the choice of a suitable expression is based on
the impact of the media. Alas, in this demagogic approach, the judge is
not completely innocent. Thus, the judges in Strasbourg concluded that
the denial of the Armenian Genocide had no consequences, and this means
that you can allow hurting the victims and their descendants. Again,
neither the government, nor even Francois Hollande, who committed
himself to introducing punishment for challenging this genocide,
did nothing. Not a word!

The question is: who makes the decision regarding the public expression
of opinion or what is acceptable to say and what is not?

Does a politician have a direct interest? The current government is
a consumer of communications not having any problems with showing its
inconsistency, until tweets reach an alarm threshold or the reaction
of the population will not limit them.

This is an expectant management, which sorely lacks personality and
beliefs, but reflects the state of confusion, where modern France
has plunged.

What do you think about Turkish authorities’ initiative to mark the
100th anniversary of Gallipoli events on April 24?

I think I should not express my opinion on Turkish government’s
decision to mark or not to mark anything. I do not approve
interference. Nevertheless, one must be blind not to see that the
state lie hundred years after the events impels the government to
continue denial of the crimes up to coming up with a memorial event
to disguise the centennial ceremonies. As far as I know, the date of
the battle is April 25.

This is a pathetic initiative. However, instead of commenting on what
is happening in Turkey, let’s find a voice in France to fulfill our
duty to ensure continuation of the 2001 law in order to criminalize
denial. Help me so that the bill presented in April 2014 could be
considered and adopted by the National Assembly and the Senate in 2015.

We will not yield to threats by the Turks or to any delays because
of political and legal reasons in France.

SEYRAN OHANYAN: SITUATION AT THE BORDER TENSE, BUT UNDER CONTROL

16:56, 05 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan has said the situation at
the border is tense, but under control.

“The situation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and the line of
contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan
is tense, the number of ceasefire violations and shots increases
every day,” Minister Ohanyan said.

“But the Armenian forces keep control of the situation both in Artsakh
and the frontline villages of Armenia,” he added.

The Minister said “the Armenian side gives a worthy response to some
provocations of the rival.”

Seyran Ohanyan made the remarks at Yerablur. A number of high-ranking
officials visited the Military Pantheon today to pay tribute to the
memory of former Defense Minister Vazgen Sargsyan on his 56thbirthday.

LE PARTI POPULAIRE EUROPEEN ADOPTE UNE RESOLUTION CONDAMNANT LE GENOCIDE ARMENIEN

ARMENIE

Le Parti populaire europeen (PPE) a adopte mardi une resolution sur
le 100e anniversaire du genocide armenien.

Dans la resolution, le PPE reaffirme sa reconnaissance et la
condamnation du genocide et de la Grande Depossession nationale du
peuple armenien a la veille de son 100e anniversaire le 24 Avril 2015.

“Le genocide armenien, qui a ete perpetre par le gouvernement
Jeune-Turc dans les dernières annees de l’Empire ottoman, est dûment
documente par des preuves irrefutables loge dans les archives
officielles de la France, l’Allemagne, l’Italie, l’Autriche, le
Royaume-Uni, le Canada, le Royaume- Unis et d’autres pays a travers
le monde. Il a non seulement entraîne la mort et la depossession
de plus de deux millions d’etres humains, mais aussi la decimation
du patrimoine armenien, ses modes de vie, et ses contributions
fondamentales a la culture occidentale et la civilisation du monde >>,
dit la resolution, en partie.

Dans le document, le PPE a egalement invite l’Union europeenne et
sa Commission, son Conseil et son Parlement, “dans l’evaluation du
respect des engagements et obligations par la Turquie, d’accorder
une attention soutenue a la reconnaissance, a la restauration, et la
restitution de notre patrimoine commun que soumissionne ci-joint. ”

Le PPE est un parti politique europeen qui a ete fondee par les
partis democrates-chretiens en 1976. Il a depuis elargi ses membres
pour inclure les partis conservateurs et les partis avec d’autres
perspectives politiques de centre-droit.

Trois partis armeniens – le Parti Republicain d’Armenie, Orinats Yerkir
(Etat de droit) et Patrimoine – sont membres observateurs du PPE.

mercredi 4 mars 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com

AZERBAIJAN MUST RELEASE ALL IMPRISONED JOURNALISTS

Posted: 03/02/2015 4:31 pm EST Updated: 03/02/2015 4:59 pm EST

It was a pleasant but humid May afternoon almost four years ago when
I stood on the balcony of the palace at Zagulba Bagları with Ilham
Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan. The Caspian Sea lay below,
placid and peaceful, symbolizing the bright prospects of the country.

We spoke about the future and about a new generation of Azerbaijani
— educated, energetic, young people who offered great hope and
opportunity to the nation.

We specifically talked about young people being what they are,
the value of a fully engaged and outspoken, even rebellious with
differing opinions — with the hope that the country inevitably would
morph into a modern, free and open society. For a time, there seemed
to be reason for optimism. We engaged in a number of joint efforts
and soon after my visit journalists and bloggers were released from
jail. There were moves to rewrite and liberalize laws. There was hope.

But fast forward to today. That hope has ended. Journalists and
free-expression advocates sit in Azerbaijani jails in record numbers.

Their lot is growing. Azerbaijan scores near the bottom of every
objective ranking of nations based on free media and free expression
criteria.

So it came as no surprise when Swiss authorities confirmed earlier
this month that Emin Huseynov has been hiding out in its Embassy in
Baku since August when he narrowly escaped arrest.

Huseynov, 35, made a harrowing escape with police on his trail.

Authorities had already tried to raid the NGO’s headquarters and
searched the home of his mother, taking her computer.

Huseynov now cools his heels on diplomatic turf (out of the clutches
of police) while facing formal charges of tax evasion, illegal
business dealings and abuse of power. His real crime is running a
non-governmental organization, the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom
and Safety, which defends journalists’ rights in a country where free
media is under constant assault.

Huseynov is far from alone in being prosecuted.

There are more than 10 members of the media, including journalists,
bloggers and social media activists, in prison today — one of the
largest numbers of any country that is part of the Organization for
Security and Co-operation in Europe. The lengths to which Azerbaijani
authorities will go to round up dissenting voices are troubling.

As the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media I have spoken out
on numerous occasions. Especially troublesome is the case of Khadija
Ismayilova, now in pre-trial detention, who was arrested in early
December on charges of inciting a person to commit suicide. Ismailova,
a reporter for Radio Azadliq, has been the target of an ugly sexual
smear campaign. In mid-February the all-too-common illegal business
dealings and abuse of power charges were added to her list of sins. In
addition, while in detention, she was found liable on controversial
criminal libel charges and a fine has been imposed on her.

Others sitting in prison or pre-trial detention on trumped-up charges
include Rasul Jafarov, a free speech advocate, on charges of abuse
of power and tax evasion; Seymur Hazi, a columnist for the newspaper
Azadliq, on a charge of hooliganism; Omar Mamedov and Abdul Abilov,
bloggers, on charges of illegal storage and sale of drugs; Parviz
Hashimli, a journalist, on charges of smuggling and illegal storage and
sale of firearms; Nijat Aliyev, editor-in-chief of azadxeber.org news
website, on various charges, including drug possession and inciting
hatred and Rashad Ramazanov, an independent blogger, on charges of
illegal storage and sale of drugs.

The systematic shutdown of dissenting voices and their outlets are
clear violations of commitments on free media and free expression
that Azerbaijan has signed on to as a participating State of the OSCE.

But most of the world appears disinterested as Azerbaijan clamps down
even harder on the country’s nascent media and civil society.

Is that analysis seems too facile? Is it simply a matter of business
interests trumping human rights?

Hence, a high-profile diplomatic row with the Swiss might shake
some countries from their somnolent state. Emin Huysenov, Khadija
Ismayilova and all other members of the media are now the face of
free media, free expression and civil society in Azerbaijan. They
have done nothing wrong — they are just doing a job. For this many
of them stand trial or have already been convicted.

Just four years ago it seemed to me that Azerbaijan had a promising
future for its media and civil society. Now, for free expression and
civil society advocates, the future is just black.

It is in the hands of President Aliyev to change course and fulfil
the dream of a modern, free and open Azerbaijan. Few, including me,
a friend of Azerbaijan, are willing to assume he will. But he must,
as the first step, let all journalists go. He must set them free. For
the future of democracy in Azerbaijan.

—

MijatoviÄ~G is the Representative on Freedom of the Media for the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

HRAPARAK: AIR ARMENIA HAS SERIOUS FINANCIAL PROBLEMS

11:23 04/03/2015 >> DAILY PRESS

“Air Armenia airline suspended its flights last year and promised
to resume them on December 20. Later, it announced March as a new
deadline. There are no talks about this now and it is unknown whether
or not the company will recover. The air company has serious financial
problems which it does not manage to solve,” Hraparak writes.

Source: Panorama.am

FOUNDING PARLIAMENT FORMS ARMY OF CIVILIANS

12:12 | March 4,2015 | Politics

Karabakh war veteran Zhirayr Sefilyan has made a statement saying a
citizen army is being formed in Armenia.

“This force is aimed at uniting people and overthrowing the acting
regime through peaceful, non-violent civil disobedience. This is not
a military structure. I urge young people, who are ready to stand up
for our country, and freedom fighters, who have not sold their souls,
to call on our offices, or contact us via the Internet to register
as members of the citizen army,” said Zhirayr Sefilyan, who is also
a member of the Founding Parliament, a radical opposition initiative
seeking a regime change in Armenia.

$9.7 MILLION INVESTED IN SOUTH CAUCASUS RAILWAY’S PASSENGER COMPLEX SINCE 2008

YEREVAN, March 4. /ARKA/. South Caucasus Railway CJSC has invested $9.7
million in passenger complex since 2008, Armenian Deputy Transport
and Communication Minister Arthur Arakelyan said today in Yerevan at
the 15th session of the passenger service commission of the Railway
Council of the Commonwealth of Independent States. In his words,
thanks to the company’s well-thought out concept that combines state
interests and investors’ benefit, it can be placed on record today
that railway traffic in Armenia has grown.

“For example, passenger traffic was 5.9 million passenger-kilometer
or 195% in 2014, compared with 2008, when the South Caucasus Railway
CJSC started running Armenia’s railway,” Arakelyan said.

Railway traffic services inside the country grew 33% and passenger
traffic was 23.6 passenger-kilometer or 140% in 2014, compared
with 2008.

On Gyumri section, where terrain is challenging, block speed rose
by 65.5%.

“The railway’s international passenger traffic has doubled since 2008
to 56,700 passengers or 206% in 2014,” Arakelyan said.

“The number of passengers carried by Yerevan-Batumi train has grown
five time to 46,000 in 2014. ”

He said 27 cars have been repaired and modernized and online sales
of Internet tickets have tripled.

There is also a wide range of ticket prices. Arakelyan said that after
Armenia joined the Eurasian Economic Union the country’s transport
services underwent substantial changes connected with the model of
relations between transport market players and states, competition
and mechanisms of interaction with businesses and companies providing
transportation services.

“Armenia’s transport and communication ministry jointly with the
South Caucasus Railway has worked out amendments to the railway law
and some other rules and submitted them to the government,” he said.

Speaking about regional priorities in medium term, he pointed out the
necessity of implementation of regional projects for development of
transport infrastructure.

South Caucasus Railway, a subsidiary of Russian Railways, runs
Armenian Railway, which was handed over to the South Caucasus Railway
on February 13, 2008 for 30-year concession management with a right
to prolong the management term for other ten years. –0—–

LA RUSSIE REFUSE L’EXTRADITION DU SOLDAT EN ARMENIE

Massacre de Gumri

La Russie a officiellement reaffirme son refus d’extrader vers
l’Armenie le soldat russe accuse du meurtre de sept membres d’une
famille armenienne de Gumri plus tôt cette annee.

Dans une lettre rendue public hier par le parti d’opposition le
Zharangutyun, un haut fonctionnaire du bureau du Procureur general
de Russie a ecrit que le conscri, Valery Permyakov “ne sera pas
l’objet d’un transfert” vers les services repressifs armeniens. Il
a cite l’article 61 de la Constitution de la Russie qui interdit
l’extradition aux Etats etrangers de citoyens russes accuses de crimes.

Le fonctionnaire a egalement fait valoir que les enqueteurs russes et
armeniens “coopèrent etroitement” dans leurs enquetes separes en cours.

La lettre etait une reponse officielle a une petition ecrite par
Zaruhi Postanjian, parlementaire du Zharangutyun, envoye au president
russe Vladimir Poutine peu après que les sept membres de la famille
Avetisian ont ete abattus.

Le Procureur general Gevorg Kostanian avait envoye une lettre similaire
a son homologue russe, Iouri Tchaïka, debut fevrier.

mercredi 4 mars 2015, Claire (c)armenews.com

CHRISTIANS IN MIDDLE EAST ARE ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION, ARMENIAN FM SAYS

March 3, 2015 11:14

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian has
stated that the international community should take immediate steps
to protect Christians in Middle East who can be considered as one
of the most vulnerable groups in the region which are on the brink
of extinction.

Edward Nalbandian said this addressing a speech at UN-initiated
discussion on “Support to Christians’ Rights in Middle East” in Geneva.

“Unfortunately, Christianity in Middle East is seriously threatened
now. Beheading of 21 Egyptian Copts and brutal attacks against
Assyrians in Syria were only the recent episodes. Suffice it to say
that the number of Christians within the overall population decreased
from 20% in the early 20th century to less than 5% as of the early
21st century. Christians in Middle East can be considered one of the
most vulnerable groups which are on the brink of extinction demanding
immediate measures to protect and support them”, said the Armenian FM.

According to him, the fight against Islamic State, al-Nusra and other
terrorist groups should be carried out in the context of preventing
genocides.

Edward Nalbandian stressed that Armenia fully supports complete
fulfillment of relevant resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council.

The Minister recalled the attacks against Armenian-populated Kessab
town by Al Qaeda-related terrorist groups and acts of vandalism against
religious and cultural heritage of Kessab and Armenian Saint Martyrs
Church in Deir-ez-Zor.

“This crime against civilization is the blatant reminder of such
barbarian acts in the past- cases of destruction of Buddhas’ Bamiyan
statues, Timbuktu Tombs and thousands of medieval Armenian khachkars
in Nakhichevan when thousands of monuments were demolished under the
Azerbaijani authorities’ careful supervision”, said the Armenian FM
calling for severely condemning such steps.