Author: Yeghisabet Vorskanian

Democracy in Armenia is irreversible – 2nd part of Pashinyan’s speech at parliament

Yeghisabet Vorskanian
 

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 21:01, 6 February, 2020

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan gave a speech at the National Assembly on February 6. ARMENPRESS reports the 2nd part of the PM’s speech.

I am not saying that the decisions of the Constitutional Court should be appealed. Let there be atonement. I say that when it comes to the direct powers of other bodies, moreover the authority of the people, the power of the people, the powers of the Constitutional Court must be highly regulated, predictable and limited by the sovereign right of the people. By the way, there is not even a single country in the world where the Constitutional Court is exercising its constitutional authority without a limit. There is no other such country except Armenia. And the situation that we also have in this regard in the Constitutional Court is a direct threat to democracy, because the most important component of democracy is the mechanism of checks and balances.

In our country, as I mentioned above, the institute of the President, the institute of the Government, the Prime Minister, and the National Assembly, even though the Constitutional Court has no counterbalance and no restraint at all, can and does actually restrict the highest holder of power – the people’s authority – including the status of the Constitutional Court. This is a direct and terrible threat to democracy, and such a constitutional court was formed to prevent the development of democracy in Armenia, because the writers of this constitution nevertheless planned that there would be neither democracy nor people’s power in Armenia until 2035. Or otherwise, the dog’s head is in the Constitutional Court.

The only hope of the former corrupt regime is pinned on Hrayr Tovmasyan and the Constitutional Court. But we will not allow it and we will take another action and today we have come together to launch that action. Today, we must make a decision to resolve this issue with the people, and the National Assembly must decide to hold a national referendum on amending Article 213 of the Constitution.

The amendment of this article should terminate the powers of all members of the Constitutional Court elected in the old manner. This will happen if the citizens of the Republic of Armenia go to the polling station on the day of the referendum and say yes to the proposed changes and to the people’s authority. In that case, two newly appointed judges will continue to serve in the Constitutional Court: Arman Dilanyan nominated by the General Assembly of judges and elected by the National Assembly and Vahe Grigoryan nominated by the President and elected by the National Assembly.

After the referendum, the Government of Armenia, the General Assembly of Judges, the President of the Republic will nominate candidates for the Constitutional Court judge, the National Assembly will elect the judges and within a few months we will have a Constitutional Court elected and acting in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, which will elect the President of the Constitutional Court.

Of course, we will set forth a condition before the new Constitutional Court that they should support the adoption of laws and constitutional amendments that balance the oversight powers of the Constitutional Court. And by the end of this process, we will have a constitutional court that will not be under the banner of any political force or grouping or official, but will be before the people, the reporting people, the supreme constitutional court, but no higher than the people. The Republic of Armenia, all of us need a constitutional court that will guarantee democracy and the rule of law the Republic of Armenia, and not be a threat to democracy.

Honorable Presidency of the National Assembly,
Dear MPs,
Proud Citizens of the Republic of Armenia,

And in the National Assembly and outside its borders there will be many views, discussions, speculations on the decision to hold a referendum. All necessary legal justifications are available in the draft package. I do not want to go into small or big details and I can record the most important from this high podium.

There is no problem in the Republic of Armenia that the people of the Republic of Armenia cannot solve. There is no question in the Republic of Armenia beyond the people’s authority. The citizens of the Republic of Armenia are sovereign and competent; they can solve any problem.

By the way, after the non-violent, velvet, popular revolution that took place in spring 2018, there is much talk that the Civil Contract party or the My Step Alliance came to power in a revolutionary way. This formulation is a result of misunderstanding, because the proud citizens of the Republic of Armenia were the ones to come to power in the Republic of Armenia. We are just people’s representatives; we represent the people as envisaged by Article 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia.

Yes, we represent the people and have the authority delegated to us by the people, and the Constitutional Court today does not represent the people, it represents the corrupt power of Serzh Sargsyan and it must go away.

And I want to say that all those people who may try to set legal or other obstacles to the free _expression_ of our people’s will shall be adequately rebuffed as anti-democratic and anti-state forces. And those who accept the supreme authority of the people will become devotees of shaping the future of Armenia.

Dear compatriots, I would like to address the members of the Constitutional Court with a few words.

Dear Members of the Constitutional Court.

I understand that what I said in this talk is not pleasing for many of you; you may deem some of the episodes offensive. But I mean, I do not tend to offend anyone, I just have to call things by their own name. To say more, if anyone in any part of my speech saw some kind of offence, I apologize. But the realities do not change.

Yes, there is a crisis around the Constitutional Court that contains the threat of becoming a broader crisis, but I want to say that you can solve that crisis yourself, by doing great service to the state and the people, by providing a valuable service.

You, the ones elected under the old procedure, can resign as a member of the Constitutional Court. You can do it today, tomorrow, or you can do it before the President signs the decision on the referendum.

By the way, I would like to say that we have been discussing this issue with the President of the Republic and made sure that he approves the proposed option to resolve the situation through a referendum, regarding which I think he will make a relevant statement. So, dear members of the Constitutional Court, you can resign until the President of the Republic signs this decision and you will be of great service to the Republic of Armenia and its people.

I would also like to say that I am ready to meet with you all, individually, or all of you, to discuss its details. I can ask you to take this step in person, in your own eyes, and I can offer your support in resolving this situation on behalf of the people.

If you accept the offer, we will go ahead. If this is not acceptable to you, then the question, I am sure, will be resolved by the people of Armenia, the proud citizen of the Republic of Armenia, because the Constitution is for the people and not the people for the Constitution.

I would like to emphasize that we are ready to invite the leading international observer organizations – the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the European Union, the CIS, etc. – to observe the referendum, and there is no doubt that guarantees for the people’s free will be created just as it was the case with the 2018 free, fair, transparent democratic elections in Armenia, the results of which were not disputed in the Constitutional Court or questioned by any party, social or political group. This is the evidence of one thing: Democracy in Armenia has no alternative. Democracy in Armenia is irreversible.

Therefore,
Long live Freedom,
Long live the Republic of Armenia,
Long live we and our children who live and will live in a free and happy Armenia!”

Turkish press: How to get into photography: A beginner’s guide

Yeghisabet Vorskanian
YASEMIN NICOLA SAKAY
ISTANBUL
Published29.01.202013:30

More than any other camera component, the lens determines the quality of the image. (iStock Photo)

So, you want to take up photography as a hobby. There are endless possibilities. From your average point-and-shoot cameras to digital single-lens reflex cameras (DSLR) and recently-revived instant cameras, it's hard not to feel overwhelmed by all the choices out there.

Information on the technical side of things abounds on the internet, but what if it all sounds too complex to you? Well, here's the beginning of the beginning, the hardest part: deciding on what to buy and what to shoot.

I spoke to three of my friends and colleagues – İlhami Yıldırım, a professional photojournalist from Sabah daily, Şafak Karaöz, a Mimar Sinan University-educated local street photographer, and Daily Sabah's Art Director Rahmi Osman Kaçmaz.

Let's start with the camera's body.

When you finally decide to buy a camera, the body – which is the part you hold when using a camera – may seem like its the most vital part of your purchase, but it's not. On the contrary, the body is only there to serve as the building block of your future set and put you into an ecosystem.

"You will want to research a number of features for the body in your decision-making process, but before all of that, you should look at how easily you can access accessories such as lenses and flashes and how easily you can dispose of them if needed," Karaöz said.

All three photographers and photography enthusiasts agreed on one point: It doesn't matter how expensive your first camera is because it is highly likely that it won't be your last.

I hate to burst your bubble, but according to Karaöz, the first camera you choose will probably be the wrong choice. "This is completely normal," he assured, saying it's only because your expectations will change over time the more you use it.

How do I choose my first camera?

Unless you will get into sports or wildlife photography, where the camera's performance will be constantly tested, you really don't need an expensive, high-tech body. Also, don't get swayed by all of the fancy new releases incorporating the latest technologies such as 360 degree twist-flip LCD screens and voice-controlled shutters if you are a beginner – less is more.

Karaöz was the most direct on the topic: "It, of course, has to be secondhand and economical. Why, you ask? Because with this camera you will figure out your needs and what exactly you want from it. If it makes you happy, that's great. If it doesn't, at least you won't have splashed out a lot of cash on it."

He adds that if you decide to resell it, you won't be losing much at all and might even be able to sell it for around the price you purchased it. "With a brand new item, you don't have this opportunity," he noted.

Kaçmaz echoed the same view, saying that budget-friendly options were the best way to go. He also advised that a beginner should choose a more old-school camera with a simple design. "Think of knobs and physical buttons, rather than digital touchscreens. Directly accessible shutter speed and aperture settings will be easier and more enjoyable to use," he advised.

Yıldırım said people have the preconceived notion that if they have the best and most expensive camera, they'll be able to take the best photo. "This is terribly wrong, especially for a beginner," he said.

He brought to mind Armenian-Turkish photojournalist Ara Güler, who at the time had said, "You cannot become a good photographer with a good camera, just like you can't be a good novelist because you bought the best typewriter and computer."

"You need to understand that it is not the machine that takes the photo; it's the person behind the lens," he stressed.

Quoting another photography great French humanist photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, Yıldırım said: "To photograph is to put on the same line of sight the head, the eye and the heart."

"Those are the three-ingredient formula to a good photo," he said, adding: "I'll go buy a TL 10,000 camera and take the best photo. There is no such thing. They need to forget this notion."

Yıldırım also advised to start small with your first camera. A semi-professional DSLR is a good place to start, he said, which is roughly around TL 2,900-3,000.

"Why? The professional ones are very heavy. As a newbie, you can carry that weight for a day or two but then it becomes too much of a hassle. For pros and the ones actually getting paid, it's not an issue, but if you are just looking at it as a hobby then it's not worth it," he said, adding that price and performance-wise, this will be the best choice for beginners.

In short? The less you spend on your first camera the better.

Get into the mode

All three were in favor of shooting in manual mode (M) or aperture priority (abbreviated as A or AV).

Kaçmaz said shooting in AV forces you to think consciously before hitting the shutter and helps you learn. "You get to be in control of the frame and are more engaged in the photo-taking process," he said.

Yıldırım agreed, saying the camera should be there to teach you and help you learn.

"Forget about automatic mode while shooting," Yıldırım said, underscoring the importance of actually changing the camera's settings according to each photo. "They need to use it in manual mode to learn about aperture and shutter speed."

"If you use it in automatic, the camera does all the work for you. It has preset settings that do it all. You, 'the photographer,' don't get involved in the process at all; you just frame," he said.

The eye of the camera

Now we come to the trickier part – the lens. Good, quality lenses don't come cheap, which could put a real dent in your bank account.

Aesthetics-wise, the body itself won't have that much of an impact on the photo, but lenses are a whole other story, Karaöz said. "With time and experience, you will see that you should be spending your hard-earned money on lenses, not the body."

"Every lens has its own character. For example, let's say you want to take a portrait. I have a cheaper camera with an 85 mm f/1.2 lens while you have a brand new camera that is 10 times more expensive than mine and a lens in your kit like 18-135 mm. The odds will definitely be in my favor because the lens on my camera was specially designed to aestheticize portraits, regardless of the body/machine used," he said.

Yıldırım suggested starting with a good old 50 mm lens because it's "the closest to the human eye."

"It also stops the photographer from becoming too lazy over time. For example, if you have that lens and want to take a portrait, you will have to come closer to your target to get a crisper, more focused shot. You also get to determine the frame yourself," he said.

Kaçmaz recommended starting with a prime lens such as 23 or 35 mm on a crop body, or its full frame equivalents of 35 and 50 mm. "A 50 mm lens will be good for portraits, while a 35 mm lens will be a good all-round choice." Lenses with a fixed focal length, which are called prime lenses, do not allow you to zoom and are usually much smaller in size and weight. They create less distortion and yield higher image quality. "Using a prime lens also forces you to walk toward or away from the subject and think about the photo you want to take," Kaçmaz said, suggesting that it will help in the learning process.

Karaöz also gave a handy tip for those who don't want to pay full price for a new lens.

"If you choose a brand of camera that your friends use as well, you can always swap with each other. That way you will get to see whether you like the feel and the effect each lens gives without paying a single penny," he said.

Who or what shall I shoot?

"First start by taking photos of your family. Your mom, your dad, brother, sister, spouse, etc. They will be much more comfortable with you when posing. Then you hit the streets. If you are in the city, you will go out to Taksim Square for example, and take photos while wandering in the streets," Yıldırım said.

After you get a feel of different types of photography (fashion, portrait, macro, etc.), then you can choose which area you want to specialize in, he added.

"They later might say, 'I want to go to Afghanistan to take these types of photos,'" he said.

Kaçmaz agreed up to a point but also underlined that to shoot people you need to have good communication. "Portraits are a good start but it all depends on your interests. The streets are a good starting point too; general photography, cityscapes, landscapes … you can just go and shoot."

"What do you really like? That's the question you really want to answer," he said.

Kaçmaz also veered into "black and white" territory and said shooting monochrome could be quite educational.

"My advice would be to start with monochrome photos. It will help you focus on composition, light and texture, which are the most important elements of photography," he said. Karaöz seconded Kaçmaz's advice on black and white photos and said they were a great place to start to learn about light and dark.

What makes a good photo?

On the topic of what makes a good photo, Kaçmaz and Yıldırım touched on different areas.

For Yıldırım, technique is only important up to a point. The real deal, for him, is capturing the emotion behind it.

"The camera itself, its model or the technical features, none of them are important if you can't get the composition right or, more importantly, can't capture the emotion. You can always learn technique but your photos need to have emotions, tell a story," he said.

However, he warned that nobody becomes a great photographer overnight. "This (conveying emotions) will happen in time."

Meanwhile, for Kaçmaz it's about studying good photographs taken by good photographers. He said beginners tend to fall into a trap of laziness and overconfidence.

"If you constantly look at your own photos only, your eyes will get used to it and you will start to think you are very good. This clouds your judgment and sets a barrier against your improvement," he said.

"Alan Schaller, Steve McCurry and Hüseyin Aldırmaz are just a few of my recommendations," he added.

Stolen and sold: Armenia probes babies lost to Europe

Yeghisabet Vorskanian
Reuters
Jan 30 2020
 
 
 
Nvard Hovhannisyan, Umberto Bacchi
 
 
YEREVAN/TBILISI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – A probe into the suspected sale of dozens of Armenian babies to foreign families has left hundreds of women wondering what became of their own lost children in the biggest illegal adoption scandal to hit the former Soviet republic.
 
Police say a criminal ring tricked mothers out of their newborns in what is the latest smear on a lucrative international adoption market, with growing calls for a total shutdown to end similar abuses.
 
While the scale of the problem is hard to estimate, child protection experts say high adoption fees of up to $100,000 fan a black market that affects children from India to Uganda.
 
Anti-slavery groups consider illegal adoptions, when a child is brought to another country in breach of regulations or as a result of wrongdoing, a form of child trafficking.
 
The scandal in the Caucasus surfaced in November, when authorities revealed that more than 30 children had been sent to Italy for adoption between 2016 and 2018 after their mothers were pressured into giving them up.
 
Some women were coerced into giving birth despite wanting abortions, while others were wrongly told their newborns were ill, Armenia’s security services said in a statement.
 
Those charged deny any part in the scandal.
 
The probe, described by a United Nations expert as “very disturbing”, has pushed hundreds of Armenian mothers into a quest to find out what became of their own lost children.
 
“I am sure my baby is still alive,” said Haykuhi Khachatryan, who was told by the Yerevan clinic at the center of the scandal that her third child was born dead in September.
 
“It’s not just my maternal instinct. There is nothing to prove otherwise,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a phone interview.
 
Investigating authorities told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that more than three dozen mothers worried their children might have been adopted without their approval have made contact since the illicit trade came to light.
 
Detectives are now checking all adoptions by foreigners since 1991, said Naira Harutyunyan, a spokeswoman for Armenia’s Investigative Committee, a law enforcement agency.
 
WAKE-UP CALL
 
The U.N. Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, who raised concerns about Armenian adoptions in 2015, said the scam should act as an urgent “wake-up call”.
 
“This looks like …there is a mafia treating children as commodities and making financial gain out of trading children. This is absolutely scandalous,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a phone interview.
 
“There is a real need for clarification and mothers are entitled to know what has happened to their children,” she said.
 
Inter-country adoption should be a measure of last resort for children who cannot be placed in foster care or adopted in their country of origin, according to the U.N.
 
But five-figure fees paid by adoptive parents in the West often prove too alluring, leading to unethical practice in poor countries, said Iara de Witte, a child trafficking expert at the Dutch child rights organization Defence for Children.
 
“It is said that one of the reasons for inter-country adoption is poverty,” she said by phone.
 
“But with the thousands of euros that adoptive parents have to pay for a child…the original family could have been supported to raise their own child.”
 
In her 2015 visit to Armenia, De Boer-Buquicchio said she had witnessed children housed in orphanages because their parents lacked the money to raise them.
 
Some had their disabilities overstated to deter adoption locally, she said, but with no international agency in Armenia, foreign adoptive parents relied on unsupervised middlemen.
 
Mushegh Hovsepyan, assistant to the minister of social affairs, said the government was mulling reforms, emptying orphanages and strengthening the foster care system.
 
“We hope that in the near future we will be able to assert that the sale of children in Armenia is not possible or that the risks are reduced,” Hovsepyan said in a statement.
 
LAST HUG
 
Armenia’s Investigative Committee said five people – including the heads of a private maternity clinic and a public orphanage – had been arrested as part of the probe.
 
The suspects face charges, including illegally separating a child from his or her parents, said Harutyunyan.
 
In at least two cases, adoptions followed payments of up to $20,000, she said.
 
Lawyers for the head of Yerevan’s Republican Maternity Hospital, Razmik Abrahamyan, and the director of Yerevan’s Children’s Home, Liana Karapetyan, said their clients denied the “unreasonable” and “groundless” accusations.
 
The Thomson Reuters Foundation was unable to contact representatives for the other three suspects, two of whom have not been named.
 
The health ministry said it could not comment on a probe involving a private hospital.
 
The Italian ambassador to Yerevan, Vincenzo Del Monaco, said Italy was ready to cooperate with investigating authorities.
 
Meanwhile a growing group of women wants answers.
 
A Facebook group ‘Armenian Mothers’ set up by Khachatryan has organized protests demanding a thorough investigation.
 
The 33-year-old said she grew suspicious about the death of her child after medics repeatedly refused to show her a body and later requests to get a DNA sample were turned down.
 
“I asked to give my baby a hug but I was told it was not allowed,” she said. “I’ll fight as much as I can (to have him back)”.
 
Khachatryan’s lawyer, Susanna Sargsyan, said she had been contacted by the relatives of more than 600 children whose parents had been told were born dead or with serious illnesses.
 
Manya Hovhannisyan, 36, wants to find out whether one of her children had been sold off – and voiced hope that a new era of openness in the ex-Soviet republic might even elicit answers.
 
“Previously sharing this kind of a story would be like sharing the story with the wall, you would hear your echo back,” the woman said by phone from Germany where she now lives.
 
Hovhannisyan said she was told that her first child, a girl, had died days after a premature birth in 2010 but now doubted this was the case, as she was never shown a body.
 
“The most important thing for me is to know that (my child) is alive and lives somewhere.”
 
 

The cc crisis can be solved and should be solved by constitutional changes. Minister

Yeghisabet Vorskanian
  • 30.01.2020

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  • Հայաստան

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  • arm

 44

Սահմանադրական դատարանի ճգնաժամը շուտ պետք է հանգուցալուծվի և այն կարող է լուծվել սահմանադրական փոփոխությունների միջոցով: Այս մասին այսօր՝ հունվարի 30-ին, լրագրողների հետ զրույցում ասել է ՀՀ արդարադատության նախարար Ռուստամ Բադասյանը՝ անդրադառնալով վարչապետ Նիկոլ Փաշինյանի հայտարարությանը, որ սահմանադրական ճգնաժամը շուտով կլուծվի։


«Ես էլ եմ կարծում, որ Սահմանադրական դատարանի ճգնաժամը շուտ պետք է հանգուցալուծվի։ Ինչ վերաբերում է վաղ կենսաթոշակի մասին օրենքին, մինչեւ փետրվարի 27-ը ժամանակ կա, եւ որեւէ մեկը չի կարող գնահատել՝ աշխատեց այն, թե ոչ։ Բայց դրանից մեծ տրագեդիա չի լինի, եթե որեւէ մեկը վաղ կենսաթոշակի չդիմի, որեւէ տրագեդիա չի լինի, եթե որեւէ մեկը դիմի։


Ես ասել եմ, որ դատական համակարգում առկա ընդհանուր ճգնաժամը եւ մասնավորապես ՍԴ ճգնաժամը կարող է լուծվել եւ պետք է լուծվի սահմանադրական փոփոխություններով, որովհետեւ հիմա ինչ լուծում էլ գտնենք, այդ լուծումը 100 տոկոսով չի կարող հիմք հանդիսանալ դատական համակարգի նկատմամբ հասարակության վստահությունը վերականգնելու համար։ Ես համալիր լուծումը տեսնում եմ սահմանադրական փոփոխությունների միջոցով»,- ասաց նախարարը։


Բադասյանը չբացառեց, որ ամբողջությամբ նոր Սահմանադրական դատարան կունենանք:


Ավելի վաղ ՀՀ վարչապետ Նիկոլ Փաշինյանը հայտարարել էր, որ Հրայր Թովասյանը չի կարող լինել Սահմանադրական դատարանի նախագահ, քանի որ ընտրվել այդ պաշտոնում «կեղծիքի միջոցով»:


Հայաստանի ներկայիս իշխանությունների համար Սահմանադրական դատարանի նախագահի գործունեությունը խնդրահարույց է նաև այն պատճառով, որ Թովմասյանը այդ պաշտնում է ընտրվել նոր սահմանադրության ուժի մեջ մտնելուց մի քանի շաբաթ առաջ՝ 2005 թվականի սահմանադրությամբ՝ թույլ տալով պաշտոնավարել մինչև 65 տարին լրանալը:


Մինչդեռ մյուս թափուր տեղի համար ընտրությունը կազմակերպեցին նոր Սահմանադրության ուժի մեջ մտնելուց հետո, երբ դատավորը կարող է պաշտոնավորել միայն 12 տարի, իսկ նախագահը՝ միայն 6։

Catholicos of All Armenians receives President of Supreme Judicial Council

Yeghisabet Vorskanian

 16:15,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 27, ARMENPRESS. His Holiness Garegin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, received today President of the Supreme Judicial Council Ruben Vardazaryan at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the SJC told Armenpress.

His Holiness Garegin II wished that God supports the SJC President and Council members in fulfilling the key mission to establish justice. The Supreme Patriarch said at all times the humanity has strived for fair and true justice, and in this context the Supreme Judicial Council has a key role to play.

In his turn Ruben Vardazaryan thanked for the reception and introduced His Holiness Garegin II on the ongoing actions and the goals set by the Council.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




Azerbaijani Press: Aggressive Rhetoric From Yerevan Drags Nagorno-Karabakh Stalemate Into 2020

Yeghisabet Vorskanian
Caspian News, Azerbaijan
Jan 27 2020

By Mushvig Mehdiyev

A photo from the "Caucasian Eagle 2019" military drills of the Azerbaijani, Turkish, and Georgian armed forces somewhere in Azerbaijan, September, 2019 / Mod.Gov.Az

The long-running conflict between two South Caucasus neighbors Armenia and Azerbaijan over the latter's Nagorno-Karabakh region has entered another decade, after talks in 2019 failed to bring the issue to a close.

Rhetoric from Armenian officials, such as defense minister David Tonoyan’s “new territories, new war” statement, caused major setbacks in bilateral discussions that marked the past year. Hikmet Hajiyev, the head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of Azerbaijan's Presidential Administration, said as long as Armenia pursues a destructive policy on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, negotiations cannot produce a resolution.

“As it was said by my president, unfortunately, last year was a lost year with regard to the resolution of the conflict. We can’t see any particular movement with regard to the resolution of the conflict,” Hajiyev said in an interview with Euractiv, referring to President Ilham Aliyev’s remarks to reporters in December.

“Armenian side has at a very high level said ‘new territories, new wars’, ‘no inch of territory back’ and finally, Armenian Prime Minister in occupied Khankendi city of Azerbaijan said that ‘Nagorno-Karabakh is Armenia'," Hajiyev said, quoting various remarks Armenian officials have made over the past year that indicated Armenia has no intention of withdrawing from the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region, an internationally recognized part of Azerbaijan.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict broke out in the wake of the Soviet Union’s collapse in the early 1990s, when Armenia's armed forces invaded Azerbaijan and occupied the region, where ethnic Armenians had been living side by side with indigenous Azerbaijanis. A brutal war ensued, which lasted until a ceasefire in 1994.

Over the course of that war, Armenia occupied roughly 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. More than 30,000 ethnic Azerbaijanis were killed in the war, and around one million more people were internally displaced.

According to President Aliyev, in 2019, Armenia's leaders took non-constructive positions on the issue, coupled with a lack of international pressure, all of which affected negotiations. 

Contradictory statements by Armenian officials made last year, including those by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Defense Minister David Tonoyan, were all but a commitment to political dialogue. Pashinyan fomented tensions with Baku by offering self-styled separatists in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region to be part of the negotiations and then called the region territory of Armenia. For his part, Defense Minister Tonoyan said at a meeting with the Armenian community in New York in March that the “territories in exchange for peace” formula should be replaced with “new war – new territories” paradigm.

“Throughout the year, Armenia's position has been toughened considerably. Several military provocations have been committed against Azerbaijan,” a former foreign minister of Azerbaijan, Tofig Zulfugarov, said according to Azinforum. “Among them was the death of a major and the death of a number of our soldiers by enemy snipers, which showed that the Armenian authorities aggravate the situation in both political and military terms. Their purpose is to exacerbate the situation and to provoke the Azerbaijani side to take action.”

“Everybody knows that unless the occupied lands are liberated, and hundreds of thousands of displaced people return to their homes, the tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan will continue and I would say that it will gradually increase.”

Zulfugarov said that an increase in tensions, as well as a resumption of military operations, over the next year is not entirely implausible.

“If you look at the Armenian propaganda, you will see that this propaganda especially focuses on military rhetoric, real and fictitious weapons. They are trying to create an image that as if they have grown militarily. They want to show that they are preparing for war, not for the negotiation process. They do not accept other options. They also understand that Azerbaijan will never agree with such a situation.”

Armenian Genocide Resolution Gains 20 New Co-Sponsors as Armenian Assembly Continues Advocacy

Yeghisabet Vorskanian

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:

Telephone: (202) 393-3434

Web: www.aaainc.org

 

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
RESOLUTION GAINS 20 NEW CO-SPONSORS AS ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY CONTINUES
ADVOCACY

 

H.Res.296 Scheduled for
Today, October 29th

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, twenty additional Members of
Congress co-sponsored the Armenian Genocide resolution, H.Res.296, a day before
the vote on the House floor, as the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly)
continues its advocacy efforts on this historic vote.

 

The new co-sponsors include
Representatives Sanford Bishop, Jr. (D-GA), Anthony Brown (D-MD), Jim Cooper
(D-TN), Charlie Crist (D-FL), Warren Davidson (R-OH), Madeleine Dean (D-PA),
Lois Frankel (D-FL), Eleanor Holmes (D-DC), Will Hurd (R-TX), Dan Kildee
(D-MI), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Cedric Richmond (D-LA),
Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-MP), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Eric Swalwell
(D-CA), Van Taylor (R-TX), Mike Thompson (D-CA), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), and
Maxine Waters (D-CA).

 

Last night, the U.S. House of
Representatives Rules Committee adopted a rule for consideration of the
Armenian Genocide Resolution, setting the stage for a vote on the House floor
today.

 

“We applaud the action taken by the
Rules Committee led by Chairman James McGovern, the remarks by Committee Member
Donna Shalala and the powerful testimony by House Foreign Affairs Chairman
Eliot Engel along with Representatives Chris Smith and Anna Eshoo,” stated
Armenian Assembly of America Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. “Today’s
adoption of the rule for H.Res. 296 sets the stage for a historic vote on the
House floor. As Chairman McGovern highlighted, if dark chapters in our history
are not acknowledged they’re doomed to be repeated. We urge all Members to
support this bipartisan, human rights legislation and ensure that the days of
genocide denial are over, and that America’s proud chapter in helping the
survivors of the first genocide of the twentieth century is honored and
preserved,” Ardouny continued.

 

Established in 1972, the Armenian
Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization
promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly
is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

 

 

###

NR# 2019-069

Available
online:

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 10/21/2019

Yeghisabet Vorskanian 
                                        Monday, 

Yazidi Activist Wins Prize Created In Memory Of Armenian Genocide


Armenia -- Yazidi activist Mirza Dinnayi receives the 2019 Aurora Prize for 
Awakening Humanity at a ceremony in Yerevan, October 19, 2019.

A Yazidi activist who has helped civilian victims of atrocities committed by 
the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria has received an annual 
humanitarian award created in memory of the 1915 Armenian genocide in Ottoman 
Turkey.

Mirza Dinnayi was named the winner of the 2019 Aurora Prize for Awakening 
Humanity at a weekend ceremony in Yerevan attended by members of the Aurora 
Prize Selection Committee, including former Presidents Ernesto Zedillo of 
Mexico and Mary Robinson of Ireland.

Dinnayi, who lives in Germany, was awarded the $1 million prize for helping 
more than 1,500 Yazidi women and children seek medical treatment in Europe. He 
decided to donate the money to his organization, Air Bridge Iraq, and two other 
aid groups helping victims of the ISIS.

The prize runner-ups were Zannah Mustapha, a lawyer who set up a school for 
children affected by violence in northeastern Nigeria, and Yemeni lawyer Huda 
Al-Sarari, who investigated human rights abuses in the war-torn country. They 
received a $50,000 grant each.

The annual award was established in 2015 by three prominent Diaspora Armenians: 
philanthropists Ruben Vardanyan and Noubar Afeyan, and Vartan Gregorian, the 
president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York. It is designed to honor 
individuals around the world who risk their lives to help others.


Armenia -- The co-founders of Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, Vartan 
Gregorian (L), Ruben Vardanyan (second from left) and Noubar Afeyan (R), pose 
for a photograph with its latest winner, Mirza Dinnayi, Yerevan, October 19, 
2019.

The international prize is named after Aurora Mardiganian, an Armenian genocide 
survivor who witnessed the massacre of relatives and told her story in a book 
and film.

“The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative empowers those who risk everything for the 
sake of others and show extraordinary courage and conviction in situations of 
adversity, and Mirza Dinnayi is a perfect example of that,” Gregorian said at 
the award ceremony. “He embodies the power of compassion, of personal 
commitment, of a burning desire to save lives.”

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian also spoke at the solemn event. “Mr. 
Dinnayi, what you have been doing for the friendly Yazidi people in Iraq 
reminds us of the activities a century ago, during the Armenian genocide, of 
Western missionaries and other individuals that had helped to save thousands of 
Armenian lives,” Pashinian said. “I also want to thank you on behalf of the 
Yazidi community of Armenia.”

In January 2018, Armenia’s parliament unanimously passed a resolution 
recognizing as genocide the 2014 mass killings of Yazidis in Iraq perpetrated 
by the ISIS. The National Assembly also called on the international community 
to track down and prosecute those directly responsible for the killings.

About 7,000 Yazidi women and children were seized by the ISIS when it overran 
Iraq's northwestern town of Sinjar in August 2014. Almost 3,000 of them remain 
unaccounted for. The town was regained from the jihadist group in late 2015 and 
dozens of mass graves of Yazidis have since been found there.


Iraq -- Ayman, a boy from a minority Yazidi community, who was sold by Islamic 
State militants to a Muslim couple in Mosul, hugs his grandmother after he was 
returned to his Yazidi family, in Duhok, Iraq, January 31, 2017

The U.S. government officially declared in March 2016 that the ISIS is 
“responsible for genocide” against Yazidis as well as Christians and other 
religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria. A subsequent report released 
by United Nations investigators similarly concluded that the Islamist 
militants’ actions against Yazidis meet a 1948 UN convention’s definition of 
genocide.

“The recognition of genocide is the first step in order to satisfy the 
victims,” Dinnayi told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. He said Yazidi families 
will not feel safe returning to their homes in Iraq until ISIS militants 
involved in the atrocities face justice.

The 46-year-old doctor also expressed concern about the Turkish offensive 
against Kurdish forces in northern Syria. He said it could further hamper 
efforts to see justice done by providing militants jailed there with a “big 
opportunity” to escape.



Pashinian Denies Persecuting Constitutional Court Head

        • Artak Khulian
        • Gayane Saribekian

Armenia -- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, October 9, 2019.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian denied through a spokesman on Monday opposition 
claims that he ordered criminal proceedings against the chairman of Armenia’s 
Constitutional Court, Hrayr Tovmasian, in a bid to force the latter to resign.

Pashinian’s spokesman, Vladimir Karapetian, at the same time effectively 
accused Tovmasian of complicity in “crimes” committed by members of the former 
ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK).

Two law-enforcement agencies announced separate criminal investigations into 
Tovmasian on October 17 two days after seven of the eight other Constitutional 
Court rejected the Armenian parliament’s calls for his dismissal.

The Special Investigative Service (SIS) said it is investigating a possible 
“usurpation of power” by Tovmasian and former senior officials that helped him 
become head of the country’s highest court in 2018. For its part, the National 
Security Service (NSS) interrogated his father and two daughters.

HHK representatives as well as other critics of Pashinian denounced the 
criminal proceedings as acts of political prosecution. They were particularly 
critical of the NSS’s actions, saying that the authorities are now targeting 
Tovmasian’s relatives as part of their efforts to oust the court chairman.

Karapetian brushed aside those claims. “If the NSS has some questions regarding 
corruption issues then I see nothing wrong with that,” he told RFE/RL’s 
Armenian service. “That body can address questions to any person. The 
proceedings are carried out at this level at this point, and any talk of 
[government] pressure is just meaningless.”

“They know very well who Hrayr Tovmasian is,” Karapetian said of the HHK 
critics. “He shares their ideology, he is well aware of the spate of crimes 
which … had been committed by many representatives of that party. This explains 
their support for their, so to speak, last of the Mohicans.”

The official also made clear that Pashinian stands by his recent claims that 
Tovmasian, who used to be affiliated with the HHK, was installed as 
Constitutional Court chairman as a result of legally questionable political 
deals cut with Armenia’s former political leadership.

Tovmasian, who also served as justice minister from 2010-2013, dismissed those 
claims. He said on October 2 that the authorities want to force him out in 
order to gain control over Armenia’s highest court.

Under Armenian law, Tovmasian cannot be prosecuted without the consent of at 
least five other members of the Constitutional Court. In a joint statement 
issued on Friday, seven court justices said they are “monitoring developments 
relating to Hrayr Tovmasian and members of his family and will react if need 
be.”

The head of the SIS, Sasun Khachatrian, stressed on Monday that Tovmasian has 
not been charged or regarded by his investigators as a suspect as yet. But he 
did not rule out the possibility of such charges.

“Do you want me to make presumptions?” Khachatrian told reporters. “I repeat 
that … a criminal case been opened in connection with the existence of signs of 
an apparent crime.”

SIS officers raided the Constitutional Court and HHK headquarters in Yerevan to 
confiscate some documents on Thursday.

On Friday, the NSS sought to justify it decision to summon Tovmasian’s father 
and two daughters for questioning.

In a statement, the former Armenian branch of the Soviet KGB said it is 
investigating a possible misuse of some 855 million drams ($1.8 million) in 
funding allocated by the Justice Ministry in 2012 for capital repairs of three 
buildings. It said also suspected that Tovmasian’s relatives had not submitted 
accurate asset declarations to a state body.

Lawyers for Tovmasian’s family said NSS officers asked his daughters on Friday 
questions about a car and a garage which they received as a gift from a cousin 
who emigrated to the United States in 2016. According to them, Tovmasian’s 
75-year-old father was summoned to the NSS headquarters to explain who repaired 
the roof of his house in a village near Yerevan.



Indicted Tycoon Delays Return To Armenia

        • Naira Bulghadarian

Armenia - Businessman Samvel Mayrapetian at the official opening of his Toyota 
car dealership in Yerevan, 23 June 2009.

Citing health reasons, a wealthy businessman prosecuted on corruption charges 
has postponed his return to Armenia from Germany where he was allowed to 
receive medical treatment early this year.

The businessman, Samvel Mayrapetian, was arrested in October last year on 
charges of “assisting” in large-scale bribery alleged by a fellow entrepreneur, 
Silva Hambardzumian.

Hambardzumian claimed to have transferred millions of dollars in cash to former 
Presidents Robert Kocharian and Serzh Sarkisian and another former official 
through Mayrapetian in 2008. The latter denied the allegation before being 
freed on bail in late December.

In January, the Special Investigative Service (SIS) reluctantly allowed 
Mayrapetian to undergo treatment in a German clinic. Doctors in Yerevan said 
the tycoon, who suffered from a serious form of pancreatitis, needs the kind of 
surgery which is not performed in Armenian hospitals.

Mayrapetian promised to return to the country after recuperating from the 
life-threatening disease. The SIS said recently that it expects him to fly back 
to Yerevan by October 15.

According to the SIS, Mayrapetian’s lawyers have told investigators that he was 
on his way back to Armenia when his condition deteriorated sharply at a German 
airport. They said that he was therefore taken back to hospital.

An SIS spokesperson told RFE/RL’s Armenian service that the law-enforcement 
body is now trying to check the veracity of the lawyers’ claims.

Mayrapetian, 60, is one of Armenia’s leading real estate developers who also 
owns a national TV channel and a car dealership. Some media outlets for years 
linked Kocharian’s elder son Sedrak to the Toyota dealership.

Kocharian is currently held in pretrial detention, having been charged in July 
2018 in connection with the deadly breakup of post-election opposition protests 
in March 2008. He was also charged with bribe-taking in February this year. The 
ex-president denies the accusations as politically motivated.

The bribery case against Kocharian is based on Hambardzumian’s testimony. In a 
February interview with RFE/RL’s Armenian service, the businesswoman insisted 
that she had asked Mayrapetian to “take the money to the three persons” so that 
they “don’t interfere with my business.”

“I myself gave the money. They didn’t demand it from me," she stressed, adding 
that she did not meet with Kocharian or Sarkisian and does not know whether the 
alleged bribe reached them.

Unlike Kocharian, Sarkisian is not facing any criminal charges.



Deputy PM Criticizes Departing Official

        • Nane Sahakian

Armenia -- Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinian speaks in the National Assembly 
October 2, 2019

Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinian criticized on Monday the head of Armenia’s 
Cadaster Committee who has resigned in protest against government policies on 
urban development.

Sarhat Petrosian, who was appointed to run the government agency following last 
year’s “Velvet Revolution,” tendered his resignation on Friday. In a statement, 
he said he “can no longer tolerate dilettantism and sectarianism bordering on 
corruption.”

Petrosian, whose agency regulates and registers property deals in Armenia, hit 
out at the current and former heads of the government’s Urban Development 
Committee. The latter now works as an adviser to Avinian.

Avinian rejected the criticism, saying that Petrosian wanted to overstep his 
powers. “The post of head of the Cadaster Committee did not allow him to 
operate in the area of urban development,” he told reporters. “I presume that 
Mr. Petrosian is a bit disappointed with this fact.”

Avinian dismissed Petrosian’s claim that government regulation of urban 
development in the country has “regressed” despite a buoyant real estate 
market. “I think that Mr. Petrosian, who has not been the head of the Urban 
Development Committee, hardly has in-depth knowledge of problems existing in 
the area of urban development,” he said.

The head of the committee, Vahagn Vermishian, could not be reached for comment.

In his resignation statement, Petrosian did not give examples of mismanagement 
and incompetence alleged by him. He said he will talk about concrete cases 
later on.

The 37-year-old official held a farewell meeting with his staff on Monday. In a 
Facebook post later in the day, he thanked well-wishers for their support. He 
also reiterated that unnamed “opportunists” must not be allowed to discredit 
the 2018 revolution or use its achievements “for personal welfare.”

Petrosian actively participated in the revolution that brought Nikol Pashinian 
to power. The Armenian prime minister has not yet commented on his resignation.



Another Former Armenian Official Arrested


Armenia- Arsen Babayan, the deputy chief of the parliament staff, April 6, 2018.

An Armenian law-enforcement agency made the first arrest on Monday in its 
ongoing investigation into a possible “usurpation of power” by Constitutional 
Court Chairman Hrayr Tovmasian.

The Special Investigative Service (SIS) said Arsen Babayan, the former deputy 
chief of the Armenian parliament staff, is suspected of forging documents 
during the “process” of the resignation in early 2018 of Tovmasian’s 
predecessor, Gagik Harutiunian.

An SIS statement on Babayan’s arrest gave no details of his alleged crime 
punishable by up to two years in prison. It indicated that he has not been 
formally charged yet.

The SIS said that it found evidence of forgery committed by multiple 
“officials” during the criminal investigation into Tovmasian’s election as 
Constitutional Court chairman by the former Armenian parliament. Such a probe 
was demanded by an Armenian parliamentarian who alleged recently that the 
process of replacing Harutiunian was illegal.

The probe was launched on October 17 two days after the Constitutional Court 
rejected the current parliament’s demands to oust Tovmasian. The former ruling 
Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), with which Tovmasian was previously 
affiliated, says it is part of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s continuing 
efforts to force the high court chairman to resign.

The HHK’s deputy chairman, Armen Ashotian, said Babayan’s “ludicrous” and 
“immoral” arrest is meant to serve the same purpose.

“This will not help you either,” Ashotian warned the authorities on Facebook. 
“Hrayr [Tovmasian] will stay on in his trench no matter how much you and your 
propaganda machine whimper.”

Babayan condemned the criminal proceedings against Tovmasian prior to his 
arrest. He has also been very critical of the Pashinian government.


Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2019 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org

Azerbaijani hacking group behind attacks on PM’s official website

Yeghisabet Vorskanian
Panorama, Armenia
Oct 18 2019
Society 20:02 18/10/2019 Armenia

“The official webpage of Armenian Prime Minister has been restored and is fully operational,” expert in information security Samvel Martirosyan told Panorama.am. As reported earlier hackers launched attacks on the website and posted the video speech by Azerbaijani president on its front page.

As Martirosyan informed the attack was launched by an “Anti-Armenia” hacking group from Azerbaijan. It took less than an hour to remove the content and restore the page, Martirosyan added. 

’s-official-website/2183692