Author: Zhanna Nahapetian

Deputy Chairman of the Armenian National Assembly Edward Sharmazanov had a meeting with Vice-President of Uruguay, President of the Senate Raul Sendic.

The parties attached importance to the further expansion and development of bilateral cooperation and stressed that “Armenia and Uruguay are friendly countries despite difference.”

Edwarrd Sharmazanov said that “by becoming the first country to recognize the Armenian Genocide in 1965, Uruguay broke the darkness of Turkish denial.”

“We have to join efforts to fight Turkey’s policy of denial. Turkey should finally face its own history,” he said.

Raul Sendic, in turn, attached importance to the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide by the international community.

The Karabakh issue was also on the agenda of the meeting. In this context Sharmazanov noted that “Azerbaijan should respect the principle of full realization of Artsakh people’s right to self-determination. Azerbaijan is the only party creating obstacles in the process,” he added.

Raul Sendic noted that “Uruguay backs the peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict and stands against any attempt to solve the issue in a military way.”

The Presnensky District Court of Moscow has detained Aram Petrosyan charged with taking hostages in a branch of Citibank in Moscow, until October 24, reports.

Petrosyan’s defense asked the court to put him under house arrest, noting that the accused had admitted his guilt and was ready to cooperate with investigators.

According to investigators, on the evening of August 24 Petrosyan entered a branch of Citibank at Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street in central Moscow, where he took four people hostage. He threatened to trigger explosion of an object resembling a bomb. After several hours he released all hostages and surrendered. Bomb that he threatened to explode turned out to be a hoax.

The Investigative Committee stated that Petrosyan wanted to bring attention to his problem and did not want to kill anyone. Later he admitted his guilt in full and provided testimony against himself.

Before capture of hostages, a video has been released on the Internet, featuring a man resembling the one who took hostages. Video message was published under the name of Aram Petrosyan. In particular, he said that on August 24 he is going to commit “a violation of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation”. He said that he intends to commit a crime because of bankruptcy, which, according to him, turned into epidemic in Russia.

He demanded Russian authorities to create a body that would deal with the issue of bankruptcy.

Photo: AP

 

The bodies of 22 people have been found on a migrant dinghy in the Mediterranean, the aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has said, the BBC reports.

The 21 women and one man were found “in a pool of fuel and water” at the bottom of the boat, off the coast of Libya.

They had been on the dinghy “for hours”, the aid group said.

More than 200 survivors who were on the dinghy have been transferred to a boat operated by MSF. There were 50 children among them.

Photo: Reuters 

 

Israel and Turkey have normalised relations, ending a six-year rift over the killing by Israeli troops of 10 Turkish activists on a Gaza-bound ship, the BBC reports.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was an important step that would boost his country’s economy.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed hope it would help improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

The deal will allow Turkey to deliver aid to the Palestinian territory and carry out infrastructure projects.

Israel will also pay $20m into a compensation fund for the dead activists’ families.

The agreement, which will be signed on Tuesday, was formally announced by Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and Mr Netanyahu in separate speeches in Ankara and Rome on Monday.

Israel and Turkey were close allies before Israeli commandos intercepted the Turkish-owned ship Mavi Marmara, which was part of a flotilla attempting to breach Israel’s blockade of Gaza, on 31 May 2010.

Russian athletes remain banned from international competition including the 2016 Olympics in Rio, the BBC reports.

Athletics chiefs have decided not to lift the suspension, which was imposed in November following accusations of state-sponsored doping.

But individual athletes can compete as neutrals if they prove they are clean.

Meanwhile, Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva said she would challenge the IAAF’s decision in court, claiming it was “a human rights violation.”

In a statement, Russia’s Ministry of Sport said it was “extremely disappointed” by the decision.

It continued: “Clean athletes’ dreams are being destroyed because of the reprehensible behaviour of other athletes and officials. They have sacrificed years of their lives striving to compete at the Olympics and now that sacrifice looks likely to be wasted.

“We have done everything possible since the ban was first imposed to regain the trust of the international community. We have rebuilt our anti-doping institutions which are being led by respected international experts.

“Our athletes are being tested by the UK’s anti-doping agency (UKAD) and every one of them is undergoing a minimum of three tests in addition to the usual requirements. We have nothing to hide and feel we had met the IAAF’s conditions for re-entry.”

Investigation has been launched against a Turkish judge for posting photos with Armenian writer on Facebok and Twitter, reports, quoting the Turkish Hurriyet daily.

The Turkish Council of Judges and Prosecutors opened investigation against Cemal Sain, a member of the Istanbul Court of Appeals after the judge posted a photo of himself, his two daughters and Armenian writer Migirdic Margosyan on social media. He’s also condemned for criticism of the Turkish state and its law-enforcement system.

The judge has refused from giving testimony, saying he has not violated any law with the publications, especially considering that no charge has been filed.

“Where there is no charge, there is no defense,” Sahin said.

By Harut Sassounian
The California Courier

Despite ‘Sultan’ Erdogan’s insults and threats, the German Parliament went boldly forward last week and recognized the Armenian Genocide. In retaliation, Turkey immediately withdrew its ambassador from Berlin.

The historic Bundestag resolution, adopted with a near unanimous decision (1 vote against and 1 abstention), is titled: “In remembrance and commemoration of the genocide of Armenians and other Christian minorities in the Ottoman Empire 101 years ago.” According to ARD television, 74% of the German population agrees that genocide was committed against Armenians. Another revealing survey cited by “Der Spiegel” magazine found that 91% of the German public does not trust Erdogan!

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, fed up with Erdogan’s repeated blackmails, decided to put Turkey’s megalomaniac dictator in his place, while Pres. Obama has to muster the courage to do so! The German leadership had to fend off not only the Turkish regime’s attacks but also sharp criticism from many of the three million Turks living in Germany.

After the Parliament’s decision, Erdogan arrogantly declared: “We have nothing in our past to be ashamed of, but those countries that often accuse Turkey of ‘Armenian genocide’ have the blood of millions of innocent victims.” Turkey’s minister of justice Bekir Bozdag was just as brazen, as he told Germans: “First you burn the Jews in ovens, and then you come and accuse the Turkish people of genocide.” Erdogan and Bozdag must be reminded that Germany, unlike Turkey, long ago admitted the Nazi-era crimes, apologized for the Holocaust, and paid billions of dollars in compensation.

It remains to be seen if ‘big mouth’ Turkish leaders would dare to take punitive actions against Germany, besides the routine withdrawal of their ambassador, as they do each time another government acknowledges the Armenian Genocide. Should Erdogan decide to go beyond making empty threats, such steps would backfire on Turkey as Germany is its largest trading partner. Turkey’s economy is already in serious trouble after Russia banned the import of Turkish goods and discouraged its citizens from going to Turkey as tourists because of the downing of a Russian jet by the Turkish military near the Syrian border last year.

Turkish leaders have already damaged their country’s interests by making provocative and scandalous announcements which have helped to publicize worldwide the German Bundestag’s action on the Armenian Genocide. Thousands of newspapers, websites, TV and radio stations covered the German decision and the Turkish outbursts. It is noteworthy that the international media paid particular attention to the German Parliamentarians’ admission that their country, a military ally of Turkey during World War I, was complicit in the Armenian Genocide.

The New York Times and The Times of London, two of the most prestigious newspapers in the world, published powerful editorials on June 3 reaffirming the facts of the Armenian Genocide, supporting the German’s Parliament’s decision, and urging Turkey to confront its dark past.

In an editorial titled, “Yes, It’s Genocide,” The New York Times wrote: “… It was a genocide, the first of the 20th century…. The Armenians are fully justified in their quest for a historical reckoning…. President Obama, who as a candidate in 2008 pledged to recognize the events of 1915 as a genocide, has failed to do so…. The Germans, who have admirably confronted the terrible genocide in their own history, did the right thing in defying Mr. Erdogan’s threats.”

The London Times’ editorial, “Genocide Denial: The mass slaughter of Armenians needs to be acknowledged by Turkey,” was just as impactful: “The German resolution is right not only in its message but also in diplomacy. Turkish pique is regularly directed at allies who recognize the Armenian genocide. That response is worse than undignified and ahistorical: it is a denial of suffering on an unspeakable scale that poisons the politics of Europe to this day, and it needs to be challenged. The slaughter of Armenians was not, as Turkish apologists maintain, one of the unplanned but inescapable tragedies that happen in wartime. It was a specific campaign of deportation and mass killing by the Ottoman regime.… Modern Germany and its statesmen have expressed repeatedly their nation’s remorse for genocidal barbarism in the last century. It is long past time for Turkey to do the same.”

Having recognized the Armenian Genocide and acknowledged its own share of responsibility and complicity, Germany now has to make appropriate amends to Armenians, thus setting a venerable example for Turkey, not only in recognition, but also in restitution!

Photos by Public Radio of Armenia
Photos by Public Radio of Armenia

Jamala from Ukraine became the winner of Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with 534 points.

In the second place was the favourite of the juries Australia with 511 points, and Russia came third with 491 points. Armenia came 7th with 249 points.

The final outcome was decided by a 50:50 split between professional juries and televoting from all 42 participants. The jury votes were decided during the Jury Final last night and the televotes decided during tonight’s show.

The 26 finalists were made up of 20 qualifiers from the first and second Semi-Finals held on the 10th and 12th of May and six automatic qualifiers including the Big 5 countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom), and host country Sweden.

 

On this day we celebrate the World Press Freedom Day. On the 25th anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration the EU wishes to recall the principle that “the establishment, maintenance and fostering of an independent, pluralistic and free press is essential to the development and maintenance of democracy in a nation, and for economic development”.

The right to freedom of opinion and expression includes freedom to seek, receive and impart information. It is a key component of democratic governance and development. People need to be fully informed to be able to form an opinion and participate in decision-making processes that affect their lives. Freedom of information also contributes to better governance as it enhances transparency in public affairs and can be used as a tool to make governments accountable for their actions, in particular when access to information results in the exposure of human rights violations or corruption practices.

Ensuring access to information can serve to promote justice and reparation, in particular after periods of grave violations of human rights.

The EU is committed to continue promoting and protecting freedom of opinion and expression worldwide, not only offline but also in relation to the cyberspace and other information communication technologies, as highlighted by the adoption in 2014 of the EU Human Rights Guidelines on Freedom of Expression Online and Offline.

It condemns the increasing level of intimidation and violence that journalists, Human Rights Defenders, media actors and other individuals face in many countries across the world when exercising the right to freedom of opinion and expression online and offline.

In addition to combating outright violence the EU is determined to fight against laws or practices that impose censorship, encourage self-censorship or provide legal penalties, including criminal, financial and administrative sanctions, as well as against the misuse of market powers and poor economic conditions.

The EU reaffirms its determination to promote and support, freedoms of opinion and expression as rights to be exercised by everyone everywhere, based on the principles of equality, non-discrimination and universality – through any media and regardless of frontiers.

This is your Right!