Category: 2020

Armenians Haven’t Had a Competent Leader Since Catholicos Khrimian Hyrig

Lara Antonian

December 22,  2020



Harut Sassounian

BY HARUT SASSOUNIAN

Khrimian Hyrig is a highly revered clergyman. But, he is also a great leader who has given wonderful political advice to the Armenian nation.

His Holiness was born in Van, Western Armenia, in 1820 and became the Patriarch of Constantinople in 1869. Due to his nationalistic views, he was forced to resign by the Ottoman government in 1873. He was then installed as Catholicos of All Armenians in Etchmiadzin in 1893 and died in 1907.

Khrimian Hyrig is well-known for his participation in the Berlin Congress in 1878, hoping to receive from the great powers a decision to force the Ottoman Empire to establish substantial reforms in the Armenian provinces. He did not accomplish his objective because Armenians were powerless. He likened the failed Armenian efforts in the Berlin Congress to his attempt to eat from a bowl with a “paper ladle,” while other nations had an “iron ladle.”

The highly nationalistic Khrimian Hyrig exhorted his fellow Armenians to arm themselves: “People of Armenia, of course you understand well what the gun could have done and can do. And so, dear and blessed Armenians, when you return to the Fatherland, to your relatives and friends, take weapons, take weapons and again weapons. People, above all, place the hope of your liberation on yourself. Use your brain and your fist! Man must work for himself in order to be saved.”

Khrimian Hyrig’s wise words are just as valid today, particularly after the latest disastrous defeat Armenians suffered at the hands of better armed Azerbaijan and Turkey.
A recently surfaced letter by Khrimian Hyrig, written over a century ago, is as applicable today as it was back then. It is headlined: “If You Have an Independent State in the Future, Do Everything You Can to Never, Ever Lose Your Independence.”

Khrimian Hayrig

Here is Khrimian Hyrig’s meaningful counsel which I have translated into English:

In the future, I hope you already have an independent state and you have realized our centuries-old dream. If so, you are now living in someone’s dream come true; in the dream of millions. I hope you realize the power of luck that has befallen you.

I would like to know what that dream is like in reality, but since I cannot see it with my own eyes, let me express my remarks with this letter. If you read these lines, I will become a part of your present and my future.

When I went to the Berlin Congress to raise the rights of our people around the world, only then did I realize that we must first have the right to have a right. That right is acquired with weapons.

You’ve probably heard of the “iron ladle”. The civilized nations of Europe, which seemed to us to be law-abiding and fair, gave us nothing but pity. Russia, which seemed to be a great friend of our people, other than sympathy, sees and hears nothing but its own interests.

The Armenian people seemed to be like a hungry child outdoors in the frosty winter, before whom everyone closed the doors of their homes. The Armenian people were without a care-taker, but the most important thing I understood was that we should not look for care-takers from abroad. There, in the future, I am sure, you will not look for foreign care-takers and you will not pin your hopes on Europeans, Russians or other states.

If you have an independent state, your only care-taker must be your own government. I hope the government will not leave you abandoned, but if it abandons you, what is the point of your independence?

The greatest misfortune of the people is that its own leaders treat them in the same way as the foreigners. We lived under the yoke of foreigners for centuries. They treated us cruelly and unfairly. We sought justice and did not find it. If you have an independent state, I hope there is justice there.

The Turks treated Armenians very unfairly. Can an Armenian treat another Armenian the same way? Here, in the past, one of the greatest tragedies of our people is its ignorance. How can an uneducated people find their place in this cunning world? The Turkish authorities will not allow this, as they see their danger in the education of our people. The greater the education of the people, the more restrained the government will be.

I devoted my whole life to spreading enlightenment in the Armenian provinces, but alone I could not do much. If you have a state, educate our people, spread enlightenment in the provinces. The uneducated people choose uneducated masters who oppress them and one day the uneducated people are obliged to choose foreign masters.

At a time when ordinary people are living in the provinces under the heavy burden of the situation, wealthy Armenians in Istanbul are living in sheer luxury. They are indifferent to the situation of the people, as if they were foreigners. The Turkish authorities even ally with them to keep the people obedient. I hope that the rich in your country are not so arrogant and are not allied with the bad government against the people.

In 1876, when the Ottoman Constitution was adopted, the hope for salvation awoke in us. We thought that the five-hundred-year-old, infertile and old mother Turkey brought forth to the old world a new, young constitution, but our hopes were dashed and time showed that they were beautiful letters written on paper, while the people continued to suffer. There, in the future, perhaps you also have a beautiful constitution and laws. I want your laws not to remain on paper like the Ottoman constitution.

And finally, I want to give you a message. Have ambassadors who properly voice the demands of the people to the world, and the clergy will not engage in diplomacy, leaving aside their flock. Have leaders who love the people, because the Armenian people have suffered a lot from the hatred of foreign leaders. And never seek foreign care-takers. And if you have in the future an independent state, do everything you can to never, ever lose your independence again.

 

These wise words are an excellent advice to every leader of Armenia and to the Armenian people worldwide. They are as appropriate today as they were back then when Armenia was not an independent country. Not a single person should aspire to lead Armenia without heeding Khrimian Hyrig’s prudent counsel. Armenia has numerous problems. But the two most important problems are:

  1. Armenia needs to develop a powerful military to fend for itself without relying on other countries. A weak nation is always subject to the dictates of more powerful ones, as we witnessed in the recent Artsakh War. If you are weak, you have no rights and no one cares to come to your rescue. Unless Armenia becomes more powerful militarily and economically, it will always be subjugated, particularly since we are surrounded by vicious enemies who constantly plot our destruction.
  2. The next important requirement for our nation is to have a competent leader, something we rarely had throughout our long history, and we do not have it today!





Asbarez: ARF Bureau Chairman Meets with Lebanon President

Karapet Navasardian

December 22,  2020



General Miche Aoun, Lebanon’s President far left, with ARF Bureau Chairman Hagop Der Khachadourian (center) and ARF Lebanon Central Committee chairman Hagop Pakradouni

Lebanon’s President General Michel Aoun on Monday met with Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau Chairman Hagop Der Khachadourian and the ARF Lebanon Central Committee Chairman Hagop Pakradouni.

The meeting with the Lebanese leader was part of Der Khachadourian’s visit to Beirut, where he has met with community leaders, His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, as well as families of the victims of the August blast at the port of Beirut.

From l to r: Hagop Der Khachadourian, General Michel Aoun, Hagop Pakradouni

Der Khachadourian briefed Aoun about the ARF’s efforts and activities in international circles in support of Lebanon, especially the country’s current sensitive situation.

The ARF leaders and Aoun also discussed the current situation of Artsakh.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 12/22/2020

Ophelia Vardapetian 
                                        Tuesday, 


Armenian Mayor Freed But Indicted

        • Naira Bulghadarian

Armenia -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian (L), Goris Mayor Arush 
Arushanian (C) and other officials walk through the center of the town, 
September 12, 2020.

A court in Yerevan ordered a law-enforcement agency on Tuesday to release the 
mayor of the Armenian town of Goris who was arrested after calling for civil 
disobedience against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.
Nevertheless, the Investigative Committee leveled a string of criminal charges 
against the 29-year-old mayor, Arush Arushanian. It also asked the court to 
remand him in pre-trial custody.

Arushanian was among the heads of more than a dozen communities in Armenia’s 
southeastern Syunik province who issued earlier this month statements condemning 
Pashinian’s handling of the war with Azerbaijan and demanding his resignation. 
They accused him of putting Syunik’s security at grave risk with Armenian troop 
withdrawals completed over the weekend.

Arushanian urged Goris residents late on Sunday to block a regional highway and 
not allow Pashinian to visit Syunik. He was arrested several hours later.

It emerged afterwards that Arushanian is suspected of organizing an illegal 
gathering. The Investigative Committee said he is also a suspect in several 
criminal investigations conducted by it.

Arushanian’s lawyer and supporters said that the arrest is politically 
motivated. The lawyer, Armen Melkonian, challenged it in court.

The Yerevan court found the Arushanian’s arrest unjustified and ordered his 
release.

“This is a political persecution,” Arushanian told reporters after being set 
free.

The mayor defended the road blockade that forced Pashinian to cut short a visit 
to Syunik on Monday. “That man has no right to enter Syunik because he has 
handed over territory defended by the people of Syunik and vital for their 
security to the enemy,” he said.

Shortly after the court order, the Investigative Committee said that Arushanian 
has been formally charged with organizing the unsanctioned protest, abusing his 
powers, engaging in illegal business activity and violent assault, and violating 
environmental protection norms. It did not say whether the investigators will 
ask the court to remand the mayor in pre-trial custody.

Melkonian described the accusations as “laughable” while saying he is not yet 
familiar with their details.



Armenian Opposition Resumes Anti-Government Protests (UPDATED)

        • Gayane Saribekian
        • Astghik Bedevian
        • Artak Khulian

Armenia -- Opposition supporters rally at Yerevan's Republic Square to demand 
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's resignation, .

Thousands of people poured into Yerevan’s main square on Tuesday as the Armenian 
opposition tried to intensify its campaign for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s 
resignation.

Leaders of a coalition of more than a dozen opposition parties said they will 
hold daily demonstrations until Pashinian agrees to hand over power to an 
interim government tasked with holding snap parliamentary elections within a 
year.

“We must take the whole state system away from Nikol Pashinian as a result of 
sustained, consistent and well-organized efforts,” one of them, Ishkhan 
Saghatelian, told the crowd demonstrating at the city’s Republic Square where 
the main government building is located.

Vazgen Manukian, who has been nominated by the opposition National Salvation 
Movement as a caretaker prime minister, urged Armenia’s armed forces and police 
to stop executing Pashinian’s orders and “join the people.” “Switch to our side 
so that we solve the issue today,” he said.

At Saghatelian’s urging, some of the protesters chanting “Nikol traitor” 
surrounded the nearby building of the prime minister’s office guarded by several 
rows of riot police.

A group of other protesters walked to another building that houses several 
government ministries. They briefly scuffled with riot police there.

The opposition leaders went on to give the Armenian parliament’s pro-government 
majority until 6 p.m. to meet with them and discuss their demands. Lawmakers 
representing Pashinian’s My Step bloc ignored the offer.

One of those lawmakers, Maria Karapetian, said the ruling bloc will not meet any 
of the opposition demands. She claimed that the snap polls sought by the 
opposition would be held by “election falsifiers” if Pashinian were to resign 
now.

The opposition responded by pledging to step up the pressure on the 
parliamentary majority. “If they are not conscious of the popular demand then we 
have to force a session of the parliament,” Saghatelian said in another speech 
delivered at Republic Square later in the day.

The organizers pitched tents in the sprawling square for protesters willing to 
spend the night there.


Armenia -- Opposition supporters rally at Yerevan's Republic Square to demand 
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's resignation, .

The opposition forces hold Pashinian responsible for the Armenian side’s defeat 
in the recent war with Azerbaijan and say he is not capable of confronting new 
security challenges facing Armenia. Their demands for his resignation and the 
formation of an interim government have been backed by President Armen 
Sarkissian, the Armenian Apostolic Church and prominent public figures in 
Armenia and its worldwide Diaspora.

In a statement issued earlier on Tuesday, Pashinian again made clear that he has 
no intention to step down. He portrayed the ongoing anti-government protests as 
a revolt by the country’s “elites” that lost their “privileges” when he swept to 
power in 2018.

Karapetian rejected any parallels between the ongoing anti-government protests 
and the 2018 “Velvet Revolution.” “This is an attempt to use democratic 
instruments against democracy and we will not allow that,” she said.

The opposition alliance called last week for a general strike and boycott of 
university classes for December 22. It was not immediately clear how many 
Armenians heeded the appeal.

At least one major highway was reportedly blocked by opposition supporters on 
Tuesday afternoon.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic Armenian universities switched back to online 
classes in October.

In statements issued in recent days, the deans and professors of 11 of the 19 
departments of Yerevan State University (YSU) backed the opposition campaign of 
civil disobedience. The deans included Naghash Martirosian of YSU’s Journalist 
Department.

Martirosian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that the department’s ongoing exam 
session was not interrupted on Tuesday. He said the department statement in 
support of the opposition was a largely symbolic move designed to “demonstrate 
our concerns over the existing uncertainties” in the country.

YSU’s Physics Department did not add its voice to the opposition demands for 
Pashinian’s resignation. The department dean, Rafik Hakobian, said he believes 
it must steer clear of political processes.

Several other Armenian universities likewise avoided openly backing the 
opposition. But they made clear that their employees are free to go on strike 
and join the protests.



Pashinian Continues To Claim Popular Support


Armenia -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian visits the town of Sisian, 
.

Amid continuing opposition protests in Yerevan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian 
on Tuesday insisted that he still enjoys popular support and that his 
resignation is primarily sought by Armenia’s “elite” overthrown by him in 2018.

Pashinian claimed that opposition and other groups trying to topple him in the 
aftermath of the war in Nagorno-Karabakh are pitting themselves against “the 
people.”

“The ‘elite’ that lost power in Armenia as a result of the 2018 revolution is 
trying to take revenge,” he wrote on Facebook. “And we are talking about not 
only the political elite but also all those who had privileges until 2018 and 
have not had them since 2018.”

“Thus the real confrontation is not between the government and the opposition 
but between the people and the ‘elite’ that lost privileges in 2018,” he said, 
adding that it is up to “the people” to decide whether he should stay in power.

Pashinian issued the statement shortly before a coalition of more than a dozen 
Armenian opposition parties resumed demonstrations in Yerevan aimed at forcing 
him to hand over power to an interim government that would hold snap 
parliamentary elections within a year.


Armenia -- Opposition supporters rally in Yerevan's Republic Square to demand 
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's resignation, .

The parties making up the ad hoc Homeland Salvation Movement called last week 
for a general strike and boycott of university classes for December 22. One of 
their leaders said it will be “the most decisive day” of their push for regime 
change.

The opposition forces hold Pashinian responsible for the Armenian side’s defeat 
in the war and say he is not capable of confronting new security challenges 
facing Armenia. Their demands for his resignation and the formation of an 
interim government have been backed by President Armen Sarkissian, the Armenian 
Apostolic Church and prominent public figures in Armenia and its worldwide 
Diaspora.

Pashinian faced angry protests on Monday as he headed to Armenia’s southeastern 
Syunik province in hopes of reassuring local residents seriously concerned about 
their security following Armenian troop withdrawals from Azerbaijani districts 
adjacent to Syunik. The protests forced him to cut short the visit.

Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2020 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Thousands protest in Armenia, demand the prime minister’s resignation

Kanayan Tamar
PBS.org
Dec 22 2020
Politics Dec 22, 2020 3:37 PM EST

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Opposition supporters in Armenia on Tuesday ramped up pressure on the prime minister to resign over his handling of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan, setting up a protest tent camp on the capital’s main square.

Opposition politicians and their supporters have been demanding that Nikol Pashinyan step down over the Nov. 10 peace deal that saw Azerbaijan reclaim control over large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas. The Russia-brokered agreement ended 44 days of fierce fighting in which the Azerbaijani army routed Armenian forces.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators swarmed government buildings in Yerevan, chanting “Nikol, go away!” Several hours into the rally, opposition supporters erected tents on Yerevan’s main square.

Ishkhan Saghatelyan, a leading member of the opposition Dashnaktsutyun party, said protesters will stay on the square until Pashinyan resigns. “Tomorrow we will take even more resolute action,” he said.

In several other parts of Armenia, local officials have joined the call for Pashinyan to resign and protesters were reported to have blocked several major roads.

On Monday, Pashinyan was forced to cut short his trip to the southern Syunik province after a local mayor urged residents to deny entrance to his motorcade. Police arrested the mayor of Goris, but a court in Yerevan ruled Tuesday to release him from custody.

As protests spread, hundreds of lawyers joined the demonstrations in Yerevan on Tuesday to push for Pashinyan’s resignation.

The opposition also called on Pashinyan’s My Step coalition, which currently has the majority of seats in the parliament, to sit down for talks on Tuesday — a demand it ignored.

Opposition parties initiated a parliament session Wednesday to push for the lifting of martial law, charging that the government has used the measure to keep a lid on protests.

Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but was under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994. That war left Nagorno-Karabakh itself and substantial surrounding territory in Armenian hands.

Hostilities flared up in late September and the Azerbaijani military pushed deep into Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas in six weeks of fighting involving heavy artillery and drones that left more than 5,600 people dead on both sides.

The Russian-brokered peace agreement obliged Armenian forces to surrender large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and hand over the territories around the separatist region they had controlled for more than a quarter-century.

The peace deal was hailed in Azerbaijan as a major triumph, but sparked outrage and mass protests in Armenia where thousands repeatedly took to the streets. Pashinyan has defended the deal as a painful but necessary move that prevented Azerbaijan from overrunning the entire Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Associated Press writer Daria Litvinova and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.

Every single minute that Pashinyan stays in power undermines foundations of Armenian statehood – advocate

Eduard Nalbandian
Panorama, Armenia

Dec 22 2020

A group of advocates started a march from the Chamber of Advocates building to the Armenian National Assembly, and then to the Prosecutor General’s Office on Tuesday morning following a nationwide strike declared by the Armenian opposition to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The lawyers planned to submit documents demanding the parliament speaker to lift the martial law and to express no confidence in the prime minister; appealing to the deputies who also have the status of advocates to quit the My Step bloc and reporting a crime to the attorney general.

Speaking to reporters, Chairman of the Chamber of Advocates Ara Zohrabyan stated that there are "elements of treason” in the prime minister's actions, and, naturally, many attorneys have joined today's protests, refusing to participate in either court hearings or investigative operations.

"We expect that through these protests we will force the prime minister to step down, as every single minute that he stays in power is undermining the foundations of our statehood,” he said.

According to Zohrabyan, they represent a professional community, and the fact that they are taking part part in similar protests means that the situation is really devastating, with serious threats facing the country.

He noted that all police officers who are trying to pressure protesters should be held accountable to prevent such actions in the future.


Artak Beglaryan steps down as Artsakh ombudsman

Emil Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia

Dec 22 2020

Artsakh Human Rights Ombudsman Artak Beglaryan on Tuesday submitted resignation to the speaker of the country’s National Assembly, the Ombudsman’s Office reported.

His resignation is conditioned by an offer to hold another position in the government system, based on the existing challenges and needs.

Artak Beglaryan is set to hold a news conference at the small sessions hall of the National Assembly at 11am Wednesday. 


ECHR grants Armenia’s request concerning soldiers captured by Azeri forces near Khtsaberd

Bedik Zaminian
Panorama, Armenia

Dec 22 2020

On 18 December, immediately after the meeting of Armenia’s Representative before the ECHR Yeghishe Kirakosyan with the relatives of 62 servicemen captured by the Azerbaijani forces near Khtsaberd, Nagorno-Karabakh, which took place in Gyumri, another request for applying interim measure against Azerbaijan on behalf of 53 servicemen was prepared and lodged by the Office of the Representative before the ECHR, along with supporting evidentiary materials.

Attorneys submitted an interim measure request for the remaining 9 servicemen, the Office of Armenia’s Representative before the ECHR reported on Tuesday.

On December 21, the ECHR granted the request submitted by the government of Armenia, asking the government of Azerbaijan to provide information on prisoners of war, their medical documents, and information on the terms of their exchange by 28 December.



Mayor of Goris town will be released from detention

Talar Tumanian
Panorama, Armenia

Dec 22 2020

The Mayor of Goris town Arushan Arushanyan will be released from detention, according to the court decision, his lawyer Armen Melkonyan reported. In his words, the court examined the legality of detention as a restrictive measure and ruled to set Arushanyan free. 

"Arushanyan has been under illegal detention for two days, while his deputy has been negotiating with Azerbaijanis in Shurnukh to divide the houses," said Melkonyan. As to the charges brought against the mayor, the lawyer said those were nothing else but an extended hand to Turks, since Arushanyan was the one Goris community needed at this crucial time as never. 

To remind, Arush Arushanyan was arrested on Monday on suspicion of holding and organizing protest with violation of the procedure established by law. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case according to the Part 1 of the Article 34-2251 of RA Criminal Code. Arushanyan's arrest came after a Facebook post in which he called on locals to prevent the entry of the prime minister to Syunik province. 


Ishkhan Saghatelyan: We will spend the night here if our demands are not met

Ani Kharatian
Panorama, Armenia

Dec 22 2020

Civil disobedience protests have taken place throughout Armenia since 12.00 today, Ishkhan Saghatelyan, the coordinator at the Homeland Salvation Front stated during the rally at Republic Square in Yerevan. He reminded that numerous citizens, employees of factories and private companies, state structures have joined the nationwide strike to demand Pashinyan's resignation. 

"Now is the time for all our people to be one fist together to save the homeland. We gave time to deputies of "My Step" faction and suggested to meet and discuss the current situation in the country. Regretfully, they do not perceive the seriousness of the situation and their responsibility. We have received no feedback from the faction thus far," Saghatelyan informed, adding there is much work with each member of the ruling party. 

To remind, the opposition Homeland Salvation Movement set on Tuesday an ultimatum until 18.00 for deputies of the ruling "My Step" faction to send a delegation and hold discussions with the leaders of opposition on the current situation in the country. 

Saghatelyan next informed that the opposition will soon announce the names of all deputies from the ruling faction, and the RA citizens 'will be free in their decision and action.' "If they do not realize and understand the public demand, we will force them to convene a parliamentary session," Saghatelyan said. 

He next said the if their demands are not met, they will spend the night in the square.