Category: 2023

Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church of New Jersey, April 17, 2022

While we struggle with the anxiety of our oppressed brethren in Artsakh, there are also a number of issues pertaining to the continued vibrancy of the diaspora. The “diaspora” is a singular convenient term for a scattered and diverse segment of the Armenian nation. Scattered in the sense that our communities populate all corners of the world and diverse in that each has taken on some elements of their host nation. Still, there are enough common denominators to sustain a universal identity regardless of where you reside. Diasporan communities are always under the threat of assimilation which occurs when the host country culture becomes a dominant influence, and ethnic/religious culture is subordinated. Assimilation has been impacting the Armenian community in the United States for decades. The sociological evidence is clear, but we have masked it with an influx of Armenian immigrants who are deeply committed to our culture. Professionals who study this will call it a natural phenomenon, but for the Armenian community, it is painful and worthy of resistance. This usually takes the form of identity building within a family starting in their home life and continuing in institutions such as the Armenian church. There are certainly other vehicles, but most observers would agree that the church, as a spiritual and cultural institution, is one of the most dominant and critical factors in preserving our national identity. The presence of the Republic of Armenia has also contributed to identity building for the diaspora as visitations and repatriation have occurred. The focus of this column will be on how the church can improve its role with a more welcoming approach to our scattered brethren.

I believe that the future of the diaspora is linked to a vibrant strong Armenian church. It is the only institution that brings together the two elements vital to our identity: our faith and our ethnicity. This sacred responsibility has remained clear in the eyes of the Armenian people for centuries and has continued in the post-genocide diaspora. It is because of this indispensable role that we must take decisive action to sustain a leadership position. For the first two generations in the American diaspora, the church was able to retain its traditional position with minimal change. The first generation straddled the line between historic Armenia and the establishment of the diaspora. They were obviously fluent in our native tongue, understood our customs, including the church, and for the most part, married other Armenians. This created an opportunity to essentially transfer the church to the new world and maintain its role with limited disruption. The first generation born in this country (my parents’ generation) continued and expanded this role. They were “Americanized” but had the language skills and cultural identity from their parents. Families were more intact, and life had fewer distractions. The church introduced some changes but was still able to maintain a leadership role without dramatic change. 

The first signs of distress occurred with my generation—the so-called baby boomers. The attrition of my peers in the church in my youth when considering today’s participation is significant. A 40- to 50-percent retention rate might be generous. One would think that the impact of this from the 1960s to the 1980s would have been motivation to understand cause and effect, but it wasn’t. Yes, there was change, of course, but not nearly enough to keep pace with the secularization advancing in our society and the intermarriage of the next generation. For example, a seminary in the United States began in the early sixties to supply American born and educated clergy to churches in America. This was the contribution of a man of unique vision, Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan. One of the main reasons for limited strategic action has to do with how we measure communal success. We usually view our communities and parishes by the numbers—membership or the level of participation in church organizations. During the critical period from the 70s to the 90s, our communities replenished the attrition of others with waves of immigration from the Middle East and the homeland. The demographic changes were evident, and in some cases, the decline of Sunday and Armenian school began. But as long as people were participating, the motivation for change was limited. In fact, the demographic changes reduced the need for change. Thousands simply walked away from the Mother Church. Well, the migrations have slowed, and our decline “by the numbers” has continued. The truth is there are fewer participants in Badarak attendance, schools and organizations across the board.

Thankfully, there are exceptions where leadership and unique demographics have carved out an oasis. Some of our leaders have rationalized this decline in population shifts in our traditional communities and the emergence of newer communities. There is some truth to this, but the assimilation impact in the larger communities is significant and the newer communities have a smaller resource base. An Armenian church will never close for financial causes. Parishes decline because of the absence of the faithful, yet we seem to worry more about money than participants. If we continue to deny the facts, then we are simply shortening the runway for recovery.

The urgent need for change has been thwarted by the superficial assessment of participants and the fear that change will result in the loss of our identity. Actually, the reverse is true. For a diaspora community to avoid aligning with succeeding generations is almost a guarantee for irrelevance and decline. Our approach to date has been essentially binary; either participants connect with what we offer, or they quietly fade into an assimilated state. The answer lies in the type of change proposed. Our theology and protocols are not the problem. Many Armenians and non-Armenians do not connect with our traditions and etiquettes and therefore find the church difficult to relate to. This goes beyond the language debate and how we greet people when we see new faces. 

I was in church this past week and read in the weekly bulletin that there were three family groups requesting hokehankist (requiem) prayers for departed family members. Increasingly in our church, large family groups for hokehankist are attended by members who are there out of respect but are not currently communicants of the church. They may have attended in their youth but have either drifted or intermarried and remain aloof from the church. This is an excellent example to illustrate my point. One of the families was sitting near me, and I noticed they were struggling with following along. I pointed out where in the Badarak book we were, careful not to embarrass them in any way. They didn’t understand standing and sitting, when to cross yourself, bowing to God at designated times or any of the communion protocol. I empathized with them as this must have been an awkward experience. The Kiss of Peace is a beautiful Christian exchange, but it can be intimidating if not understood. We all know people who will seat themselves between family members for fear that they will not know the response to the “Vokhchouyn” greeter. 

When we speak about being a welcoming church, it should be viewed not only in the warmth of our personalities, but rather in how participants can connect with the worship service and, for that matter, the history, protocols and functions of our church. We have no formal programs to ensure this type of integration. Of course, some churches have video page turners and Badarak video displays, but it is not universal or mandated. The problem runs along the deep lines of inherent knowledge and unintentional ignorance. How can we expect to engage succeeding generations when inherent knowledge is declining and unintentional ignorance is increasing? Rather than shun those who are on the periphery as “gorsehvatz” (lost), we must display our empathy by doing something formal and sustainable to replace discomfort with empowering knowledge. It starts with the worship experience and continues with having enough functional knowledge to become contributing members. I recall a respected member of the church speaking at a National Assembly warning about the increase of “functionally illiterate” participants. How can we expect to build a commitment to a church that does little to close the knowledge gap? Compounding the challenge are those who choose to walk away, which has become almost epidemic. This can be prevented.

It is a far different world than that of my grandparents or parents. As a people in the diaspora, we must always be mindful that the retention of one’s faith and heritage is a choice. We seek to influence that choice with organizations, programs and peer groups. It is a choice that individuals will make at some point in their life. The impact of secularism, material distraction and self-interest has dominated our society particularly in the last 50 years. The church can no longer wait for the people to come to that institution. We are competing with shallow but powerful forces which actually illustrate the importance of the church in our lives. In a world that tries to teach us that we alone can do anything, it is only the church that teaches us that all things are possible through Our Savior Jesus Christ. This message taught through the traditions of the Armenian church is powerful but limited if the church declines. The burden on the church has become more important as the family unit, the foundation of life, struggles. Our church in America need not worry about losing the beauty of our faith. We should focus on gathering the wandering sheep of the diaspora with mechanisms that enable the joy of our church with knowledge, comfort and identity. We must be willing to engage individuals with different methods so that they will experience the beauty of our church. From simple Badarak etiquette packages to formal educational programs for Armenian and non-Armenian participants, we must begin to assume the absence of knowledge. We must welcome all with the opportunity to function equally. It is natural but unfortunate that our offerings are geared toward those who participate and have identity. Those of us on the inside need to find the joy in reaching out to those on the outside. In this way, the church will prosper, and the Good News will reach new heights.

Lusine and Andranik reunite with Garegin at John F. Kennedy International Airport

Andranik Akopyan, a first-generation Armenian from Queens, New York, turned three years old under blockade in Artsakh. 

The toddler was happy to celebrate his birthday with relatives in Stepanakert. But his mother Lusine, with whom he had been in the capital of Artsakh for weeks, felt the severity of their reality. 

“The entire world was celebrating the New Year, and Artsakh was stuck in the cold,” Lusine shared in an exclusive interview with the Weekly. “It was terrible. We dressed warmly and sat at home, like everyone else.”  

Lusine and her son traveled to Artsakh on December 4, 2022 to see her father’s gravestone and visit their relatives for the holidays. Her husband Garegin planned to join them soon to celebrate their son’s birthday as a family. 

However, on December 12, Azerbaijani activists, with the support of their government, shut down the Lachin Corridor, the sole route connecting Artsakh with Armenia and the rest of the world. The Akopyans, along with the 120,000 residents of Artsakh, were trapped. They had little food or medicine, as the usual daily import of 400 tons of basic supplies from Armenia came to a halt. They also had no means of heating their home, due to repeated obstructions to the gas and electricity supply and internet connection, which Artsakh authorities blame on Azerbaijan. 

Lusine could not speak to her husband every day because of the disrupted internet access. Garegin would set alarms throughout the night and try to call them in case the internet connection was restored. 

“It is heroic to live in Artsakh under those conditions in the 21st century,” Lusine said. “The conditions the population lives in. It doesn’t make sense.”

Lusine was born in Stepanakert and moved to the United States when she married Garegin in 2005. The family lives in Rego Park, Queens but visits Artsakh often. Garegin says the family continued to visit Artsakh after the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2020 in defiance of Azerbaijan and Turkey’s plan to “minimize the Armenian community all over the world to visit Artsakh.”

“These days, Artsakh needs Armenian community members to go more often and support,” Garegin said. “We want everyone who would love to cut the Armenian community off from Artsakh to know that it’s not going to happen. Armenians went, are and will visit Artsakh.” 

When Garegin received news of the blockade, he contacted his district’s representative in the New York State Assembly, Andrew Hevesi, whose office put him in touch with Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY). Meng’s office worked with the US State Department and the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) to evacuate the Akopyans from Artsakh.

“This family lives in Queens in Rego Park in the heart of my district. It’s our primary job to help constituents with these types of cases,” Congresswoman Meng told the Weekly in a recent interview. “This case was a bit more complicated than the usual, obviously having to deal with other organizations. We don’t have a presence on the ground in Artsakh, so my staff had to be the go-between working with these organizations.”

Congresswoman Meng, who represents New York’s 6th Congressional District in Queens, says she has been in regular contact with her constituents about the ongoing blockade of Artsakh.

“When we heard this is a local real-life family that has been affected by the blockade, we wanted to make sure we did whatever we could to make sure she and her son are safe and were able to come back home to New York,” Congresswoman Meng said. 

On January 26, Lusine got notice from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) that she and her son would be transported to Armenia. 

The ICRC and the Russian peacekeeping mission in Artsakh are the only bodies that have been permitted to pass through the Lachin Corridor since its closure on December 12. The ICRC has transported 113 patients from Artsakh to Armenia, since all surgeries have been temporarily suspended in Artsakh due to the blockade. Lusine says the US Embassy sent a letter to the ICRC to hasten their evacuation. 

The next day, nearly two months after their arrival in Artsakh, Lusine and Andranik landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens. 

Congresswoman Meng is one of over 60 US representatives supporting a congressional resolution (H.Res.108) to condemn the blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan. The resolution calls for international investigations into Azerbaijani war crimes, suspension of US military assistance to Azerbaijan and sanctions against Azerbaijani officials, among other measures.  

“Symbolically, it’s important we have a resolution like that condemning the blockade,” Congresswoman Meng said. “This resolution, which is bipartisan, is important because not only does it confirm our stance as Congressmembers, but in a more public way, allows the rest of the world, who might not know what’s going on over there, to make sure that people understand what a dire circumstance this is for people.”

During the Weekly’s interview with the Akopyan family, Andranik interrupted his father with a laugh. Garegin, who had been warning that the Armenian Diaspora must take unified action to support Artsakh, paused to smile.

“I’m glad Armenia’s kids can still laugh, but I want them to laugh in their historical motherland as well,” Garegin said. 

Members of the Armenian National Committee of North Carolina met with Durham Mayor Elaine O’Neal on February 20, 2022. Pictured from left to right: Armen Melikian, Edgar Vardanian, Lilia Schwartz, Artak Vardanyan, and Davit Melikian.

DURHAM, NC – Representatives from the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of North Carolina met with Durham Mayor Elaine O’Neal on February 20, 2023, to discuss the harmful proclamations issued by her office. 

ANC of North Carolina members Artak Vardanyan, Lilia Schwartz, Armen Melikian, Edgar Vardanian and Davit Melikian educated the mayor on Azerbaijan’s campaign of ethnic cleansing and the impact of pro-Azerbaijan proclamations on humanity, amidst their human rights abuses. At the urging of ANC of North Carolina activists, the mayor rescinded the proclamations, including ones for “Khojaly Remembrance Day” and “Azerbaijan Victory Day,” and thanked the activists for bringing these important issues to her attention.

“We are deeply moved by the warm reception and heartfelt consideration Mayor O’Neal showed to members of the Armenian American community of North Carolina who informed her about the exploitation of proclamations as a propaganda tool by the government of Azerbaijan and its significance in the context of the blockade of Artsakh,” said Vardanyan. “The mayor acknowledged full responsibility for the harmful impact of the proclamations and expressed support for the continued struggle of the Armenian people. I commend the ANCA Eastern Region and our Armenian American compatriots in North Carolina as their dedication to never surrender the fight for Artsakh made this outcome possible.”

Mayor O’Neal not only rescinded the harmful proclamations but also issued a formal apology letter to the Armenian-American community of Durham. In the apology letter, Mayor O’Neal stated, “I would like to extend my sincerest apologies to the Armenian-American community of Durham for the proclamations issued on recognition of and ‘Khojaly Remembrance Day’ issued on January 24, 2022. This proclamation did not meet our City’s mission to make Durham a diverse and safe place to live, work and play, so I have chosen to rescind it. I have previously rescinded the ‘Azerbaijan Victory Day’ proclamation issued on November 8, 2022.”

The letter continues, “The City does not issue correspondence in matters of political issues, campaigns, or in matters that endorse a particular religion. I regret that the issuance of this proclamation has exacerbated this divisive matter in our community. I would like to thank Durham’s Armenian-American community for bringing this to my attention and I am grateful for the amicable relationship between the City and the Armenian-American community. Please accept my apologies for the hurt the issuance of this proclamation has caused.”

(Photo provided by Camp Haiastan)

FRANKLIN, Mass. – There are just over 100 days until the 2023 AYF Camp Haiastan season will begin. There’s no better signal to the upcoming 73rd camping season than the official opening of staffer and camper applications.

AYF Camp Haiastan Staff Applications

The 2023 season will kick-off with its staff training week scheduled for June 18 -24 and will conclude the summer on August 15th. In the off-season, the administration evaluated and analyzed the camp’s organizational structure and needs, which are reflected in the decisions to create new positions as well as increase the pay rates for the upcoming season. Please be sure to visit the camp’s website for more information regarding the positions. Deadlines for applications are as follows:

March 14th – Aquatics Director, Armenian School Teacher, Food Service Manager, Health Care Provider, Health Care Assistant, Lifeguard, Prep Cook, Summer Office Administrator 

March 20th – Cabin Counselor, Day Camp Counselor, Staff In Training (SIT)

AYF Camp Haiastan Camper Registration

The 2023 camp season will begin with the Teen Session (June 25 – July 8) limited to campers ages 15 – 16 or 14 year olds entering the 10th grade in the fall of 2023. 

Sessions for campers ages 8 – 14 will take place as follows: Session I – July 9 – 22; Session II – July 23 – August 5; Session III – August 6 – 13.

For the first time, Camp Haiastan is offering a one-week overnight option for all campers ages 8 -14. This is a great opportunity for new campers who want the overnight experience, day campers transitioning to the overnight experience, or even veteran campers who wish to extend or come back for another week.

Sessions I and II will begin on a Sunday and end two weeks later on Saturday. Session III will begin and end on Sunday.

Additionally new to our structure, with the response from our community, this year’s Day Camp has expanded to include an additional week.

Day Camp Week 1: June 26 – June 30 (currently sold out – waitlist open)
Day Camp Week 2: August 7 – 11

The Day Camp Program, offered for 5-7 year olds, fully engages campers’ imagination, encouraging them to explore, learn, and connect with their Armenian heritage in a warm and friendly environment.

For over 70 years, AYF Camp Haiastan has provided a healthy and safe experience for Armenian-American youth, to help them foster their Armenian identity and establish lifelong friendships. We are looking forward to a memorable 2023 camp. 

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), principal judicial organ of the UN, delivers its Order (by video link) in the case concerning Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Armenia v. Azerbaijan) on 22 February 2023, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the Court. Session held under the presidency of Judge Joan E. Donoghue, President of the Court. (Photo: UN Photo/ICJ-CIJ/Wiebe Kiestra. Courtesy of the ICJ.)

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled that Azerbaijan must guarantee free movement along the Lachin Corridor. 

The Lachin Corridor has been closed since December 12, placing Artsakh under blockade. The corridor, the sole route connecting Artsakh with Armenia, has been blocked by Azerbaijani activists supported by their government. Armenia sent a request to the ICJ on December 28 for provisional measures ordering Azerbaijan to reopen the corridor. 

In its final ruling on February 22, the United Nations court observed that “since 12 December 2022, the connection between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia via the Lachin Corridor has been disrupted.” The ICJ ruled that Azerbaijan must “take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.” 

“The disruption on the Lachin Corridor has impeded the transfer of persons of Armenian national or ethnic origin hospitalized in Nagorno-Karabakh to medical facilities in Armenia for urgent medical care. The evidence also indicates that there have been hindrances to the importation into Nagorno-Karabakh of essential goods, causing shortages of food, medicine and other life-saving medical supplies,” the decision reads. 

Members of the Delegation of Armenia (Photo: UN Photo/ICJ-CIJ/Wiebe Kiestra. Courtesy of the ICJ.)

Armenia had also requested that Azerbaijan “cease its orchestration and support of the alleged ‘protests’ blocking uninterrupted free movement along the Lachin Corridor in both directions” and “immediately fully restore and refrain from disrupting or impeding the provision of natural gas and other public utilities to Nagorno-Karabakh.” The ICJ rejected those provisional measures. 

The ICJ also rejected a request for provisional measures ordering Armenia to halt any efforts to plant mines in territories that came under Azerbaijani control at the end of the 2020 Artsakh War, including “the use of the Lachin Corridor for this purpose.” Azerbaijan requested that Armenia provide information about the quantity and location of landmines and booby traps and allow Azerbaijan to demine these territories.  

Azerbaijan presented a similar request to the ICJ in December 2021. The ICJ rejected that request on the grounds that it did not have enough evidence that Armenia’s alleged conduct violated the rights of Azerbaijani people under international law. It rejected the new request made by Azerbaijan on January 4, 2023 on the same grounds. 

Armenia argued in the Hague court that it lay mines exclusively within its border for self-defense purposes. It said that booby traps had been found “within the old Lachin Corridor,” which came under Azerbaijani control after its route was changed in September 2022. 

In the weeks before closing the Lachin Corridor, Azerbaijani authorities accused Armenia of using the route to conduct prohibited activities. On November 24, 2022, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said that Armenia buried mines in Artsakh transported along the Lachin Corridor.

“The corridor is not being used for its intended purpose, and this must be stopped,” Bayramov told reporters, warning that Azerbaijan “will take all necessary steps.”  

The closure of the Lachin Corridor, which surpassed 70 days this week, has created a humanitarian crisis in Artsakh. The daily import of about 400 tons of basic goods from Armenia has stopped, leading to a critical shortage of food and medicine. Artsakh residents have been using government-issued coupons to purchase sugar, rice, buckwheat, pasta, oil, fruits, vegetables, eggs and laundry detergent, as part of the authorities’ effort to conserve remaining supplies. 

The gas and electricity supply to Artsakh have also been periodically disrupted throughout the course of the blockade, which Artsakh authorities blame on Azerbaijan. Families have been unable to heat their homes amid freezing winter temperatures. The government has distributed wood burning stoves to 700 families as an alternative. 

It has also been difficult to heat hospitals properly due to the gas and electricity disruptions. At least 700 people have been unable to receive medical treatment due to the temporary suspension of all surgeries. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has transported over 100 patients to Armenia for medical procedures. 

Azerbaijani authorities continue to insist that the Lachin Corridor is unblocked, since the ICRC and Russian peacekeepers have been able to use the route. 

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that checkpoints should be established along the Lachin Corridor as well as along a route connecting Azerbaijan with its exclave Nakhichevan through Armenia. He proposed the idea during a trilateral meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Munich Security Conference on February 18. 

“Checkpoints should be established at both ends of the Zangezur corridor and the border between the Lachin district and Armenia,” Aliyev told reporters. 

Under the trilateral ceasefire agreement ending the 2020 Artsakh War, Azerbaijan guaranteed “traffic safety along the Lachin Corridor of citizens, vehicles and goods in both directions.” The ceasefire agreement also commits Armenia to providing a transport link between Azerbaijan and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic. The route should allow for “unimpeded movement of citizens, vehicles and goods in both directions.”

Aliyev has drawn parallels between the Lachin Corridor and the route to Nakhichevan, which he calls the “Zangezur Corridor.” He has said that the route should operate free of passport and customs controls. Armenian authorities have called a corridor without Armenian presence a “red line,” insisting that the route must respect the sovereignty of Armenia’s borders. 

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan rejected Aliyev’s call for checkpoints along the Lachin Corridor. He said that the principles regulating the Lachin Corridor were fixed by the ceasefire agreement. 

“The renegotiation of the regulations of the Lachin Corridor, by the way again as a result of use of force, is not and can not be an acceptable solution for us,” Mirzoyan told reporters on February 22. 

Armenian authorities have said that one of the motivations behind Azerbaijan’s closure of the Lachin Corridor is to pressure Armenia to agree to the “Zangezur Corridor.”

Armen Grigoryan, the Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, said that the blockade is within Azerbaijan’s “so-called corridor logic.” “Naturally, that’s what all this pressure in Lachin is about,” Grigoryan said.

Armenia

The Armenian government has revived the Amulsar gold mining project, which was shut down by protesters in 2018. Armenia granted Lydian Canada Ventures a license to develop a massive gold deposit in the Vayots Dzor province in 2016. The project was halted after environmental activists shut down roads leading to Amulsar in June 2018 shortly after the Velvet Revolution. Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan said on Wednesday that the Armenian government, in partnership with Lydian and the Kazakhstan-based Eurasian Development Bank, would raise $250 million to finish construction of the gold mine. Kerobyan said Lydian would pay between 30 and 40 billion AMD ($75-100 million) in taxes each year. He also said the mine would raise Armenia’s GDP by one percent. 

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has blamed Iran for the attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran on January 27. The chief of security was killed and two security guards injured after a gunman broke into the embassy. “Those who sent the terrorist, those representatives of the Iranian establishment who did this brutal act against Azerbaijan, must be brought to justice,” Aliyev said on February 17. Azerbaijani officials had previously linked the attack to a “recent anti-Azerbaijan campaign against our country in Iran.” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson responded on February 19 to avoid “politicization” of the attack. Azerbaijan-Iran relations have been deteriorating recently, in part due to Iran’s support for Armenia in its ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan. 

Azerbaijani police arrested five activists who held a protest on Monday calling for the release of political prisoner Bakhtiyar Hajiyev. Hajiyev has been imprisoned since December 9 on charges of hooliganism. Two members of the Democracy 1918 movement have been placed in custody for 30 days, while three independent activists were released shortly after their detention. Hajiyev escalated his ongoing hunger strike on February 16 and stopped drinking water for five days. The US-based Helsinki Commission has called Hajiyev’s imprisonment a “gross injustice and sharp violation of basic human rights obligations.”

Georgia

The ruling Georgian Dream party announced its support on Tuesday for the controversial foreign agent bill. The proposed legislation would require non-governmental organizations and media outlets that receive more than 20-percent of their funding from abroad to register as “agents of foreign influence,” or pay a penalty of up to $9,400. Critics have compared the bill to Russia’s foreign agent law. Over 280 civil society and media groups released a joint statement on Tuesday condemning “the attempt to adopt this Russian law” as an attack on free civil society organizations and critical media. Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has also opposed the bill, stating it would take Georgia further away from its “European future” and “closer to the vicious model of Russia.”