Loussapatz - The Dawn - 33-ՐԴ ՏԱՐԻ, ԹԻՒ 1027 ՇԱԲԱԹ, 5 ԱՊՐԻԼ 2014

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ARMENIA’S PRIME MINISTER TIGRAN SARKISIAN RESIGNS 

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ARMENIA’S PRIME MINISTER TIGRAN SARKISIAN RESIGNS

YEREVAN — Armenia’s Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian unexpectedly submitted his resignation on Thursday, which was accepted by President Serzh Sarkisian, Spokesman for the Re- publican Party of Armenia, Vice-President of the National As- sembly Edward Sharmazanov announced following the Party’s plenary session.

Sharmazanov said Sarkisian had filed his resignation a month ago, but given that the Constitutional Court was still re- viewing Armenia’s pension reform, the President had asked him to continue his duties.

“The prime minister said that it is his personal decision,” Sharmazanov told a news conference after the meeting. “He thanked all of his colleagues, all government members, and all HHK representatives for the joint work and asked us

to grant his request.” The ruling party representative refused to be drawn on reasons for the move. He insisted only that it has noth-

ing to do with a vote of no confidence in Sarkisian’s cabinet which Armenia’s four main opposition parties planned to propose in the parliament on April 28.

The premier confirmed his resignation on his Facebook page. He too gave no reasons for the move. “I wish the new government productive work for the good of the country,” he wrote.

Under the Armenian constitution, all government ministers must also step down if the prime minister is dis- missed or decides to quit.

Tigran Sarkisian, 54, was appointed prime minister shortly after Serzh Sarkisian took over as Armenia’s presi- dent in April 2008. He was the governor of the country’s Central Bank until then.

ARMENIAN FM SENDS LETTER TO BAN KI-MOON OVER KESSAB EVENTS

YEREVAN./NEWS.am – Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian has sent a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon concerning the recent escalation of the situation in North-Western Syria.

"Armenia expresses its grave concern over the recent escalation of the situation in North-Western Syria, around the ancient town of Kessab and surrounding twelve villages predominantly populated by Armenians. All the available evidence and geographic location of Kessab, beyond reasonable doubt suggest that the late attacks were carried out by Al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist groups across the border from the territory of neighboring Turkey.

The brutal actions, which targeted largely the civilian population, resulted in the forced displacement of local population. The extremist groups have desecrated Kessab’s Armenian churches, caused significant damage to the property of the inhabitants, registering a dark picture of egregious violations of human rights. There are only a few elderly people staying in the town who were not able to leave.. Those deplorable attacks greatly undermine the im- plementation of unanimously adopted UNSC Resolutions 2139 and 2118, aimed at paving ways for the settlement of the Syrian crisis.

Armenia has on many occasions raised the issue of the urgent need for the protection of ethnic and religious minorities, including Armenians in conditions of armed conflict in Syria, who have found themselves in extremely vulnerable situation and have become primary targets. Therefore, as the humanitarian crisis continues to linger, it is very important to strongly urge the Turkish authorities to take immediate measures to prevent further use of its ter- ritory by the extremist groups.

The use of force against civilian population, regardless of their ethnic and religious identity, must be unequiv- ocally condemned. The international community should undertake resolute efforts to ensure the safety and security of displaced peoples, including the Armenians, facilitate conditions for their early, safe and dignified return to their places of residence and provide indispensable humanitarian assistance to address their urgent needs".

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PM SARGSYAN: GOVERNMENT WILL DO EVERYTHING TO SOLVE KESSAB ARMENIANS’ PROBLEMS

YEREVAN. – The Government of Armenia focuses on the problems of Kessab Armenians, and it tries to address and solve these problems in an operative manner.

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan noted the abovementioned at Thurs- day’s Cabinet meeting.

For her part, Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan provided detailed information on the latest developments concerning the Armenians of Syria’s predominantly Armenian-populated town of Kessab.

“Our MPs’ view was such that the main wish of the Kessab Armenians was to return to their homes.

“Our citizens must be confident that the government will do everything so that the problems, which have fallen today on the shoulders of our compatriots, are solved, and we need to stand with them,” PM Sargsyan said, in turn.

HAYASTAN ALL-ARMENIAN FUND LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO HELP KESSAB ARMENIANS

Hayastan All-Armenian Fund has applied to Armenians worldwide to support Armeni- ans in Kessab.

“Dear compatriots, brothers and sisters

The tragic events taking place in Kessab these days bring back memories of the most mournful times of the Armenian history. It is evident that what our compatriots face today is a humanitarian disaster. Today, we address all the individuals and organizations worldwide and call them to support the Kessab Armenian community.

A bank account to support this case has been specially opened for you to direct your resources. It is our duty to ease the pain of our compatriots and cover, to some extent, for their losses.

Please, watch out: the happening is a challenge for every single Armenian, a threat towards Armenians world- wide.

Your donations can be directed to the following bank accounts in ARDSHININVESTBANK. 247010003090 (AMD) 247010003090/0001 (USD) SWIFT: ASHBAM22

ARMENIAN LAWMAKERS RETURN TO YEREVAN AFTER SYRIA VISIT

YEREVAN/NEWS.am – The MPs visiting Syria have already returned to Yerevan and will give a press conference next week, MP from Republican Party Naira Karapetyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

She said that during the visit a group of lawmakers went to Latakia, Damascus and Lebanon where they met with Armenian community, their spiritual leaders, leadership of the cities, MPs, president Bashar Assad, prime minister and chairman of National Council.

“The visit was rather effective. We got many proposals, and we also shared our ideas. First of all we must present situation to public, our leader- ship, discuss the proposals and draw up a program of concrete events before moving to actions,” she said.

Armenian community members thanked Armenia's leadership for warm reception of Syrian Armenians, but all

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of them are thinking only about returning to Syria. As to resettled Kessab Armenians, Karapetyan said they are in a very bad state.

“They are sleeping on mattresses in the church yard. We have talked to all of them, and vividly imagined what happened 100 years ago. Thanks God, there were no victims. At the same time they are very proud and full of hope. They are thinking only about coming back to Kessab. They asked for help to renovate Kessab,” the MP said.

Groups of rebels attacked Armenian-populated Kessab several days ago. They moved to Syria from the territo- ry of Turkey to reach the city populated by Armenians and Alevis. Local residents were evacuated to Latakia. A group of Armenian lawmakers left for Syria on March 24.

PROTEST STAGED OUTSIDE US EMBASSY IN ARMENIA ON KESSAB

YEREVAN/NEWS.am – About a dozen people held a demonstration Wednesday outside the US Embassy in Armenia.

They demanded that the US condemn the actions by Turkey, a NATO member, in Syria’s predominantly Ar- menian-populated town of Kessab.

“We are here to raise our concerns about the Kessab-Armenian population’s deportations, in which the Turkish military forces took part,” initiative member Levon Hovhannisyan told reporters.

In his words, although the US has stated that it is concerned about what is taking place in Kessab, it has made no statement condemning Turkey.

Shortly thereafter, US Deputy Chief of Mission Clark Price approached the protesters, listened to their de- mands and to what is occurring in Kessab, and assured that he will inform the ambassador about everything he had heard and seen.

REP. SCHIFF QUESTIONS U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N. SAMANTHA POWER ON CRISIS IN SYRIA

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) questioned U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power during a State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee hearing on the crisis in Syria, specifically asking her to outline the concrete steps that the United States and United Nations are taking to address the March 21st attacks on the historically Armenian populated region of Kessab, Syria.

During the questioning, Schiff asked: “About a week ago, the town of Kessab, which is predominantly Armenian Christian, was attacked by Al-Qaeda- linked fighters who had crossed over from Turkey and the town was emptied in a bloody assault. Many of the residents are descendants of victims of th e Armenian Genocide and there is particular poignancy in them being targeted in this manner.”

Rep. Schiff went on to ask what efforts the United Nations and its agencies are making to address the crisis. In her response, Ambassador Power noted that the recent attacks were a “huge concern.”

Power responded: “Most of the [UN Security] Council members raised the issue of Kessab, calling on the UN to do more, to try to meet the needs of these people. [...] I would note that, unfortunately, the extremist group that appears to have taken hold of that town is not one that the United States and the United Nations overall has a great deal of leverage over. And so, our emphasis now, is on supporting the moderate opposition in Syria that is taking on those extremist groups and making sure that the UN has the funding it needs, and the resources of all kinds that it needs to accommodate [...] in this case, the Syrian Armenian community, as you said, an internally displaced popu- lation flow. So, it’s resources, it’s strengthening the moderate opposition which is taking on ISIL – the very group that appears to have taken over that town – making sure that none of the neighbors are giving support to terrorist groups or extremist groups which would aid their efforts in seizures like that, and going on a funding drive interna- tionally because only a very small percentage of the UN funding appeal for Syria generally has been filled at this point.”

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KIM KARDASHIAN AND CHER JOIN #SAVE KESSAB CAMPAIGN

American television personality, model and actress Kim Kardashian wrote on Twitter: “If you don't know what's going on in Kessab please google it, it’s heart break- ing! As an Armenian, I grew up hearing so many painful stories! Please let's not let history repeat itself!!!!!! Let's get this trending!!!!”

U.S. singer and actress Cher (Cherilyn Sarkisian) also twitted, responding to the Kessab events: “Please check out what's going on in Kessab, Syria. Innocent Christians and Armenians being killed by Turks. Save Kessab.”

U.S. CRITICIZES ARMENIAN VOTE ON CRIMEA

The United States criticized Armenia on Wednesday for voting against a UN General Assembly resolution that condemned as illegal a Moscow-backed referendum that led to Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

“The United States is disappointed by Armenia’s vote against the UN General Assembly resolution that con- demned Crimea’s annexation by Russia,” the U.S. Embas- sy in Yerevan said in written comments to RFE/RL’s Ar- menian service (Azatutyun.am).

“The United States strongly supported the UN Gen- eral Assem bly vote and Washington has been very clear on our position on this issue. We stand with Ukraine at every step in this process,” added the embassy.

Asked whether Yerevan’s stance damaged U.S.-Armenian relations, the U.S. mission said, “We continue to engage with Armenia on many issues.”

Armenia was one of only 11 countries, including Russia, North Korea and Syria, that voted against the March 27 resolution drafted by Ukraine and backed by 99 other nations. The Armenian ambassador to the United Nations, Karen Nazarian, attributed the move to his country’s support of the principle of peoples’ self-determination.

ARMENIAN PENSION REFORM OVERTURNED BY CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

YEREVAN — Armenia’s Constitutional Court over- turned on Wednesday a controversial reform of the na- tional pension system that has triggered angry street pro- tests by young workers affected by it. The Court has found several clauses of the new law on pensions illegal.

The ruling read out by the Constitutional Court chairman, Gagik Harutiunian, gave the government and the parliament until September 30 to scrap this and other provisions declared unconstitutional and bring the pension law into conformity with Armenian law.

According to the new law, citizens born after January 1, 1974, must contribute 5 percent of their monthly sala- ries to a pension fund and the government must match that contribution with another 5 percent, not to exceed 25,000 drams ($61) per month.

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During the day young civil activists held a silent act of protest in front of the Court building, awaiting the ver- dict. Earlier members of Dem.am civil initiative had threatened civil disobedience should their demands not be met. Hundreds protested against the law In Yerevan last month, saying the mandatory deduction will not guarantee

a decent pension. The government was quick to react to the verdict with a statement posted on its website. “The government will

press ahead with this radical reform aimed at improving the people’s well-being within the framework of proper constitutional formulations,” said the statement. It added that the government will adopt a “plan of further actions” after receiving and looking into the full text of the Constitutional Court ruling.

Wednesday’s ruling marked a rare case of the Armenian Constitutional Court striking down a major govern- ment measure. It came amid growing cooperation among the four opposition parties. The latter agreed on Tuesday to jointly stage demonstrations in Yerevan on April 28-30 in support of a vote of no confidence in Sarkisian’s cabi- net put forward by them in the National Assembly.

CHARGE AGAINST ARRESTED ARMENIAN ACTIVIST IS COMMUTED

YEREVAN/NEWS.am – The charge laid against Shant Harutyunyan is commuted, and now he is charged with hooliganism by the use of weap- ons, or objects used as weapons, the Police News Service informed Arme- nian News-NEWS.am.

The initial charge of dangerous violence against the life, or health, of a representative—i.e., the police—of the authorities is dismissed.

The new charge specifies and imprisonment for four to eight years.

Attorney Inesa Petrosyan had informed that the corpus delicti for the initial charge was not proved.

The investigation into the case will be completed shortly. The United National Initiative leader and activist Shant Harutyunyan who heads a nationalist party, and who had announced about starting a revolution, on November 5, 2013—and with close to several dozen supporters wearing Guy Fawkes “Anonymous masks”—had started a march toward the Presidential Palace, but the police had

stopped the march. As a result, there was a scuffle and explosions, and the police detained 38 activists, including Harutyunyan and

his son. Subsequently, 20 of them, including Harutyunyan, were arrested, charges were laid against six of them and, consequently, they were incarcerated. As a result of the melee, sixteen people, including eight police officers and the Armenian News-NEWS.am reporter, were injured.

YEREVAN HOSTS PRACTICAL CYBERCRIME INVESTIGATION TRAINING COURSE

PanARMENIAN.Net -- From 2 to 4 April 2014, the EU Advisory Group organized a Practical Cybercrime In- vestigation training course, which took place at the EU Advisory Group head office.

The training was opened by H.E. Sorin Vasile, Ambassador of Romania to the Republic of Armenia and Ste- ven David Brown, EU Advisory Group policy advisor to law enforcement.

Through a mixture of theory and practical exercises, the participants were familiarized with practical processes for detecting cybercrimes, the basics of digital forensics for operational officers and investigators and were intro- duced to technical tools and methods for computer network and internet investigation, according to a press release.

The EU Advisory Group policy advisor to law enforcement Steven David Brown said: “Bringing a criminal to justice is rarely easy or straightforward. In crimes involving computers, the situation is even more challenging. The evidence can disappear at the push of a button and tech-savvy criminals can hide their activity behind curtain after curtain of false trails across continents even though they live right next door. Law enforcement has to respond to modus operandi that are changing and developing on a daily basis. This training will help contribute to the national cybercrime effort in protecting the people of Armenia.”

The course was attended by the police officers, investigators, prosecutors and other officials who are responsi- ble for preventing, detecting, investigating and prosecuting cybercrime in the Republic of Armenia.

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ARMENIA’S NORTHEASTERN RAILWAY SECTION NEEDS TO REOPEN – ECONOMIST

YEREV AN/NEWS.am – The Hrazdan-Ijevan railway section, which stretches from the center toward the northeast of Armenia, needs to be restored.

Vazgen Safaryan, Head of the Union of Domestic Goods Producers, told the aforesaid to Armenian News-NEWS.am. In his words, it is indispensable to reopen the railroad section that has suffered from the landslides nearby Haghartsin vil- lage.

The railway route will have a freight depot, Safaryan added.

The Betonite combine, which is one of the region’s larg- est enterprises, is forced to deliver trucks load of products to the nearest railway station, Ayrum, which is 74 kilometers away and on the Georgian border; this increases the cost of

freight transfer. Once the aforementioned railroad section is restored, another large enterprise, the Karart plant, likewise can

make use of this railway.

ARMENIANS ASK CANADA TO OPEN EMBASSY IN YEREVAN

NEWS.am -- A small group of Canadian Armenians have launched a petition whose objective is to persuade the Canadian government to open an embassy in Armenia, Nouvelles d’Arménie reported.

The petition is addressed to John Baird, Minister of For- eign Affairs of Canada.

The petitioners believe that having a permanent diplo- matic presence in Armenia’s capital city Yerevan will enable Canada to establish direct contacts with the Armenian gov- ernment, individuals, and legal entities, alike.

In their view, such a presence also will contribute to the business interests and bring forth bilateral relations in various domains.

According to the petitioners, Canada’s diplomatic pres- ence in Armenia also will increase the Canadian investors’ confidence in Armenia.

ARMENIAN DEMONSTRATOR KILLED IN KYIV IS REMEMBERED

NEWS.am -- Thousands of people gathered at Maidan of Ukrainian capital city Kyiv on Sunday evening.

They had assembled to mark the 40th day of the “Heavenly Hundred,” that is, the people who were killed dur- ing the EuroMaidan events that occurred during the fall and winter of 2013-2014.

Representatives of the Armenian community of Ukraine and the Kyiv residents also lit candles in memory of Serhiy Nigoyan.

Armenia’s Ambassador to Ukraine Andranik Manukyan, who attended the remembrance event, noted that “The Armenian community is ready to stand with the people of Ukraine until the end, [and] for Ukraine’s free- dom,” Aspekty.net reported.

On January 22, Ukrainian-Armenian demonstrator Serhiy Nigoyan had died of gunshot wounds in Downtown Kyiv. One month later, another Armenian, Georgiy Harutyunyan, likewise had died during the riots in the Ukraini- an capital city.

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ARMENIA FM ADDRESSES GENOCIDE PREVENTION CONFERENCE IN BRUSSELS

NEWS.am -- Foreign Affairs Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian on Tuesday attended and addressed, in Brussels, at the International Conference on Genocide Prevention.

“It is almost one hundred years that not solely the Armenians, but the entire international community is waiting for Turkey to rec- ognize the Armenian Genocide. Next year marks the centennial of this tragedy. As a people who survived the first genocide of the 20th century, we sense a huge moral responsibility to bring our contribu- tion to the international community’s efforts to prevent crimes against humanity.

“Good will is not enough to rule out new cases of crimes against humanity. One of the key reasons for the new attempts is the absence of a unanimous and an adequate international response. The

prevention of genocides is a responsibility that must be shared by the international community. It is indispensable not to disregard and to uproot genocidal manifestations. Denial is the continuation of genocide,” Armenia’s FM specifically stated.

HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN ED ROYCE AND RANKING MEMBER ELIOT ENGEL INTRODUCE TURKEY CHRISTIAN CHURCHES ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Last week, as the Arme- nian Caucus weighed in on credible reports about Tur- key's role in allowing Islamist extremists to enter Syria from its border and the resulting damage inflicted in Kessab, Syria, Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), Ranking Member of the Committee, introduced H.R. 4347, the Turkey Christian Churches Accountabil- ity Act, reported the Armenian Assembly of America, (Assembly). H. R. 4347 requires an annual report from the U.S. Department of State on the status of stolen, con- fiscated or unreturned Christian properties in territories controlled by Turkey.

"This legislation holds Turkey accountable for its international obligations to protect and promote human rights, and it calls attention to Turkish leaders' broken promises to return church properties to their rightful owners," stated Chairman Royce according to a press announcement from the Committee. "Over decades, Christian church properties, particularly those belonging to the Armenian, Syriac, and Greek Orthodox communities have been either violently overtaken or illegally confiscated by Turkish authorities under various excuses. These churches under Turkish control have been looted, converted to mosques, storehouses, casinos, vandalized and often irreparably damaged," Royce said.

Royce continued, "Vulnerable religious minorities deserve more than just piecemeal returns of their stolen re- ligious properties." According to Chairman Royce, "It is important that the United States continue to encourage Turkish leaders to uphold their commitments and return all remaining properties without further delay. This bill will make promoting religious freedom and tolerance in Turkey a U.S. diplomatic priority."

Ranking Member Engel said, "The Republic of Turkey, and indeed all nations, have a responsibility to protect, restore, and return religious properties which have been unlawfully seized from their communities and rightful

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owners by state authorities." "Armenian, Syriac, and Greek Orthodox communities in Turkey have for many years been seeking the return of their confiscated properties. The claims of these communities must be respected and addressed in a comprehensive and timely manner," Engel said. "This legislation calls on the Republic of Turkey to meet its international obligations, and urges the United States to prioritize the return of unlawfully seized religious properties in order to begin to resolve the legitimate claims of these communities," stated Engel.

A similar measure, H. Res. 306, passed the House of Representatives by a voice vote in 2011. The Assembly, along with the Eastern and Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, pushed for full adoption of the measure in the 112th Congress. The Senate counterpart, S. Res. 392, was introduced by then-Senator Scott Brown (R-MA), along with Senators Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Mark Kirk (R-IL), however, it stalled in committee and no further action was taken. A Senate version of the Royce-Engel Turkey Christian Churches Accountability Act has not yet been introduced.

"We admire the courage of Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for introducing this important meas- ure that we hope will hold Turkey accountable for its international obligation to protect the rights, history, culture, and places of worship of its Christian Armenian minority," stated Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Diocesan Legate of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern).

SENATORS ROBERT MENENDEZ AND MARK KIRK INTRODUCED NEW ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), a long-time champion of Armenian issues and powerful voice for justice, along with Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL), who previously served as Co-Chair of the Arme- nian Caucus during his tenure in the House of Repre- sentatives (House), introduced a new Armenian Geno- cide resolution on Thursday.

The Senate action comes as House Foreign Affairs Chairman Rep. Ed Roy ce (R-CA) and Ranking Mem- ber Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) last week introduced H.R.4347, the Turkey Christian Churches Accountabil- ity Act, which requires an annual report from the U.S. Department of State on the status of stolen, confiscated or unreturned Christian properties in territories controlled by Turkey. The Royce-Engel effort builds on the success- ful House passage of similar legislation in 2011.

“Next year will mark the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, during which 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turkey. There are only a few brave survivors left, such as 107-year-old Helen Paloian of Chicago, who lost her parents and two brothers,” Senator Kirk said. “To honor the survivors and the memory of those lost, and to lead globally on human rights, the United States should finally join the European Union and 11 of our NATO allies in officially recognizing the Armenian Genocide.”

“The Armenian Genocide is a horrifying factual reality that can never be denied,” Chairman Menendez said. “This resolution reaffirms in the strongest terms that we will always remember this tragedy and honor the memory of innocent Armenian men, women and children who were killed and expelled from their homeland. The Armenian Genocide must be taught, recognized, and commemorated to prevent the re-occurrence of similar atrocities from ever happening again.”

The Armenian Genocide resolution expresses the sense of the Senate, “To remember and observe the anniver- sary of the Armenian Genocide on April 24, 2014; That the President should work toward an equitable, construc- tive, stable, and durable Armenian-Turkish relationship that includes the full acknowledgment by the Government of the Republic of Turkey of the facts about the Armenian Genocide;” and “That the President should ensure that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the United States record relating to the Armenian Genocide.”

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OSCE REPORT: KARABAKH CONFLICT ONE OF MOST COMPLEX CHALLENGES IN THE REGION

NEWS.am -- Karabakh conflict is one of the most complex chal- lenges in the OSCE region, says the organization's annual report as of 2013.

"More than 20 years have passed since conflict broke out in Nagor- no-Karabakh, but a lasting and comprehensive political settlement has yet to be achieved," the report reads.

Five civilians and 32 servicemen were reported shot and wounded in 2013 and another 14 servicemen killed. In that same period, Ambassador Kasprzyk’s team visited the Line of Contact 16 times, and the border nine times.

In 2013, his team also supported two visits to the region by the Chairman-in-Office and several by the Co-Chairs.

KARABAKH OFFICER DIES FROM LAND MINE EXPLOSION

STEPANAKERT/NEWS.am – Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Defense Army Sen- ior Lieutenant Harutyun Safaryan was mortally wounded as a result of a land mine explosion on Monday.

Safaryan (born in 1987) was mortally wounded while conducting a combat mis- sion at the military base of the protection area of a Defense Army unit stationed in the southern direction of the Line of Contact between the Karabakh-Azerbaijani opposing forces, the Defense Army news service informed.

An investigation is carried out find out the details of the incident.

AZERBAIJANI TERRORISTS WHO FIGHT IN SYRIA ARE CALLED ON TO COME BACK AND ATTACK ARMENIANS OF KARABAKH

Panorama.am -- “If you so badly want to fight, take the weapon and go one-on-one across the border to the Armenians,” Azerbaijani journalist Timur Rzaev with such words appealed to Azerbaijani terrorists who fight in Syria in his article published on Nedelya.az website.

“If you have been able to get to Syria from Baku you will manage to go across the border as well. Take weap- ons, grenades, break into the dugout to the Armenians and blow yourself up with them. You will die but will take with you dozens of Armenians. One man can make it, two, five, hundred... when reached to one hundred and one, the Armenians themselves would flee from Karabakh,” the Azerbaijani journalist believes.

According to the author, the Azerbaijanis “who left their homeland and went to Syria should be ashamed of what they did.”

“At the same time, this situation illustrates the collapse of the system of public education, lack of respect for the country, for parents, for teachers: the promises of radical preachers outweigh all of the mentioned above. And perhaps this is the most grievous result of the current situation in our eyes,” the journalist believes.

According to the article, a whole sect of Wahhabis, which lures and dupes young people, operates in Azerbai- jan freely and with impunity. “This is a matter of national security, of nation’s future. There is one more thing, if there is a sect in the country that recruits young people and make them terrorists, it is an issue the Ministry of Na- tional Security should deal with. Naturally, it is impossible to attach special agent to every religious person who would watch over him but it is necessary to curb Wahhabism. Today the terrorists fight in Syria while tomorrow they may start fighting in Azerbaijan against those whom they would consider non-believers!” Rzaev notes.

Note that Azerbaijani Salafis or Wahhabis are fighting in the ranks of various terrorist groupings that operate in Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. According to the Azerbaijani news agency Vesti.az the total number of Azer-

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baijani terrorists in these countries equals to 300. Whereas according to FaktHeber Azerbaijani portal over the past three years only in Syria almost 200 Azerbaijani terrorists were killed.

The relationship between international terrorist groups and Azerbaijan originated in the early 1990s. That time, the Azerbaijani army, having failed in the aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), retreated with losses. Trying to save the situation, the Azerbaijani leadership, headed by Heydar Aliyev attracted to the war against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh international terrorists and members of radical groups from Afghani- stan (groupings of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar), Turkey ("Grey Wolves", etc.), Chechnya (groupings Basayev and Raduyev etc.) and some other regions.

Despite the involvement in of thousands of foreign mercenaries and terrorists in the Azerbaijani army during the war, the Azerbaijani aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh Republic failed, and the Baku authorities were forced to sign an armistice with the NKR and Armenia. However, international terrorists found ties in Azerbaijan, and used them in the future. Recruitment was conducted among Azerbaijanis, who then were sent to Afghanistan and the North Caucasus, where participated in the battles against the forces of the international coalition and Rus- sian organizations. In recent years, the citizens of Azerbaijan are actively involved in terrorist and extremist activi- ties in Russia, Afghanistan and Syria.

AZERBAIJAN OFFICIAL MAKES ANTI-ARMENIAN REMARKS

NEWS.am -- Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Hasanov, who is also the chairman of the country’s State Committee for Refugees and IDPs, urged to stop moaning and, instead, to prepare the Azerbaijani youth for a new war for Nagorno-Karabakh.

In addition, he accused the Armenians of “betraying the USSR.”

“Sometimes they declare that such a thing cannot be said of an entire nation, but [this] can [be said] of the Armenians,” Hasanov stated.

The Azerbaijani official also accused the Turkic-speaking countries.

“The leaders of these countries visit Armenia. Twelve years ago, one of them even laid a wreath to the ‘Armenian Genocide Memorial,’” he noted.

The Azerbaijan deputy PM also spoke about the desertion in the country’s army. “We are not a vengeful na- tion, but our youth must be prepared for revenge,” Ali Hasanov noted.

ISRAELI HEADQUARTERS FOR FIGHT AGAINST TERROR RECOMMENDS NOT TO VISIT TURKEY AND AZERBAIJAN

Panorama.am -- The day before the holiday of Pesah, Israeli headquarters for fight against terror issued a warning for the Israelis who want to go abroad. Visits, particularly to Jordan, Turkey, Malaysia and Sinai Peninsula are not recommended, it is reported by isra.com.

The headquarters note that the recommendations are not based on the specific information about imminent ter- rorist attacks but on the overall assessment of the situation. The headquarters recited total of 41 countries where the Israelis should not meddle. New ones in the list are Kenya, Nigeria, Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Note that in the last few years the governments of U.S.A., Great Britain and Israel have called Azerbaijan as a country with a high risk of terrorism. On January 31, 2011 the embassies of U.S.A and Great Britain issued a warn- ing concerning the threat of terrorist attacks against their citizens in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan was also among the nine countries which Israel recommends its citizens not to visit in connection with possible terrorist attacks.

In February 20114 in regard to the treats of terrorist attacks4 Israeli embassy in Baku temporarily stopped op- erating. It happened after the Israeli headquarters for fight against terror, operating under the control of the PM of- fice of Israel, released a warning about the plans of Shia movement Hezbollah to attack Israelis. It recommended its citizens to avoid visits to some countries in connection with the anniversary of the elimination of influential mili- tants Imad Mugnie and Abbas Al-Musavi.

In February 2012 by order of the General Security Service (Shabak) it was prohibited for Israeli civil servants to visit southern republics of CIS, including Azerbaijan.

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ARMENIAN-GENOCIDE-RECOGNIZING KURDISH MAYOR LOSES IN TURKEY ELECTIONS

NEWS.am -- Now former Mayor of Diyarbakir Osman Baydemir, who is “accused” of being pro-Armenian in Turkey, was unable to be- come the mayor of Urfa city in Sunday’s local government elections in the country.

According to unofficial results, ruling Justice and Development Par- ty (AKP) candidate Celalettin Guvenc is elected Mayor of Urfa with 61 percent of the votes, reported Milliyet daily of Turkey.

Baydemir, on the other hand, who was the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party’s (BDP) mayoral candidate in Urfa, was able to garner about 31 percent of the ballots.

During his tenure as the Mayor of Diyarbakir, Osman Baydemir had apologized on several occasions for the Armenian Genocide, and invited former Diyarbakir residents’ grandchil- dren to the city promising to guarantee them property and jobs. Baydemir is also known for his considerable assis- tance in the restoration of the Surp (Holy) Giragos Armenian Church of Diyarbakir.

ARMENIAN-AWARD-WINNING ISTANBUL MAYORAL CANDIDATE ACCEPTS DEFEAT

ISTANBUL/NEWS.am – Serving Sisli Mayor Mustafa Sarigul, who was the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) Metropolitan Istanbul mayoral candidate in Sunday’s local government elections in Turkey, issued a statement and accepted his defeat in the elections.

In his statement, Sarigul, who was considered the main rival of the ruling Jus- tice and Development Party’s (AKP) candidate, noted that the only thing that re- mains to be done is to work with a greater effort, reported Milliyet daily of Turkey.

According to unofficial results, incumbent Metropolitan Istanbul Mayor and AKP member Kadir Topbas is reelected to the office.

Mustafa Sarigul is the first Turkish mayor who has received the special medal of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople, and for the renovation of Armenian churches and schools in Istanbul and the assistance to the na- tional minority events.

ARMENIAN CHURCH IN TURKEY USED AS TOILET

ISTANBUL/NEWS.am – The Armenian Protestant Church in Downtown Elazig (Kharberd, in Armenian), Turkey, is used as a parking lot and public toilet. Just like numerous other Armenian churches in Turkey, this 19th century church was used for other purposes for many years, Agos Armenian weekly of Istanbul reported.

Now, however, the church is left to its fate. After the genocide in 1915, the church was used as a flour mill, but it was abandoned sometime thereafter. In 1973, it was given the status of a “Historical Assyrian Church.” In 2007, it was announced that it will be turned into a hospital—but without changing its external architecture—, yet no respec- tive action was taken. At present, both the courtyard and the interior of the Armenian church are used as a parking lot.

The treasure hunters and the numerous cars that park in the church have damaged it. What is more, the Arme- nian church is also used as a toilet for the passersby and those who park their vehicles in the church.

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DR VARTAN GREGORIAN HONORED WITH PISCATOR AWARD

NEW YORK — Dr Vartan Gregorian, President of Carnegie Corporation, is awarded the Honorary Erwin Piscator Award 2014 in memory of Maria Ley Piscator. This honor recognizes Dr. Gregorian as an outstanding supporter of the performing arts and “for his extraordinary contributions to education, culture and arts in the United States, from his time at the University of Pennsylvania, to his legendary tenure at the helm of New York Public Li- brary, his presidency at Brown University, and currently his position as President of Carnegie Corporation of New York.” The second honoree was Broadway director and producer Harold (Hal) Prince who received the 27th Annu- al Piscator Award for his outstanding contributions to American theater and musical theater over the past six decades.

The award ceremony held on March 25, 2014 at the Lotos Club in Manhattan, was presented by the perform- ing arts nonprofit, “Elysium—Between Two Continents.” The organization’s goal is to foster “artistic and academic dialogue, creative and educational exchange, and mutual friendship between the USA and Europe, especially the German-speaking countries, through theatre plays, operas, concerts, lectures, and exhibitions.”

The award was created by the Elyseum’s founder and artistic director, Gregorij H. von Leïtis. In 1985, he insti- tuted the award to honor Piscator’s artistic and humanitarian legacy and his lasting influence on theatre on both sides of the Atlantic. In particular, the German theater director and producer’s development of “political theater, a forum for the individual’s ability to effect change.”

TEXT OF SWISS APPEAL TO EUROPEAN COURT ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DISCLOSED

By Harut Sassounian

Publisher, The California Courier

Two weeks ago -- on the last day of the three-month deadline -- the Swiss government decided to file an ap-

peal with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on the Perincek vs. Switzerland lawsuit.

Even though the text of the Swiss appeal has been kept under seal pending ECHR’s consideration, I was able

to obtain a copy in French. This is the first time that the content of the Swiss appeal appears in the media.

The ECHR ruled on Dec. 17, 2013, that Swiss courts had violated the rights of Dogu Perincek, a minor Turk-

ish party leader, who had traveled to Switzerland in 2005 with the explicit purpose of denying the Armenian Geno-

cide. He had dared the Swiss authorities to arrest him for calling the Genocide “an international lie.”

Following his conviction for violating a Swiss law on racial discrimination, denial of genocide, and other

crimes against humanity, Perincek appealed his sentence all the way to the Federal Tribunal, the highest court in

Switzerland, which confirmed his guilt. He then applied to the European Court of Human Rights, accusing Switzer-

land of violating many of his rights, including that of free speech. Surprisingly, five of the seven ECHR judges ex-

onerated Perincek, finding that Switzerland violated certain provisions of the European Convention.

If left unchallenged, ECHR’s ruling would have been a major setback for recognition of the Armenian Geno-

cide, particularly before the worldwide commemoration of the Centennial of the Genocide to be held on April 24,

2015. Even more importantly, by exceeding their mandate on the alleged infringements of Perincek’s rights, the

majority of the ECHR judges raised questions about the validity of the Armenian Genocide. They also drew unwar-

ranted and superfluous distinctions between the Armenian Genocide and the Jewish Holocaust, ruling that punish-

ing the deniers of the former is illegal, while convicting those denying the latter is proper.

Given the detrimental consequences of this unjustified ruling on the Armenian Cause, the government of Ar-

menia, Armenian communities worldwide, and Swiss-Armenians in particular, lobbied Switzerland to make sure

that it appeals ECHR’s decision in the Perincek case. In reality, the Swiss authorities should not have needed any

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prodding from Armenians, since they had an obligation to defend the judgments of their own courts, including the

Federal Tribunal, and the integrity of their country’s legal system!

The six-page Swiss appeal, filed on March 17, 2014, asserted that ECHR’s ruling raised “serious questions re-

garding the interpretation and application” of the European Convention on Human Rights for the following three

reasons:

-- The ruling involves an issue -- the Armenian Genocide -- that has never been considered by ECHR. This

case raises two fundamental juridical questions that the Court has not dealt with: The juridical qualification of the

Genocide and the scope of freedom of expression, when a state party to the Convention, in the framework of

fighting racism, criminalizes the denial of genocide.

-- The ruling reduces in an undue manner “the margin of appreciation” available to Switzerland under the ju-

risprudence of ECHR. Perincek had repeatedly stated that he would never change his mind on the Armenian Geno-

cide. His denialist position is “particularly offensive.” The Court’s contention that such a person would bring any

value to “the debate and historical research” on this issue “is a departure from ECHR’s established and balanced

jurisprudence.”

-- The ruling creates “artificial distinctions.” Perincek does not simply contest the use of the term genocide,

but qualifies the Armenian mass killings as an “international lie.” Furthermore, even though there has not been an

international verdict in the case of the Armenian Genocide, the Turkish Court’s 1919 verdict against the master-

minds of the Armenian Genocide “constituted an element of reliable evidence, acknowledging the facts or unfavor-

able conduct” relative to the World Court’s jurisprudence. Furthermore, even “the Nuremberg Tribunal did not

mention the term genocide and did not convict the Nazi perpetrators for committing genocide, but crimes against

peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.”

The Swiss appeal has provided compelling arguments and convincing evidence that five of the seven ECHR

judges made serious judgmental and factual errors in delivering a ruling in favor of Perincek and against Switzer-

land.

A panel of five new ECHR judges will now decide whether to refer Switzerland’s appeal to the 17- judge Grand Chamber for a final determination.

ASP LECTURE. “MASS VIOLENCE FROM THE BALKANS TO ANATOLIA INTO THE CAUCASUS, 1912-23′′

ANN ARBOR, MI — Armenian Studies Program (ASP) at the Uni- versity of Michigan will be hosting a lecture by Ugur Ümit Üngör, assistant professor of history at Utrecht University on April 9, 2014 titled “Mass Violence from the Balkans to Anatolia into the Caucasus, 1912-23′′

Description

In the process of Habsburg, Ottoman, and Russian imperial collapse, roughly in the decade 1912–23, millions of soldiers were killed in regular war hostilities. But hundreds of thousands of unarmed civ ilians were also victimized as a result of expulsions, pogroms, and other forms of persecu- tion and mass violence. The Balkan Wars of 1912–13 erased the Ottoman Empire from the Balkans and marked a devastating blow to Ottoman politi- cal culture. The years 1915–16 saw the destruction of the Anatolian Armenians, organized by the Young Turk polit- ical elite and carried out by a host of forces. Lastly, the period 1917-23 is of great significance for the history of the Caucasus, both North and South, as it witnessed total war and massacres of civilians. Many studies of this kaleido- scope of violence have focused on the domestic roots and impacts of these processes. But might a transnational per- spective offer a new understanding of their genesis, the scope of the events, and the scale of their implications? This lecture will approach these conflicts by developing a transnational perspective and exploring to what extent they were related to each other.

Ugur Ümit Üngör (1980) gained his Ph.D. in 2009 (cum laude) at the University of Amsterdam. In 2008–09, he was lecturer in international history at the Department of History of the University of Sheffield, and in 2009–10, he was post-doctoral research fellow at the Centre for War Studies of University College Dublin. Currently he is

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assistant professor at the Department of History at Utrecht University and at the NIOD: Institute for War, Holo- caust, and Genocide Studies in Amsterdam. His main area of interest is the historical sociology of mass violence, especially during the fragmentation and collapse of states. His most recent publications include Confiscation and Destruction: The Young Turk Seizure of Armenian Property (Continuum, 2011) and The Making of Modern Tur- key: Nation and State in Eastern Anatolia, 1913-1950 (Oxford University Press, 2011). In 2013, the Royal Nether- lands Academy of Arts and Sciences awarded him the Heineken Young Scientist Award for History.

WHY ARMENIA IS MORE LIKELY TO ENGINEER SUPER-CHILDREN

THAN CHINA By Brian Merchant -- brian.merchant@vice.com

Seems like everybody's talking Chinese genomics and the art of engineering genius babies these days. But the nation that's more likely to breed a generation of super-smart, problem-solving kids isn't the global economic giant currently engag- ing in a complex, sinister-sounding genetics program—it's Armenia, a tiny land- locked nation, pop. 3,000,000, that's still mired in the shadow of a devastating gen- ocide. And it's going to do it with chess.

First, let's look at China's alleged plan. Vice recently ran an uber-popular in- terview with evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller, who believes that the Bei- jing Genomics Institute is essentially looking for a way for China to breed more intelligent children. Super babies, if you will. And it's the largest such effort in the world. More specifically, BGI Shenzen has "collected DNA samples from 2,000 of the world’s smartest people and are sequencing their entire genomes in an attempt to identify the alleles which de- termine human intelligence."

If they're successful in finding them, Miller believes it could pave the way for embryo screenings that would eventually help boost the IQ of children by 5-15 points per generation, in aggregate. But after the article went viral, there was some significant pushback from the scientific community. Many scientists say IQ is too complex, too reliant on the interplay of genes and environmental factors, to "engineer" for, given our current capabilities. Slate's Will Oremus collected quotes from a number of skeptics who shared this view, including Hank Greely, director of Stanford’s Center for Law and the Biosciences.

“I think it’s pretty clear that intelligence—if it even exists as an entity, which remains controversial among psychologists—involves a boatload of genes and genetic combinations, all of them substantially mediated through the environment," Greely told Slate. "The chances that genetic selection is going to lead to really substantial in- creases in human intelligence in your lifetime are low.”

Santiago Munné, who runs Reprogenetics, a private lab that does preimplantation genetic diagnosis—a process where an embryo is screened for disease-causing mutations, and sometimes, for physical characteristics like sex and hair color—doesn't think China can pull it off, either.

“IQ is controlled by probably more than 1,000 genes, so there is no point even trying to control for that,” he told Oremus. Miller nonetheless feels that if you do enough screenings and weed out enough genes related to intel- ligence, you'll increase the net intelligence slowly but surely.

But there's probably a better, less terrifying and Gattaca-reminiscent way to make an entire generation of kids smarter with already extant technology and no hint of scary eugenics: Make playing chess mandatory in school.

Armenia is the only nation in the world where chess is a compulsory part of school curriculum, thanks to a $3 million initiative passed in 2011. Beginning two years ago, chess has been a mandatory in the third and fourth grades—students play chess two hours a week every week for two years. Part of the program's aim is to improve children's logic and reasoning skills. But, as with China's more sci-fi approach, part of the aim is to engineer a gen- eration of smarter, savvier children.

Armenia's education minister Armen Ashotyan recently told Al Jazeera that "Chess develops various skills - leadership capacities, decision-making, strategic planning, logical thinking and responsibility. We are building the- se traits in our youngsters. The future of the world depends on such creative leaders who have the capacity to make the right decisions, as well as the character to take responsibility for wrong decisions."

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And, of course, there is a decent body of scientific evidence that suggests that learning and playing chess can actually raise a child's IQ—no test tubes required. University of Sydney professor (and chess grandmaster) Dr. Pe- ter Dauvergne has long argued that chess has significant educational benefits, and that a raised IQ is chief among them.

He synthesizes the research supporting his claim in a 2000 article, "The Case for Chess as a Tool to Develop Our Children's Minds." Elsewhere, the Kasparov Foundation has compiled compelling arguments that chess im- proves cognition, boosts intelligence, and enhances problem-solving capabilities in "the Benefits of Chess in Edu- cation."

The Armenian psychologist keeping a close eye on the chess program agrees. "Ruben Aghuzumstyan has been researching the impact of chess on young minds since last year," Al Jazeera reports, and he says that "preliminary results show that children who play chess score better in certain personality traits such as individuality, creative thinking, reflexes and comparative analysis."

That is encouraging news, because there's still little consensus around whether chess is actually unique in its educational benefits—whether it's any more effective than more traditional math or logic problems. But there's no doubt that it's an intellectual boon for children. And it's definitely more fun.

Susie Hunanyan, the elementary school student profiled in the piece, looks forward to her routine chess les- sons, and even aspires to be a grandmaster. "I like chess lessons a lot," she said. "My grandpa taught me how to play chess. But now that I learn chess in school, I am better at it than he is."

The question is, will she be better than him at everything else, too? It stands to reason. The concerted push to engage the nation's youths may yet beget a generational rise in IQ—which is really fascinating to consider, espe- cially alongside China's sci-fi futuretech. While China may be paving the way for genetically-optimal brainiacs in giant genomics labs, Armenia is modifying its youth's intelligence the old fashioned way—with smart policy and good education. As such, Armenia's actually more likely to boost its youth's IQ than China—using gaming technol- ogy that's been around for over a thousand years.

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