Lusine Shahverdyan,

On January 14, the first meeting of the special envoys of the Armenia-Turkey settlement process, NA Vice Speaker Ruben Rubinyan and Serdar Kilic, with the participation of Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko took place in Moscow.

Much has been said about the dangerous, even catastrophic, risks of this process. It was said how to normalize relations with a state that speaks the language of preconditions with Armenia in the form of forcing the Zangezur corridor, the Genocide issue, Artsakh to renounce its independence. Despite this, the authorities continue to maintain guerrilla silence even after the first meeting of the envoys. And the trilingual messages of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs deepened the doubts about the danger of the process. In the Armenian version, it was mentioned that a constructive meeting took place, and in the English and Russian texts the negotiations took place in a “positive and constructive atmosphere.”

In fact, what process has started between Armenia and Turkey, how to understand, when literally 3 days before that meeting the Armenian side had 3 victims as a result of Turkish-Azerbaijani provocations on the Armenian border, what will be the price of relations? Yesterday the opposition tried to raise these issues in the National Assembly in the person of the deputies of the “Armenia” faction, but at some point, Ruben Rubinyan’s nerves gave way so much that another conflict arose between the opposition and the government, which almost ended in a hand-to-hand fight. Rubinyan, who has not shone in the past with balanced behavior and restraint towards the opponents, was in a state of nervousness yesterday and at some point lost his temper and ran towards the “Armenia” bloc, threatening, “I will show that I will do whatever I want.” shouting.

Of course, he regretted it halfway, voluntarily returned to the tribune and announced a break in the session, but before that, he managed to confirm with his golden vocabulary the “accusations” of the opposition that Rubinyan could not negotiate on behalf of the state and be guided by state interests. “You are a fool ․․․ I will do whatever I want, I do well “․ This is how he rebuked the oppositionists who criticized him, forgetting that at the time his leader was more provocative in the National Assembly towards the current authorities.

And the oppositionists were trying to understand by what decision Rubinyan is carrying out the functions of the envoy, as it is not included in the functions of a deputy, and the RA Prime Minister had to sign a special decision or order, which he did not do. Hakob Arshakyan and Rubinyan, who chaired the sitting, according to the custom, tried to bypass that question with a “crutch” without giving a substantive answer. The situation escalated when Agnesa Khamoyan hinted that Rubinyan was an “agent of influence.” “What was the constructive meeting with the Turkish representative?” “Why, when it was said in this hall that Rubinyan was studying in Turkey and being an agent of influence, those questions were not clarified,” Khamoyan asked.

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The CP team counterattacked, and Rubinyan even threatened. “I am quite a patient person, but did I hear correctly that someone in this hall accused me of being an agent of Turkish influence? Now listen to me, Mrs. Khamoyan, and your whole faction. Is there anyone here who can stand up and say to me that I am an agent of influence? There is no such person and there can not be. Why? Because, first, it is completely unfounded, and second, because, in response, I can forget my patience and kindness and say or do things with you ․․․ I will try, prince, and after this do not speak to me as “you”. It’s clear. Calm down, all of you, and know where you are and what you are talking about. Mr. Ohanyan and Minasyan put the members of your faction in order,I say it for the first and last time. ” Later, Hakob Arshakyan defended Rubinyan and made an extraordinary speech as the chair of the sitting, while Rubinyan continued to respond to remarks from the “Hayastan” bloc, not even avoiding gaining a reputation as an unbalanced person in the eyes of the public. When the session was interrupted, the parties started to settle accounts, fortunately, the matter did not reach their feet and hands.

In the corridor of the parliament, we tried to find out from other CP members whether they knew what a “constructive”, moreover “positive” discussion was, in general, whether normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations is possible when the goal of the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem is Armenia. It is to destroy, and in public statements, they continue to claim that Yerevan is theirs, as well as Sevan and Zangezur. Businessman Khachatur Sukiasyan, who is one of the initiators of the resumption of Yerevan-Istanbul flights, said that he had learned from the press that a constructive meeting had taken place. Referring to the normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations, he noted. “There are risks in any action. Armenians who were born in Turkey and have lived there for tens of generations feel very well economically. In addition, 200 km beyond our border, Most of the population of Kars and other areas will use many services from the territory of the Republic of Armenia. That’s why I sent a message to our medical services to get the best equipment that works with artificial intelligence because it is possible that the locals, whether they are Turks or of another nationality, can use the medical services of Gyumri or Yerevan, We will use the services that they have developed. This is my assessment. “We will also use the services that they have developed. This is my assessment. “We will also use the services that they have developed. This is my assessment. “

But how can we live in peace with those who kill us? He countered ․ “The British killed the French, the French killed the British, the Germans killed them, there was a genocide of the Jews, but they also live in peace in Germany. I want our generations to have a strong country, a prosperous life, we must be conscious in the region, respect the rights of our neighbors, and they must be ours. ” In other words, do you think it is possible to build neighborly relations with “our neighbor” Azerbaijan? “Many countries of the world, which are neighbors, have quite a large volume in each other’s gross domestic product. If we have a high percentage of gross domestic product with our neighbors, they will be good tools to improve relations. We will not pass that enmity on to our children and generations. When there is a shootout, they also have victims, we must be civilized, of course, there will be incidents at the border, but we have what we have. ” As for the settlement of the Artsakh issue in the context of normalization of relations, Sukiasyan noted that he sees it on the basis of the principle of self-determination and compared it with the Cyprus version.

NA Vice Speaker Hakob Arshakyan also did not have “a lot of information” from the Moscow meeting, or rather, he did not have absolute information. He only expressed hope that they will be able to “establish conditions of peace so that soldiers do not die at the borders.”

We learned from our CP sources that the faction had not yet discussed the meeting of the envoys, they are not aware of what Rubinyan and Kilic said in Moscow on January 14, but they noticed a change in Rubinyan’s behavior, he became more nervous and arrogant, which 2 has an explanation. Nervous, because he understands that he will become the implementer of Nikol Pashinyan’s next anti-Armenian project, arrogant, because he has appeared in the “pervitation circle” of the government, and the communication with the Prime Minister has increased.

The point is that there has been a heated struggle within the government for the appointment of an envoy, as the de facto envoy becomes the second official of the state. By the way, such a struggle is going on to become the chairman of the commission on demarcation and demarcation, in which Pashinyan has not yet made a decision.

The Artsakh National Security Service (NSS) revealed another case of recruitment of an Artsakh resident by the Azerbaijani special services, the law enforcement agency said in a statement on Tuesday.

It said a pseudonymous Telegram user, pretending to be an Armenian female, entered into correspondence with an Artsakh man, allegedly seeking to establish a close relationship with him. The fake user sent him intimate photos and demanded the same from the person.

Afterwards, threatening to leak the intimate photos online, the Azerbaijani intelligence officer told the victim to provide information, photos of various locations, as well as promised to pay for the espionage by transferring money to a pre-sent bank account, the NSS noted.

It said it was investigating the case to reveal the content and the amount of information provided to the Azerbaijani special services by the Artsakh resident, as well as motives and goals.

“We again urge the people to refrain from communicating with unknown social media users and accepting suspicious offers, or providing information that threatens the security of the Republic of Artsakh. In case of receiving such demands or offers, the residents should immediately contact the National Security Service of the Republic of Artsakh,” reads the statement.

CivilNet (the Civilitas Foundation) and the Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center are taking a legal action against the Armenian government over the suspicious deals concerning the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC) in September-October 2021, CivilNet reported on Tuesday.

On September 30, it was revealed that the Moscow-based Industrial Company, a GeoProMining Armenia subsidiary owned by Russian billionaire Roman Trotsenko, acquired 60% of the ZCMC shares and immediately granted 15 percent of that stake to the Armenian government.

Later in October and November, CivilNet applied to the Armenian government, asking it to provide a copy of the relevant donation agreement. However, the government rejected the request, reasoning that it contained “confidential information” and was thus a trade secret.

On December 16, the representatives of CivilNet and Transparency International, Genya Petrosyan, Elina Gyurjyan and Davit Gyurjyan, filed a lawsuit in the Administrative Court, asking the court to oblige the government to provide a copy of the donation agreement to them.

On December 23, judge Artsrun Mirzoyan of the Administrative Court decided to to accept the claim for proceedings and set a preliminary hearing in the case for May 3.

Earlier in in October, Varuzhan Hoktanyan, Project Director at the Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center, told Pastinfo that the deal to sell 60% of the shares to Roman Trotsenko was not transparent and no further clarifications were provided.

By Harut Sassounian,

The Los Angeles Times published on January 11, 2022, an opinion column by Jonah Goldberg, titled: “Just meeting with Putin is a concession — the U.S. should be wary of giving more.”

Goldberg expressed his unhappiness that Russia and other members of its military coalition, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which includes Armenia, sent troops to Kazakhstan on a ‘peacekeeping’ mission earlier this month. In his article, Goldberg made a critical reference to Armenia: “None of CSTO’s members — Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan — are democracies. Armenia comes closest; Freedom House designates it a ‘semi-consolidated authoritarian regime’ with a ‘Democracy Score’ of 33 out of 100. The rest are ‘consolidated authoritarian regimes.’”

Goldberg’s derogatory description of Armenia, which has been praised as a bastion of democracy since Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan came to power in 2018, must have made Armenians feel uncomfortable.

Freedom House, a Washington-based research institute funded mostly by the U.S. government, regrettably proves that Goldberg was not wrong in his criticism of Armenia. Freedom House publishes an annual “Freedom in the World” report which assesses each country’s degree of democracy, including political freedom and civil liberties. Countries are classified as “free,” “partly free,” or “not free.”

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When Pashinyan became Prime Minister, he was applauded by the international community and Armenians worldwide for establishing democratic rule through his “Velvet Revolution.” However, Freedom House continued to classify Armenia as “partly free” throughout 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Armenia is also designated as “not an electoral democracy,” based on its low ratings on “political rights” and “civil liberties.” Just in case Azeris and Turks wish to celebrate Armenia’s low ratings, both Azerbaijan and Turkey are ranked far worse as “not free.”

Here are highlights from Freedom House’s detailed 30-page report on Armenia for the year 2020:

In the category of “National Democratic Governance,” with 1 as best and 7 as worst, Armenia was rated 2.25. This category “considers the democratic character of the governmental system; and the independence, effectiveness, and accountability of the legislative and executive branches.”

In the category of “Electoral Process,” Armenia was rated 3.25. It “examines national executive and legislative elections, the electoral framework, the functioning of multiparty systems, and popular participation in the political process.”

In the category of “Civil Society,” Armenia was rated 4.5. It “assesses the organizational capacity and financial sustainability of the civic sector; the legal and political environment in which it operates; the functioning of trade unions; interest group participation in the policy process; and the threat posed by antidemocratic extremist groups.”

In the category of “Independent Media,” Armenia was rated 3. It “examines the current state of press freedom, including libel laws, harassment of journalists, and editorial independence; the operation of a financially viable and independent private press; and the functioning of the public media.”

In the category of “Local Democratic Governance,” Armenia was rated 2.25. It “considers the decentralization of power; the responsibilities, election, and capacity of local governmental bodies; and the transparency and accountability of local authorities.”

In the category of “Judicial Framework and Independence,” Armenia was rated 2.5. It “assesses constitutional and human rights protections, judicial independence, the status of ethnic minority rights, guarantees of equality before the law, treatment of suspects and prisoners, and compliance with judicial decisions.”

In the category of “Corruption,” Armenia was rated 3. It “looks at public perceptions of corruption, the business interests of top policymakers, laws on financial disclosure and conflict of interest, and the efficacy of anticorruption initiatives.”

A second report on Armenia was published by Human Rights Watch (HRW) on January 14, 2022. HRW is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City that conducts research and advocacy on human rights.

HRW reported that even though “the political crisis” after the Artsakh war “was largely defused in the June 2021 snap elections … domestic violence, discrimination against people with disabilities, barriers to effective pain treatment and palliative care, and violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity persisted. Striving to fight rising incidents of hate speech, authorities introduced regulations which may undermine freedom of speech.”

Regarding “accountability for law enforcement abuse and torture in custody,” HRW reported that “torture and ill-treatment in custody remains a problem and it is often perpetrated with impunity. Even when criminal investigations are launched in response to allegations of torture, they are rarely effective.”

In the first six months of 2021, there were “documented 15 cases, with 17 victims, of physical violence against journalists perpetrated by both public officials and private individuals.” There were also “heated public debates, which often included inflammatory speech by members of parliament and other public officials that was at times directed against human rights defenders and activists.”

The HRW also reported that “many children with disabilities remain segregated in orphanages, special schools, or at home with little or no education.” In May 2021, “parliament adopted the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which includes guarantees of accessibility, independent living, and access to justice, and bans disability-based discrimination.”

According to HRW, “violence against women and children … remains a persistent problem.” In addition, “lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Armenia continue to face harassment, discrimination, and violence.”

An indication that Armenia is losing its image of a democratic country is the fact that last March, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a call with Prime Minister Pashinyan, counseled him about “the importance of the rule of law and democratic institutions.”

Prime Minister Pashinyan came to power in 2018 promoting democracy, thereby gaining much support and praise from international circles. Regrettably, Pashinyan’s monopoly on power and increasing tendency to make all governmental decisions single-handedly are turning Armenia into a one-man rule which will result in the country losing its democratic credentials and international support.

Boston Common, April 22,1965. Photographer Unknown. On the day of the march, April 22, 1965, an unknown woman (on the left in the photo above) approached Marash Girl (on right): “I’m half Armenian,” she said.

“May I march with you?” Together the two women carried the sign pictured here, marching from Cambridge to the Boston Common. The sign announced, “Armenians for Freedom for All!” N.B. Should anyone know the identity of the woman pictured on the left, or the name of the photographer, please notify Marash Girl or the Armenian Library and Museum of America in Watertown, Massachusetts.

Source: http://marashgirl.blogspot.com

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This week, MUCF decided to withdraw all association contributions to two Azerbaijani organizations in Sweden. This is after, among other things, Blankspot’s reviews and an investigation into connections with the ethnofascist Gray Wolves.

By RASMUS CANBÄCK January 17, 2022 

Prior to this year’s grant applications for ethnic organizations, the Agency for Youth and Civil Society Affairs, MUCF, has denied continued funding to two Azerbaijani associations.

The associations in question are the Azerbaijani Congress in Sweden and the Azerbaijani National Federation, both of which have received grants from the authority for many years (in this text they are referred to as the “Congress” and the “National Federation”, respectively).

The decision documents state that Congress will now be denied funding as a direct result of Blankspot’s reporting during the autumn. The association organized invitational trips for journalists to Azerbaijan together with the Azerbaijani government and plans to organize more .

The MUCF’s decision states that they can not rule out that the Congress has direct relations with the Azerbaijani dictatorship, and that it is contrary to the conditions of democracy.

Congressman Emil Mirzoev has in two statements to the MUCF denied that there are any links between him and the regime, which the administrator of the authority did not obey.

In addition to reviewing the invitation trips, Blankspot has also published photos of him from meetings with the Azerbaijani ambassador from the embassy.

The decision regarding the Swedish Confederation of Trade Unions is based on an extensive investigation carried out during the autumn. The decision to investigate came in January 2021 after the site Nyhetsbyrån accused representatives of the Riksförbundet of having links to the Gray Wolves.

Prior to 2021, the MUCF assessed that the evidence was insufficient and appointed the inquiry.

The task of the inquiry was to answer the questions of whether the Riksförbundet has links to anti-democratic movements in general, and the Gray Wolves or the Azerbaijani regime in particular. The time period studied was the financial years 2020 and 2021.

The assessment from MUCF states: “The investigation shows that there may be certain organizational links between the Azerbaijani National Union and the Gray Wolves and / or the Azerbaijani dictatorship.”

The basis for the decision continues to present the documents, which are based on an analysis of board members’ social media and a demonstration from October 2020 in support of Azerbaijan in the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.

These show that several members have ideological sympathies that have many common points of contact with the Gray Wolves’ ideology.

Blankspot wrote in connection with a review of one of the invitation trips that the Gray Wolves participated in the demonstration, and that a then board member, Rahim Sadiqbeyli, is one of those who arranged an invitation trip to Azerbaijan.

In a statement to MUCF, Azar Farrouki, chairman of the Swedish Confederation of Trade Unions, and Teymur Eminbayli, treasurer, deny all contact with the regime and claim that they do not know who the Gray Wolves are.

– The Azerbaijani National Federation does not know of any organization called Gray Wolves, the national federation has never entered into any cooperation with so-called Gray Wolves.

Furthermore, they believe that 60% of the board members are considered persona non grata, not welcome, in Azerbaijan, because they are oppositional and against the country’s government.

But who are the Gray Wolves in Sweden? What does it mean that representatives from the Azerbaijani National Federation “share their ideology” and what consequences can the decision have for the National Federation?

The inquiry describes the Gray Wolves as nationalist, anti-Semitic, racist and based on extreme right-wing ideology, which has its roots in the so-called pan-Turkism (also called “turanism”). The purpose of the movement is to defend and strengthen everything “Turkish”, and it strives to form an ethnically homogeneous Turkish state.

In short, it is a Turkish ethnofascist movement.

The movement’s mother party, MHP, the National Action Party, holds a seat in Turkey’s parliament. They serve as a support party for the ruling party, the AKP, led by President Recep Teyyip Erdogan. The Gray Wolves have historically been partly the MHP’s militant branch, and partly formed part of its youth union.

In several European countries, such as France, the Gray Wolves are considered a terrorist organization with violent capital. The most famous act in Europe is the shooting of Pope John Paul II in 1981 .

In Sweden, the Gray Wolves are suspected of having been involved in several acts of violence. One of the more noticed is shootings against a Kurdish demonstration in 2017 where the Gray Wolves are suspected of the act.

Former Green Party Minister for Housing Mehmet Kaplan was forced to resign after having dinner with the Gray Wolves.

In a conscious strategy, the Gray Wolves have over the past decade worked to spread their ideology through non-violent methods. Part of this work is to work through democratic functions, such as through association life.

The Swedish-Kurdish debater and journalist Kurdo Baksi believes that it is only a surface.

– The gray wolves are suspected of an assassination attempt in Fittja six years ago. I know the victim. In the last decade, several Kurdish associations in Sweden have been subjected to attacks. The gray wolves are suspected by the police but no one has been brought to justice for these crimes.

He goes on to explain that the Gray Wolves have sympathizers in Sweden.

– You can see that 841 people in Sweden voted for MHP in the summer of 2018. There is no doubt that there are supporters of both the political party and its militant branch.

In the case of the Swedish Confederation, it is not a matter of direct connections or membership in the Gray Wolves, but of the Pan-Turkish ideology.

The inquiry shows that several members, including the treasurer Teymur Eminbeyli, are the initiators of the organization MHB, Milli Herekatçılar Birliyi (National Movement Association), which advocates a territorial unification of the Turkish world. 

In addition, Eminbeyli claims to belong to the Azerbaijani opposition, which was gradually forced out of Azerbaijan after losing power to the incumbent regime in 1993. The opposition leader was Abulfaz Elchibey, who died in 2000.

Elchibey made himself known for being as much a politician as an ideologue, and during the Soviet era he advocated a rapprochement between Azerbaijan and Turkey, instead of belonging to Russia. In 1998, he also wrote the book “On the Road to All of Azerbaijan” in which he clarifies the country’s territorial claims in an area that far exceeds today’s borders. He called the idea “the whole of Azerbaijan.”

The common denominator that exists between the Gray Wolves’ ideology and the Elchibey movement is based on pan-Turkism; to unite, through territorial claims, the Turkish-speaking world, stretching from Istanbul in the west to China’s border in the east.

In Pan-Turkish rhetoric, only Armenia stands in between, and in addition the Nagorno-Karabakh region has been under Armenian control since 1994. Therefore, the conflict is also interesting for Turkish Pan-Turkists, and not only Azerbaijani. 

It is not uncommon for Gray Wolf participants to make a pilgrimage to Elchibey’s tomb in Baku.

On the association’s treasurer, Teymur Eminbeyli, Facebook, he has a “cover picture” of two children wearing t-shirts with Elchibey’s face on. In other photos, he wears the same t-shirt himself.

The Azerbaijani political scientist Bahruz Samadov, who researches the Azerbaijani opposition and the rhetoric of the Aliyev regime at Charles University in Prague, explains that the Elchibei movement is not the same as the Gray Wolves. 

– Simply put, Elchibey was never a Gray Wolf, but he is considered an important person in the Pan-Turkish ideology. The Gray Wolves can be seen as the most radical branch of pan-Turkism, and Elchibey is deeply respected by them.

He goes on to argue that Elchibey and pan-Turkism have been dominant in the Azerbaijani opposition.

– The opposition’s overall discourse is strongly influenced by pan-Turkism as an ideology. In fact, the takeover of power by Heydar Aliyev (now the father of President Ilham Aliyev) was not a radical breach of Elchibey’s ideology. Heydar really politicized Elchibey’s panturkism by declaring Turkey a peculiar ally, a special brother , by saying “One nation – two countries”. It can be said that Heydar was pragmatic in that respect, while Elchibey was a convinced nationalist.

Bahruz Samadov concludes by explaining that the term “Gray Wolf” is sometimes used as an overarching term for radical panturkists, and that it is therefore not surprising that some have not heard of the organization. 

– You could say that Gray wolf is an umbrella term to describe the most radical. In Azerbaijan, however, the Gray Wolves were associated with a militant branch that fought in the first Karabakh war in the 1990s. They were sponsored by extremist nationalists in Turkey. However, many were killed or imprisoned by Heydar Aliyev in 1995, and at the same time many of the country’s opposition panturists fled – including those who sympathized with Elchibey.

However, this is not the first time that the Azerbaijani Federation has been in bad weather.

As early as April 2016, when the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh flared up for the first time in 22 years, the national federation organized a demonstration at Sergels torg.

At the time, Barbaros Leylani, Vice-President of the Turkish Federation, was the speaker. In the acclaimed speech, he then exclaimed “The Turk wakes up! The Armenian dogs should beware. Death to the Armenian dogs. Death! Dead! ”, Which meant that Leylani was reported to the police and had to resign from his position of trust.

It was only a couple of days before the pictures of Mehmet Kaplan’s dinner with the Gray Wolves were leaked. 

Later, Leylani was convicted of incitement against an ethnic group for his statement.

The Azerbaijani Federation, which invited him as a speaker, was never held accountable.

When Blankspot contacts MUCF, they announce that a decision on the 2022 grant has been made, and that the associations have three weeks to appeal the decision.

The authority has still not investigated whether the associations should repay money for previous years.

The inquiry by the Swedish Confederation of Trade Unions refers to the financial years 2020 and 2021, and for that period the association received SEK 709,580. In the event of a refund claim, all or part of the amount can be requested back.

Congress was not granted a grant for 2021 and is not subject to repayment claims for at least that year. 

It is unusual for associations to be liable for repayment based on breaches of democratic conditions. The conditions are described in the decision:

According to Section 4 of the Ordinance (2008: 63) on state grants to organizations formed on an ethnic basis, grants may be awarded to organizations that conduct activities that do not conflict with the ideas of democracy. I prop. 2009/10: 55 pp. 155-157 stated i.a. the following about the condition that organizations in their activities must respect the ideas of democracy: The condition includes the same issues as the condition that the purpose must be compatible with the values ​​that characterize a democratic society, e.g. respect for human rights, non-discrimination, gender equality and the fight against racism. MUCF interprets this as meaning that both the purpose of the organization and the activities conducted must be compatible with the principle of equal value for all people.This means that grants may not be given to an organization if the person or its representatives within the framework of the activity act in a way that is contrary to the requirements of the ideas of democracy, including equality and the prohibition of discrimination. As a representative of an organization, it is serious to support non-democratic activities, even if it is not in the name of the organization.

For the Swedish Confederation of Trade Unions, MUCF’s administrator writes: “MUCF thus considers it problematic from a democracy point of view that there are representatives from the organization who support non-democratic activities.”

The most well-known example of an organization that has been forced to repay state subsidies is Sweden’s young Muslims, who in the Court of Appeal in 2019 were sentenced to repay SEK 1.3 million in violation of democratic conditions. The Doku Foundation wrote that the association was dissolved as a result of the repayment claim, and never managed to repay the money.

The day before publication, Blankspot applied to the Azerbaijani National Union and shared the article with them to give the organization the opportunity to submit comments. They have not returned.

Top image: A man makes the “wolf sign” at the demonstration on October 17, 2020. The wolf sign is the symbol of the Gray Wolves, but is also used in Azeri contexts to express the unification of Azerbaijan with the Azerbaijani parts of Iran. 

By RASMUS CANBÄCK

Ruben Rubinyan, who is the NA Deputy Speaker, has been appointed envoy from Armenia for the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations. There are some passages in Rubinyan’s biography that are dark for the citizens, they raise doubts about the young man’s activity in Turkey.

He is even called an agent of Turkish influence. At today’s January 17 sitting of the National Assembly, Rubinyan went out of his way many times, began to voice accusations left and right, said that there was no such person who could consider himself an agent, an agent of influence, and so on. Political commentator Nairi Hekhikyan later made a note that he had met Ruben Rubinyan when he was the Deputy Foreign Minister, he can say for sure that he does not even know what diplomacy is, let alone what the agent of influence is. Ruben Rubinyan is 32 years old. In 2006-2010 he studied at the Faculty of International Relations of Yerevan State University, after which he studied for a year at University College London (UCL), receiving a Master’s degree in “Politics and Security”.

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He studied for another year at the Jagiellonian University in Poland, receiving a master’s degree in “European Studies”. In 2017-2018, Ruben Rubinyan conducted research at the Istanbul Policy Center (IPC) at Sabancı գործողniversitesi within the framework of the Hrant Dink Foundation’s “Armenia-Turkey Experience Exchange Project” in Istanbul. Rubinyan’s research is dedicated to the influence of non-governmental organizations in the process of democratization in Turkey. The founder of Sabanci University is Turkish nationalist businessman Haj Omer. Nairi Hokhikyan writes that this businessman in 1934 ․ On the advice of Kemal Ataturk, he chose the surname Sabanj, with the help of the same Ataturk, took possession of the personal and church property of the Armenians of Adana, totaling $ 100 billion. It is believed that his children founded Sabanj University in 1994 for propaganda purposes, working there mainly with foreign students to become brainwashers and influence agents. There are many employees of the Turkish special services among the lecturers of that Turkish university. And so, in 2017-2018, Rubinyan did research at that university.

It happened in Armenia shortly before the revolution. The political commentator notes that the “Istanbul Policy Center” (IPC) at Sabanci University has just developed a “project to increase the role of NGOs and implement political changes through them.” And so, after a year of “studying” in London, Poland and Turkey, as a result of the well-known events of 2018, he was immediately appointed Deputy Foreign Minister, having never been in the diplomatic field before, but had worked almost nowhere at all. And his suspicious activity in Turkey gave rise to many people discussing the fact that he is an agent of Turkish influence on the Internet. By the way, only after these discussions was the episode of being in Turkey updated on Wikipedia. And he did not give a clear answer to the media inquiries about his “Turkish research”. And now the young envoy with such a dubious biography immediately becomes inflamed, his nerves give way when he is called an agent of influence.

The matter of distribution of the burden of proof was discussed Monday at the Yerevan court session on the case of the third President Serzh Sargsyan against well-known businessman Khachatur Sukiasyan, who is a member of the ruling majority “Civil Contract” Faction in the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia.

And the court obliged the defense to prove that the phrase, “You all know well, the third president lost more than 100 million dollars in casinos—in the same Baden-Baden,” is a fact presented about the plaintiff.

So, the defense must prove that the aforementioned expression is conditioned by the overriding public interest, as well as must prove that the presented fact is accurate.

Subsequently, the court adjourned until March 18.

A lawsuit has been filed with the court against Khachatur Sukiasyan—and with a demand to refute the information defaming the honor and good reputation of third President Serzh Sargsyan. A monetary compensation—in the amount of 1 million drams—has also been submitted as a claim.

The lawsuit is based on Sukiasyan’s statement made from the NA rostrum on August 25, 2021, that “The third president lost more than 100 million dollars in casinos.”

A little while ago, another incident was registered in the National Assembly between the deputies of the CP and the opposition “Armenia” faction. ” The session started in the morning with mutual accusations, insults, both of them criticize in their speeches, sometimes they insult each other. The situation escalated when the deputy of the “Armenia” faction Agnesa Khamoyan hinted to Ruben Rubinyan, as a representative of the Armenia-Turkey dialogue, that he was a “Turkish agent”. The CP deputies considered it their sacred duty to “put in place” Khamoyan.

Hakob Arshakyan, who replaced Alen Sinmonyan, spoke on the topic. “I will do that too.”

There was indignation in the opposition bloc, Rubinyan started shouting, then started running towards the representatives of the opposition bloc, then a break was announced. At the moment, the deputies are clearing the account.

The US informed Greece, Cyprus, and Israel that it no longer supports the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Pipeline (EastMed) project for both ecological and financial reasons, in addition to the excuse that the project causes tensions in the region. The EastMed agreement was signed by Greece, Cyprus and Israel in January 2020 in Athens and is supposed to transport hydrocarbons from Israeli and Cypriot fields to the Greek mainland via Cyprus and Crete, and in the long run possibly even to Italy.

Turkey immediately opposed the proposed 1,900 kilometer long pipeline. Ankara is illegally exploring for natural gas in Cypriot territorial waters and such a pipeline would end its provocations. In an attempt to cancel the EastMed pipeline, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed an agreement with the former Muslim Brotherhood government of Libya to carve up Greek maritime space between themselves – an action that received international condemnation and no support.

Nonetheless, the biggest question that emerges is why Washington changed its position on the EastMed pipeline when under President Joe Biden, the US in an unprecedented manner, was supposedly distancing its relations with Turkey in favor of Greece. According to various Greek media outlets, the change in Washington’s position is in the hope of avoiding clashes with Erdoğan or at least avoiding clashes until the end of the June 2023 Turkish election. According to Greek media, the State Department and the National Security Council are driven by the idea that Turkey, regardless of Erdoğan, should not be lost to the West.

The US Congress approved a bill in 2019 on cooperation with Eastern Mediterranean countries in the energy sector. At the time, they believed this cooperation would be a counterweight to Russian energy dominance in the European market. The new bill sought to make the US a key player in the Eastern Mediterranean gas market, strengthen military ties with Greece, and lift a four-decade arms embargo on Cyprus. The bill supposedly reaffirmed Washington’s intention to curb Turkey’s expansionist and aggressive ambitions in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Yet, Washington is now retreating and Greek authorities have not yet reacted publicly.

Since the accession of New Democracy to power in Greece in mid-2019, but especially after Biden entered the White House in January 2020, pro-US sentimentality in Greece grew to unprecedented levels. According to a June 2021 Pew Survey, 63% of Greeks viewed the US favourably, following Biden’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide and more direct rhetoric towards Turkey. None-the-less, according to the same survey, only 11% of Greeks found the US to be a “very” reliable partner.

It is recalled that a January 2020 Pew Survey found that 54% of Greeks viewed the US favourably, demonstrating the spike in pro-US sentimentality after Biden’s election. However, despite the hard fought good will earned in Greece, the US withdrawal from the EastMed Pipeline has dented pro-American sentiment and temporarily silenced Washington’s cheerleaders in Athens, something that will surely strengthen pro-French/European autonomy elements within the Greek State.

Division within the Greek state apparatus is frequently reported in media and by inside sources, who point to an ideological battle between those who follow Macron’s path towards a European autonomy, and those who blindly follow Washington’s interests in the region, even if they are to the detriment of Greek interests.

Those seeking for Greece’s balance with the US, China and Russia, under the umbrella of European autonomy and Macron’s vision of a Europe from Lisbon to Vladivostok, are vindicated once again as the US is not, and never has been, a trusted and reliable partner for Greece. In fact, this has even been noted by French media, with Observateur Continental writing: “They proved that Greece was not as important to Washington as Turkey. The United States has proven once again that no government, not even an ally, can trust them.”

It appears that the Foreign Ministry is aware of this fact. It is noted that Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias has maintained friendly relations with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, with the pair maintaining regular contact – the most recent being only a few days ago to discuss the situations in Libya, Syria and Kazakhstan. Lavrov commented: “we also see that Greece does not want to follow the path of worsening anti-Russian sanctions, Greece in principle does not feel satisfied with what is happening now between the West and the Russian Federation. We trust our Greek friends and that with their wisdom they will make the choice that meets their beliefs.”

However, despite Dendias’ success in maintaining Greece’s balance with the US, Russia and China, there is still a strong element within the Greek State, particularly from the Defence Ministry, that aims to capitulate to Washington’s interests. Although this element had been strengthening over the past two or so years, they were once again dealt a major blow following the repeated US pattern of abandoning its championship of liberalism, human rights and the rule of law for the sake of appeasing Turkey against Greek interests. This is in the hope that Turkey will stay in the Western camp.

READ MORE: TURKEY: Democratic Left Party calls for war with Greece over militarisation of Aegean islands.