Source: factor.am

Armenian National Congress Vice-Chairman Levon Zurabyan filed a criminal complaint regarding Prime Minister Pashinyan’s statement. Let us recall that the day before yesterday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, responding to the observation that the Government had accepted that the Stockholm Arbitration Award was subject to mandatory execution, stated: “I am the Government, if there is anyone who contradicts my position, let them write an application right now and go.”

In this regard, Levon Zurabyan cited Article 42 of the RA Constitution on the right to freely express one’s opinion. “CONSTITUTION OF ARMENIA: “Article 42. Freedom of expression Everyone has the right to freely express his or her opinion. This right includes the freedom to hold one’s own opinion, as well as the freedom to seek, receive and disseminate information and ideas through any media, without interference by state and local self-government bodies and regardless of state borders.” LAW OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA ON THE STRUCTURE AND ACTIVITIES OF THE GOVERNMENT (Adopted on March 23, 2018). “Article 11. Government decisions 1. Decisions on legislative initiative and sub-legislative normative legal acts of the Government are adopted by a majority vote of the total number of members of the Government, by oral vote. Other decisions of the Government are adopted by a majority vote of the members of the Government participating in the session, by oral vote. Members of the Government participating in the session are obliged to participate in the vote. Members of the Government vote for or against. In case of a tie, the Prime Minister’s vote is decisive.” NIKOL PASHINIAN. “No one in the Government can have a position that contradicts my position. I am the Government. If there are people who have a position that contradicts my position, let them write an application and leave the buildings. If not, I will remove them myself.” REPORT ON A CRIMINAL OFFENSE. This statement by Nikol Pashinyan contains the features of an act provided for by Article 441 of the Criminal Code. Due to the fact of the commission of an apparent crime, I demand that the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia accept this note as a report on the commission of an alleged crime and initiate criminal proceedings on the fact. CRIMINAL CODE OF THE RA. “Article 441 Abuse of power or official authority or influence resulting from them by an official or abuse of authority 1. The use by an official of his power or official authority or influence resulting from them to the detriment of state or official interests, or failure to perform or improper performance of his official duty, or the commission of an act that does not arise from his authority or is beyond the scope of his authority, which has caused significant damage to the rights, freedoms or legitimate interests of a person or organization or the legitimate interests of society or the state, is punishable by a fine in the amount of twenty to forty times the minimum wage, or by deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term of three to seven years, or by restriction of liberty for a term of one to three years, or by short-term imprisonment for a term of one to two months, or by imprisonment for a term of one to four years. 2. The act provided for in Part 1 of this Article, which: 1) was committed by using violence or by threatening to use violence…,” Zurabyan wrote.

You can read the full article at this address: https://factor.am/925324.html?

By Harut Sassounian

As expected, Pres. Donald Trump turned the White House Summit for “peace” in the Caucasus into a farcical show, constantly engaging in self-flattery, taking credit for things he had not done, blaming Pres. Biden, and frequently straying from the subject of the meeting.

Trump had only one purpose for organizing this White House event: to secure the Nobel Peace Prize for allegedly brokering peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, claiming it was something no one else could achieve in 35 years.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump shamelessly glorified himself: “Many leaders have tried to end the War, with no success, until now, thanks to ‘TRUMP.’” He also took credit for settling several other conflicts in which he had zero involvement. He conveniently failed to mention his arrogant campaign promise to resolve the war in Ukraine “within 24 hours of taking office.” He has now been President for seven months, yet the war persists.

Cunningly, both Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Pres. Ilham Aliyev, aware of Trump’s egotistical tendencies, eagerly engaged in groveling behavior. They even offered to sign a joint letter urging the Nobel Committee to award Trump the Peace Prize — a gesture that delighted him.

The serious issue of addressing the disputed transit road from mainland Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave through Armenia quickly degenerated into farce with the announcement that it would be called “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP) — yet another example of Trump’s vanity.

The “Peace Treaty” Pashinyan has been touting for months was not signed as announced, but merely initialed during last week’s White House Summit, rendering it a non-binding document. Aliyev has no interest in signing the treaty, knowing that doing so would eliminate his leverage to demand further concessions from Pashinyan, who has thus far capitulated to all his demands. Aliyev will delay signing the treaty until Pashinyan fulfills yet another Azeri demand to amend Armenia’s Constitution, a process that will take 10 more months.

Armenians remain unaware of the “Peace Treaty’s” terms. It is reportedly set for release on August 11. We will then discover what kind of concessions Pashinyan has made to Azerbaijan. He is also violating the pledge he made in 2018 to a large crowd in Yerevan’s Republic Square that he would not sign any agreement without first securing their approval.

Pashinyan has deceived the Armenian public by claiming he is delivering peace to Armenia — hoping that such a promise will help him retain his seat after next year’s parliamentary elections. For Aliyev, this so-called “Peace Treaty” is merely a piece of paper he can violate at will after signing. Should Azerbaijan attack Armenia, neither Eastern nor Western powers will intervene. The Armenian public should not vainly expect the U.S. government to send troops to defend Armenia’s borders. The memorandum signed last Friday makes clear that this is strictly a commercial, not military, arrangement.

There are numerous problems with Pashinyan’s contradictory positions. Months ago, when an Armenian journalist asked if he would consider granting management of the transit road to an international organization, he categorically rejected the idea. Yet, he just handed the transit road road foeign entity.

Here is another broken promise. A few months ago, when Aliyev demanded that Armenia agree to disband OSCE’s Minsk Group of mediators, Pashinyan said he would do so upon signing the “Peace Treaty.” Yet, last Friday Pashinyan signed the White House Memorandum calling for the dissolution of the Minsk Group — even though Aliyev had not signed the treaty.

More ominously, the initialed “Peace Treaty” contains no provision for the release of Armenian hostages held in Baku, withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia’s territory occupied since 2021, or the right of return for 120,000 displaced Artsakh Armenians, despite the International Criminal Court’s ruling for their repatriation. This is a reward for Aliyev’s criminal behavior. Until Azerbaijan reverses course on these issues, Pashinyan should have refused to initial or sign the treaty. I hope he is not relying on promises from Trump, who refused to recognize the Armenian Genocide on April 24 — even though Congress and Pres. Biden had recognized it.

In 2020, Armenia agreed to provide Azerbaijan with a transit road through its territory in exchange for the Lachin Corridor linking Artsakh to Armenia. Since then, Azerbaijan has occupied Artsakh and the Lachin Corridor, eliminating Armenia’s obligation to uphold the ceasefire agreement. This transit link is the “Turan Road,” the Century-old dream of the Turkic world, connecting Turkey and Azerbaijan to the Turkic republics of Central Asia. Regrettably, these issues appear to matter little to Pashinyan, who is more focused on retaining his seat than protecting Armenia’s interests.

One of the major gains for Azerbaijan during last Friday’s White House ceremony was the suspension of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, passed by Congress in 1992, which prohibited direct U.S. government assistance to Azerbaijan. Now Azerbaijan is able to purchase billions of dollars’ worth of advanced U.S. weapons that could be used against Armenia. How does that promote peace?

No details were provided to the public about U.S. management of the transit road. Why was it granted for 99 years with an option to extend another 99 years — effectively handing it to the U.S. government indefinitely, at the expense of Armenia’s sovereignty? It is also unclear what benefit Armenia stands to gain from the billions of dollars’ worth of goods transiting its territory.

For years, Pashinyan objected to Aliyev’s demand for a “corridor” instead of a road through Armenia. A corridor implies that the transit road would be considered Azeri territory. Yet, when Pres. Trump spoke at the White House Summit, he referred to the road as a “corridor.” Furthermore, the agreement signed by the three leaders includes the problematic term “unimpeded” transit. What exactly does “unimpeded entail? Does it mean Armenia has no right to inspect the passports and luggage of those crossing into its territory from Azerbaijan?

Here is the bottom line of the White House Summit: Trump may get his Nobel Peace Prize; Aliyev, Erdogan, and the Turkic World will secure their transit through Armenia; meanwhile Armenia will outsource its sovereign territory and alienate Iran, its only regional ally.

By Wally Sarkeesian

Authenticity is often praised as the highest virtue in our culture—“Just be yourself,” we’re told. But what if that very idea is a myth? What if no one is ever truly authentic?

In truth, being human means being social, and to be social is to perform. From early childhood, we learn how to adapt, please others, say the right things, and present ourselves in ways that are acceptable or likable. We play roles to fit in, to survive, to be loved. In that sense, we are all actors—constantly shifting our behavior depending on context, company, and circumstance.

Even those who seem effortlessly real or raw are often just skilled at appearing authentic. They’ve learned how to create that impression, how to project sincerity. But make no mistake: they are still performing, still choosing what to show and what to conceal.

The truth is, no one ever says exactly what they’re thinking all the time. We filter ourselves. We calculate. We adjust. The polished version of ourselves that we present to the world is curated, whether consciously or not.

So, when we admire someone for being “authentic,” what we’re often admiring is their ability to act authentic in a way that resonates. But it’s still a performance.

And maybe that’s not a bad thing. Perhaps it’s simply what it means to be human.

Significant developments are occurring. The leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahçeli, has invited Öcalan to the Parliament and requested him to make a call to “end terrorism and dissolve the PKK.”

A Kurdish politician named İbrahim Halil shared the following information, which he claimed to have received from PKK circles in Kandil, stating, “I am providing this as information, not as a comment.”

1- Abdullah Öcalan is to be released (possible date: Nevruz – March 2025);

2- Öcalan will announce that “the armed struggle is over and the PKK is being dissolved!”;

3- Öcalan may receive a “political ban” and will settle in Erbil;

88 senior PKK leaders will not be allowed to enter Turkey; 34 of them will stay with Öcalan in Erbil; the others may seek asylum in Norway or Greece! The remaining members can benefit from the repentance law and return to Turkey;

4- Sentences for those in prison will be reduced, and those who have completed their sentences will be released;

5- Both Kurdish and Turkish will be used in municipalities;

6- The principle of strengthened local governance is being accepted;

7- Kurdish will be taught up to the 8th grade (it is unclear whether it will be an elective course or the language of instruction);

8- It is agreed upon that Demirtaş will remain in prison for at least 22 years;

9- Regarding Rojava: The PKK has requested that Rojava be officially recognized by Turkey. Turkey, in turn, has asked for the removal of Mazlum Kobani from his position. A new name has been proposed, but it has not been disclosed to avoid any damage. The Rojava Kurds will either join the Free Syrian Army (FSA) affiliated with Turkey and come under Turkey’s control, or if they do not accept this, Turkey will act as a guarantor, and they will join the Syrian Army. The aim is to free Rojava from US control…

The item numbers are mine. Looking at the paper in front of him, the speaker also used expressions like “I won’t say this for now” for some items.

Source: Taner Akcam 

In 1980, Al-Sahir started teaching music. Two years later, he pursued studies at the Institute of Music of Baghdad.^[4] By 1988, he gained popularity in many Arab countries with compositions such as “Ladghat El-Hayya” and “Abart El-Shat”. His musical career was hindered by the outbreak of the Gulf War in 1990. After leaving Iraq, his songs and titles championed the Iraqi people while they lived under Saddam Hussein‘s rule and Western sanctions.^[5] In 2011, he was named a goodwill ambassador by the UNICEF.^[6]

Al-Sahir has performed a wide range of Arabic music from pop to classical and singing in most Arabic dialects.^[7] His music is known for fusing traditional Arabic melodies with diverse international music forms. He has collaborated with international stars such as Quincy Jones, Sarah Brightman, Lenny Kravitz, and had frequent partnerships with the revered Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani. His romantic poetry in music has established him as a cultural icon.^[8]

He appeared as a judge in the television show The Voice: Ahla Sawt from 2012 to 2015, alongside Assi El Hallani, Sherine, and Saber Rebai.^[9] In 2020, he appeared on the frontpage of Vogue Man Arabia.^[10]

Biography

Al Sahir was born in Mosul, Iraq on September 12, 1957, to a Sunni father and a Shia mother from Najaf. His father lived in Baghdad but was a Samarra native from the tribe of Darraj.^{[citation needed]} Kadhem Al Sahir grew up and spent a large part of his life in Al-Hurrya neighborhood in Baghdad.

Apart from his mother, Al Sahir’s family were never supportive of his direction in becoming a musician. They had no faith in him that he would become successful, and instead wanted him to become a doctor or a lawyer. Al Sahir’s brother once took him to different places where people usually sang, and told him it was his choice to sing in a respectful way, or he could choose to do it the bad way. He said that the only way to achieve success is for one to respect his music and respect himself.^[11]

Al Sahir left Iraq in the early 1990s after the Gulf War. He did not have a permanent residence and frequently moved, mainly between Cairo, Dubai, Beirut, and Paris, though as of 2022 he settled with his family in Rabat, Morocco. He has two sons, Wisam and Omar Al Sahir, both of them married.^[12] Kadim is also a grandfather to Wisam’s daughter Sana.^[13]

In February 2019, Kadim officially asked to change his last name from Al Samarai to Al Sahir.^[14]

Professional career

1995–2000

He later moved to Lebanon, where he met and formed a songwriting partnership with Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani in 1996;^[15] Qabbani wrote lyrics to his music before settling permanently in Cairo. Qabbani, who previously wrote lyrics for superstars of the 1960s and 1970s like Abdel Halim Hafez and Najat Al Saghira,^[16] wrote the lyrics to more than 30 of Al Sahir’s songs. In addition to Qabbani’s poems, Al Sahir sang both political and romantic songs for Iraq and Baghdad, highlighting the feelings of the citizens of Iraq as well as their tragedies.

Al Sahir continued to release albums and tour, having become a big name in Middle Eastern music. His ballads grew bigger and more romantic, but he would also write classically influenced works, even when they might hurt his popularity.

By 1998, he had ten albums under his belt and was lauded as an artist, not just a pop star. That prestige brought him wider fame and a growing international reputation that won him a UNICEF award for his song “Tathakkar“, which he performed in the U.S. for Congress and the United Nations–one of the first real post-Gulf War cultural exchanges. The following year, he recorded a tribute to the Pope with the Italian Symphony Orchestra.

Releasing numerous albums and touring extensively, Al Sahir has become both a high-grossing superstar and a respected musical artist. His reputation has continued to grow through collaborations with European and North American artists, including Sarah Brightman and Lenny Kravitz. He continues to live abroad, residing alternately in Cairo, Dubai, Paris, and Toronto.

2004–present: Collaborations

Following the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, Al Sahir’s music changed to reflect new regional and global attention to Iraq during wartime. As scholar Christopher Phillips writes in Everyday Arab Identity (2012):

“Although Iraqi singers were not historically that well known due to their isolation from the wider Arab world during Saddam Hussein’s rule, Kathem al-Saher made a name for himself after 2003, singing in classical Arabic, often about the destruction of Iraq under occupation and war. His success might indicate a certain level of Arab solidarity, with viewers opting to show their support for Iraq through the purchase of songs depicting its misfortune.”^[17]

In 2004, Al Sahir collaborated with Lenny Kravitz and released an anti-war song at Rock The Vote, titled “We Want Peace”, and shortly afterward released a song entitled “The War Is Over” (Entahat al harab) with Sarah Brightman, which was released on her album Harem and his album Hafiat Al-Kadamain. Both of these international duets were executive produced by Dergham Owainati, of EMI Music Arabia, for Kadim’s part.

In 2004, Al Sahir continued to work with various international artists including Grammy Award-winning producers KC Porter, and Quincy Jones. His collaboration “Love & Compassion” (Hob Wa Haneen) was the title track for the Arab American National Museum Collector’s edition honoring the artists that have made the most significant difference with international audiences. The track features Grammy winning singer/songwriter Paula Cole, Def Jam recording artist Karina Pasian, and Luis Conte and was produced by KC Porter and Dawn Elder.^[18]

In 2004, he participated in the worldwide broadcast concert special “We are the Future” produced by Quincy Jones and coordinated by Dawn Elder at the Roman Maximos Stadium in Rome for the benefit of the children of the world. In December 2004, he participated in the opening of the Gulf Football Championship (Khaleeji 17) in which he performed the return of Iraq Operette which was broadcast live on 10 satellite channels. Additionally, in 2004, he was the first Arab artist to participate in Unity, the official album of the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Releasing his album Ila Tilmitha on November 11, 2004. The album contains collaborations with the Moroccan Asma Lamnawar whom Kadim Al Sahir discovered earlier and introduced to the Arab world in her first due song with Kadim “ashko ayaman”. The album also included the song “Ahbeni,” written by poet Nizar Qabbani, shot as a video clip by Husien Duibes; it became a major hit in the year 2004 alongside the song “Ila Tilmitha.”

UNICEF named Al Sahir as the new Goodwill Ambassador for Iraq for the year 2011. For Al Sahir, this was a compelling reason to visit his country after 14 years^[19]

He sang Bokra (“Tomorrow”), a charity single that was released on November 11, 2011, at 11:11 pm, along with Rim Banna, Akon, Tamer Hosni, Diana Karazon, Marwan Khoury, Latifa, Souad Massi, Hani Mitwassi, Saber El Robai, Wa’ed, Sherine, and other Arab artists. The single distributed the proceeds of its donations to various organisations, especially institutions and charities with arts and culture programs. The eight-minute song was written by Majida Al-Roumi and was produced by Quincy Jones and RedOne.

He debuted as a coach for MBC The Voice Kids, and his team member Lynn Hayek from Lebanon was the winning contestant in the Season 1 Finale held on March 5, 2016.

In collaboration with an Abu Dhabi cultural foundation, he performed solo in his first virtual hybrid concert in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kadim_Al_Sahir

By Harut Sassounian,

Azerbaijan’s dictatorial and corrupt government is paying $4.7 million to a US PR firm in order to whitewash its tarnished image before hosting the prestigious COP29 international conference in Baku this November.

In February, Azerbaijan hired the American public relations firm Teneo Strategy to make “the warring petrostate look like a Mother Teresa,” according to Nick Cleveland-Stout, who wrote an article in ResponsibleStatecraft.org titled “How Azerbaijan is ‘peace washing’ its image ahead of COP29; Baku is hosting the climate summit in November with some help from a high-priced PR firm.”

To earn its excessive pay, Teneo contacted “144 journalists in 88 different global media outlets some 500 times to promote Azerbaijan’s COP29 agenda….  In just one day, the PR firm … treated three journalists to dinner at a five-star hotel restaurant in Nagorno-Karabakh during a media forum. The very next day, one of them celebrated Azerbaijan’s newly established control of the region in an article published in Pakistan. A few weeks later, he tweeted that Azerbaijan is ‘lucky to have such a leader’ in President Ilham Aliyev.” 

An Azerbaijani official announced that his country had hired Teneo to “establish the COP29’s communications function, including narrative development, initial content development, communications and engagement campaign planning, issues management, organizational development, establishing media relations capability, and media training.” Nick Cleveland-Stout reported that “At least five Teneo executives are always on the ground in Baku — racking up a tab of $350,000 on airfare and hotels to date.”

Hikmat Hajiyev, Pres. Aliyev’s top advisor, shamelessly announced a “COP29 Truce,” meaning that Azerbaijan is calling on all warring parties in the world to declare a ceasefire during the November conference. Such a deceitful announcement is being made by a country whose leader has been issuing repeated threats to invade Armenia. This reminds us of the biblical admonition: “Physician, heal thyself!”

Nick Cleveland-Stout wrote: “Azerbaijan has become notorious for flaunting its oil wealth to court foreign officials, lawmakers, and journalists with gifts, free flights, and luxury hotels, dubbed ‘caviar diplomacy’…. According to a trip itinerary obtained by RS [Responsible Statecraft] via a Freedom of Access Act Request, state lawmakers from Maine spent nine days in Azerbaijan in May with flights, food, and lodging paid for by the State Committee on Work with Diaspora of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the same agency that hosted [NY Mayor Eric] Adams’ aides. Part of the itinerary included two days learning about ‘new development after liberation from occupation’ in Nagorno-Karabakh. ‘Guess I should locate my passport. I am very excited!’ wrote State Representative Jill Duson in response to the invitation. In June, Azerbaijan’s embassy in Washington even hired former Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) in part to coordinate congressional delegation visits to Azerbaijan.”

Furthermore, Nick Cleveland-Stout mentioned that Azerbaijan had hired another PR company, “The Friedlander Group, a firm retained by Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry, [which] is leading the charge on Capitol Hill in Washington. An email obtained by RS shows that the firm sent an email on September 23 to members of Congress asking them not to sign onto a congressional letter calling for Baku to release Armenian prisoners ahead of COP29.” The firm’s CEO, Ezra Friedlander, wrote to members of Congress “we owe Azerbaijan praise, an apology and an open hand.”

Returning to the PR firm, Teneo, Nick Cleveland-Stout reported that: “When Azerbaijan flew out some 300 foreign journalists to the newly-controlled Nagorno-Karabakh region for a media forum in July, Teneo held meetings and hosted expensive dinners — during which it discussed interviews with Azerbaijan’s COP leadership team.”

The RS reporter wrote that: “Three days after meeting with Teneo, the influential Indian newspaper, The Hindu, published an article titled “Climate conference in November to emphasize ‘peace’ and ‘truce.’” The firm also “facilitated a New York Times article featuring [Mukhtar] Babayev [COP’s president] in Azerbaijan that was based in part on a trip to Nagorno-Karabakh.”

Teneo has assigned a 17-person team to the pro-Azeri PR task. Azerbaijan’s officials are very pleased by the propaganda Teneo is doing for their country. Babayev told Azeri TV that “the government’s media strategy to change international perceptions of Azerbaijan is a success story, including its ‘restoration of territorial integrity,’ referring to its offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh. Without mentioning Teneo by name, he credited a new media team ‘consisting of serious specialists’…. Thanks to the work of this professional team, there has not been a week this year when we have not provided information and made statements to international media…. Now they all understand and see the strength of our country.”

The most unfortunate issue is that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is the one who allowed Azerbaijan to host the conference by lifting Armenia’s veto in return for the release of 32 Armenian prisoners of war in exchange for two Azeri murderers who penetrated Armenia’s border in 2023 and killed an innocent Armenian worker. 

While I welcome the return of the 32 Armenian prisoners, I believe that Pashinyan should have bargained for Azerbaijan’s release of all Armenian prisoners of war and the eight Artsakh political hostages held in Baku. Pres. Aliyev was so obsessed with hosting the prestigious UN conference in Azerbaijan that he would have agreed to such a comprehensive deal.

If Pashinyan had made such a deal, Armenians and sympathetic non-Armenians around the world would not have needed to work so hard to pressure Azerbaijan to release all the Armenian detainees prior to the November conference.

On Monday, approximately 60 police officers attempted to storm the Simon Vratsian Center in Yerevan, the headquarters of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Supreme Council of Armenia.

According to a statement from the Council, police officers “provoked and attacked party leaders who blocked their illegal entry into the building.”

The statement continued, “Using brute force—behavior typical of street hooligans or a pack of animals—dozens of officers detained ordinary citizens, including Ashot Simonyan, Chair of the ARF Supreme Council of Armenia and a Member of Parliament, employing overt physical violence.”

The ARF Supreme Council of Armenia characterized these actions as orchestrated by a criminal group aiming to undermine Armenia’s Constitutional order. “Nikol Pashinyan, the ringleader and head of this criminal group, is determined to pursue his anti-patriotic agenda. To advance his illegal actions against citizens and political parties, he has turned state institutions into tools of criminal activity,” the statement asserted.

The statement urged local and international organizations promoting democracy and human rights, as well as diplomatic representatives, to assess the actions of this group that has undermined the constitutional order and usurped the government.

“We are confident these crimes will not go unpunished. We demand that the Prosecutor General’s Office and investigative bodies immediately initiate criminal proceedings against the police officers involved in these crimes, as well as against Nikol Pashinyan, who authorized these illegal actions and guarantees their impunity. Otherwise, the Prosecutor General’s Office and investigative bodies will also face severe consequences as accomplices to these crimes,” the statement continued.

The ARF reaffirmed its stance that such methods will not stop them and declared that their campaign against the criminal regime destroying Armenia’s statehood will persist. “In the name of Armenia and the defense of the Armenian people’s rights, we call on Armenians to unite in support of this sacred movement,” the statement concluded.