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Armenian Opposition Rallies To Mark Anniversary Of Activist’s Death

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Anniversary Of Activist’s Death

Anniversary Of Activist’s Death

Several hundred supporters of a newly organized Armenian opposition group rallied in Yerevan to mark the one-year anniversary of the death of an activist who had been arrested for aiding antigovernment gunmen during a standoff with security forces.

The rally in Yerevan’s Liberty Square on March 16 was organized by the Front for the State of Armenia, which has called for opposition unity to force the creation of a provisional government and the release of political prisoners.

Speakers at the rally highlighted the case of Artur Sarkisian, 49, who died of heart failure on March 16, 2017, just days after being released from prison following a 25-day hunger strike.

Sarkisian had been jailed on charges of aiding armed members of a radical opposition group by delivering food to the gunmen during a two-week standoff with security forces in the summer of 2016.

In the incident, some 30 armed members of the group took hostages and barricaded themselves inside a police station. They eventually surrendered, but not until two police officers were killed and several injured during the standoff.

Rally speakers also callied for a combined effort by opposition groups to prevent outgoing President Serzh Sarkisian (no relation) from staying in power as prime minister after he completes his second and final term on April 9.

Following a referendum in December 2015, Armenia changed its form of government from a semipresidential to a parliamentary republic.

Skeptics see the constitutional reforms as a way for Sarkisian to maintain political control in Armenia by becoming prime minister when the mandate for his presidential term expires.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/armenian-opposition-rallies-anniversary-activists-death/29104757.html?ltflags=mailer

Online media resource which has long-term plans with readers: Tert.am celebrates 10th anniversary

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Tert.am celebrates 10th anniversary

Tert.am celebrates 10th anniversary

Tert.am’s editorial staff on Wednesday celebrated the website’s 10th anniversary in a solemn event organized at Grand Hotel Yerevan.Politicians from both the pro-government and opposition circles, public figuress, lawyers and human rights activists, as well colleagues from different media outlets attended the event to congratulate the website’s leadership and staff.“Tert.am spares no effort in its everyday work to earn the reputation of a credible resource. We are already 10 years old, so the day is a good opportunity for me to first of all express my gratitude [to our loyal readers] rather than to accept congratulations. I want to thank everybody for starting their day with Tert.am, for working with us, and showing trust and loyalty which you developed over the course of years,” the website’s general manager, Aram Antinyan, said in a greeting address.

He said that the website’s long-term plans with readers make it adhere to the standards of high journalisms every day by providing credible information and avoiding misleading headlines in the news flow.

Tert.am’s incredibly successful track record has made it a leading news site, said Artak Aleksanyan, the head of the News Department at Armenia TV. In his words, the website’s editorial policies can be a guideline for many other media outlets in Armenia. “This is a kind of website which can offer and change an economic, political and public agenda in the country,” Aleksanyan said.

 

MEMBERS OF CONGRESS COMMEMORATE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF ANTI-ARMENIAN PROGRAMS IN AZERBAIJAN

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Artsakh President and Delegation Arrives in Washington, D.C. upon Invitation by Armenian Caucus Leaders

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chair Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Vice Chair Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Congressman Jim Costa (D-CA) issued statements in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian pogroms in Sumgait, Kirovabad, and Baku, reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly). Invited by the Armenian Caucus leadership, a delegation from Artakh (Nagorno Karabakh), led by President Bako Sahakyan, are in Washington, D.C. for a week-long working visit, where they will be able to meet and speak with Members of Congress regarding strengthening the U.S.-Artsakh relationship.
Rep. Pallone said on the House floor: “On February 27, 1988, up to 200 Armenian civilians living in the city of Sumgait in Azerbaijan were indiscriminately killed, raped, maimed, and even burned alive for no reason other than their ethnicity. This senseless violence was instigated by hostile, anti-Armenian rhetoric from Azerbaijani citizens and officials against these innocent individuals. For three decades, Azerbaijan has taken steps to cover up these crimes against humanity and dismiss the atrocities at Sumgait. Even more disturbing is that perpetrators of these events and similar violent attacks have since been lauded as national heroes.” He added: “I will continue to work with my colleagues on the Congressional Armenian Issues Caucus to remember the victims of the pogroms at Sumgait and to condemn all acts of violence against people who are targeted simply because of their existence. I hope my colleagues will join me in rejecting violent rhetoric and intimidation by renewing our commitment to achieving a collective and lasting peace.”
Beginning in Sumgait in 1988, and spreading to the cities of Kirovabad in 1989 and Baku in 1990, armed mobs of Azerbaijani citizens took to the streets targeting Armenian residences and destroying Armenian-owned businesses while Azerbaijan security services stood by. The Sumgait pogrom was widely reported and roundly condemned, but the violence was never contained. Increasingly, anti-Armenian forces acted with impunity and the pogroms spread across Azerbaijan, leading to the military campaigns of the late 1980s to 1994 to deport the Armenians of Artsakh, until a cease-fire agreement was signed by Azerbaijan, Artsakh, and Armenia. Since then, the cease-fire agreement has been violated on a daily basis, and in April 2016 Azerbaijan resumed full-scale warfare for four days before it was prevailed upon to halt its aggression.
“Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the pogrom against the Armenian residents of the town of Sumgait, Azerbaijan. On February 27 1988, and for three days following, Azerbaijani mobs assaulted and killed Armenians. The violence left hundreds of Armenian civilians dead and injured, women and girls were raped, and some victims were burned alive. Thousands were forced to flee their homes, leaving behind their belonging,” Rep. Schiff informed his colleagues on the House floor. “The pogroms came about as the result of years of vicious, racist anti-Armenian propaganda by Azerbaijani authorities, dehumanizing Armenians. Azerbaijan authorities made little effort to punish those responsible, instead attempting to cover up the atrocities in Sumgait to this day, and denying the government role in instigating the killings. Indeed, even today, racist propaganda against Armenia and Armenians is prevalent in Azerbaijan,” he continued.
On February 28, Rep. Costa stated: “This week marks the 30th anniversary of the pogroms against people of Armenian descent in Sumgait, Azerbaijan. Yet, the violence and hatred of the pogroms failed in suppressing the Armenian people. Their dedication to self-determination burned on, and their refusal to sacrifice their freedom inspired democratic movements across the Soviet Union. To the thousands of Armenian Americans living in our San Joaquin Valley – and to Armenian people living throughout the world, l stand with you. We must continue to advocate for the protection of human rights and democratic freedoms, for the Armenian people, and for all.”
This year also marks the 30th anniversary of Artsakh’s Liberation Movement that was sparked in 1988 by the spreading threat of the pogroms. Armenian Caucus Co-ChairsRep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Rep. David Valadao (R-CA), and Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA)and Co-Vice Chair Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) provided remarks to commemorate this anniversary and congratulate the people of Artsakh.
“On behalf of the Armenian American community, I thank the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues for its leadership and principled stand in sending a strong message of support for Armenians in Artsakh in the face of Azeri aggression,” stated Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

Alert: ANCA SFV West Chapter to Host Conference on 30th Anniversary of Artsakh Liberation Movement

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The ANCA-San Fernando Valley West Chapter has organized a one day conference in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Artsakh Liberation Struggle to recap the history and demand of its people to self-determination, as well as to review international resolutions and agreements pertaining to its legal status.

The one-day conference will feature presentations by historian Garo Moumdjian, Ph.D, Editor and Columnist Harut Sassounian, ANCA National Board Member Steven Dadaian, Esq., A.R.F. Western US Central Committee Member Levon Kirakosian, Esq., and A.R.F. Western US Central Committee Member Vache Thomassian, Esq.

The conference will be held on Saturday March 17, 2018 from 10:00 am through 4:00 pm at the Holy Martyrs Ferrahian Armenian High School, located at
5300 White Oak Avenue in Encino, California.

Admission is free and refreshments will be served. The community and especially educators and students are encouraged to attend this informative and important conference.

For reservations or information, please contact nirva@kamarianlaw.com or Gurgen@ympklaw.com.

Congressional Armenian Caucus leaders mark 30th anniversary of Artsakh movement

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Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Jackie Speier (D-CA), David Valadao (R-CA) and Vice-Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA) congratulated the people of Artsakh on the 30th anniversary of the liberation movement with powerful videos first broadcast at February 13th celebrations in the Republic’s capital, Stepanakert,

“We join with Representatives Pallone, Schiff, Speier, and Valadao in marking Artsakh’s 30th anniversary of the independence movement, celebrating – along with friends of liberty from across the United States – this very American story of a free people’s victory over foreign rule,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “We look forward, in the days and weeks ahead, to continuing our robust cooperation with these legislators and each of their House and Senate colleagues on the full array of Artsakh-related public policy priorities before the U.S. Congress – from the FY19 appropriations bill to the Royce-Engel peace proposals and the U.S.-Artsakh Travel and Communication Resolution.”Congressional Armenian Caucus co-founder Frank Pallone, who has taken multiple trips to Artsakh over the past two decades, shared how he describes the progress of the Republic to his colleagues. “First thing that we tell [Members] in the Congress […] is about Arstakh being a democratic country, and a country that uses the rule of law. The second thing we talk about is your right to self-determination and the fact that under the Soviet Constitution – I can’t believe that I am mentioning the Soviet Constitution but I do – but under the Soviet Constitution you were an oblast and that you have the right, pursuant to referendum, to determine your own future and become an independent country.”

Iranians mark anniversary of Islamic Revolution with nationwide rallies

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Millions of Iranians have taken to the streets nationwide to mark the 39th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in a show of force, just weeks after scattered riots hit several cities and towns.   

This year’s rallies came after US President Donald Trump cheered the rioters in a volley of tweets which angered many Iranians who view the American leader’s entreaties as “hypocritical” after he called Iran a “terrorist nation.”

The vehemence of slogans cried out by huge masses of protesters on Sunday sought to reflect that anger toward the US and its president who has banned Iranians from traveling to the United States and refused to properly refer to the Persian Gulf.

In the capital Tehran, hundreds of thousands of people and officials descended on the iconic Azadi Square, where Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani called for “a year of unity” in a speech broadcast across the country.

“I request that the 40th year of the revolution, the coming year, be the year of unity. I ask principlists, reformists, moderates and all parties and all people to come and be together,” he said.

Armenian: Yerevan marks 2799th anniversary

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YEREVAN. – The 2799th anniversary of the foundation of Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia, is marked on Saturday.

And according to the tradition, the start of the respective celebrations was given early in the morning, and by the festive parade of water trucks.

This year’s Yerevan Day festivities are held under the slogan, “Yerevan, City of Love.”

Ankara police, activists clash on bombing anniversary

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boming-unverTurkish police used tear gas and plastic bullets to prevent pro-Kurdish activists holding a protest to mark the one-year anniversary on Monday of the country’s worst attack in its modern history in the capital Ankara, Freemalaysiatoday.com reports, citing an AFP correspondent.
One hundred and three people were killed on October 10, 2015 when suicide bombers said to be linked to Islamic State (IS) jihadists blew themselves up in a crowd of pro-Kurdish peace activists planning to hold a rally outside Ankara’s main train station, .
Nearly 500 people were wounded, some of whom are still receiving treatment.
A crowd of more than 150 chanted “murderous state” as a line of police and water cannon trucks refused to let them through to the site of the attack to commemorate the the one-year anniversary, the correspondent said.
Hundreds of people carrying placards and flags from different associations were also stopped by a group of at least 20 police officers carrying anti-riot shields.
Police then used tear gas and plastic bullets against the group, some of whom threw bottles and stones. Some were hit by police truncheons as they scattered, covering their mouths to limit the effects of the tear gas.
But demonstrators said relatives of the victims — including parents and children — had been allowed through to pay their respects at the site of the attack before the commemoration began.
When the moment came to pause for silence at the precise time of the attack at 10:04am (0704 GMT), the crowd burst into applause vowing that they would not let it ever be forgotten.
There has been considerable frustration among relatives of those killed over the slowness of the investigation and no-one has ever been brought to justice over the attack.
The attack came at a time of considerable social tension in Turkey as the government wages a crackdown against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and its supporters.

 

WikiLeaks turns 10: Biggest Government’s secrets exposed by whistleblowing project

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wikileaks-10-yearsOn Tuesday, WikiLeaks celebrates its 10th anniversary. The project aimed at exposing government and corporate secrets has evolved from an obscure citizen journalism site to a global phenomenon headed by an embassy-harbored fugitive.

RT takes a look at some of the highest-profile leaks that WikiLeaks was involved in over the decade.

Another early target for WikiLeaks was the Church of Scientology, which the organization branded as a for-profit cult. After its operating documents were published, the Church threatened an injunction.

Gitmo procedures

In 2007 WikiLeaks released classified standard operation procedures for treating terror suspects at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. It was revealed that some of the prisoners were designated off-limits for the International Committee of the Red Cross. Further documents about how Gitmo works were published over the years.

Collateral murder

In 2010 WikiLeaks had is publicity breakthrough after publishing classified footage showing US troops shooting from Apaches helicopters at targets on the ground in Baghdad, most of them civilians.

Shady trade deals

On several occasions WikiLeaks published classified draft texts of big international free trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement and others. Negotiated in secrecy, the deals were encroaching on civil freedoms, the organization said.

25th ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE OF ARMENIA the Almost 300 events in Armenia’s Independence 25th anniversary

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armenian-25-independenceArtur Boghosyan the Armenian Deputy Minister of Culture said that Yerevan and in the regions close to 300 different events are scheduled for the 25th anniversary of independence of the Republic of Armenia. The Ministry of Culture has long reflected on the content and purpose of these cultural, artistic and others.

“We realized that to best represent the cultural achievements of these years of independence, the best was to present by a classical music concert performed by this generation of young people born in the years of independence. And from all regions of Armenia we brought together 700 young people from 7 to 20 years and formed the orchestra and the chorus of “Independence Generation” told the Deputy Minister of Culture. At the concert on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of independence will be performed songs and music performed by singers and composers dedicated to Armenian independence.

Krikor Amirzayan