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King Philippe of Belgium together with his family members are in Armenia on a private visit, acting press secretary of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia Anna Naghdalyan told ARMENPRESS.
“I can affirm that the Belgian Royal Family is in Armenia on a private visit”, Naghdalyan said.
She provided no other details.
The Conrad Hotel in Brussels where the servants were held
The trial has begun of eight princesses from the United Arab Emirates who brought their servants to Europe without a work visa and then held them in inhumane conditions. The case could have far-reaching consequences.
Princess Shekha Alnehayan and her seven daughters travelled to Brussels regularly. In 2008 they rented their usual luxury suite in the Conrad Hotel for several months. And they brought along at least 20 servants, who had to attend to every wish 24 hours a day, without enough food, without a bed – and without a visa, let alone a work permit for Brussels.
Now the eight princesses stand accused of violating labor regulations and of human trafficking.
Overworked and unpaid
“The servants were not paid, they worked day and night and had to sleep on the floor. The princesses shouted at them and abused them continually,” says Patricia LeCocq, spokesperson for the Belgian human rights organization “Myria.”Read: Qatar announces labor reforms but critics pounce
Things only came to light when one of the servants fled and reported the case to the police. That triggered an investigation and police found the allegations to be true: The women were being held in inhumane conditions. A large-scale investigation was launched and the case landed in a Belgian court.
But it took nine years for the actual trial to get underway.
The Alneyahans are one of the most influential families in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and made international headlines when they bought the Premier League football club Manchester City.
Belgian media reported that the royal family’s lawyer repeatedly claimed police had violated the princesses’ rights by searching their hotel rooms. The ensuing legal battle took years.
No isolated incident
Furthermore, the case was largely ignored by the press. “I couldn’t believe that the media didn’t report on this more,” says Nicholas McGeehan from Human Rights Watch. He has been researching human rights abuses in the Gulf States for many years.
He confirms that this is not the only incident of servants being brought from the Gulf to Europe illegally and then mistreated. In January, the European Court of Human Rights heard a similar case. A family from Dubai had brought three Philippino servants with them on a short trip to Vienna. There, the women had to look after the children and do household chores around the clock. Whenever they made a mistake their employers would shout at them and threaten them.
Read: Welfare of Philippine workers focus of Duterte’s Gulf tour
The servants feared for their lives and turned to the police. An Austrian human rights organization took up their case and brought it before the court in Strasbourg. The result, however, was sobering. The court decided a trial would have “no realistic chance of success.” The accused had long since left the country, the court said, and no agreement exists between Austria and the UAE that could provide a legal framework for prosecution.
YEREVAN. – Armenia and Belgium will collaborate in the air transportation sector, within the framework of Armenia’s “open skies” policy.
Draft of the new respective intergovernmental agreement was approved at Thursday Cabinet meeting of the Government of Armenia.
The new agreement will specify an uninhibited competition for the air carriers of the two countries.
Minister of Economy Artsvik Minasyan introduced the corresponding draft decision. In his words, the approval of the said draft will enable to expand Armenian-Belgian collaboration in the aviation sector, and contribute to the development of tourism and economic relations between both countries.
YEREVAN. – The President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, on Tuesday sent condolences to Prime Minister Charles Michel of Belgium.
Sargsyan extended his commiseration in connection with Tuesday’s blasts that occurred at the Brussels international airport and subway, and which claimed dozens of innocent lives.
“At this difficult time I express my condolences and support to you, the people of friendly Belgium and relatives of the dead, wishing fortitude and patience,” the President’s message reads. “Armenia strongly condemns any act of terrorism, and it is committed to contribute to the international fight against this evil.”
Thirteen people were killed and 35 others were injured in two explosions that occurred Tuesday morning at Brussels Zaventem airport. The Belgian prosecutor’s office confirmed that a suicide bomber had carried out this attack.
There were two more explosions in the Schuman and Maalbeek stations of the subway system of the Belgian capital city. At present, 15 people are reported dead and 55 others injured in these blasts.
A large cargo of shotguns without transportation permits has been seized by the Italian police at the Port of Trieste. The 847 Turkish-made Winchester shotguns worth about €500,000 were on their way to Belgium.The weapons were declared along with other cargoes destined for Germany and the Netherlands on a Dutch-registered truck driven by a Turkish citizen. Gun shipments from Turkey are nothing new in Trieste, but this time the shipment was missing a key document: authorization for transportation in the EU.
The shipment consisted of 847 pump-action Winchester shotguns: 781 SXP 12-51 and 66 SXP 12-47 models, La Stampa reports.
A major seizure,” the chief prosecutor of Trieste, Carlo Mastelloni, commented, stressing that the Guardia di Finanza (Financial Police) “have done well for encouraging controls in the port, a sensitive area that affects business in the commercial city of Trieste.”
Given the terror threat in Europe, the seizure in Trieste has drawn “an extremely high level of attention,” said Lieutenant Colonel Gabriel Baron, commander of the Guardia di Finanza in Trieste.
Following the seizure, Trieste’s public prosecutor accused the Turkish exporter of unauthorized weapons’ trading.
The port in Trieste remains one of the largest gateways for European trade with Turkey.
“At this time we work as closely as possible on what passes through the port, which records 250,000 cargoes annually to and from Turkey,” according to Nicola Palladino, head of Trieste’s anti-fraud office.
This is not the first time European law enforcement has seized a shipment of Turkish-made weapons.
In September, the Hellenic Coast Guard of Greece intercepted two sea containers loaded with some 5,000 pump-action combat shotguns and nearly 500,000 rounds of US-made 9mm ammo, on the Haddad I cargo ship off the port of Heraklion in Crete.
The Haddad I departed from the Turkish port of Iskenderun and was heading to the Libyan city of Misrata. After intelligence services informed the Greek coastal guards about the ship’s cargo of guns, the vessel was intercepted south of Crete by the Open Sea Coast Patrol.
Emir Kir, Turkish MP of Belgian Parliament,
Emir Kir, Turkish MP of Belgian Parliament, also voted for the adoption of the resolution on acknowledging the Armenian Genocide, the Belgian newspaper Le Soir reports, referring to the resolution passed by the House of Representatives of the Belgian Parliament Thursday.
The resolution was adopted in response to the proposal introduced by Belgium PM Charles Michel, who acknowledged the Armenian Genocide on behalf of the Belgian government on June 18, the newspaper notes.
Emir Kir, MP and burgomaster of Sint-Joost-ten-Node district, drew attention to himself by being absent during the minute of silence commemorating the Armenian Genocide, this putting him on the firing line. Nevertheless, Kir was present in the parliament on Thursday and voted in favor of the resolution.
As reported earlier, the Chamber of Representatives of Belgium Parliament passed a resolution on acknowledging the Armenian Genocide Thursday. The motion passed by a vote of 124 for, none against, and 8 abstentions. Although the Belgian opposition criticized the document, finding it too weak and insufficiently unambiguous, they also voted in favor.
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Turkey has warned that adoption of a resolution condemning the centennial anniversary of Anatolian Armenians deaths during the World War I as genocide by the Belgian Chamber of Deputies will have a deep impact on bilateral relations between the two countries, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.
With the resolution adopted on July 23, Turkey has once more been “unfairly indicted, historical facts have been distorted and law has been ignored,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a written statement released on July 24.
Тhe statement continued onto to say the decision was part of a campaign aimed at defaming Turkish identity and history, which had started early in 2015, while recalling Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel’s recognition of the deaths of Armenians by Ottoman Turkish forces during World War I as genocide in remarks delivered in June.
“[…] The grave picture that has emerged with the July 23 decision of the Chamber of Deputies [was] met with regret by the Belgian Turkish community and has deeply impacted our bilateral relations,” the ministry, questioning why Belgian deputies spared time on the issue instead of dealing with serious challenges Europe faces, including an economic crisis.
“It should be understood that this and similar decisions that have been made do not serve the Turkish-Armenian conciliation in any way,” the ministry concluded in its statement.
Back in June, upon Michel’s remarks, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that the remarks were “neither acceptable nor excusable,” adding that the Belgian leader had “politicized” the issue.
Michel’s remarks came after the European Parliament in April adopted a resolution to recognize the Armenian genocide, which enraged Turkey.
Turkey says it shares the pain of Armenians over the events but has vehemently rejected the use of the term genocide, contending that hundreds of thousands of Muslims and Christians were killed on both sides in a wartime tragedy.
In April, Pope Francis drew Turkey’s wrath after describing the killings as “the first genocide of the 20th century.”
Ankara subsequently pulled its ambassador from the Vatican, as well as from Austria, Brazil and Luxembourg.
Belgian Chamber of Deputies Recognises the Armenian Genocide
Brussels, 23 July, 2015: Today, the deputies at the plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies of Belgium with an overwhelming majority voted for the resolution recognising the Armenian Genocide. After yesterday’s passionate debate in the plenary session, where all party representatives in their speeches condemned the Genocide perpetrated by Ottoman Turkey and stressed the need for Turkey to recognise the Armenian Genocide, and by today’s resolution, Belgium’s both Parliaments (Senate, 1998) and the federal government (June 2015) have now recognised the Armenian Genocide. The Flemish Parliament has also recognised the Armenian Genocide on 22 April, 2015.
Mr. Peter De Roover (N-VA) was the first to speak. He showed his solidarity with the Armenian people, by wearing the ‘forget-me-not’ commemorative pin of the centenary of the Genocide. He called on the Turkish authorities to recognise the Armenian Genocide and to stop the denial policy. Stephane Crusnière of the Socialist Party said that his party has always recognised the Armenian Genocide.
Mr. Denis Ducarme (MR) mentioned the fact that from this very podium on June 18th the Belgian Prime Minister Mr. Charles Michel recognised the Armenian Genocide in the name of the Belgian government. Mrs. Sarah Claerhout (CD&V) noted that this resolution is a call to Turkey to intensify its efforts to recognise the Armenian Genocide; Mr. Benoit Helling (Ecolo-green) in his turn, reminded that there is a historic consensus on the issue and a political recognition is needed, as well.
Mr. Dallemagne (CDH) in his speech made a long historic review of the Genocide against the Armenian and the rest of minorities of the Ottoman Empire. He also reminded the fact that genocides are still going on today, 100 years after Armenians were butchered. Jan Penris (VB) called on the Turkish government to recognise the reality of the Armenian Genocide; Olivier Maingain (FDF) said, that it’s time to be brave & recognise the crime of Genocide against Armenians, he also mentioned Jean Jaures, Orhan Pamuk, and Hrant Dink.
Marco Van Hees (PTB-GO) said that Turkish leftist, progressive parties recognize the Armenian Genocide and believe this is the way forward. He also mentioned, that by doing so, Belgium will gain credibility. Dirk Van Der Maelen (sp.a) stressed the need to be precise and use the proper terminology and include all victims of Genocides.
During the three hour debate debate there were calls that this resolution will assist in the dialogue between Turks and Armenians as well as this resolution is in support to the progressive, democratic forces in Turkey. It was repeatedly said that this resolution is not against the current Turkish people, but against the Turkish state denial policy.
‘We welcome this resolution in the Chamber today, by which the Belgian state recognises the Armenian Genocide by its government and both chambers of the parliament’, said Mr. Kaspar Karampetian, president of the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD). ‘On the centenary of the Armenian Genocide, we have seen more and more countries recognising the historic fact of the Genocide committed by Ottoman Turkey. This is another clear message to Turkey that Genocide denial has no place in Europe and Turkey needs to reconcile with its past sooner or later. This resolution of the Belgian Chamber will also put an end to the denial rhetoric in Belgium”, noted Karampetian, and concluded saying, that this resolution was also in part the result of well-coordinated efforts of the Republic of Armenia Embassy, the Armenian National Committee of Belgium, as well as the Committee of Armenians of Belgium and AGBU Europe.
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An overwhelming majority of historians as well as academics on Holocaust and Genocide Studies recognise the Armenian Genocide. As of today, the governments of 28 countries, including Russia, Brazil, France, Austria and Canada as well as 43 states of the USA have recognised the Genocide. The governments of Turkey and Azerbaijan continue to deny the Armenian Genocide.
The majority resolution on the Armenian Genocide will receive almost unanimous support Thursday, with some abstentions. The debate took place on Wednesday in plenary, however, did not allow the French-speaking parties to find serenity on this controversial issue.
The resolution of the majority refers to the Prime Minister before the assembly on June 18th Charles Michel was then recognized on behalf of the Belgian government the genocide there a century. In the eyes of the opposition, the text does not go far enough, because it does not include a provision clearly stating that the parliament also recognizes the genocide.
“Since June 18, there is no longer any ambiguity about the Armenian Genocide. Belgium recognized the genocide by the voice of the Prime Minister, who on behalf of Belgium, “said the head of MR Group, Denis Ducarme, has hardly tasted the regrets of the PS.
“For us, Belgium recognized the genocide but we still do not understand why you do not want the whole nation to be associated with this recognition,” said Georges Dallemagne (CDH).
“We can be actors rather than followers of the government”, noted Stpéhane Crusnière (PS).
The question was stirred several Francophone parties. The PS was pointed because of the attitude of some of its elected Turkish origin in the Brussels parliament and to the absence of the Deputy Emir Kir during the minute of silence held in the House. The CDH excluded the regional deputy Mahinur Ozdemir because it did not recognize the genocide. The MR was not spared when the Foreign Minister, Didier Reynders, returned genocide recognition to a court, on the eve of a commemoration in Yerevan which he has not made.
The MR accused the PS of “playing a politician card”. “If it took so long, it is because this debate brings the issue of communalism in our country”, Mr Ducarme said.
Benoît Hellings (Ecolo) scratched his side the MR that sought, according to him, to embarrass the other parties elected to their community of origin.
The tone was more consensual in Flemish ranks. Peter De Roover (N-VA) called on his colleagues to leave semantic quarrels and to join the majority of text, even if it seems to them imperfect, to give it more weight.
The opposition groups have tabled amendments to the majority of text. Their rejection should lead to the abstention of some members.
After the session is a formal Emir Kir, which definitively ended the controversy at the microphone of our colleague Peter Magos: “All this will be behind us tomorrow and I think the work of the Socialist Party allows to move on issue so for me it is a text on which I can express my agreement, without worry. “
http://www.rtbf.be/info/article/detail? id = 9038096 & cat = BELGIUM