The Malta-Azerbaijan connection, Malta demands justice for slain reporter Daphne Caruana Galizia

October 22, 2017 By administrator

In a national outpouring of grief of shock, thousands took to the streets to commemorate anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Galizia was killed in a car bombing and the perpetrators remain unknown.

Thousands of people packed the streets of Malta’s capital Valletta on Sunday to demand action over the murder of journalist and anti-corruption blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Carrying banners reading “Journalists will not be reduced to silence” and “We are not afraid,” protesters converged on City Gate to commemorate the 53-year-old, who has been described as a “one-woman Wikileaks” for her dogged reporting on political dirty dealing, including alleged financial corruption by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s inner circle, using evidence in the Panama Papers.

While Muscat has described Galizia as his “biggest adversary,” he has noted that she went after his opposition rivals as well.

Galizia was killed in a car bombing last Monday, prompting shock and outrage across the island nation.

While a government statement on Saturday promised that “justice must be done, whatever the cost,” for many demonstrators, it is the government who was at fault for the tragedy.

“The authorities have blood on their hands. We can’t keep on living in a country like this,” one protester told French news agency AFP. Another accused politicians of shedding “crocodile tears” over her death.

Maltese politics are a notoriously tangled affair – with the ruling Labour Party and the center-right Nationalists locked in a long-standing stalemate. Party allegiance is often a matter of family ties, and internal one-upmanship is said to be more important than respecting political institutions.

Syria demands immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Turkish troops from its territory

October 14, 2017 By administrator

Damascus, SANA – “Syria condemns in the strongest possible terms the incursion of Turkish army units into Idleb province, stressing that it constitutes a blatant aggression against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country and a flagrant violation of international law, a source at the Syrian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

The source added that the Turkish aggression has nothing to do with what has been agreed upon by the guarantor states during the latest round of talks in Astana, emphasizing that Turkey should abide by provisions of Astana statement.

It noted that the Turkish troops dashed into Idleb province accompanied by Jabhat a-Nusra terrorists which shows clearly the close relationship between Turkish regime and terrorist groups, a matter that the international community should pay more attention to and take firm stance in order to oblige Turkey to end its support to terrorism which managed to shed the blood of Syrian people and destabilize the region and the entire world.

The Syrian Arab Republic demands an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the Turkish troops from the Syrian territories, stressing that the Turkish flagrant aggression cannot be justified in any way.

Yerevan, Jirair Sefilian presents demands

August 1, 2016 By administrator

Jirair-selilian demond YEREVAN. – The entire leadership of police must be removed, and the negotiations with the authorities must advance based on a series of demands, says the letter of imprisoned member of the “Founding Parliament” Zhirayr Sefilian.

The letter says:

“Since I am not permitted to directly meet with “Sasna Tsrer” [an armed group – ed.] to clarify the position on their demands and I already know that the authorities do not make any reasonable steps to prevent bloodshed, while people should be aware of the content of negotiations, which I propose as a golden mean, here are the issues which, I think, can convince the guys to lay down arms.

To do this, I need to meet with them directly, and if the authorities have some concerns that I may not leave the territory of the regiment and will take the weapon, then I am ready to accept any demands of providing guarantees. I have repeatedly said that I am ready to do everything for a peaceful and bloodless settlement of the conflict.

• to meet the following requirements, or the steps aimed at fulfilling them, will need a government of national trust – the process which is necessary to start as soon as possible. It will be mainly engaged in the implementation of the following issues.

Karabakh

– The overarching objective of this issues is to declare Artsakh within the borders prior to April 1, 2016, as an integral part of the Republic of Armenia and legally fix this reality. This is the acceptable threshold, which cannot be lower.

– Details on the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, strategic and tactical ones, will be introduced if necessary.

Defence and security

Army

– Radically change the tactics of combat duty, with the main goal being to keep the defense of the borders of Armenia and Artsakh by less personnel.

– Exclude duty by conscripts. This service should be held solely by contractual military on a voluntary basis. Contract servicemen who do not have children should be prohibited from carrying on combat duty.

Police

– Changes in the entire police command. Chief of Police and all his deputies should be removed from the law enforcement system permanently, and have to be held accountable for their actions. New Chief of Police should be a person outside the police system.

– The composition of the police should be significantly changed: instead of feeding units of mercenaries against the people, the personnel of these units must be allowed to join the contract service with higher salary in order to protect their homeland from external threats.

– New Chief of Police and his deputies should not have any relation to the events of March 1, 2008, as a reminder to everyone that it is impossible “to warm hands on people’s blood”, and everyone should be punished for it.

Defense and sovereignty

– It is necessary to immediately start negotiations to put an end to the control of Armenia’s borders by the Russian border units, posing a question about the rest of the contingent of the Russian Armed Forces in the future. External borders of Armenia have to be controlled solely by the armed forces and special services of Armenia.

– Russian border guards have to hand over to Armenia the resources for border control, including network intelligence and counterintelligence, because this would be possible.

• The release of all political prisoners. In particular:

• Hayk Kyureghyan, Shant Harutyunyan and others, Vladimir Avetisyan, Gevorg Safaryan. This list is not exhaustive. At the moment, I cannot remember all the names.

• In connection with the events of the last days (rallies in support of “Sasna Tsrer” group) – a measure of restraint of detainees needs to be changed, the trial on all the demands of justice must be ensured.

• It is necessary to stop all persecutions related to the latest developments.

• In addition to the issue of political prisoners, the government should seriously discuss and address the unprecedented and broad amnesty, given the limitations provided for by the constitution. Parole for life-termers must become a real possibility under the law.

• The power should be returned to the people

– The reform of the election law, in particular, an absolute availability of the lists signed by voters. These lists are a sign of the legitimacy of any government – the rule of law which did not exist under any regime since 1996. Without this evidence coming to power is an usurpation, and this is what we have been witnessing for twenty years.

Justice

• The government, judiciary and the legal system must remove all those having links to a) use of force on March 1 against the people and political imprisonments in the future. If they did so under the influence of any threat or coercion, they now must publicly explain in detail the circumstances, calling names and other data and publicly apologize; b) all those government officials who were involved in the violence in recent days must be brought to justice.

• Creation of a commission that will examine all cases on deprivation of property of citizens in the last decade, and will submit proposals for the restoration of justice.

I call on our people and the political parties to take these demands and to express them without leaving the burden on “Sasna Tsrer” only. The people will form the possibility of a legitimate extension of these requirements so that no one could try to put forward demands by force. “

Iraqi Parliament Demands Action Over Turkey Troops in Iraq

December 8, 2015 By administrator

The Iraqi parliament’s security and defense committee demanded the government to take all measures necessary to end the presence of Turkish troops in Iraq, according to committee member Iskander Watut.

BAGHDAD (Sputnik) — The Iraqi parliament’s security and defense committee has demanded the government to take steps to secure the withdrawal of Turkish forces from the country’s north, committee member Iskander Watut told Sputnik on Tuesday.

“Today, we held a committee meeting and demanded the government to take all measures necessary to end the presence of Turkish troops in Iraq,” Watut said.

Turkey has been accused by the Iraqi authorities of violating their country’s sovereignty after it deployed its troops to northern Iraq’s Nineveh province on December 4.

Turkey claimed that its forces were aiding Iraq’s army in its fight against the Islamic State (ISIL, or Daesh in Arabic), outlawed in Russia. Iraq rejected the claims, stating that Turkish forces had never been invited, calling Turkish military presence a “hostile move.”

On Sunday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi gave Turkey 48 hours to withdraw its troops, saying that Iraq could then resort to any measures, which include raising the issue in the UN Security Council. The Security Council is expected to hold a closed-door meeting on the matter on Tuesday.

Armenia initiative presents new demands #ElectricYerevan

June 26, 2015 By administrator

Armenian Youth using cell phone fore light

YEREVAN. – The “No to Plunder” initiative of Armenia has presented its new demands, which are as follows:

“1) To review and cancel the PSRC’s [i.e. the Public Services Regulatory Commission] unlawful decision on the electricity tariff. 2) To review last year’s tariff for the purpose of reduction. 3) To punish all law-breaking police officers that unlawfully beat the peaceful demonstrators on [Monday,] June 22 at Baghramian Avenue, as well as to punish those that give them an unlawful order.”

On early Tuesday morning, the capital city Yerevan police dispersed the activists—that were led by members of the “No to Plunder” initiative—protesting against electricity price hike by using water cannon, and they detained many activists and journalists, who were later released.

On Tuesday evening, however, the sit-in participants marched toward the Office of the President—on Baghramian Avenue—yet again and with a larger crowd, but the police blocked their way again.

However, the sit-in still continues at the starting point of Baghramian Avenue, which is closed off, and traffic towards this boulevard is suspended.

Despite numerous protests, the Public Services Regulatory Commission recently increased the price of electricity in Armenia, and this decision will take effect on August 1. The decision, however, is expected to be followed by an increase in the prices of numerous products and services in the country.

Armenia News – NEWS.am

Genocide Recognition Campaign ‘Pointless Without Demands’

March 31, 2015 By administrator

Ara Papyan

YEREVAN—The main purpose of the Armenian Genocide was to seize the property and lands belonging to Armenians, said director of the Yerevan-based Modus Vivendi center Ara Papyan on Monday, adding that Armenia cannot achieve its potential without restoring what was lost.

“We are more focused on the question’s external aspect, thinking of who will come to Armenia to lay flowers [on the Genocide memorial], but instead, the authorities should have three important questions to answer: what do we want? Secondly, on what bases do we lay claims? And thirdly, why do we want that? Can the realities today be taken for granted to allow us to continue [the campaign] the same way?” Ara Papyan, said during a press conference.

The expert noted that two thirds of Armenia’s population is concentrated in the Ararat valley, which he said is quite close to the Turkish border.

“The [Genocide] centennial, in my understanding, offered a good chance to respond to those questions. With the world’s attention focused on the centennial, we must by all means profit by that occasion to raise the questions we want,” Papyan said.

He added that Armenia fails to use its potential, continuing the Soviet-style tradition of just observing the ceremony.

“Continuing the recognition campaign without adding to it the demand for fair cause is absolutely pointless. On April 24, we must put on the table a package outlining the mechanisms of resolution. And for that, we need a commission of lawyers,” said the expert.