Day: April 23, 2024

Idaho student murders: Bryan Kohberger’s lawyers offer more details of ‘out driving’ alibi  KOMO News

Maui Fire Department report on deadly wildfire details how it was no match for unprecedented blazes  Coeur d’Alene Press

US preparing $1b weapons package for Ukraine, officials say  The Straits Times

Trump valet Walt Nauta ‘promised a pardon if ex-President got re-elected for second term’, FBI papers reveal  Yahoo News Canada

Judge rules Trump’s Mar-a-Lago classified documents case can proceed  90.5 WESA

Departure of Russian peacekeepers from Karabakh an outgrowth of strong ties between Baku and Moscow – Aliyev  Eurasianet

The process of the withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping troops from the territory of the Republic of Artsakh occupied by Azerbaijan, which started a few days ago, is of great concern for the 150,000 Artsakh citizens who were deported from their homeland months ago under the real threat of genocide. In the previous months, the issue of dignified and collective return has been and continues to be a priority for the legitimate authorities elected by the people of the Republic of Artsakh and for the factions of the National Assembly, in which the guarantee of our fundamental rights and security is of cornerstone importance.

Since September 27, 2020, our region has undergone serious transformations, and the situation created after the 44-day war [of 2020] does not in any way guarantee the expected and promised lasting peace and stability. The people of Artsakh, regardless of their will, found themselves in the trap of the provisions of the Trilateral Declaration of November 9, 2020, and believed in the assurances of the high leadership of the Russian Federation to ensure their security. We are forced to record with pain and regret that the fate of the people of Artsakh became a matter of secondary importance for all parties that signed the Trilateral Declaration, as a result of which Artsakh was completely depopulated of Armenians in September 2023.

At the same time, it is clear that the absence of an international presence in Artsakh will give additional freedom to the military and political leadership of Azerbaijan, which is implementing a policy of destroying ‘everything Armenian’ and erasing any Armenian trace in general. In such a situation, the centuries-old Armenian spiritual and cultural monuments, Armenian property and national property will be under threat.

It is an inalienable right of the people of Artsakh to live safely and securely in their millennium-old homeland with international guarantees and the preservation of all rights and freedoms, and the three factions of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh are concerned that the withdrawal of international organizations from Artsakh in general, and the withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping troops in particular, endanger that right. At the same time, we consider it important to emphasize that making such decisions without discussions with the representatives of the indigenous people of the region, the Artsakh Armenians, is unacceptable and cannot in any way contribute to the establishment of stable, long-term peace and the resolution of the problem.

Based on the above, the factions of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh urge the relevant structures of the Russian Federation (RF) and their officials to immediately start consultations and discussions with the legally elected representatives of the people of Artsakh about the real reasons for the withdrawal of the RF peacekeeping troops from the territory of the Republic of Artsakh, the catastrophic situation created as a result, the many challenges caused and the necessary efforts to overcome them.

Justice Faction

ARF Dashnaktsutyun Faction

Democratic Party of Artsakh Faction

Yerevan, April 19, 2024

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YEREVAN—Following the family’s urgent appeal to the international community regarding his hunger strike, Ruben Vardanyan was allowed to call his family for the first time after more than two weeks of incommunicado detention. They reported the following.

During the call, he mentioned that over this time he has been in full isolation, without access to even any reading materials. As far as we know, he only has his blood pressure measured and nothing else, which makes us even more concerned about his deteriorating health condition. At the end of the call, he said, “I am now more convinced than ever before that values and principles are more important than even life itself.”

We demand that Azerbaijan allow the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit him immediately to secure independent evidence of his well-being and to ensure he is provided all proper medical attention during his hunger strike.

In addition, we reiterate Vardanyan’s demand for the immediate and unconditional release of the Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan.

Below is the family’s initial appeal released on April 19, 2024.

The family of illegally detained philanthropist, Ruben Vardanyan, announced that he entered into a hunger strike to demand the immediate and unconditional release of himself and the other Armenian prisoners illegally held in Baku.

The hunger strike began on April 5, 2024, following repeated requests by Vardanyan and counsel to provide a fair and transparent trial in a timely manner in line with international legal standards. Tellingly, since his hunger strike began, his family’s phone calls with him have been cut off, in clear violation of all international norms. The original trial slated for January was extended without cause to May.

Last September, armed forces of the government of Azerbaijan invaded the region of Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh, triggering the exodus of the 120,000 inhabitants of the region. During the plight of the refugees, Vardanyan and seven other former officials were arrested and now face spurious politically motivated charges. They are all political prisoners.

“I am deeply concerned about the health and well-being of my father,” said David

Vardanyan, one of Vardanyan’s sons. “For nearly 200 days, my family has not seen my father. We have had absolutely no contact with him since he launched his hunger strike on April 5th.”

Vardanyan’s hunger strike tragically coincides with the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, which will occur on April 24, demonstrating how Armenians continue to be targets of ethnic cleansing and are still targeted for persecution around the world.

Vardanyan is a loving husband and a father of four. He is also an influential Armenian business leader, social entrepreneur and philanthropist. Together with his partners from around the world, he has driven more than $1.5 billion toward advancing economic development, addressing humanitarian challenges and supporting global education initiatives.

Former Artsakh State Minister and political prisoner Ruben Vardanyan (Photo: Vahagn Khachatrian)

A former state minister of the Republic of Artsakh from November 2022-February 2023, Vardanyan has been charged with false accusations, held in conditions against international law and faces a trial that will not be up to international standards, especially regarding access of international observers to the proceedings. In addition, Vardanyan’s case has been separated from the other seven political prisoners, raising questions about whether he in particular is being politically targeted.

“The illegal detention of Ruben and the other former leaders of Artsakh is an egregious abuse of human rights and the international justice system and must be ended,” said Paul Polman, Selection Committee member of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative co-founded by Vardanyan. “The irony of this entire situation is that Azerbaijan has been selected to host COP 29 in a blatant attempt to ‘greenwash’ their international reputation. COP has a major focus on the interconnectivity of climate change and human rights at a time when they are abusing both in plain sight.”

Vardanyan’s family demands that:

1. All illegally detained ethnic Armenian prisoners, including Vardanyan, should be released immediately and unconditionally.
2. Should the illegal trials proceed, they must happen before the prisoners’ detention orders expire in May, must meet global legal standards, and international observers and media must be allowed to attend.
3. The Azeri government must allow immediate access of the International Red Cross to assess the wellbeing of Vardanyan and the other prisoners. The family’s access to telephone calls with Vardanyan must be restored.
4. Any peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan must include the release of all ethnic Armenian prisoners.
5. COP 29 should not proceed in Azerbaijan without these steps occurring.

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The AYF-YOARF Central Executive and Detroit Steering Committee are calling on members of the Armenian community and AYF supporters to contribute to the organization’s largest fundraiser – the 2024 AYF Olympics Ad Book.

The AYF Olympics Ad Book preserves all memories of the AYF, including friendships forged over decades, family lineage and growth and the legendary accomplishments of AYF’s finest athletes.

The ad book will be available throughout the Olympics in Detroit, Michigan, where the 90th anniversary of the AYF Olympics will be celebrated this year.

This ad book directly impacts the success of the AYF throughout the year. Help sustain this tradition and consider placing an ad to ensure financial success for 2024 and beyond.

The deadline for submissions is August 1. Visit ayfolympics.org/adbook.

All donations are tax-deductible.

Follow updates on Instagram and Facebook. To be added to the AYF Olympics mailing list, please fill out the contact form on the AYF Olympics website.

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ARF Weekend attendees, lecturers and CE members

The Armenian Youth Federation – Youth Organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (AYF-YOARF) hosted its Annual ARF Weekend on April 12-14 at a cabin in the Poconos area of Pennsylvania. 

The educational weekend, aimed at familiarizing members of the AYF-YOARF with the ARF and its goals, ideology and methodologies, was attended by 10 members from four chapters across the Eastern Region. 

Participants arrived Friday evening and woke up Saturday morning excited to hear from the lecturers. Following a hearty breakfast prepared by the ARF ungers, the day began with Dikran Kaligian providing an overview of the history of the ARF in the Eastern United States. His lecture covered the initial formation of the ARF in the Eastern Region, the importance of the region to the ARF’s activities and its role throughout the fedayi period, the Genocide and the First Republic of Armenia. Members were interested in learning about the industries that first brought Armenian refugees to cities that now have AYF chapters, such as the Hood rubber factory in Watertown, textile mills in Providence, the automobile industry in Detroit and steel working and slaughterhouses in Chicago. Kaligian also provided historical context for the church split, the political divides within the Armenian community and the development of the AYF and sister organizations, as the ARF took on a leading role in organizing Armenian communities in the eastern U.S. 

Dikran Kaligian lecturing on the history of the ARF in the Eastern Region

Next, Raffi Hamparian gave a characteristically impassioned talk about Vahan Cardashian, who worked closely with ARF members at the time to lobby the United States government, organize grassroots movements within Armenian communities and lay the foundation for the work done by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) today. 

Raffi Hamparian passionately speaking about Vahan Cardashian and his work

After a quick lunch, the weekend resumed in earnest with Hayg Oshagan and Alec Soghomonian presenting jointly on the ideology of the ARF, in particular the ARF’s vision of socialism and how it can be applied in today’s society, both in the U.S. and Armenia. 

Oshagan covered the tenets of nationalism, democracy and socialism that make up the ARF’s core ideology and broke down misconceptions that are often associated with each. While nationalism is often used today to describe an ideology under which one group sees itself as superior to others, the ARF rejects any such notions of chauvinism, rather believing that nations provide individuals with the best opportunity to develop, with each nation ensuring the rights of the individuals in those nations. 

Hayg Oshagan touching on the ARF ideology and the tenets of socialism

Likewise, Soghomonian discussed socialism through the lens of the ARF, which stresses putting the rights of individuals and needs of society over profit, while understanding that there needs to be a balance between public, cooperative and private ownership. While these ideas are most relevant to creating a vision for how to structure society within the Republic of Armenia, Soghomonian explained how those same ideas guide the work of the AYF through various programs and its approach to supporting Armenian communities across the Diaspora.

Alec Soghomonian of the AYF-YOARF Central Executive

After covering the ideology of the ARF at a higher level, Vrej Dawli provided a synopsis of Hratch Dasnabedian’s “Ո՞վ Է Դաշնակցականը” (Who is the Tashnagtsagan?), which focuses on the character and attributes of an ARF member, including sacrifice, humility and an adherence to the ideology and decisions of the party. To emphasize each of Dasnabedian’s points, Dawli shared several personal anecdotes about individuals who epitomize these characteristics.

The final lecture, which quickly became more of a conversation and transitioned into a panel discussion, was led by Georgi-Ann Bargamian, who spoke about misconceptions surrounding the ARF and how to evaluate them objectively. Additionally, she spoke frankly about some of the shortcomings of the ARF and how the organization is working to address them, highlighting the importance of young members’ participation in helping the organization achieve the ultimate goal of a free, united and independent Armenia.

With the structured lectures complete, discussions continued through dinner and well into the night. The event concluded with the singing of Յեղափոխական (patriotic/revolutionary) songs and a strong sense of camaraderie. The weekend served as an inspiration and a reminder of the importance of the collective struggle for all who were present, AYF and ARF members alike. 

The 2024 AYF-YOARF Central Executive would like to thank the lecturers and participants for their contributions to the weekend and look forward to the next regional event, Junior Seminar, which will take place from May 24-27 in Ligonier, PA.

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