The Armenian Parliament Crime, European Has Ratified a Controversial Natural-Gas Agreement with Moscow Amid Protests
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DECEMBER 28, 2013 MirTHErARoMENr IAN -Spe ctator Volume LXXXIV, NO. 22, Issue 4318 $ 2.00 NEWS IN BRIEF The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 Lawmakers Ratify Denying Armenian PHOTO BY JIRAIR HOVSEPIAN Russian Gas Deal Amid Genocide Is not a Protests YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — The Armenian parliament Crime, European has ratified a controversial natural-gas agreement with Moscow amid protests. Court Rules Opposition lawmakers boycotted the vote on December 23, while the parliamentary majority rep - STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) — resenting the ruling Democratic Party voted for the Denying that mass killings of Armenians in agreement’s ratification. Ottoman Turkey in 1915 were genocide is Hundreds picketed the parliament in Yerevan, not a criminal offense, the European Court protesting the ratification of the agreement signed of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday in a earlier this month. case involving Switzerland. The deal gives the Russian energy giant The court, which upholds the 47-nation Gazprom, which already owns 80 percent of the European Convention on Human Rights, ArmRosgazprom Armenian-Russian joint venture, said a Swiss law against genocide denial vio - the remaining 20 percent. lated the principle of freedom of expression. Armenian Genocide survivor Vahram Nahikian with family and friends after receiv - Gazprom will also control all Armenian gas The ruling has implications for other ing a proclamation from state Sen. Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont) and a citation imports until 2043. European states such as France which have from Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian Armenian President Serge Sargisian, who tried to criminalize the refusal to apply the announced in September Yerevan’s decision to join term “genocide” to the massacres of a Russian-led Customs Union, traveled to Moscow Armenians during the breakup of the on December 23 to take part in the session of the Ottoman empire. Armenian Genocide Survivor Receives Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, the customs A Swiss court had fined the leader of the union’s governing body. leftist Turkish Workers’ Party, Dogu Proclamation and Citation Perincek, for having branded talk of an Armenian Genocide “an international lie” BELMONT, Mass. — On the 101st birthday of Armenian Genocide survivor Witness to Murder during a 2007 lecture tour in Switzerland. Vahram Nahikian, his family and friends gathered at Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Admits to Altering “Genocide is a very narrowly defined Church to hear his family’s survival story shared by his granddaughter Anaide legal notion which is difficult to prove,” the Nahikian, and to see him receive a proclamation presented by state Sen. Will Story under Duress court said. “Mr. Perincek was making a Brownsberger and a citation from Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian. Very speech of a historical, legal and political Rev. Raphael Andonian of the parish hosted the December 8 ceremony. ISTANBUL (Armenian Public Radio) — An eyewit - nature in a contradictory debate.” The gathering was arranged by Lalig Musserian of Belmont, the coordinator of ness to the murder of a soldier of Armenian origin The court drew a distinction between the the committee for the 29th annual Massachusetts State House Commemoration of who was killed while performing his military ser - Armenian case and appeals it has rejected the Armenian Genocide. That event, to have been held April 19, was cancelled due vice in 2011 has admitted that he altered his testi - against convictions for denying the Nazi to the Boston Marathon bombings. Since that time, Musserian and fellow Belmont mony under pressure from a relative of the sus - German Holocaust against the Jews during resident Jirair Hovsepian have been reaching out to survivors making it possible for pected murderer, Hurriyet Daily News reports. World War II. them to receive their Armenian Martyrs Day Proclamations. Halil Eksi had first said that Kivanç Agaoglu shot “In those cases, the plaintiffs had denied see NAHIKIAN, page 20 Sevag Sahin Balikçi, but later claimed not to know sometimes very concrete historical facts how Balikçi was killed. He now says that he was such as the existence of gas chambers,” the forced to change his testimony after being threat - court said. “They denied crimes committed ened by Agaoglu’s relative, Bülent Kaya. by the Nazi regime that had a clear legal Australian Parliamentarians Condemn Balikçi was shot in a gendarmerie station in basis. Furthermore, the facts they denied Batman province allegedly by Agaoglu, a fellow sol - had been clearly been established by an Visit of Genocide Denier McCarthy dier, who was stationed at the same post. international tribunal.” Eksi had confirmed that suspect had pointed his The judges cited a 2012 ruling by CANBERRA, Australia — John to promote his well-documented views weapon at the victim in his first testimony, but then France’s Constitutional Council which Alexander, the Liberal Member for questioning the systematic slaughter of claimed the incident was just an accident at a later struck down a law enacted by then Bennelong, and Michelle Rowland, the Armenians, Assyrians and Pontian Greeks hearing. President Nicolas Sarkozy’s government as Labor Member for Greenway, have both from 1915 to 1923.” While the trial of suspect Agaoglu is continuing, see DENIAL, page 4 risen in Australia’s Federal Parliament to “The International Association of Eksi and Kaya are now also facing lawsuits on speak against visiting Armenian Genocide Genocide Scholars has discredited charges of “false statements” and “instigation of denier, Professor Justin McCarthy. McCarthy’s work as selective and grossly false statements,” respectively. The Armenian National Committee of distorting history.” Eksi admitted providing testimony in the first Armenian Dies Australia reported that McCarthy, who is a “ANZAC soldiers verify the Genocide as hearing of the lawsuit that took place on December well-funded denier of the Armenian an irrefutable historical fact through their 19. He said Kaya called him repeatedly after he Genocide, earlier this week had two eyewitness accounts.” completed his military service, asking him to In Aleppo planned events in Sydney and Melbourne “Denial of this Genocide is an attack on change his statement. cancelled on the those who perished, “He talked to someone on the phone and wrote ALEPPO (Armenpress) — An grounds of his those who survived, down the parts of my testimony that needed to be Armenian died in a bombing initiated unwelcome denialist and their descen - changed. After being pressured into doing so, we by the armed rebels on December 17. John Alexander, MP: “This institu - views. dants.” rearranged the respective parts of my testimony,” The victim, 62-year-old Nazareth McCarthy spoke in tion should never again be used He added: “This Eksi said. Trezhian, was killed on his way back a room at Parliament institution should to home from his workplace. The House on Thursday, to express doubt over the scope never again be used funeral for Trezhian took place on at an event attended to express doubt over December 18 at the Armenian of suffering experienced by the by reportedly only the scope of suffering INSI DE Apostolic Church of Holy Theotokos. “two or three politi - experienced by the At least 125 people have been victims of a historical atrocity nor cians” after the victims of a historical killed and many have been injured by Armenian National to justify these actions as merely atrocity nor to justify army air raids on rebel districts. Committee of these actions as Christmas Meanwhile, the United Nations Australia (ANC part of a civil war.” merely part of a civil sent its first delivery of humanitarian Australia) wrote to war.” aid by air to Syria from Iraq on last all Members of Parliament and Senators Rowland, adding her voice, said: “I can Greetings week and said it plans to deliver more about McCarthy’s denialist views. Among also understand the heightened frustration food and winter supplies to the main - Pages 10 and 11 the attending politicians were Laurie that many Australian-Armenians feel on ly Kurdish northeast in the next 12 Ferguson and Mehmet Tillem, who had this matter because of the venue at which days. helped organize the event. this event is scheduled to take place.” The first cargo plane carrying food While this event took place, on the same “My views on this are well known. I have took off from Arbil in Iraq’s northern day, MPs Alexander and Rowland made joined in the past with members of parlia - INDEX Kurdistan region heading to addresses in the national Parliament, ment and community leaders from all sides Arts and Living . 14 Hassakeh in Syria. unequivocally confirming the historical of the political spectrum including the Armenia . 2,3 The food supplies over the next 12 reality of the Armenian Genocide to a far members for Berowra and Bennelong, and Community News. 6 days should be able to feed more than greater audience of politicians, media and the New South Wales Liberal Minister Editorial . 17 6,000 Syrian families for the rest of members of the public. Gladys Berejiklian, to recognize the International . 4,5 see SYRIA, page 5 Alexander said: “... revisionist Justin Armenian Genocide...” McCarthy has used parliamentary facilities see AUSTRALIA, page 20 2 S ATURDAY , D ECEMBER 28, 2013 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Presidential Palace Hosts Children CU Membership to Boost From Border Villages Exports, Official Says YEREVAN — This week, on the occa - sion of New Year and Christmas, YEREVAN (Arka) — Membership in the Customs President Serge Sargisian and First Lady Union (CU) will give a renewed impetus to exports Rita Sargisian hosted approximately 200 of Armenian ready products (i.e. knitting, tanning children from a number of border vil - and light industries) as a whole, head of Armenia’s lages of Armenia such as, Chambarak Union of Local Manufacturers Vazgen Safaryan and Vahan villages of Gegharkunik marz , said.