The Armenian Mirror-Spectator Wishes All Document Their Readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
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DECEMBER 27, 2014 MirTHErARoMENr IAN -Spe ctator Volume LXXXV, NO. 24, Issue 4369 $ 2.00 NEWS IN BRIEF The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 Official 1915 Merry Christmas! WATERTOWN — The staff of the Armenian Mirror-Spectator wishes all Document their readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Our next issue will be Swept Under that of January 10, 2015. The Carpet Armenian President ISTANBUL (Agos) — Journalist Murat Speaks of Challenges, Bardakçi announced this week that a Turkish Historical Society (TTK) official Opportunities Ahead removed “dispatch registers” kept after the YEREVAN (ArmeniaNow) — Some of the current deportation law was issued in 1915 from year’s difficulties and uncertainties that have objec - the Ottoman archives, and hid them in the tive reasons are likely to continue in Armenia in archive of another institution. 2015, President Serge Sargisian said on December According to Bardakçi, this was done not 22 during a reception for the business community. by official procedure, but was the outcome At the same time, he spoke about new opportu - of an individual’s interference. Even the nities offered by Eurasian integration as Armenia newly changed administration of the prepares to enter the new economic grouping of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan on January 1. “Any state, any economy, even the most powerful economies like the United States or the European Union, can always encounter difficulties. In coun - Aram Satyan at Erevan Chorale and Orchestra Christmas Concert tries like ours these difficulties may happen more often,” said Sargisian. Aram Satyan President of Armenian Genocide Centennial to Composers Union Visits Boston Be Commemorated in WATERTOWN, Mass. — Aram Satyan, president of the Composers Union of Murat Bardakçi Diyarbekir Church Armenia, recently visited Boston to be present at the well-attended December 14 DIYARBEKIR, Turkey — The Gomidas Institute, Erevan Chorale and Orchestra’s Christmas concert. The concert was dedicated to Turkish Historical Society does not know with the support of the Turkish Human Rights the 100th anniversary of the birth of Satyan’s father, the composer Aram Satunts, where these documents are located at pre - Association, is organizing a series of commemora - whose Shnorhavor Nor Taree was performed. In addition, it was the US premiere sent, however. tive events in Diyarbakir between April 22 and 24, of Satyan’s Ave Maria. The concert took place at Holy Trinity Armenian Church Murat Bardakçi, who has published the 2015 to mark the centennial of the Armenian in Cambridge, under the direction of composer and conductor Konstantin books Talat Pasa’nin Evrak-i Metrukesi Genocide. The focus on Diyarbakir is for good his - Petrossian. (The Abandoned Documents of Talaat torical and political reasons. Born in Yerevan in 1947, Satyan is one of a large family of composers and musi - Pasha) containing documents and private Diyarbakir was a key theatre of the Armenian cians. His uncle Ashot Satyan (1906-1958) led the music department of Armenfilm correspondence on the Armenian question Genocide. Its governor Reshid Bey in 1915 played see SATYAN, page 20 found in the private archive of Talaat a prominent role in the mass murder of Armenians. Pasha, and Ittihatçi’nin Sandigi (The Some of the victims — such as the local prelate Wooden Chest of the Unionist) containing Mgrdich Chlghadian — were killed in the city, thou - the correspondence of high-ranking sands more were killed outside, and even more fur - Unionist leaders, has made striking state - ther afield. EEU Member States’ Presidents to ments regarding the Ottoman archives, The city’s co-mayors and regional representa - which state officials claim are open on tive’s at the Turkish Parliament speak out on the every occasion. Armenian issue with a clear voice. Diyarbakir city Confirm Armenia’s Accession Bardakçi added that he guessed that the has already supported the reconstruction of Sourp “records on abandoned properties were in Giragos church, one of the largest Armenian YEREVAN (ArmeniaNow) — On Lukashenko already appears to have the same location as the abovementioned churches in the world. Armenians can live freely in December 23, Moscow will host a meeting received a lot of discounts and incentives. dispatch registers, and that a proper inves - this city. At last year’s commemoration of the of the Supreme Eurasian Council and the The parliaments of all three EEU mem - tigation could unearth all these docu - Armenian Genocide, the men and women who Collective Security Treaty Organization. At ber countries have ratified the treaty on ments. stood up for Armenians represented millions of peo - the meeting of the Eurasian Council it is see EEU, page 3 see DOCUMENT, page 3 ple. They included prominent politicians, lawyers, expected that Armenia’s accession to the human rights activists, and others. Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) will be The Gomidas Institute has built bridges with confirmed and an agreement on Turkish civil society and sought just resolution of Kyrgyzstan’s accession will be signed. outstanding issues. It has organized successful pro - However, the day before these important Amal Clooney to represent jects in Diyarbakir before, including the commemo - meetings the presidents of Belarus and ration of the Armenian Genocide. Kazakhstan, Alexander Lukashenko and Nursultan Nazarbayev, decided to visit Armenia in European Court Ukraine, which, in fact, is at war with the third member of the EEU — Russia. STRASBOURG, France — International Assange of WikiLeaks and former Moreover, Lukashenko already on human rights lawyer Amal Clooney is Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia INSI DE December 21 arrived in Kyiv and pledged expected to be one of the attorneys repre - Tymoshenko, will represent Armenia in the full support for Ukrainian leader Petro senting Armenia at the European Court of “Perincek v. Switzerland” case and will be Poroshenko. Human Rights (ECHR). joined by two Armenian government repre - Nazarbayev also expressed a desire to According to Harut Sassounian, the pub - sentatives, Gevorg Kostanyan and Emil Christmas become a mediator in settling the lisher of the California Courier, the British- Babayan. Ukrainian-Russian dispute. Experts are Lebanese lawyer, who is involved in several The court session is scheduled for Greetings wondering what these visits are related to major lawsuits including defending Julian January 28, 2015. and how they will impact decisions on Leftist Turkish Workers’ Party’s Dogu December 23. Perincek was fined by a Swiss court for hav - Pages 10-11 The devaluation of the Russian ruble and ing branded the Armenian Genocide “an the sharp economic downturn in Russia international lie” during a 2007 lecture have weakened the position of Russian pres - tour in Switzerland. ident Vladimir Putin in the Supreme Clooney, 36, who changed her surname INDEX Eurasian Council, and, as Western analysts after marrying 53-year-old actor George Arts and Living . 14 suggest, Belarus and Kazakhstan are trying Clooney in Venice in September, was Armenia . 2,3 to achieve greater rights for themselves in recently named London’s most powerful Community News. 5 the emerging EEU. Moreover, they often use woman. Editorial . 17 International . 4 for this the factor of Armenia’s membership, (Sassounian’s column on Clooney can be which has been sought by Putin. For his con - Amal Clooney found on the editorial section of this news - sent to this membership Belarus president paper.) 2 S ATURDAY , D ECEMBER 27, 2014 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia German Armenian Film Critic Makes Armenia’s Central Bank Himself at Home in Yerevan Raises Refinancing (October 2014). ful new film about genius director By Artsvi Bakchinyan In November, Spirit celebrated its “Paradzanov”), Armenian-Canadian Interest Rates 30th anniversary. On November 21 director and Festival Honorary there was a big Spirit celebration with Chairman Atom Egoyan (“The Sweet YEREVAN (Public Radio of Armenia) — Armenia’s YEREVAN — Last year, among inter - two science fiction film screenings (“V Hereafter”, “Ararat”) or Hungarian Central Bank has raised its key refinancing rate to national jury members of “Golden for Vendetta” and “Coherence”) intro - director and President of the Main Jury 8.5 percent from 6.75 percent on Tuesday, Apricot” Yerevan International Film duction by Hairapetian at Cinema István Szabó (“Mephisto”, “Colonel December 23. Festival, there was an Armenian name — Filmrauschpalast Berlin with participa - Redl”). Annual inflation was at 2.6 percent in November, Marc Hairapetian. tion of many VIPs. The quality of the film programm the central bank said, up from 2.2 percent in A colleague from Berlin, member of Hairapetian said he is proud to have and competition was also superb. There October. Monthly inflation in November was at 1.3 International Association of Film Armenian roots. After visiting Yerevan was only one problem in the first days: percent, compared to inflation of 1.0 percent in Critics and Cinema Journalists he wrote the following article, pub - Sometimes the screenings in the won - October. (FIPRESCI), about whom Germany’s lished in English in Spirit - Ein Lächeln derful and stylish Cinema Moscow were The central bank kept its refinancing rate biggest newspaper, Bild wrote: “Marc im Sturm www.spirit-ein-laecheln-im- a little dark — especially of film classic unchanged at 6.75 percent in September and Hairapetian is Germany’s best film jour - sturm.de/neues/drucken/Golden_Apri