MARCH 24, 2018 Mirror-SpeTHE ARMENIAN ctator Volume LXXXVIII, NO. 35, Issue 4530 $ 2.00 NEWS The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 INBRIEF Washington Armenian Aliyev Insists on Community Unites in ‘Historic Azeri Lands’ Support of Artsakh In Armenia BAKU (RFE/RL) — Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has stood by his claims that much of By Aram Arkun modern-day Armenia lies in “historic Azerbaijani Mirror-Spectator Staff lands.” “I have repeatedly said and want to say once again that the territory of contemporary Armenia WASHINGTON — Upon the initiative of is historic Azerbaijani lands. There are numerous the representation of Artsakh in the United books and maps confirming that,” Aliyev said on States, the Armenian Assembly of America Monday, March 19, at the start of official celebra- and the Armenian National Committee of tions of Nowruz, the ancient Persian New Year America (ANCA) organized a reception and marked as a public holiday in Azerbaijan. banquet for the Armenian community on “The Azerbaijani youth must know this first and March 17 at the University Club in foremost. Let it know that most of modern-day Washington D. C. to honor the visiting del- Armenia is historic Azerbaijani lands. We will egation of the Republic of Artsakh led by never forget this,” he said. President Bako Sahakyan. Aliyev has repeatedly made such statements, The bilingual event was moderated by Annie Totah receives a medal from President Bako Sahakyan, while Aram Hamparian holds the medal he just got (photo: Aram Arkun) most recently on February 8. Speaking at a pre- Annie Simonian Totah, board member of election congress of his Yeni Azerbaycan party, he the Armenian Assembly, and Aram pledged to “return Azerbaijanis” to Yerevan, Hamparian, executive director of the two Armenian lobbying organizations of pointed out that the ANCA and the Syunik province and the area around Lake Sevan. ANCA. Ambassador Grigor Hovhannisian the United States have joined together to Assembly work with Congress to try to Armenia condemned that statement, with of the Republic of Armenia to the United organize this event, and said that the more increase travel and communication with President Serzh Sargsyan saying it shows that States welcomed the guests, after which Armenians worked together, the more suc- Artsakh, an OSCE-monitored system to try Baku is not committed to a compromise solution Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Diocesan cess they would find while presenting to stop the gunfire and other violations of to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It was also crit- Legate and Ecumenical Director for the Armenian issues in Congress and the White the truce with Azerbaijan. Totah concluded icized by the Russian Foreign Ministry. Diocese of the Armenian Church of House. She presented a brief history of the that the next challenge for the Armenian The US, Russian and French mediators co-head- America (Eastern), gave the opening prayer. humanitarian aid to Artsakh that the lobbies would be to have President ing the Organization for Security of Cooperation Totah expressed her happiness that the Armenian Assembly helped to initiate and see WASHINGTON, page 10 in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group urged the parties to the Karabakh conflict to avoid “inflammatory Berge Setrakian statements.” The statement failed to satisfy Yerevan. Armenian officials called for an explicit Honored on the 30th condemnation of Aliyev’s claims. “As expected, lack of proper international reac- Anniversary of the tion to [the Azerbaijani president’s] territorial claims towards Armenia inspired him to claim Artsakh Movement larger territories,” Tigran Balayan, the Armenian WASHINGTON – On March 15, a special Foreign Ministry spokesman, tweeted on Monday. reception was organized in honor of a gov- ernmental delegation from Artsakh, led by Brussels Airlines to President Bako Sahakyan, at the embassy of the Republic of Armenia. The reception Start Yerevan Flights coincided with the thirtieth anniversary of the Artsakh independence movement. YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The Brussels Airlines, One day earlier, the delegation met Belgium’s national carrier, received a permission with Congressmen in the US Capitol from Armenia’s General Department of Civil Building. While speaking to American Aviation to operate Brussels-Yerevan-Brussels regu- lar flights from June 2, the General Department ADL members with the official delegates of the Republic of Artsakh diplomats, President Sahakyan articulat- ed the right of the people of Artsakh to told Armenpress. live in independence. During the period from June 2 to July 2, from ADL Supreme Council Meets with see SETRAKIAN, page 11 August 29 to October 27, the flights will be oper- ated once a week, but from July 3 to August 28, the flights will be carried out twice a week. Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan Sergey Avetisyan, the head of Armenia’s General Department of Civil Aviation held a WASHINGTON — A governmental delegation of the Republic of Artsakh led by meeting with Brussels Airlines Vice President its president Bako Sahakyan has been in the American capital for a week, estab- Herman Carpentier on February 28. During the lishing political contacts. In addition to meeting with members of Congress, the meeting the sides discussed re-launching the delegation had consultations and receptions with the leaders of a number of Brussels-Yerevan-Brussels flight by the Belgian Armenian organizations. national carrier. Members of the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (ADL) Supreme Council Vartan Nazerian and Edmond Y. Azadian had come to Washington on this occa- sion to join with local Supreme Council leader Kevork Marashlian. These ADL representatives were invited on March 15 to the Armenian embassy for a recep- Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan bestows tion organized by the Artsakh delegation. AGBU President Berge Setrakian with the INSIDE see ADL, page 10 Mesrop Mashtots Medal of the Republic of Artsakh. YerazArt The Plight of Afrin Reverberates Across Europe Fundraiser BERLIN — On March 18, the Sunday German politicians have increased their paign, named “Operation Olive Branch,” Page 13 edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeine warnings that the political conflict inside targeting the Kurdish YPG on January Zeitung (FAZ) car- Turkey, between 20, protests have spread across Germany, ried a bold banner AKP loyalists and led by members of the Kurdish commu- headline: “Battle for By Muriel Mirak-Weissbach opposition groups, nity, supported by Turkish and German INDEX Afrin Now Also in Special to the Mirror-Spectator could spill over opponents of the Ankara regime. Most of Arts and Living . 13 Germany.” That onto German soil. the demonstrations have been peaceful Armenia . 2 night, television Now it is the war- and without incident; others have turned Community News. 5 news reporters announced the fall of ring parties in Syria whose proxies and violent, as clashes have erupted between Editorial . 18 Afrin. And the violence on German soil sympathizers are clashing here. sympathizers of the outlawed Kurdish International . .. 3,4 has not abated. Over recent years, Since Turkey began its military cam- see AFRIN, page 4 2 S ATURDAY, M ARCH 2 4 , 2 0 1 8 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Armenian Opposition Activist Sargsyan Congratulates Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison Putin on Re-election YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Zhirayr dants’ lawyers for contempt of court. ment union of fellow war veterans. The Sefilian, a radical opposition figure, The lawyers, backed by some human authorities claimed that they planned YEREVAN (Armenpress) — President of Armenia was sentenced to 10.5 years in prison rights activists, have decried what they to mount an armed uprising against Serzh Sargsyan on March 19 held a telephone con- on Tuesday, March 20, nearly two years call serious violations of due process. then President Robert Kocharyan. versation with Vladimir Putin, during which he once after being arrested on charges of plot- They have insisted that the prosecution Sefilian was cleared of the coup again offered his congratulations on Putin’s re-elec- ting an armed revolt against the tion as president of the Russian Federation. Armenian government. The heads of the two strategic partner and allied A court in Yerevan also handed down states reaffirmed their readiness to further deepen prison sentences ranging from 2 to 5.5. and strengthen interstate relations and interactions, years to six other defendants who went as well as to achieve a lasting peace and stability in on trial with Sefilian last May. the region. The shortest jail term was given to Hovannes Petrosian, the sole defen- dant who has testified against Sefilian. Armenia Participates in Petrosian has said that the latter had German Wine Trade Fair told him to prepare for the seizure for a television tower in Yerevan. YEREVAN (Armenpress) — ProWein International The prosecutors claim that Sefilian Trade Fair for Wines and Spirits, opened in the formed an armed group to attack this German city of Düsseldorf on March 18. and several other “strategic” facilities, This year as well Armenia took part in the Trade including a military base just outside Fair and was represented by 20 companies, the the capital, with the aim of forcing the Armenian Foreign Ministry announced. Armenian authorities to take “certain The opening ceremony was attended by Armenia’s actions.” They also say that he planned Opposition leader Zhirayr Sefilian waves to supporters at the end of his trial. Ambassador to Germany Ashot Smbatyan who was to organize “mass disturbances” in introduced on the production of the companies, Yerevan during the April 2015 com- information and advertisement materials at the memorations of the centenary of the Armenian pavilion. Armenian genocide in Ottoman has failed to substantiate its grave charge during his subsequent trial. The exhibition ended on March 20. Turkey. accusations. Grigorian claimed the Still, he spent 18 months in prison for Sefilian and all other defendants opposite in her ruling, however.