MARCH 24, 2012 THE ARMENIAN Mirror -Spe ctaItn Ouor Mirror -Spe ctatror 80th Year Volume LXXXII, NO. 37, Issue 4231 $ 2.00 NEWS IN BRIEF The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 Armenian Journalist Slams Anti-Armenian Armenian Patriarchate Files Suit in Radio Program YEREVAN (Mediamax) — Mediamax received an Turkey for Return of Properties open letter from former employee of the Armenian service of the radio station, Anna Karapetyan, “addressed to all those who will receive Steven Korn in Yerevan.” Korn, the pres - Sansaryan Buildings Are Sought ident of Radio Liberty/Free Europe (RFE/RL), was in Yerevan for meetings. from Government In the letter she complains that the radio sta - tion “fully repeated the lie of the Azerbaijani ISTANBUL (Hürriyet Daily News) — The Hürriyet Daily News last state propaganda presenting the Xocali [Khojaly] Armenian Patriarchate has filed a land - week. events as the start to the Karabagh war” in its mark suit in Ankara on March 14 for the The patriarchate also English-language programs on February 26 and return of the historical Sansaryan School in demanded the return of 27. the eastern province of Erzurum that was other properties in the Karapetyan noted that the Armenian service the site of the 1919 Erzurum Congress, an Central Anatolian of RFE/RL did not issue a response. Moreover, assembly led by the founder of the modern province of Sivas for - the Armenian and Russian services of the radio Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. merly owned by the station refused the offer on interviewing Czech “Some other foundations belong to Sansaryan Foundation journalist Dana Mazalova, who was an eyewit - [minority] communities, but the Sansaryan in the lawsuit it filed ness of the events in 1992. Foundation was granted to the patriarchate March 14. by philanthropist Migirdiç Sansaryan in the “We are not going to 1800s. The administration and manage - content ourselves with Acting Armenian Patriarch Aram Ateshyan Activist Accuses ment of the Sansaryan Foundation legally the mere return of his - belongs to the patriarchate,” lawyer Ali torical buildings. We are Armenian Parties of Elbeyoglu, who represents the Turkish- also going to demand compensation from material losses incurred by the patriarchate Armenian Patriarchate in court, told the the Foundations General Directorate for all since 1936,” Elbeyoglu said. Forgetting Javakhk Upon the government’s request, Turkey’s YEREVAN (PanARMENIAN.Net) — Artak minority groups in 1936 gave the govern - Gabrielyan, coordinator of the Samtskhe-Javakhk ment declarations detailing their real prop - Council of Armenian non-government organiza - Armenian Woman Killed in Syria Blast erty. Over the years, however, many of tions (NGOs) said Armenian parties are not help - these properties did not remain registered ing to settle the problems in Javakhk. ALEPPO (ArmeniaNow) — An ethnic killed in the deadly attack. Five more under the minority foundations’ names and Their existence and activities remain unno - Armenian woman was killed in a bomb Syrian Armenians were reportedly injured some were even sold to third parties. ticed in the territory of Samtskhe-Javakhk, he attack here, on Sunday amid continuing in a terrorist act in the capital Damascus, Turkey’s Foundations General said at a press conference. clashes between rebel groups and the gov - according to the French-Armenian maga - Directorate expropriated the Sansaryan When asked whether the council of Armenian ernment army in the restive Middle Eastern zine, Nouvelles d`Arménie . Foundation citing the 1936 Declaration, NGOs supports any Armenian parties, country. The strife in Syria that has entered its according to Elbeyoglu. Gabrielyan said the issue is still undecided. A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign second year is increasingly becoming a con - The Turkish-Armenian patriarchate also filed Affairs of Armenia said, citing a report con - cern for the country’s estimated 80,000- another suit against the Foundations firmed by the Armenian Consulate in member Armenian community. Earlier this Directorate General in recent months demand - Armenian, Turkish Aleppo, that the bomb blast occurred in the year, Vigen Hayrapetian, a Syrian soldier, ing that the Sansaryan Shopping Center in city’s mostly-Christian Sulemaniyeh neigh - was among the victims of a series of deadly Istanbul’s Eminönü district be returned to the Filmmakers to Meet in borhood. Araxie Bedrossian, was reportedly explosions in Aleppo. patriarchate. However, the head of Turkey’s Istanbul Foundations Directorate General has said it will not be returned despite a ruling by an ISTANBUL (Panorama.am) — The upcoming NANCY KALAJIAN PHOTO Istanbul court to impose an interim injunction Armenia-Turkey Cinema Platform workshop will Atom Egoyan over the building. be held April 11-14, at the Istanbul International see PROPERTIES, page 4 Film Festival, the Golden Apricot International Receives Chlotrudis Film Festival press service reported. Films in the short, documentary and feature- Hall of Fame Award length film categories are eligible. Former Employee Sues The top film in Istanbul, as well as the one Premieres ‘Calendar’ in in Yerevan at Golden Apricot, win $10,000 Cafesjian for Back Pay each, donated by the Eurasia Partnership HD at Brattle Theatre Foundation. By Dan Browning By Nancy Kalajian Special to the Mirror-Spectator ST. PAUL, Minn. (Star Tribune) — Gerard INSI DE Cafesjian is best known in Minnesota as an CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — On Sunday, art aficionado and March 18, the Chlotrudis Society for the primary bene - Independent Film honored director factor who helped Avedisian Atom Egoyan during its 18th Annual preserve the his - Chlotrudis Awards Ceremony at the his - toric State Fair toric Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square. carousel that now Mission Egoyan was honored with a special bears his name in Chlotrudis Hall of Fame Award for his Como Park. Story on page 10 achievements as a filmmaker and was The longtime accompanied by his wife, actress director of Arsinée Khanjian. Cafesjian’s family The Chlotrudis Society is a Boston- foundation says in based non-profit group that teaches a federal lawsuit Gerard Cafesjian INDEX people to view film actively, experience that Cafesjian was Arts and Living . 12 the world through independent film also a tough boss Armenia . 2 and engage in discussion. The group who has become increasingly paranoid, Community News. 5 works with film festivals, local art-hous - miserly and vindictive as he has aged — and Editorial . 18 es and theatres, production companies, Atom Egoyan accepts the Trudy Award. who stiffed the employee out of more than International . 3, 4 see EGOYAN, page 8 $5 million in salary. see CAFESJIAN, page 8 Benefit for the Armenian Mirror-Spectator Celebrating 80 Years and Beyond Thursday, May 24, 2012 2 S ATURDAY , M ARCH 24, 2012 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Makes Major Commitment to ATP Iran Concerned over YEREVAN — In recognition of programs in northern Armenia, mainte - program, since they are desperately in Tensions in Karabagh Armenia Tree Project’s (ATP) successful nance of recently planted forests, envi - need of green spaces.” YEREVAN (PanARMENIAN.Net) — Iran’s position record in tree planting, environmental ronmental education programs that The seedlings for ATP’s reforestation on the Nagorno Karabagh issue remains education and sustainable develop - train teachers and inspire youth and programs are grown in the Mirak unchanged, with the country continuing to urge for ment, the Norwegian peaceful settlement of the conflict, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Embassy in Armenia said in a statement. has awarded a $1.2-million Iran’s policy on conflict settlement is based on grant to ATP. The funding mediation efforts towards establishment of a dia- will help to underwrite a logue between the conflicting parties to achieve portion of ATP’s core pro - sustainable peace and stability in the region, the grams through 2014. statement said. “One of the primary As the only country sharing a border with the objectives of our partner - conflict zone, Iran expressed concern over the esca- ship with the Norwegian lation of regional tensions. government is to mitigate the impacts of climate change,” explains SEEDS Nine Iranians Injured in Program Manager Vardan Melikyan, “and we plan to Yerevan Grenade Attack do this through raising YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Officials say 10 people — awareness about conserva - including nine Iranian nationals — were injured in tion issues, planting trees a grenade explosion at a nightclub. The injuries are to promote sustainable not believed to be life-threatening. development in Armenia, Yerevan police officials say an unknown attacker and fostering a sense of threw a grenade inside the Alen-Elen nightclub on personal commitment March 20. about the importance of The motive for the attack was not clear. environmental steward - ship.” ATP launched an excit - Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has awarded a $1.2-million grant to underwrite a portion of Three Armenia-bound ing new program in 2011 — ATP’s core programs through 2014; these ATP programs are led by, from left, CTP Manager Tourists Killed in Social, Economic, and Arthur Harutyunyan, Forestry Manager Ani Haykuni, Nursery Manager Samvel Ghandilyan, Environmental Education Manager Manya Gevorgyan and SEEDS Manager Vardan Melikyan. Iranian Coach Crash Development for Sustainability (SEEDS). It YEREVAN