JANUARY 26, 2019 Mirror-SpeTHE ARMENIAN ctator Volume LXXXIX, NO. 27, Issue 4571 $ 2.00 NEWS The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 INBRIEF Trump Congratulates Hrant Dink Pashinyan, Urges Karabakh Peace Assassination WASHINGTON (RFE/RL) — US President Donald Trump stressed the importance of resolving Anniversary the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict when he congratu- lated Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on winning Armenia’s recent parliamentary elections. Marked “Congratulations on your appointment as Prime Minister of Armenia and your coalition’s success in ISTANBUL (Armenpress) — Armenian the December 9, 2018 parliamentary elections,” lawmaker of the Turkish Parliament Trump said in a letter made public by Pashinyan’s Garo Paylan urged the Parliament on press office on January 19. January 18 to deal with the investiga- “The United States supports a prosperous, demo- tion of the murder case of Istanbul- cratic Armenia at peace with its neighbors,” he Armenian intellectual Hrant Dink, wrote. “Together, we can make progress on deep- gazeteduvar reported. ening trade between our countries, strengthening “After being murdered Hrant Dink global security, and combating corruption.” became a symbol of seeking equality, “A peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh pluralism, democracy and justice in conflict will help these efforts,” added Trump. Turkey. 12 years have passed since his Visiting Yerevan in October, Trump’s national murder, but this case is still not dis- security adviser, John Bolton, said Washington closed”, Paylan said in the Parliament. expects Pashinyan to take “decisive steps” towards Presenting the details of Dink’s mur- a Karabakh settlement after his widely anticipated der, the lawmaker said the state has also victory in the snap elections. Pashinyan should its share of guilt. have a “very strong mandate” to reach a compro- “Hrank Dink has been targeted by mise peace deal with Azerbaijan, Bolton said after nationalists after publishing an article talks with the Armenian leader. in 2004 about Ataturk’s daughter and Pashinyan’s My Step bloc won as much as 70 per- first female fighter pilot Sabiha cent of the vote in the elections. The US Embassy Gokchen which revealed that Gokchen in Armenia was quick to praise the conduct of the had an Armenian origin. That time the vote, echoing its positive assessment by European Turkish General Staff issued a state- observers. ment on this article, Dink also received warning from the Istanbul Governor’s Office,” Paylan said. Crime against see DINK, page 5 Demonstrations on January 19 in Istanbul Armenians in Baku Genocide, Group Says Rediscovering Armenian Heritage in Turkey after Hrant Dink YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The crime against BERLIN — “The question of whether (AGA: Working Group for Armenians in Baku in January 1990 was a geno- after such a complete elimination, after Recognition; Against Genocide, for cide, Larisa Alaverdyan, chair of the Against the By Muriel Mirak-Weissbach Violation of Law NGO, told reporters on January the almost total expulsion and forced Special to the Mirror-Spectator Understanding among Peoples), expatriation of survivors in the succes- opened a commemorative event in 18, adding that during that time people were tor- sor state, the Republic of Turkey, an exis- Berlin on January 19, the 12th tured only for their ethnic identity. tence as an Armenian, subjectively and objectively, is at all anniversary of the murder of Hrant Dink. This question was “Nearly 500 people have been killed; let us not possible, has been my concern as a human rights activist for the theme addressed by the keynote speaker, Miran Gültekin, even talk about what others have suffered. There decades.” This is how Tessa Hofmann, genocide researcher originally from Dersim and now living in Istanbul. was a UN Convention adopted on December 9, and chairwoman of the Arbeitsgruppe Anerkennung e.V see GERMANY, page 5 1948 which is called the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. It has five points relating to the types of crimes for which persons can be held accountable,” she said. She noted that Armenia should initiate a docu- Armenian, Azeri FMs Meet Again ment to acknowledge these events as genocide, that is what they really were. PARIS (RFE/RL) — The foreign minis- between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol development.” But they gave no details. “We do not have a document in Armenia that will ters of Armenia and Azerbaijan acknowl- Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham The mediators said in this regard that call the 1988 Armenian massacres in Sumgait as a edged the need for “concrete measures to Aliyev, it said, adding that such a summit they “underlined the importance of possi- genocide,” Alaverdyan said. prepare the populations for peace” when could “give a strong She said her organization will apply to the they held fresh talks in Paris on impulse to the dynamic of Parliament with the request to adopt a resolution Wednesday, January 16, according to inter- negotiations.” which will name the things accordingly. national mediators. Aliyev and Pashinyan Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Elmar spoke to each other for Mammadyarov met in the presence of the the first time on the side- US, Russian and French mediators co-head- lines of a summit of former INSIDE ing the Organization for Security and Soviet republics held in Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Tajikistan in September. Group for the fourth time in six months. There has been a signifi- The press services of both ministers cant decrease in ceasefire Teaching described the meeting, which lasted for violations around more than four hours, as “useful.” They Karabakh and along the said the two sides will hold more “results- Armenian-Azerbaijani bor- The Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers and the co- chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group pose for a photograph in Philosophy oriented” negotiations on resolving the der since then. Paris, January 16, 2019. Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The two leaders talked “The Ministers discussed a wide range of again during another ex- Page 6 issues related to the settlement of the Soviet summit that took place in Russia in ble mutually beneficial initiatives designed Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and agreed early December. Aliyev said afterwards that the to fulfill the economic potential of the upon the necessity of taking concrete mea- year 2019 will see a “new impetus” to the region.” They did not elaborate on those sures to prepare the populations for peace,” Karabakh peace process. initiatives, saying instead that they plan to INDEX read a separate statement released by the In virtually identical statements released meet with Pashinyan and Aliyev “in the Arts and Living . 13 Minsk Group co-chairs. after the Paris talks, the Armenian and near future.” Armenia . 2,3 Community News. 6 “During the meetings, the Co-Chairs Azerbaijani foreign ministries confirmed Despite the continuing positive tone of Editorial . 18 statements made by Yerevan and Baku it reviewed with the Ministers key principles that Mammadyarov and Mnatsakanyan dis- International . 4,5 and parameters for the current phase of the cussed ways of preparing their populations remains unclear whether the conflicting negotiation process,” said the statement. for a peaceful settlement as well as achiev- parties narrowed their differences on how They also discussed a possible meeting ing “security and sustainable regional to end the protracted conflict. 2 S ATURDAY, J ANUARY 2 6 , 2 0 1 9 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Swedish Parliament Will Not Delay Signing Kocharyan Detention Armenia-EU Agreement, Ambassador Says Extended YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The Agreement between Armenia and the only hampers the negotiation process YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The Yerevan court on parliament of Sweden will not delay EU, Mirzoyan said he hoped that the but also creates new problems,” January 18 approved the motion to extend the pre- the signing of the Comprehensive and Swedish parliament will ratify the doc- Ararat Mirzoyan said. trial detention of the second president of Armenia, Enhanced Partnership Agreement ument in a maximally short period. Speaking about the developments Robert Kocharyan, for two months, an official of the between Armenia and the European The Speaker also referred to in Armenia, Mirzoyan said, “Our devo- Prosecutor General’s Office Vahagn Muradyan told Union (EU), Ambassador of Sweden Nagorno Karabakh conflict settle- tion to democratic values, protection reporters. of human rights and freedoms cannot “Robert Kocharyan’s pre-trial detention will be be questioned,” he said, hoping for extended for two months, and the motion of the international assistance. defending side on using bail has been rejected,” The Speaker of the Armenian par- Muradyan said. liament also thanked the Swedish for Kocharyan’s attorneys submitted motion to release adopting a resolution recognizing the him from custody on bail on December 26, 2018. Armenian Genocide. Kocharyan was charged on July 26, 2018, over the Congratulating Mirzoyan on being 2008 March 1 case for breaching the constitutional elected Speaker of the National order of the Republic of Armenia. Assembly, Tideström expressed confi- dence that the Armenian-Swedish cooperation will expand in various Three My Step City spheres. The Ambassador emphasized that Council Members the revolution that took place in spring Suspended 2018 in Armenia is perceived in Sweden as key factor for democracy. YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Three members of the Parliament speaker Ararat Mirzoyan, center, with the Swedish delegation Tideström said Sweden values the Yerevan City Council representing the My Step party expansion and strengthening of the bloc have been suspended, Chairman of the Central cooperation with Armenia in various Electoral Commission (CEC) Tigran Mukuchyan said to Armenia Ulrik Tideström said on ment process, noting that the position spheres and is ready to support the during a session on January 22. January 23 at a meeting with of the Armenian authorities is clear implementation of new initiatives.