From the European Parliament website:

Human rights: Armenia, Russia, Afghan journalist and Iranian homosexual

Human rights – 13-03-2008 – 17:11

In four human rights resolutions adopted at the end of this week’s Strasbourg session, MEPs deplored the violence used by the authorities against opposition demonstrators following presidential elections in both Armenia and Russia, and demanded reprieves for a journalist condemned to death in Afghanistan and for a gay Iranian who could be in grave danger if forced to return to his home country.

Violence following the elections in Armenia
 
In the wake of the presidential elections in Armenia on 19 February, a police crackdown against opposition supporters who were peacefully contesting the results left eight dead and dozens injured. A state of emergency was declared on 1 March and media freedom has been restricted.  Parliament’s resolution, adopted by 60 votes to 1 with 2 abstentions, deplores the loss of life, urges all parties to act responsibly and calls on the authorities to investigate the violence and take other measures.
 
The International Election Observation Mission stated that the elections were “administered mostly in line with OSCE and Council of Europe commitments and standards” but also identified a number of concerns, in particular concerning the media’s commitment to providing impartial information.
 
In the resolution, Parliament “expresses its concern at recent developments in Armenia” and “calls on all parties to show openness and restraint, to tone down statements and to engage in a constructive and fruitful dialogue aimed at supporting and consolidating the country’s democratic institutions”.
 
Call for inquiry, with punishment for perpetrators of violence
 
It also calls “for a prompt, thorough, transparent, independent and impartial investigation of the events of 1 March” and “for all those responsible to be brought to justice and punished for misconduct and criminal acts of violence”.  The Council and Commission should offer EU assistance to help with the investigation.
 
The Armenian authorities are asked to lift the state of emergency, restore media freedom and take all measures necessary to ensure a return to normalcy. In addition, they are urged “to release citizens detained for exercising their right of peaceful assembly”.
 
EU support for Armenia to improve democracy and rule of law
 
Parliament points out that the EU’s Action Plan with Armenia under the European Neighbourhood Policy covers the strengthening of democratic structures and the rule of law. In this context, it urges the Commission “to focus its assistance to Armenia on the independence of the judiciary and the training of police and security forces” and calls on the Armenian authorities “to implement swiftly all the remaining recommendations made by the International Election Observation Mission”.
 
MEPs urge the Armenian authorities “to cooperate fully with the international community on finding an agreed solution” and they express support for the EU Special Representative to the South Caucasus and the OSCE’s Special Envoy.
 
Turning to Armenia’s conflict with neighbouring Azerbaijan over the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, the resolution “deplores the recent loss of life on the ‘line of control’ during fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces” and “calls on all sides to refrain from further violence and to return to the negotiating table”.
 
Lastly, MEPs reiterate “the clear EU commitment to building closer ties with Armenia and the South Caucasus countries” but emphasise that “closer cooperation with the European Union must be based on real and tangible progress and reforms and a full commitment to democracy and the rule of law”.

[…]

While the Clinton campaign has dropped a nationalist Turk from their fundraising team, at least one “hillraiser” – a reference to those who have raised $100,000 for the New York Senator’s presidential bid – is a registered agent of the Republic of Turkey whose contract includes fighting the Armenian Genocide.

John Merrigan, a contract lobbyist on behalf of Turkey, is listed on Clinton’s website’s Hillraisers page. A federal government link features Merrigan’s and another colleague’s contract with the Turkish government under the Foreign Agent Registration Act. The first point in the contract is “Preventing the introduction, debate and passage of legislation and other U.S. government action that harms Turkey’s interests or image” – with a clear reference to Armenian Genocide affirmation in the U.S. Congress.

Apparently, it is legal for registered foreign agents to collect funds for presidential candidates. Yet it would be interesting to know what the Clinton campaign thinks about this.

Armenia has apparently lifted the YouTube.com ban. Blogging does help.

Hillary Clinton’s campaign has reportedly stopped taking contributions raised by a nationalist Turkish filmmaker. Mehmet Celebi, nonetheless, is still listed on Clinton’s website as a “hillraiser” and there is no talk from the Clinton campaign of donating the $100,000 Celebi raised to a charity organization.

A charity organization that empowers Turkey’s minorities would be a perfect recipient for the $100,000. The movie is not only anti-Kurdish and anti-Semitic but also spreads a universal message of hate against all minorities in Turkey. A Turkish columnist suggested two months ago that Celebi’s “Valley of the Wolves” ultra-nationalist TV series had influenced the killings of Christians in Turkey, including the assassination of Armenian journalist Hrant Dink in January of 2007.

So the $100,000 money that Celebi has already raised for the Clinton campaign should be given to an organization that helps Jewish, Kurdish, Armenian and other minorities in Turkey. One possibility could be putting the money into erecting a statue for Hrant Dink in Istanbul.

Although Clinton’s Celebi link is not a new discovery, it gained national attention after the content of a YouTube.com video, that I was first to post, was republished by several Kurdish websites, then noticed by other blogs and was soon picked up by the New York Post.

It seems that YouTube.com has been blocked in Armenia adding the ex-Soviet country to a list that often includes Armenia’s historical enemy Turkey.

While the suspected YouTube.com blockade in Armenia is most likely invalid under the constitutional clause of restricted media during state of emergency, it sure talks of the fact that Armenia’s population is overwhelmingly using the Internet as a source of information. During the March 1, 2008, protests, for example, it was often impossible to open Armenian websites such as www.hetq.am because of the high value of visitors.

And even my blog, that usually receives a handful of daily readers from Armenia, now receives much of its readership from there. While in April of 2007 (a month when Armenians are active in the Internet because of the genocide commemoration) users from Armenia were 18th in the list of countries, currently Blogian readers from Armenia are among the top three countries.

A video, sent to me by a supporter of Armenian opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan, shows riot police shooting from long distance toward post-election protesters on March 1, 2008 in Yerevan. The edited and dramatized footage also features a clip from an official announcement where a government spokesperson claims that the authorities have not used firearms against the protesters. Nonetheless, a police chief in Armenia has not denied that the police fired. The chief claims it was after the first shot was fired by the protesters that the servicemen were armed .

At least nine of my relatives, friends and acquaintances in Armenia are pregnant and the list keeps growing almost every week (and my extended family is quite small).  Most of the babies are due in the summer of 2008. The majority of them are already mothers – two of them have two children.

This is undoubtedly a baby boom for Armenia. I don’t recall any point in my life when so many people I knew were expecting children. This also means that I am getting old 🙂 but actually most of these new mothers have been married for at least four years and are older than me.

I need to buy lots of gifts for my next trip to Armenia for sure – to over a dozen children including the to-be-born ones. This also means that I may be asked to become godfather again.  Donations are accepted. 🙂

With Armenia’s ongoing depopulation this baby boom is, indeed, very important and promising. There is hope. But we need to seriously start thinking about global warming and pollution to make sure these babies are healthy.

I would like to congratulate all of our female readers and contributors! I love you, ladies! 🙂

Since Armenia’s government has not declared State of Mourning for the nine people who died as a result of March 1, 2008 post-election unrest in Yerevan, a group of Internet activists suggest declaring March 7, 8 and 9 a STATE of MOURNING in the Internet. 
Blogian joins them and won’t comment on Armenia’s politics for the next few days during this solemn time and invites its readers to reflect on democracy and mutual respect.

My first post on a Turkish celebration that features ‘Armenian bandits’ who kill Turkish children and are later ‘punished’ in the play was somewhat confusing given that actually the ‘Armenian bandits’ hang a Turkish priest (imam) and are later killed – as I clarified in my second post.

Nonetheless, an ultra-nationalist Turk has left a comment on my initial post saying that the “headline is just a lie.” Justifying the ceremony as “funny” and historically accurate in depicting “the crimes which armenians did,” the commentator demonstrates the mindset that allows such “celebrations” in Turkey (let alone the deliberate usage of lower-case “a” in the word “armenian”):

I know that celebrity.. actually it is a funny ametour one.. maden by the civils at Erzurum who celebrities to save their lifes from armenian bandits..
and It makes me suprise how your diaspora follow the things in Turkey and inform you with changing everything..

“armenians hanged in turkish ceremony” haha.. look at the pictures.. there is an İmam hanging on the picture.. and they are showing the crimes which armenians did to Erzurum civilians.. and after that Turkish army comes and save the civilians..

white clothed mans and the people who wears “cross” symbolize the armenians at that show.. the man who wears imam cloths symbolize the Turkish imam ofcourse.. and at that ceremony only that imam was hanged..

These headline is just a lie

In a sense, the demonstration isn’t just anti-Armenian but anti-Christian too. As the ultra-nationalist Turk writes, some of those who played Armenians had crosses on their acting shirts and hats.

It is important to note, however, that many Turks have harshly criticized the anti-Armenian ceremony – including some hard-liner nationalist newspapers. Sabah, a nationalist newspaper that has played down its anti-Armenian rhetoric after the January 2007 murder of Armenian journalist Hrant Dink in Turkey, has published an article titled, “Ceremony of Hate.”

In the meantime, another article in The Turkish Daily News gives more details about the “celebration.” Interestingly, the actors who played Armenians were reportedly forced to do so:

[…]

Municipality workers who played the Armenians said the mayor issued orders and they obeyed.

One worker, Celal Akar, said his family, friends and neighbors criticized him for playing an Armenian. “Sometimes they even make fun of us. We don’t want to be part of the play, but when the mayor says it we can’t object. We have been doing this for at least 20 years,” he said.

The municipality is responsible for the organizing the event, but [town administrator – not the mayor] Şener was upset when he saw the play. “Next year’s celebrations will be without Armenians,” he said.

[…]

Some say that the celebration dates back to 1938 and is found in other places around Turkey. There is no doubt Turkey is changing and the omnipresent chauvinism is being challenged. But how long will it take for Turkey to honestly face its past is a question with many opposing answers.