Day: April 15, 2024
The Georgian Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee has greenlit the controversial foreign agent bill, amidst chaos in parliament and protests outside.
The Committee finally voted to advance the bill late on Monday night, as tens of thousands of protesters gathered outside parliament.
Protests began from early morning with several hundred people, growing to tens of thousands by evening. While riot police cordoned off the sides of parliament and had water cannons and sonic weapons on standby, the protests remained largely peaceful.
Georgian Dream announced they were bringing the bill back on 3 April, a year after being forced to drop it amidst mass street protests. At the time, the government promised not to revive the law.
On Monday night, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that one police officer was injured during the protests and that 14 protesters were detained.
The debates in the committee hearing saw chaotic scenes.
At one stage, Aleko Elisashvili, the leader of the opposition Citizens Party, punched Georgian Dream’s parliamentary leader, Mamuka Mdinaradze in the face. He was then set upon and beaten by a group of Georgian Deam MPs, before being ejected by parliament guards. Parliament immediately shut down its stream of the committee session after the incident.
After leaving parliament, Elisashvili was greeted with cheers and hugs from protesters outside.
Throughout the session, at least nine opposition MPs, including Levan Khabeishvili, the chair of the opposition United National Movement, were ejected from the committee session. The head of the committee, Anri Okhanashvili, also repeatedly cut off the microphones of opposition MPs for being ‘disruptive’ or for calling the bill a ‘Russian law’.
On Sunday, Speaker of the Parliament Shalva Papuashvili issued a statement barring online media outlets including OC Media from entering parliament to cover the committee hearings.
The law has seen widespread condemnation from local and international rights groups and from Western countries and institutions.
On Monday, the Ambassadors of the EU, US, and UK met with Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze to discuss the law. They did not provide details of the conversation.
Georgia’s foreign agent law, dubbed by protesters the ‘Russian law’, would label any civil society or media organisation that received at least 20% of its funding from outside Georgia ‘organisations carrying out the interests of a foreign power’. Such organisations would be subject to ‘monitoring’ by the Ministry of Justice every six months, which lawyers have warned could include forcing them to hand over internal communications and confidential sources. Organisations that do not comply would be subject to large fines.
The law has been dubbed the ‘Russian Law’ by critics in Georgia due to its similarity to legislation used to crush civil society and independent media in Russia.
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NPR News: 04-15-2024 5PM EDT
Western Prelate Archbishop Torkom Donoyan presided over the the inaugural fundraising gala for the Crescenta Valley’s Holy Archangels Church on April 7 at the Palladio Banquet Hall.
More than 400 community members attend the gala, which was generously sponsored by the church benefactors Mr. and Mrs. Varant and Hoori Melkonian. The event was dedicated to the construction of the Holy Archangels Church in the Crescenta Valley. In attendance were members of the Executive Council, local parish Board of Trustees, ARF Central Committee, and representatives from various local and sister organizations in the Crescenta Valley region, as well as benefactors, friends, and guests.
Prelate Donoyan with Melkonian (right) and Dikran DerSakissian and Rev. Ghevont Kirazian
Benefactor Varant Melkonian with his mother, Angel Melkonian
The gala Mistress of Ceremonies Preni Alavertian welcomed the guests and introduced Berj Kirazian, who performed the American and Armenian national anthems, accompanied on the piano by Hripsime Rshdouni.
Prelate Archbishop Donoyam led the invocation and blessing of the tables and later delivered his spiritual message emphasizing the importance of constructing churches in fostering national identity while imparting the wish of “Blessed is the church builder” to the attendees.
In his message, Archbishop Donoyan also explained that the dome of the Armenian Church symbolizes vitality, achievement, success, and love.
He went on to provide a succinct account of the revival of Holy Archangels Armenian Church of Crescenta Valley, sharing that with the blessing of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, and the wishes of generous benefactors, Mr. And Mrs. Varant and Hoori Melkonian, the church was renamed Holy Archangels Armenian Church, in memory of their father and in honor of their mother, Angel Melkonian.
The Prelate detailed the genesis of the Holy Archangels Armenian Church, a dream which materialized in recent months, through the collaborative efforts of Western Prelacy and a vast army of generous benefactors, spearheaded by the significant contribution made by Mr. and Mrs. Varant and Hoori Melkonian.
Archbishop Donoyan expressed profound gratitude for the Melkonian family’s national, church development, patriotic, and humanitarian contributions to the community, recognizing the couple as “brave benefactors of Western United States” and presenting them with a special memento as a token of appreciation.
The evening program featured a wide array of performances and presentations. During dinner, the guests a musical performance by Hripsime Rshtouni (piano), Ashod Toumanian (violin) and Armenag Grigoryan (percussion instruments) was followed by a video presentation chronicling the stories history of the Armenian Church in Crescenta Valley, evoking nostalgic memories for the guests.
On behalf of the Melkonian family, Arous Melkonian, Angel Melanin’s daughter-in-law and the chairperson of the ARS Central Executive, delivered her heartfelt message.
The cultural program continued with well-known singers Armine Vartanian, Natalie Buickians, Haykuhi Babakhanyan, and Berj Kirazian gracing the stage with their renditions of Armenian folk ballad and opera solos and duets.
During the evening, Dikran DerSarkissian, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Holy Archangels Armenian Church, also delivered his remaks.
He briefly shared the unique activities and programs of the Crescenta Valley Armenian church of the Western Prelacy, including the religious, educational, and cultural initiatives organized by the Educational Committee.
Der Sarkissian then highlighted the efforts of the Auxiliary Committee, which collaborates with dedicated members to support and serve the needs of children with autism. He also highlighted the various gatherings and meetings held to enhance community engagement. DerSarkissian concluded his message by thanking Prelate Archbishop Torkom Donoyan, as well as benefactors Mr. and Mrs. Varant and Hoori Melkonian.
During the evening, Rev. Fr. Ghevont Kirazian, pastor of Holy Archangels Armenian Church of Crescenta Valley, and DerSarkissian, recognized the gracious hospitality of the proprietors of the Palladio Banquet Hall, and hosts of the evening, Mr. and Mrs. Avo and Hasmik Keshishyan, by presenting them a special memento as a token of their appreciation.
Armenia’s Military-Industrial complex Receives orders for $300 Million from Defense Ministry Armenian News by MassisPost
Azerbaijani oppositionist remains under arrest
In Azerbaijan, the appellate court rejected the defense’s cassation and upheld the arrest of prominent opposition politician Tofig Yagublu. He has been in prison for 4 months and is set to spend another 2 months behind bars. Yagublu is charged with fraud and faces imprisonment for up to 12 years.
- Azerbaijani courts reject political prisoners’ petitions
- Georgia’s Parliament is currently discussing the “foreign agents” law. Journalists barred, protests planned
- Azerbaijani government will pay over 230,000 euros as per seven ECHR judgments
Tofig Yagublu
On April 15, the Baku Court of Appeals heard the complaint regarding the extension of the detention period for Tofig Yagublu, a member of the opposition party “Musavat” and the National Council of Democratic Forces, for another two months.
According to lawyer Agil Layij, the defense requested the annulment of this decision.
The lawyer stated that there are no legal grounds not only for extending Yagublu’s detention, but also for bringing him to criminal responsibility and placing him in custody in the first place.
“Tofig Yagublu is accused of fraud, while he is a principled fighter against fraud and corruption. The charges against him are absurd. Unfortunately, the court did not uphold our appeal,” the lawyer said.
Tofig Yagublu was arrested on December 14, 2023. The next day, by decision of the court, he was remanded in custody for four months. He is charged under Articles 178.3.2 (fraud causing significant damage), 320.1 (forgery of official documents), and 320.2 (use of knowingly forged documents) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.
On April 6, his pre-trial detention was extended for another 2 months.
As for the accusations, Yagublu allegedly promised someone to organize political emigration, and on December 8, they agreed on it. A criminal case for fraud was initiated on the 11th. The lawyer expressed doubt that the investigation could establish this so quickly.
A search was conducted at his house. According to the politician’s wife, Maya Yagublu, the police “found five thousand euros, 2500 manats [about $1500], and some dollars” in the house.
“I was really surprised, there was no penny in the house. Yesterday I borrowed 50 manats [about $30] from a neighbor to go to the doctor. They planted the money,” she said.
Yagublu denies all charges, linking the criminal case to his opposition activities.
According to the charges, the politician faces imprisonment for a term of 7 to 12 years.
Who is Tofig Yagublu?
Tofig Yagublu is known as a critic of the authorities; he has previously been subjected to physical violence, detained by the police, and convicted.
In March 2014, he was convicted of organizing mass riots in the city of Ismayilli. Yagublu was sentenced to five years in prison. The European Court of Human Rights found violations of Yagublu’s rights during his arrest and ordered Azerbaijan to pay the activist 24,000 euros. He was released on parole on March 17, 2016.
On October 19, 2019, Tofig Yagublu was arrested for 30 days after an opposition rally in Baku. After his release, he spoke about being beaten by law enforcement officers and threatened to stop opposition activities.
Former political prisoner in Azerbaijan accused of violence and arrested for third time
Following that, Tofig Yagublu was detained on March 22, 2020, in Baku on charges of hooliganism. According to the criminal case materials, he was involved in a car accident and assaulted a couple who were in another vehicle. On September 3 of the same year, he was sentenced to four years and three months in prison. On September 18, the Baku Court of Appeals changed the measure of restraint from arrest to house arrest on the 18th day of his hunger strike, which he declared while in pre-trial detention.
He was also detained on December 23, 2022, during a protest in central Baku demanding the release of activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev. By court decision, he was administratively arrested for 30 days. The court found Yagublu guilty of “petty hooliganism” and “failure to comply with police orders.”
On January 5, 2023, Tofig Yagublu declared a hunger strike. On January 22, he was released after serving a 30-day administrative arrest.
Azerbaijani oppositionist remains under arrest