Day: April 15, 2024
Attorneys representing Azerbaijan on Monday urged the International Court of Justice, the top United Nations court, to throw out a case filed by Armenia accusing Azerbaijan of Armenophobia, arguing that court does not have jurisdiction.
Armenia filed the case at the International Court of Justice in 2021, accusing Azerbaijan of a “state-sponsored policy of Armenian hatred” that has led to “systemic discrimination, mass killings, torture and other abuse” as it related to Artsakh Armenians.
Last year, amid Azerbaijan’s blockade of Artsakh, the ICJ ordered Azerbaijan to immediately ensure unimpeded access on the Lachin Corridor. The court reiterated its order last July. Azerbaijan, however, failed to comply with the ruling, instead attacking Artsakh in September and causing the forced exodus of more than 100,000 Artsakh Armenians to Armenia.
Armenia’s case is based on an international convention on stamping out racial discrimination, which has a clause allowing disputes to be resolved by the world court if bilateral negotiations fail to broker a settlement.
Azerbaijani deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov told judges Monday that Armenia could not bring the dispute to the court in The Hague, arguing that the two countries had not first engaged in serious negotiations.
“Armenia had its sights firmly set on commencing these proceedings before the court and using the effect of these proceedings to wage a public media campaign against Azerbaijan,” Mammadov accused Yerevan in court on Monday, according to the Associated Press.
Stefan Talmon, an international law professor representing Azerbaijan, added that Armenia “never gave negotiations a chance.” He said that “with no negotiations and no genuine attempt at negotiations, that basically is the end of Armenia’s application” to the court.
As part of its case Armenia, which will respond on Tuesday, has submitted a number of claims indicating “policy of promoting hatred” that Armenia insists Azerbaijan has carried out for “decades.”
“Azerbaijan in no way accepts the alleged violations of international humanitarian law and other international human rights laws,” Mammadov said.
He added, however, that Baku takes such accusations very seriously. “The available data show that, unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan does not avoid convicting its citizens in corresponding cases when the charge is proven during trial,” Mammadov said.
Yeghishe Kirakosyan, Armenia’s representative for international legal issues, will present his case on Tuesday.
SACRAMENTO – A California Senate measure, authored by Sen. Anthony Portantino, that creates a pathway for foreign educated doctors to practice as physician assistants in California through a training program, passed the Senate Business, Professions, & Economic Development Committee on Monday.
“While there are many highly skilled medical professionals who reside in California who cannot practice medicine, we have a severe shortage of health care providers. We need a program to help address our shortage and offer immigrant doctors the opportunity to take steps to become licensed providers to practice their chosen craft here. If we can do it, it will be a win-win for the patient and the healthcare system,” commented Senator Portantino.
According to the American Medical Association, California is projected to have a shortage of 32,669 physicians by 2030. Furthermore, there is a significant gap in access to culturally and linguistically appropriate healthcare services, as the demographic makeup of primary healthcare services and primary care physicians does not adequately reflect the diversity of California’s population in terms of culture, ethnicity, and language.
Among the immigrants who currently reside in California, there are highly skilled doctors and medical professionals with years of experience practicing in Armenia and other countries. The process of undergoing licensing or certification to practice medicine can be complex, time consuming and challenging for immigrants. Programs like these would leverage the skills of immigrant medical professionals and we can better meet the culturally and linguistically diverse healthcare needs of our population.
SB 1041 would establish the Armenian Medical Graduate Physician Assistant Training Program, to be conducted at an appropriate educational institution or institutions. The bill would require the Physician Assistant Board to establish a Training Program Advisory Task Force, who would develop and recommend curriculum for a training program. SB 1041 would make an Armenian medical graduate, who is either a citizen or permanent resident of the United States and who has satisfactorily completed the training program, eligible for licensure as a physician assistant if the person has also successfully completed a certain written examination. SB 1041 would require that the funding for the program be secured through nonprofit philanthropic entities.
Senator Portantino was pleased to have Arnoldo Torres from Noah’s Children Charity and Karekin Karazian, a medical professional and constituent from the City of Glendale, testify in support of the bill at this morning’s hearing.
The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) is outraged by the arson attack that targeted the Masis Ararat Armenian Cemetery in Fresno. The cemetery in Fresno, established in 1885, is the oldest Armenian cemetery in the United States and the final resting place of Armenian heroes and public figures such as Soghomon Tehlirian, Victor Maghakian and William Saroyan.
According to the cemetery’s management, eight trees were torched by an arsonist at approximately 3 a.m. on Saturday, April 13, 2024. The incident marks the sixth of its kind since the start of 2024, bringing down more than 19 trees total in the cemetery, indicating that these incidents are potential hate crimes against Armenians. The arson attack came 11 days before the cemetery’s newer section, dubbed Masis Ararat, is set to host an Armenian Genocide commemoration and flag raising ceremony at its Soghomon Tehlirian monument.
“These heinous attacks on the Masis Armenian Cemetery are a clear indication that anti-Armenian sentiment is an unaddressed threat to public safety, and especially the Fresno Armenian-American community,” said Oshin Harootoonian, chair of the ANCA-WR Board of Directors. “The local authorities must investigate the six incidents that have taken place since the beginning of 2024 and ensure that these patterns of crimes are effectively addressed, offender(s) be brought to justice and that the Armenian-American community is compensated for all damages.”
“ANCA Central California chapter members are working closely with the board of the Masis Ararat Armenian Cemetery and the local authorities to determine the cause of this series of arson attacks and to ensure the safety of our community in Fresno,” said Raffy Chekerdemian of the ANCA Central California chapter. “The Armenian community expects the local officials and police department to take all measures possible to prevent future arson attacks at this sacred cemetery.”
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The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region is the largest and most influential nonpartisan Armenian-American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on a broad range of issues in pursuit of the Armenian Cause.
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