More Opposition Protesters Charged Over Clashes with Riot Police – Asbarez.com Asbarez Armenian News
Day: June 26, 2024
YEREVAN—The Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises of Armenia signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Applied Policy Research Institute of Armenia Foundation for partnership in policy research and dialogue, as well as the organization of the 2024 World Congress on Information Technology. This agreement marks the beginning of a collaborative effort between the two organizations to advance technology and policy research initiatives in Armenia.
The MoU was signed by UATE CEO Sargis Karapetyan and APRI Armenia Director Lara Setrakian.
The collaborators noted that, thanks to the MoU, the two will be united in organizing the activities of the WCIT2024//DigiTec. They will also be inviting prestigious guests, and will use their expertise and joint potential in policy research and dialogue for the field.
“We are grateful for the cooperation with APRI Armenia and UATE. This MoU marks a significant step towards a successful WCIT2024/DigiTec. Together, we will harness our collective expertise to create a remarkable event that advances technology and policy research in Armenia,” said Hayk Karapetyan, Executive Director of the Organizing Committee of WCIT2024//DigiTec.
The WCIT2024/DigiTec will be held from October 4 to 7 in Yerevan, at the Karen Demirtchian Complex. Under the headline “THE POWER OF MIND: AI Beyond Limits, Within Ethics,” the event will serve as a global platform to amplify the impact of information technologies, emphasizing the importance of applied sciences, investments, and presence across diverse regions and economies.
“We are excited to join forces with UATE and WCIT2024/DigiTec. This collaboration underscores our commitment to a common goal and our readiness to work together to advance technology and policy research in Armenia. It is a great pleasure to contribute to the success of WCIT2024/DigiTec,”- said Lara Setrakian, President of APRI Armenia.
The 2024 WCIT 4-day agenda features a high-level program, back-to-back meetings, the WITSA World Cup (WWC) for scale-ups, innovation showcases, business presentations, workshops, and more. It will offer a comprehensive agenda catering to diverse stakeholders and is expected to attract thousands of local and international delegates. Through interactive sessions and exclusive panel discussions, attendees will gain access to the latest global ICT innovations, best practices, and cutting-edge solutions.
“For 20 years, UATE has been advocating for the policies of the tech ecosystem in Armenia. Now, it is time for collective action: This partnership with APRI Armenia and our efforts for WCIT2024/DigiTec will bring together our strengths and resources to drive significant advancements in technology and policy research in our country,”- said Sargis Karapetyan, CEO of UATE, DigiTec.
Participants will have the platform to network and showcase their investment projects and ideas, paving the way for mutually beneficial partnerships with international entities and driving sustained technological leadership and innovation. All attendees will have the opportunity to establish prospective cooperation with both Armenian and international partners.
The World Congress on Innovation and Technology is a global catalytic platform of the World Information Technology and Services Alliance — a consortium of over 80 information technology industry associations from economies around the world. For 40 years, technology leaders—CEOs and investors, policymakers and government officials, academics and technologists—have joined in this annual event to discuss the state of the industry, where it is headed, and what it means for our future. Past speakers include Bill Clinton, Vint Cerf, Bill Gates, Ginni Rometty, Larry Ellison, Anne Mulcahey, Faqir Chand Kohli, and Michael Dell. To lean more, visit the website, or visit the WCIT Facebook page.
The Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises represents over 160+ high-tech companies in Armenia, including both local and international firms. UATE is dedicated to driving industry growth through key initiatives: establishing comprehensive technology education across Armenia (Armath Engineering Makerspaces), facilitating global market access, and exchanging expertise through organized delegations. Additionally, UATE significantly influences the legal field through policy-making and government cooperation, fostering a competitive yet collaborative business environment.
UATE is renowned for organizing major events that highlight Armenian technological advancements. Notably, it hosted WCIT in 2019 and is set to host it again in 2024, while also annually organizing the DigiTec Expo for nearly 20 consecutive years showcasing innovations to both local and global audiences. Through these efforts, UATE continues to elevate Armenia’s presence in the global tech landscape. To learn more, visit the website.
The Applied Policy Research Institute of Armenia Foundation is an independent think tank and policy accelerator focused on advancing regional stability, sustainable prosperity, and civic engagement. Our programs and initiatives are oriented toward concrete problem-solving through public policy innovation. Through our strategic research and convening activities, APRI Armenia facilitates breakthrough ideas and multistakeholder initiatives for positive change in our region. To learn more, visit the website.
YEREVAN (Azatutyun.am)—Armenian authorities have brought criminal charges against four more opposition supporters in connection with the June 12 clashes in Yerevan between riot police and protesters demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation.
The Investigative Committee said on Wednesday that the latest indictments brought to 16 the total number of protesters prosecuted over that incident. Eight of them are in pre-trial custody and five others under house arrest, the law-enforcement agency said in a statement.
Thousands of people led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan gathered on June 12 on a street outside the Armenian parliament building where Pashinyan answered questions from lawmakers amid unprecedented security measures. Scuffles broke out there moments before security forces hurled dozens of stun grenades into the crowd.
The use of force was strongly condemned by not only Galstanyan’s opposition-backed movement but also Armenia’s leading civic groups. In a joint statement, 17 mostly Western-funded NGOs described the police actions as “unnecessary, disproportionate and illegal.” They were especially outraged by the unprecedented number of stun grenades used in the crackdown.
The Investigative Committee again defended the crackdown, saying that it stopped “mass disturbances.” Echoing Pashinyan’s claims, it also said protesters tried to break through the police cordons to storm the parliament.
According to the committee statement, only one man now stands accused of participating in the “mass disturbances.” The 15 other indicted protesters were charged with “hooliganism” that mainly took the form of plastic bottles and other objects thrown at the riot police.
The arrested men include the 73-year-old Tigran Saribekyan. A video of the clashes shows Saribekyan touching one of his ears injured by a stun grenade blast before picking up an object and throwing it towards the police officers.
Saribekyan’s lawyer, Ruben Melikyan, said that like other protesters, his client did so instinctively to express outrage at the indiscriminate use of the deafening explosive devices. Melikian argued that many policemen were also caught on camera throwing various objects at the crowd.
“If they arrested eight protesters for doing that, then they should have also arrested 80 policemen,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
Varazdat Harutiunyan, another lawyer linked to Galstanyan’s movement, claimed that the investigators are acting on government orders. The head of the Investigative Committee, Argishti Kyaramyan, is one of Pashinyan’s trusted lieutenants.
The committee on Wednesday claimed to be also investigating “the proportionality and legality” of the police actions that left at least 83 protesters and 8 journalists injured. It indicated that it has not indicted any law-enforcement officers.
Dozens of other protesters have also been seriously injured by the police since Archbishop Galstanyan launched his campaign for regime change on May 9. No policemen have been charged over those incidents, including the May 27 beating by members of a special police squad of an opposition parliamentarian, Ashot Simonyan.
The authorities have prosecuted instead dozens of supporters of Galstanyan on various charges denied by them. At least 29 of them are currently under arrest pending investigation.
Official Yerevan on Wednesday stepped up its criticism of Moscow, accusing the Russian government of allowing Azerbaijan to start the 2020 Artsakh War and later occupying the entire territory.
“Russia came, took Nagorno-Karabakh from our hands, gave [it] to Azerbaijan, then went back. This is the entire truth. I insist Russia took Nagorno-Karabakh,” Armenia’s National Security chief Armen Grigoryan told reporters during a conference on Wednesday, in what can be seen as the most terse attack on its one-time close ally, Moscow.
“This happened when we were completely dependent on Russia,” Grigoryan said, emphasizing that the 2020 Artsakh War would not have taken place “without Russia’s permission.”
“Didn’t we have a war when Armenia was completely dependent on Russia?” asked Grigoryan. “We did.”
“Let’s go on the record and say that it is because of this existing situation that we ended up at war. We have tried to bring stability with these changes, and we are convinced that these changes will bring stability,” Grigoryan added, referring to the Armenian government’s current tilt in its foreign policy.
Russia was quick to fire back, with its foreign ministry saying that Grigoryan was betraying his own country by making such accusations
“Armenian citizens defended their territory, gave their lives, and considered this to be of historical importance,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova during a press briefing on Wednesday. She also accused Armenia’s authorities of disgracing their own citizens.
“The ideology of Armenia as a state has been built on these concepts for many years,” said Zakharova, referring to Armenians who gave their lives for their homeland.
“They [Armenians] knew why they were going to the battle, why they were sacrificing their well-being, making their wives and children widows and orphans. How can their memory be betrayed in such a cynical way,” Zakharova said.
She accused the Armenian authorities of being governed “from outside, and thus insulting their own people.”
“It’s astonishing to me how people can treat the historical memory of their long-suffering nation in such a humiliating way,” Zakharova added.
Grigory Karasin, a prominent Russian lawmaker who chairs the foreign affairs committee of the Russian Federation Council, also blasted the latest statements from Yerevan, saying Grigoryan’s assertions are “untrue.”
“This is absolutely not true,” Karasin said, adding that Grigoryan should “familiarize himself with the statements of Armenian politicians on this matter,” the RIA Novosti news agency reported.
Official Baku also took note of Grigoryan’s statements.
“The statements by the Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia seek to cover up the guilt of the previous and current military-political leadership of that country, blaming it on others to justify themselves,” Hikmet Hajiev, an adviser to President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan said,
“It is painful that we have to go on record to say that such statements are a reflection of the retaliatory mentality of the military and political leadership of Armenia,” Hajiyev added.
Netherlands reportedly summons Israeli ambassador following investigation of former Mossad head threatening ICC prosecutorhttps://t.co/p99pBrWdit
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) June 26, 2024
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NPR News: 06-26-2024 1PM EDT
After Dagestan attacks, Putin faces questions about Islamist threat in Russia https://t.co/zjAxOh4SA1
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) June 26, 2024
It’s the same narrative that was used just a few months ago when armed militants killed 145 people at the Crocus City Hall concert venue near Moscow, even though an affiliate of the Islamic State claimed responsibility.
Instead of investigating how Russia’s intelligence services could have missed an attack of such significance, Moscow immediately accused Kyiv and its Western allies of helping to orchestrate it. Such accusations reinforce the Kremlin’s public narrative that the West is the biggest existential threat to the security of ordinary Russians.
But two major terrorist attacks happening so close together “will raise questions about whether the war in Ukraine has distracted the Kremlin from what is happening inside Russia,” said Neil Melvin, the director of international security studies at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank.
Melvin added that the re-emergence of violence in Dagestan this week is a threat to regional stability in the North Caucasus and to Putin’s claim to have restored order there.
The Kremlin did not always try that hard to quash narratives around violent Islamism.
Dagestan is a predominantly Muslim region of Russia in the North Caucasus. Extremist violence increased there in the early 2000s in the wake of two wars waged by Russian forces in neighboring Chechnya. Those conflicts allowed Putin to claim to have brought peace and stability to the turbulent region and burnish his image as Russia’s guarantor of security.
But more recently, Dagestan — like other ethnic minority regions — has borne the brunt of Putin’s sometimes unpopular efforts to mobilize men for the Ukraine war. The region also made headlines in October when an anti-Israeli mob stormed the airport in the Dagestan capital of Makhachkala after a passenger flight arrived from Israel just weeks after the Oct. 7 attack.
In the past, the Kremlin has blamed “international terrorism” and “jihadism” for fresh outbreaks of violence in Russia’s Caucasus, bringing it in line with Western countries facing similar threats, said Michael Clarke, a visiting professor of war studies at King’s College London. “But since 2022, the Kremlin has worked hard to imply that these attacks are somehow inspired from outside and more specifically that they lead back to Kyiv, however tenuously,” he said.
On Monday, Dagestan Gov. Sergei Melikov suggested authorities knew who was behind the attacks and what their goals were, but he stopped short of naming any perpetrators, mentioning only what he said were internationally controlled “sleeper cells.”
Opaque and mixed messaging has also been a feature of official responses to previous terrorist attacks on Russian soil.
Days after the Crocus City Hall attack in March, Putin said it was carried out by “radical Islamists” but questioned who directed them. Two weeks after that, he said Russia could not have been targeted by “Islamic fundamentalists” because it’s a “unique example of interfaith agreement and unity.”
The denial may have meant “the security services’ distraction by the war in Ukraine was not amended after the Crocus City Hall attack,” said Harold Chambers, a political analyst specializing in Russia at Indiana University Bloomington.
Notably, after Sunday’s attack, Russian state media reported that a local official, Magomed Omarov, had been relieved of his post and expelled from the ruling United Russia party. Those reports claimed that Omarov’s son and nephew took part in the attacks. The allegations, if true, will raise uncomfortable questions for the Kremlin.
“The higher status of the most recent Dagestan militants indicates that the counterterrorism landscape in the North Caucasus has shifted significantly,” Chambers said.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters Monday he did not have any assessment of who perpetrated the attack. Three U.S. officials told NBC News that no branch of ISIS has publicly taken credit for the attack but that other local extremist groups may be responsible.
Telegram channels associated with the ISIS affiliate group that carried out the attack at Crocus praised Sunday’s attack by “our brothers from the Caucasus,” but they did not claim responsibility.
The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War argued that the Islamic State group’s North Caucasus branch, Vilayat Kavkaz, likely was behind the attack, describing it as “complex and coordinated.”
Yerevan Accuses Russia of Taking Artsakh and ‘Giving it to Azerbaijan’ – Asbarez.com Asbarez Armenian News