(Same in Russian – https://miaban.ru/themes/gen-in-azer/gaa_11-6-2018_rus/)

A regular meeting of the “Yerevan Group on the Legal Recognition of the Armenian Genocide in Azerbaijan” (YG) was held on June 11, 2018, in Yerevan in the press center of the “Noyan Tapan” news agency.

The announcement was posted on the site Miaban.ru (in English and Russian), in the Facebook, sent to the addresses of more than a hundred people, including, YG foreign members. Separate invitations were sent to the Foreign Ministry, to all parliamentary factions.

The meeting was attended by a number of local YR members, as well as new ones, whose authorizations were unanimously confirmed at the beginning of the meeting. Together with three observers, there were 11 people. 13 people who live in other cities or did not come, had already reported their views on the issues sent in advance on the agenda. Among these people: Levon Adyan and Eduard Mosesov from Saint Petersburg, Nelly Avakova and Mikael Oganesyan from California, Tatyana Minasyan from Kaliningrad, Albina Sukiasyan and Benjamin Arustamov from Moscow, Aram Astvatsaturov from Tatarstan, Saro Saryan and Ashot Harutyunyan from Artsakh, Georgy Mikaelyan from Tbilisi and others.

Left photo (from left to right): professor, Ph.D., a deputy of Western Armenian parliament Ernest Grigoryan, writer Gohar Petrosyan, azatamartik (participant of Artsakh war) Musheg Gasparyan, a chief of “Assembly of Azerbaijani Armenians” Grigory Ayvazyan, writer Aida Avdalyan, a chief of “Armenian Comradeship” Vahan Babakhanyan, originator and publisher Elena Khatchatryan, public figures Hrayr Ulubabyan and David Vanyan.

The agenda included 12 topics. The meeting approved the report on YG activities and its members in the period after the previous meeting, elected the working council, the coordinator, discussed and adopted decisions on the position in upcoming parliamentary elections, in preparation for the conference in September on the Armenian Genocide in Azerbaijan (AGA) and other issues.

The meeting adopted in general the texts:

– YG charter,

– Letter to the Prime Minister of Armenia,

– Appeal to the Minsk Group.

The meeting was conducted by Vahan Babakhanyan, the secretary was Aida Avdalyan.

The heading at the beginning suggested holding the meeting in Armenian and also in Russian so that Russian-speaking Armenians refugees from Azerbaijan and their descendants in Russia heard a voice from the “Yerevan Group” and revised their passive and largely disappointment (based on experience of the previous years) with regard to the issue. He also said few words in English about the purpose of the event (video fragment, 2 min):

Video fragment (2 min) – Ernest Grigoryan’s story about his relatives during the massacres in Baku in September, 1918.

Each participant was given several sheets of draft texts on the agenda. On the tables were laid out the color A3 size posters with the public figures, who for years convincingly substantiated the fact of AGA.

Also on the tables were photos from 1988-90, shot by one of the participants of the meeting – azatamartik Musheg Gasparyan. This was a special symbolism: the memory of the victims is not forgotten, they are with us, they are participating in the discussion and do not give us the moral right to betray their Memory and the Truth.

Among the important materials mentioned at the meeting there were:

• the books received from the Institute of History and from Elena Gareginovna Khachatryan

• also received from the president of the Association of political scientists of Armenia Hmayak Hovhannisyan:
  The conclusion of the Human Rights Committee of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR (Russia) following the results of the hearings on the violation of human rights in the area of armed conflict in a number of regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia (late April-May 1991)
• and an important large article (in Russian) “Will the path to redemption be found?” by people’s deputy of the USSR Grigor Khanjyan and chairman of the Association of political scientists of the Republic of Armenia Hmayak Hovhannisyan (newspaper “Republic of Armenia, March 1, 1991).

During the meeting, a video was recorded, which will be posted soon in youtube and Facebook.

Despite the informational sabotage of the previous authorities, despite other difficulties, the Movement for the recognition of the AGA will be continued. Briefly about the movement: English and Russian versions.

Photos on this page from Musheg Gasparyan.

This information in Facebook:  in English and in Russian.