Jason Sohigian

Non-Profit Leader | TEDx Speaker | Dad

[Jason Sohigian @JasonSohigian]

"This exhibition [Gandzaran @ Armenian Museum of America] speaks to the sundry & unique works of art that are receiving a moment to breathe, inspire, irritate or confound the audience -as art should be allowed to do through display & query" - Maureen Canney in Art New England

[301🇦🇲 @301arm]

Paris has opened a photo exhibition in the Place de la Bastille on the endangered Armenian heritage of Artsakh.

The exhibition, titled "Nagorno-Karabakh: Endangered Armenian Heritage" has been organized by Paris City Hall and L’Œuvre d'Orient, a French, Catholic association, and will be open until January 15.

[Jason Sohigian @JasonSohigian]

@nsbairamian Can’t wait to see these in the Armenian Museum shop soon 🙌🏼

[Simon Maghakyan @simonforco]

Armenia is about to be invaded and not a single news media, except Politico, is reporting it

[Dr Sophie Hay @pompei79]

Staggeringly beautiful. A cauldron with decoration in the form of bull heads. Incredible 8th cent BC find from Urartu (ancient Armenia).

[301🇦🇲 @301arm]

On October 13, another shipment of weaponry from Israel landed in Azerbaijan.

Despite the war on its own territory, Israel continues to fulfill its contractual obligations.

[The New York Review of Books @nybooks]

Susan Barba (@BarbaSusan) on the active presence of the Armenian genocide in Azerbaijan’s removal of 120,000 Armenians from their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh https://t.co/OphNOu9S9G

[Simon Maghakyan @simonforco]

Nearly everyone is avoiding calling out the Israeli government for aiding Azerbaijan’s genocide of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh — except the editorial board of the best newspaper in Israel. Respect. https://t.co/kecm7h2QiA

[Ruben Vardanyan @RubenVardanyan_]

My husband, Ruben Vardanyan, the philanthropist, businessman, and former Minister of State of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) was arrested and detained by the Azerbaijani authorities at the border this morning as he tried to leave with thousands of Armenians.

Ruben has stood with the Arsakh people during the 10-month blockade and has suffered with them in their struggle for survival.

I ask for your prayers and support for my husband's safe release.

Veronika Zonabend

[Noubar Afeyan @NoubarAfeyan]

Do not turn away from this still-unfolding crisis. Preventing #Genocide is a global responsibility.

[Henrikh Mkhitaryan @HenrikhMkh]

After a ten months long blockade, on September 19th Azerbaijan’s military launched a brutal shelling of Nagorno Karabakh.

My heart breaks as I learn about the stories of trauma, loss, and severe violations of human rights of thousands of Armenian families who are being forcibly displaced from Nagorno Karabakh and flee for Armenia in a mass exodus.

The situation that people in Nagorno-Karabakh are suffering right now, brings memories from History’s darkest hours. We often look back to those dark pages of indiscriminate killings, ethnic cleansing and concentration camps with remorse, and regret that no one did enough to stop it. We cannot bring back the victims from those past atrocities, but we are still in time to prevent genocide from unfolding in the Nagorno-Karabakh.

In the midst of this horror, we need immediate mobilization of emergency humanitarian aid through the Lachine Corridor and airlift and the deployment of international monitoring missions to put a stop to these crimes against humanity.

It is now urgent for international leaders to stand up against ethnic cleansing and use all possible political tools to put an end to military actions in the region.

Children have the right to live in peace in their homeland.

Photo: @CivilNetTV / Hasmik Khachatryan
#NagornoKarabakh #Armenia #Artsakh

[Karnig Kerkonian @kerkonian]

🚩SHOCKING. The final two minutes of the Committee hearing regarding #Azerbaijan's blockade of #NagornoKarabakh was absolutely shocking.

In response to @SenatorMenendez final question as to why she thinks #Aliyev has not unblocked the #LachinCorridor despite the 2020 Trilateral Statement, #ICJ Order & US demands, Acting Asst. Sec. Yuri Kim @StateEUR told Sen. Menendez that she would prefer to discuss the answer to that question in "another setting". What?

Astonished, the Senator replied, asking her what in the world would be "classified" about the answer to that simple question. He asked again, visibly surprised, and then continued: "I'll give you an unclassified answer: he [Aliyev] doesn't want to open the Corridor because he is in the process of trying to subjugate these people [#Artsakh #Armenia|ns] by starvation . . . and subject them to his will."
Sen. Menendez concluded, while shaking his head in disappointment and disbelief: "I've been doing this for 31 years" and "I'm amazed sometimes at what the @StateDept comes before this Committee and says."

Here's the thing. Assist. Sec. Kim's statement suggests rather plainly that there is actual knowledge within the U.S. State Department of Aliyev's intent to ethnically cleanse Nagorno-Karabakh and, likely, actual knowledge of Aliyev's genocidal intent. This means specific individuals within the State Department have actual knowledge of Aliyev's intent. This is a problem: knowledge of this intent imposes upon such specific individuals an obligation not to aid and abet Aliyev's intended plans (lest such individuals seek complicity in his actions).

Sen Menendez' "unclassified answer" is at the crux of the issue: Azerbaijan's "integration" policy is, in fact, a subjugation policy. In this context--where Aliyev's intent to commit ethnic cleansing and genocide is known--advocating or supporting Aliyev's integration policy is, in fact, aiding and abetting Aliyev's genocide policy.

There is good reason Asst. Sec. Kim did not want to answer Sen. Menendez in public about what she actually thinks about Aliyev's intention. And there is good reason why the State Department's special envoy to the region, who has dealt directly with Aliyev, Louis Bono, was initially scheduled to appear before the Committee, then was not scheduled . . . and then avoided the hearing altogether.

You see, actual knowledge is a dangerous thing. There are at least three people--@SecBlinken, Asst. Sec. Kim, and Louis Bono--who have actual knowledge of Aliyev's intent. Any actions by them to push for the "integration" of Artsakh Armenians into and under the authority of Aliyev--where there is known genocidal intent--would quite literally aid and abet the destruction of the Artsakh Armenians. Sure, Asst. Sec. Kim, "another setting" is a really good idea . . . .

You can watch the tense exchange between Sen Menendez and Asst. Sec. Kim here, starting at the 1:01:07 mark: https://t.co/BuDubtEG9K

[CNN Opinion @CNNOpinion]

"Food and medicine urgently need to reach the population in Nagorno-Karabakh. Civilians shouldn’t be held hostage to political and geopolitical contests for power," writes @Lara

https://t.co/sbqx2Mn5kF

[Jason Sohigian @JasonSohigian]

We’re offering FREE ADMISSION Sept 23-24! When Smithsonian’s #FreeMuseumDay was cancelled we decided in partnership w/ @derkazarianf to offer free admission the weekend of #WatertownMA Faire on the Square. #MuseumDay #ThingsToDoInBoston #DisruptedBorders #ArmenianMuseumOfAmerica

[Karnig Kerkonian @kerkonian]

NINE MONTHS AGO 👉🏽 Genocide Is About to Unfold in Artsakh, And The West Has Secured A Front-Row Seat. 👉🏽https://t.co/gNQTHl2xGO

War crimes have distinct patterns. In this case, patent indicators were screaming for attention even nine months ago. Ignoring these genocide markers in #NagornoKarabakh was a clear and knowing choice made by many states and their diplomats. It was a clear and knowing, tactical choice.

The indications of genocide were strategically ignored by the West—and the #EU especially—in an effort to advance something more “important”: #Russia and #Iran containment and, of course, (laundered) energy delivery. These geopolitical aims were specifically selected over actually deterring Azerbaijan from executing the genocide of the Artsakh Armenians. Again, a voluntary, deliberate choice.

In the end, these were choices made by people, by government leaders and diplomats—and these choices have consequences. Personally aiding and abetting the facilitation of Azerbaijan war crimes is not excused by geopolitical considerations or interests. Advocating, indeed pushing for, Aliyev’s “integration” agenda—against the backdrop of his genocidal intent—is one of the ways certain government leaders and diplomats assisted Aliyev in bringing about the conditions causing the destruction of a people right now. It’s already looking quite disgusting in retrospect, and we’re not even at the worst part yet.

No western diplomat or “peace” mediator can claim plausible deniability as genocide by mass starvation unfolds today in #Artsakh. There is no question that western leaders and diplomats made choices to assist and greenlight Aliyev’s attempts to gain control and authority over the very people he seeks to eliminate despite open and notorious information—information they knew—about Aliyev’s genocidal intent.

Imagine that: advocating for placing the genocide targeted people under the authority of the genocidaire. Imagine advocating for the integration of Jews into Nazi Germany—it would be repulsive, and illegal. Yet here, they did and are doing just that. They chose to look away—you know, to secure Azerbaijan’s cooperation in those more “important” things.

Well, here we are today … taking names.

[ANCA @ANCA_DC]

"To the men organizing and carrying out this brutal campaign, we will hold you accountable for your crimes even if it takes a lifetime. You will pay a price. You will face justice. And I certainly will not rest until you do so." - @SenatorMenendez on #Artsakh

[Jason Sohigian @JasonSohigian]

Armenian Museum of America’s cooperation with @MashtotsM expanded thanks to a grant from @bankofamerica as part of its #ArtConservationProject, which will support restoration of 21 illuminated manuscripts in our collection. The cleaning of these #rarebooks is underway in Boston.

[Karnig Kerkonian @kerkonian]

POWERFUL HEARING on Azerbaijan’s #genocide of the #Artsakh Armenians, conducted by the Tom Lantos US Congressional Human Rights Commission, just concluded with chilling testimony from Prof. David Phillips and Luis Ocampo #NagornoKarabakh @MorenoOcampo1 . Watch it here 👉🏽 https://t.co/aPLGN9SYwl

[Jason Sohigian @JasonSohigian]

Artist panel at #Armenian Museum of America to feature Harvard’s Christina Maranci and Hrag Vartanian of Hyperallergic 9/23 @ 2:00 @AraOshagan @hragv @ArmenianWeekly #Photography #WatertownMA #DisruptedBorders #Diaspora @watertowngov
https://t.co/6uFyg4t8DG

[Serj Tankian-#SanctionAzerbaijan @serjtankian]

On the 32nd Anniversary of the independence referendum of Nagorno-Karabagh (Artsakh) we are faced with another existential crisis, Genocide of our people by starvation at the hands of dictatorial Azerbaijan. As Armenians we need to be United and steadfast for this struggle.