is the pattern in Europe, and Yerevan must
take steps to make it the pattern in Armenia as well. At the same time,
it must do more to attract Armenians from the eight-million-strong
Armenian diaspora. To date, however, Yerevan has not been doing that.
For example, he says, it has taken in only 7,000 Armenians from Syria
out of an Armenian community there of 150,000.

But the situation is even worse than those figures suggest, Pogosyan
states, because many of the Syrian Armenians who have come to Armenia
are using it as a way station until they can move to Europe or the
United States. He says he has a neighbor from Syria, a doctor with his
own clinic in Armenia. But now that neighbor is selling his clinic and
apartment and planning to move to France. He andtowards Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and
sovereignty.”

Like other Western human rights groups, Freedom House has repeatedly
decried the arrests and imprisonment of dozens of Aliyev critics in
recent years. In 2014, it urged the United States and the European Union
to consider imposing sanctions on Azerbaijani officials involved in
human rights abuses.

One of my
American colleagues who lives in Boston and always keeps in touch with the
local Armenians, last year visited Armenia as a volunteer firmly intending to
assist in fixing some social problems in Armenia. After working for more than a
month in Armenia we finally met just before his departure to the USA. He was
sad and perplexed. “I know many Armenians living in Boston, New York and New
Jersey,” he said, “they are very successful in their respective fields and live
safe and prosperous lives. Many of