The following is the open letter which “Hetq” has received from California regarding the article “There is a Time to Sue And a Time to Settle” by Harut Sassounian.

Responding to Harut Sassounian’s recent commentary entitled: “There Is a Time to Sue and a Time to Settle,” while we agree there is a time to settle, that time was years ago. We know first-hand the Assembly sought to resolve this matter amicably and without public fanfare. The fact is the Assembly did not seek litigation. The fact is the Assembly did not initiate the lawsuit in Federal Court.  The fact is on more than one occasion the Assembly agreed to settlement terms, only to have them rejected or changed at the last minute by Mr. Cafesjian.   None of these facts are even mentioned in Sassounian’s commentary.

Harut’s article mistakenly indicates this case resulted from “an attempt by Armenian Assembly leaders to take control of the multi-million dollar museum buildings…” This is simply not true. The fact is the Assembly transferred the properties to the Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial (AGMM), a separate organization.  What Harut also doesn’t say is the Judge awarded all the properties to Mr. Cafesjian and his foundation without any requirement whatsoever to actually build a Genocide Museum. The Judge also made it a point on page 1 of her decision to say she was not expressing any opinion about the Armenian Genocide, and instead described it as controversial.

Despite what Sassounian’s article says, Assembly leaders did not attempt to “exclude Cafesjian from any decision-making powers as a Board member of the AGM&M” as asserted in the article.  It is simply not the case. The fact is Mr. Cafesjian presided as Chairman of AGMM from 2003 to 2006, and controlled AGMM. 

The article also mistakenly indicates that the Grant agreement required the Assembly “to develop the museum by Dec. 1, 2010”.  Again, this is simply not the case.   The fact is  it was AGMM’s role to develop the project.

It is also an indisputable fact Mrs. Mathevosian’s major gift was due to her allegiance to and friendship with the Armenian Assembly of America, and was not the result of any relationship with Mr. Cafesjian. This is important and completely overlooked by Sassounian’s apparent lack of research, presumably prompted by the Cafesjian-side to write a negative piece against the Assembly.

Also, the article makes absolutely no mention of the serious and disturbing conflict of interest we feel exists and has been established between Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly and Mr. Cafesjian through their collection and promotion of contemporary studio glass art, including their joint contribution of a Libensky piece (the same artist Mr. Cafesjian testified about at trial) to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Is it any wonder the Judge gave preference to her fellow art collector and connoisseur who shares both a passion and has a stake in the same field of modern art, and decided in Cafesjian’s favor?  This is an important material fact and its omission from Sassounian’s article is glaring.

Unlike many of us who have been life-long activists for the Armenian cause, to us, Mr. Cafesjian was an unknown until he approached Hirair Hovnanian, and indicated he would like to become involved, initially in Armenia. It was Hirair who introduced Cafesjian to the leadership in Armenia.  Then, having received some degree of recognition, he turned on Hirair; and instead of partnering and participating with the Assembly, Cafesjian went out on his own. The final act of ingratitude was Cafesjian's lawsuit.  Cafesjian, by the way, continues to sue the Assembly, the latest lawsuit filed in Florida earlier this year, while the DC litigation was pending before the Judge.  Talk about a “Time to Settle” and a “Time to Sue”. Harut should have been clear on who was suing and who was seeking settlement.

Joyce Philibosian Stein

Joe Stein

Indian Wells, CA