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03/17/2005
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Trials of Writers Symbolize Turkey's Freedom of Expression Problems 2) PACE Presses Azerbaijan to Free Political Prisoners or Face Consequences 3) 'Topsy-turvy' Turkish Reports Simply Worn-out Maneuver 4) OSCE Report on Mountainous Karabagh Strikes down Azeri Allegations of Resettlement 5) Armenian-Azeri Talks on Hold 1) Trials of Writers Symbolize Turkey's Freedom of Expression Problems --Publisher Zarakolu Dragged to Court for Printing Jerjian Book ISTANBUL (Combined Sources)--The co-founder and owner of Belge Publishing Ragip Zarakolu has again been taken to court in Turkey, this time for printing a translated version of George Jerjian's book "The Truth Will Set Us Free: Armenians and Turks Reconciled." He faces charges of insulting the state and defaming the founder of the Republic, Ataturk. In his defense, Zarakolu stated that in translating and publishing Jerjian's book, he presents to the Turkish reader a book read throughout the world. "The Turkish public must know about the existence of such a book, especially these days, when there's so much said about Armenian deportations and genocide. The reader can choose for himself; if he has opposing views, he can respond, creating a forum for debate," said Zarakolu. He also said that the case against him is in violation of his freedom of expression. The judge in the case has postponed the trial until May 12 "in order to review reaction of people who have read the book." The trail is being closely followed by international human rights organizations, as well as progressive Turkish intellectuals. If convicted, Zarakolu faces one-and-a-half to four years imprisonment. "The postponement is typical of such trials where hearings take place over many months, and sometimes years, causing much inconvenience and financial cost to those involved. Even if the defendant is acquitted of the charge, the long, drawn out process can be seen as a form of harassment. The trial itself can serve to make others think twice before publishing views that may bring them before the courts," writes International PEN, a world-wide organization of writers, established in 1921 to fight for the freedom of expression. Zarakolu also faces separate charges of "incitement to racial hatred," for writing an article critical of Turkey's foreign policy on Kurdish issues. Those charges carry a two-year jail sentence. An investigation was launched for his publication of Zulkuf Kisanak's "Lost Villages." In a separate case, writer Fikret Baskaya was acquitted of charges of "insult to the State, State institutions, and the military," stemming from articles published in the early nineties (since republished as a book titled: "Articles against the Current") in which he was critical of the Turkish authorities. International PEN and The Institute for Public Accuracy (IPA), as well as other international NGOs, among them Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, were in Turkey observing the hearings. 2) PACE Presses Azerbaijan to Free Political Prisoners or Face Consequences BAKU (Armenpress)--The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) warned Azerbaijan on Wednesday, that it must free its remaining political prisoners or face punitive measures. The assembly's rapporteur on political prisoners, Malcolm Bruce, said in Baku earlier this week that it wanted to see progress by its next meeting in April, or it would press for a review of the former Soviet republic's membership in the 46-nation Council of Europe. Human rights activists in Azerbaijan say some 100 political prisoners remain in jail, including more than 40 people arrested in October 2003 in a police crackdown on protests that broke out after presidential elections that the opposition claimed were rigged. Azerbaijan Joined the Council of Europe in 2001. 3) 'Topsy-turvy' Turkish Reports Simply Worn-out Maneuver YEREVAN (Yerevan)--Foreign ministry Hamlet Gasparian on Thursday, called Turkish press reports on a speech presented by an Armenian diplomat, simply "topsy-turvy." Turkish media reported that Armenia's ambassador to the European Union Vigen Chitechian, stated during a meeting of EU-Armenia cooperation commission in Strasbourg, that "the problem of the Armenian genocide was created by diaspora Armenians." Gasparian explained that, as a rule, Ambassador Chitechian uses the phrase "the diaspora itself was created as a result of the Genocide." He added that this is yet another attempt by the Turkish press to mislead the international community into thinking that serious disagreements exist between diaspora Armenians and those in Armenia. "It is a worn-out Turkish trick meant for uninformed people," he added. 4) OSCE Report on Mountainous Karabagh Strikes down Azeri Allegations of Resettlement (RFE/RL)--Armenia claimed a major diplomatic victory Thursday, when the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OCSE) denied Azerbaijan's allegations that Armenia is encouraging and financing a massive resettlement of Armenians in the Azerbaijani territories around Mountainous Karabagh. The Armenian Foreign Ministry released excerpts from a report drawn up by a fact-finding OSCE mission that toured those areas early last month. The report was officially submitted to the OSCE's governing Permanent Council in Vienna earlier on Thursday and has not yet been made public by the organization. "The Fact-Finding Mission has seen no evidence of direct involvement by the authorities of Armenia in the territories," concludes the report cited by the ministry. "There is no clear organized resettlement, no non-voluntary resettlement, no recruitment." "Overall settlement is quite limited," the OSCE team was quoted as saying, adding that there are less than 15,000 Armenians living in all seven districts in Azerbaijan proper, and not between 30,000 and 300,000 as was claimed by Baku. "The Fact-Finding Mission has concluded that the overwhelming majority of settlers are displaced persons from various parts of Azerbaijan, notably, from Shahumian (Goranboy) Getashen (Chaikent)-now under Azerbaijani control--and Sumgait and Baku." The Armenian Foreign Ministry welcomed the reported findings of the OSCE inspectors led by a senior German diplomat, Emily Haber. "Armenia appreciates the diligent, hard work of the Minsk Group co-chairs and the members of the Mission," the ministry said in a statement. "We believe that their detailed, first-hand, objective report clearly describes the situation on the ground in the region." "Armenia believes that the most important accomplishment of the Fact Finding Mission Report is that it has laid to rest Azerbaijan's charges," read the statement. The OSCE inspection was organized as a result of a compromise agreement between the conflicting parties and the mediators. The deal prevented a vote in the UN General Assembly on an Azerbaijani draft resolution condemning the decade-long occupation of the Azerbaijani lands. The resolution was endorsed by many Islamic nations, but the United States, Russia and France warned that it would hamper their peace efforts. Prior to the completion of the official OSCE report, French mediator Bernard Fassier, who was in Karabagh as part of the OSCE monitoring team in January, confirmed Karabagh's stance that the borderlands have been settled sporadically and unevenly, and, in many cases, by itinerant refugees driven from Azerbaijan during the war years. Fassier noted, "In many areas there is no electricity and poverty predominates. I wouldn't say people live. Rather, they are surviving in half-destroyed walls topped by a tin roof." The OSCE team found that the vast majority of Armenian settlers live in the Lachin district that serves as the shortest overland link between Armenia and Karabagh. The Armenian side has ruled out Lachin's return to Azerbaijan under any peace accord. A senior Karabagh official declared last month that Stepanakert will continue to populate Lachin. The Armenian Foreign Ministry statement said the area is "viewed differently in the negotiation process." "This is so because Lachin is Mountainous Karabagh's humanitarian and security corridor," it explained. "Without it, Mountainous Karabagh would remain an isolated enclave." 5) Armenian-Azeri Talks on Hold YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian has come away from a meeting with international mediators without an agreement on the next round of Armenian-Azerbaijani talks on Mountainous Karabagh, according to officials. Oskanian and Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov had been scheduled to take place in Prague on March 2, but were delayed due to Oskanian's bout with pneumonia. Oskanian said on March 4 that a new date for the potentially crucial meeting will be set "in the coming days." He was in Vienna on Tuesday, discussing the peace process with the French, Russian and US co-chairs of the OSCE's Minsk Group. "The new dates for the Prague negotiations are still not known," said Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hamlet Gasparian. Gasparian referred all inquiries regarding reasons for the longer-than-expected delay to the Minsk Group. "They are the ones who organize the negotiations," he said. The canceled meeting was supposed to continue a series of Armenian-Azeri talks held in the Czech capital since last summer. Mammadyarov and Oskanian announced in January the second stage of the "Prague process," raising fresh hopes for breaking the deadlock in the Karabagh peace process. 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