Month: June 2005

A1plus
| 13:29:11 | 29-06-2005 | Social |
SIT-DOWN STRIKE GOES ON
Today the believer participants of the meeting opposite the Government
building complained that the introduction of the social cards or,
as they say, the numbering of people is the policy of eliminating
Christians. “We were the first nation to adopt Christianity, and now
we are the first to betray Jesus, they cried.
Today the representatives of different sects quarreled with each
other on the principles of religion. From the very beginning of the
meeting the followers of the Armenian Apostolic church distributed
brochures to the passers by which was titled “Our Daily Bread”. They
also had posters saying “We emand freedom of conscience”, and “Do not
violate our constitutional right”. The followers of different sects
also quarreled about who must hold the posters.

EUROPEAN REVOLUTION STARTS FROM THE SCHOOL
A1plus
| 12:47:37 | 29-06-2005 | Social |
Today in Armenia the COE Yerevan school of political courses opened,
which is the 12th of suchlike schools. This kind of schools are
usually opened in COE new member-countries.
By the way, in this respect Armenia has left behind Azerbaijan, where
there is no school teaching European values yet. “Today we opened the
school in Yerevan, and we hope that soon another one will be opened
in Baku. For suchlike schools it is very important to have regional
nets. Even responsible people need them”, announced COE political
relations department head Klaus Schumann who realized the opening
ceremony of the school.
In the initial stage of opening schools only South Eastern Europe was
in the center of attention. But today, especially after the referendums
in France and the Netherlands the COE thinks that suchlike schools will
be useful for the COE old member-countries to support the realization
of the European values.
The newly opened school in Armenia has 35 students among whom are
social and political bodies, journalists, editors. Within a year they
will take part in the seminars about Euro integration, Foreign policy
of Armenia, constitution, state governing system, and the current
political developments of Armenia. At the end of the study the group
will leave for Strasbourg where they will receive their diplomas with
the signature of the COE Secretary General.
The RA Constitutional Court head, NA deputies and oppositional and
pro-governmental political bodies took part in the opening ceremony
of the political school. Although gifts in the working place do not
correspond to the European standards, Artashes Geghamyan, leader of
the “National Unity” party approached the microphone. CC President
Gagik Haroutyunyan gave his place near the microphone to him. Artashes
Geghamyan mentioned that “he does not have an eye on the CC President’s
post” and explained that he wanted to present the COE official with
a bottle of Armenian brandy “to celebrate the event”.

NEW PROPOSALS ON KARABAKH CONFLICT NOT EXPECTED
A1plus
| 21:22:04 | 28-06-2005 | Politics |
Today Azeri FM Elmar Mamedyarov stated that agreement on two principal
issues of the Karabakh settlement was achieved with the Armenian
Foreign Minister. However Vardan Oskanyan said he does not know which
these issues are.
Without going into detail he said that an agreement on one issue
was really achieved and some common points were found on a number of
minor questions, however problems did not receive final solution. When
asked whether any new proposals can be expected during the visit of
the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to the region Vardan Oskanyan said
that all the proposals have been already made and they are being
discussed at the negotiations.

ANDREY MAZIYEV CHARGED WITH SPYING FOR AZERBAIJAN SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS IN PRISON
AZG Armenian Daily #119, 29/06/2005
Court
Yesterday, the court of first instance of Malatsia-Sebastia borough
announced the verdict of Armenian citizen of Russian origin Andrey
Maziyev who was charged with spying for Azerbaijan. Judge Tigran
Petrosian read the verdict: the court considers proven all crimes
committed by Maziyev — high treason in form of spying, support
in terrorizing Armenia’s population and in an organization of
assassination of an Armenian political figure.
Several articles of the Armenian penal code foresaw a sentence up to
20 years but the judge mitigated it to 12 years without expropriation.
Chief prosecutor of Armenia, Aghvan Hovsepian, considered the verdict
well deserved and praised the National Security Service for their
actions to disclose the crime.
By Gohar Gevorgian

AZG Armenian Daily #119, 29/06/2005
Armenian Genocide
100 ANSWERS TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Turnon publishing house of France put out “100 Answers About Armenian
Genocide” by journalist Anna Dastakian and historian Clare Muradian. Le
Monde newspaper of Paris informs that the 94-page book has the laconic
and clear answers numbered. The answers occupy a period till 2005.
The questions and answers deal with definitions of the Genocide,
with the complicity of Turkey’s allies, with EU’s preconditions for
Turkey’s accession etc. The book closes with a bibliography on related
sources (books, films and websites).
By Petros Keshishian

AZG Armenian Daily #119, 29/06/2005
Society
LESSON FOR CHILDREN
Power of Kindness
The fairy tales telling of the struggle between the Good and the
Evil accompanied us during our childhood. Hasmik, who is only 10,
is sure that the bread blessed by mother will always help the son,
to find a way out and to take victory over the evil. She saw “The
Blessed Bread” performance for children at Orran NGO.
Tekeyan Theatre at the Tekeyan Culture Association is going to give
performances for children at the orphanages of Armenia during the
summer. The first performance of that cultural initiative was held
yesterday. Artashes Hovhanissian, art director of the theatre, is
glad that thanks to such arrangements the children will stop watching
vulgar musical clips, cartoons and films. The theatre was founded 17
years ago. It was called Norq before. Today, Artashes Hovhanissian
hopes that soon Tekeyan will become a real theatre and they will
stage plays not only for children but also for adults.
Heriqnaz Harutyunian, head of Orran NGO, was very glad that such
arrangements are held at their center. “These fairy tales give good
lessons of living good lives to these young children. Not a single
pedagogic manual can teach them these lessons,” she said. “Nothing
can change in one day. These children are still too young, they
see many things in their lives. Most of these children live in the
streets trying to beg for their living. It really a great lesson
for them to learn how to remain kind in the world of hardship,”
Mrs. Harutyunian said.
By Tamar Minasian

YEREVAN COURT SENTENCED AZERI SPY TO 12 YEARS OF IMPRISONMENT
Pan Armenian News
28.06.2005 05:44
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yerevan Court of First Instance has sentenced Andrey
Maziyev accused in espionage in favor of Azerbaijan to 12 years
of imprisonment. The court considered the accusations on all the
three articles of the Criminal Code of Armenia proved. These three
articles are treason through espionage, plotting a terrorist act,
and plotting the murder of a state political figure, specifically,
the Armenian President, reported Regnum news agency. It should
be noted that the prosecution in the person of Prosecutor General
Aghvan Hovsepyan demanded that Maziyev be sentences to 13 years of
deprivation of liberty. When announcing the verdict the court took
into account the mitigating circumstances, specifically the frank
confessions of prisoner at bar, repentance and assistance to the
investigation. Upon the completion of the court hearing A. Hovsepyan
noted that “all special services engage in intelligence, however
organization of acts of terrorism and assassinations are specific
crimes that should be punished by law.” It should be reminded that
Maziyev cooperated with Azerbaijan’s special services from October
1999 to January 4, 2005. Since his recruitment he had a nickname of
Frolov and fulfilled a number of tasks.
He specifically collected and disseminated information about domestic
political and economic developments in Armenia, main political parties,
information on Armenia’s military, defense, and armed forces, as
well as foreign investments. He also gathered information about the
situation in Nagorno Karabakh, its society and leaders of main parties,
their shadowed business. Officers of special services of the Ministry
of National Security of Azerbaijan Faig Shamilov (the Armenian party
has announced a search for him), some Mahmud and Zaur, as well
as messengers Nodar and Zurab worked with Maziyev. On the whole,
Maziyev met with representatives of Azerbaijan’s special services 18
times and received approximately $2.5 thousand for his services. He
was also commissioned to take photos of the buildings of foreign
embassies, hotels, offices of political parties, state transport
numbers. Besides he was to find out detailed information about the
Armenian Nuclear Power Plant. Maziyev did not fulfill the task. At the
same time, when fulfilling the tasks of the Azeri special services,
Maziyev photographed Zvartnots airport, its landing strip, President
Kocharian’s plane landing at the airport, helicopters protecting the
territory of the airport, location of snipers, as well as the front
of the presidential residence.

ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR TO ITALY PRESENTED CREDENTIALS TO PRESIDENT
Pan Armenian News
28.06.2005 09:15
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian Ambassador to Italy Ruben Shugaryan
presented credentials to President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, reported
the Press Service of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In
the course of the meeting the parties discussed the process of
implementation of agreements, reached in the course of Armenian
President Robert Kocharian’s visit to Italy this January, as well as
the process of European integration of Armenia within the European
Cooperation Program. Besides, the interlocutors discussed issues of
Armenian-Turkish relations and the Karabakh settlement. The parties
specially emphasized the importance of the holding of Armenian-Italian
Friendship Days in Armenia this autumn.

GORAN LENNMARKER REPORT ON KARABAKH CAUSES BAKU DISCONTENT
Pan Armenian News
28.06.2005 07:36
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The report on Nagorno Karabakh drawn up by Goran
Lennmarker will be heard at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly summer
session to be held in Washington for the first time. Azeri delegation
to the OSCE PA headed by Chairman of the Standing Committee for
Economic Affairs of the Milli Mejlis Satar Safarov will also leave
for Washington to take part in the event. “We are not satisfied with
some provisions of the Lennmarker report. We will insist that the
report call Armenia an aggressor,” Satar Safarov said, reported the
Yerkir newspaper.

OSCE MG TO VISIT KARABAKH CONFLICT REGION JULY 11-16
Pan Armenian News
28.06.2005 05:18
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group over settlement
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will visit the region July 11-16. As
reported by Ambassador Yuri Merzlyakov, along with his MG colleagues
Steven Mann (US) and Bernard Fassier he will go to Baku, then
to Yerevan and Stepanakert. Touching upon the efficiency of the
negotiations, specifically a few rounds of meetings of the FMs of
Armenia and Azerbaijan within the Prague process, the Russian diplomat
said, “some encouraging trends are observed.” “These can be called
progress or certain closing in of the approaches of the parties. In
any case the Co-Chairs have some optimism,” Y. Merzlyakov said.
At the same time, referring to the confidentiality of the talks, he
did not specify matters, in which the parties have become closer. When
commenting on Azerbaijan’s statements that the opportunity of lifting
the transport blockade of the communications between Armenia and
Azerbaijan that also comprise Nagorno Karabakh and Nakhichevan is
considered at the talks, the Russian diplomat said, “the opening
of communications in the region as a whole in the broader sense is
discussed at the talks.” “The Azeri party has made this proposal,”
Merzlyakov remarked. In his words, at present the OSCE MG Ambassadors
are waiting for the final response of the Presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan over their meeting within the framework of informal CIS
Summit in Kazan July 26, Regnum news agency reported.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress