Month: October 2006

PRESS RELEASE
American University of Armenia
300 Lakeside Drive, 5th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
Contact: Maggie Mead
Tel: 510-987-9125
Fax: 510-208-3576
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

AUA GRADUATION: The American University of Armenia is 15 years old

Yerevan – In the midst of 15th Anniversary commemoration activities, the
American University of Armenia celebrated its 13th graduation and
commencement ceremonies during the last week of September.

Festivities began on Friday, September 29, with the traditional annual
alumni dinner, whereby AUA alumni and faculty congratulated the Class of
2006. The traditional Alumni Dinner brought together about 300 graduates,
past and present faculty, and staff.

The following day, September 30, AUA held its Baccalaureate Service for the
graduates, families, faculty, and staff to reflect upon their
accomplishments in a spiritual setting. The Baccalaureate is a
traditional celebration of academic achievement marked by an inspirational
message which takes place the day before graduation ceremonies in American
universities. AUA President Haroutune Armenian explained that "the
Baccalaureate is an integral part of the AUA graduation celebration taking
place next weekend and it is a wonderful opportunity for students and
families to reflect on their hard-earned achievements."

This year, the speaker was AUA President Emeritus, Dr. Mihran Agbabian. Dr.
Agbabian is a founder of the American University of Armenia and served as
its first President. Dr. Agbabian spoke on the importance of "giving back"
and fellowship, or, as he stated, "If you cannot return the help you receive
directly to those who have made a difference in your life, you can always
help another person in another place and time."

"Paros" Chamber Choir, the only wheelchair choir in the world, then
performed several inspiring songs.

On October 1, 2006, the American University of Armenia’s graduation ceremony
took place in the main auditorium. One hundred and twenty six men and women
received their Master’s Degrees. These new graduates join AUA’s 1,402 alumni
who now occupy important leadership positions.

At the ceremony President Haroutune Armenian welcomed the graduates, their
families, faculty, and many distinguished guests.

The Associate Dean of English Programs spoke on behalf of the University of
California. Commencement addresses were delivered by Mr.Gagik Harutunyan,
President, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia, and Mr.
Jason B. Sprague, Peace Corps Volunteer in Gavar, Armenia. Valedictorians
Anush Dulgaryan (Armenian address) and
Tatevik Gharibyan (English address) spoke on behalf of the Class 2006.

After this, about 126 graduates were presented by their respective Deans and
called to the stage to receive their Certificates and Master’s Degrees. At
the end of the Ceremony, the graduates, according to tradition, threw their
caps into the air.

The reception in the main lobby and cafeteria of AUA concluded this great
day.

AUA Accomplishments, Year 2006
* AUA becomes a founding member of the consortium of American-style Academic
Libraries of colleges and universities in Europe, North Africa, and the
Middle East, which is created to implement collaborative projects in
information resources and technology that support teaching and learning.
* AUA launches the Turpanjian Rural Development Program, a major five year
initiative focused on economic growth through adult education and rural
entrepreneurship.
* The Anti-Seismic Systems International Society and AUA, in collaboration
with the Armenian Association for Earthquake Engineering, holds an
international workshop on "Base Isolated High-Rise Buildings." Armenia was
the first among developing nations to implement seismic isolation technology
and pioneered the practice of retrofitting buildings for seismic isolation.
* Fifty-two doctors and nurses in Nagorno Karabakh complete basic first aid
and emergency skills training organized by the Center for Health Services
Research and Development, as part of the United States Agency of
International Development-funded Humanitarian Assistance Program for Nagorno
Karabakh.
——————————-
The American University of Armenia is registered as a non-profit educational
organization in both Armenia and the United States and is affiliated with
the Regents of the University of California. Receiving major support from
the AGBU, AUA offers instruction leading to the Masters Degree in eight
graduate programs. For more information about AUA, visit

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
"Capital punishment must be totally removed in all countries which
strive to uphold democracy, the rule of law and human rights," says PACE
President

Strasbourg, 10.10.2006 – "Capital punishment must be totally removed
once and for all from the legislation of all countries which strive to
uphold democracy, the rule of law and human rights," the President of
the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), René van der
Linden, said today to mark the World Day Against the Death Penalty.

"The death penalty has been abolished in all our member states, with
just one exception, the Russian Federation", Mr van der Linden said. He
urged the Russian authorities to show, vis-à-vis public opinion in
their country, the same determination and persuasiveness displayed by
the other Council of Europe member states, which had the political will
and courage to abolish the death penalty despite the potential
unpopularity of the measure. "The sentence of life imprisonment of the
only surviving Beslan terrorist was a clear signal of Russia’s respect
of a de facto moratorium on the death penalty, but I hope that this
moratorium could soon result in a de jure abolition of the death
penalty," he said.

At the same time, he warned against all attempts to launch discussion on
the re-introduction of the death penalty in Europe.

He also recalled that at its June 2006 session, the Assembly had noted
with concern that the separatist territories, not recognised
internationally, of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and the Dnestr Moldavian
Republic do not observe the abolition of the death penalty by Georgia
and Moldova respectively. "The Assembly believes that the death penalty
should be abolished in these territories and that the sentences of all
prisoners currently on death row in Abkhazia and the Dnestr Moldavian
Republic should be immediately commuted to terms of imprisonment in
order to put an end to the cruel and inhuman treatment of those who have
been kept on death row for years in a state of uncertainty as to their
ultimate fate," he stressed.

In respect of countries having observer status with the Council of
Europe, he referred to earlier PACE Resolutions 1349 (2003)
< D/Documents/AdoptedText/ta03/ERES1349.htm> and 1253 (2001)
< D 1/ERES1253.htm> , in which the Assembly calls on Japan
and the United States to place an immediate moratorium on executions and
to take the necessary steps to abolish the death penalty. "The Assembly
finds it inadmissible that these appeals have gone unheeded and that
both Japan and the United States continue to apply the death penalty and
violate their fundamental obligation to uphold human rights."

He finally called on all countries in the world which have not yet
abolished the death penalty to follow the lead given by the 46-nation
Council of Europe, a de facto "death-penalty-free zone".

Press Release
Parliamentary Assembly Communication Unit
Ref: 575a06
Tel: +33 3 88 41 31 93
Fax :+33 3 90 21 41 34
[email protected]
internet:

The Parliamentary Assembly brings together 315 members from the national
parliaments of the 46 member states.
President: René van der Linden (Netherlands, EPP/CD); Secretary
General of the Assembly: Mateo Sorinas.
Political Groups: SOC (Socialist Group); EPP/CD (Group of the European
People’s Party); ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe);

EDG (European Democratic Group); UEL (Group of the Unified European
Left).

Council of Europe Secretary General Death penalty is a fatal form of injustice

Brussels, 10.10.2006 – Terry Davis, Secretary General of the Council of
Europe and Franco Frattini, Vice President of the European Commission
held today a joint press conference in Brussels to mark the World Day
against the Death Penalty. On this occasion, Terry Davis said:

"Death penalty is a fatal form of injustice and a fatal violation of
human rights. You cannot have a genuinely civilised and humane society
if the state is uncivilised and inhumane.

Death penalty is barbaric. It does not deter crime. It does not help the
victims of crime. It transforms murderers into martyrs. It transforms
judicial errors into irreversible tragedies. The bottom line is – the
next time that judicial error may be you.

The European Convention on Human Rights and its protocols guarantee the
right to life and prohibit torture, degrading and inhuman treatment.
Death penalty violates that Convention.

The Council of Europe has been working for the past 30 years to outlaw
the death penalty in Europe. Since 1989, abolition has been set as a
formal condition for accession for all new members. 45 of the 46 member
states have formally abolished the death penalty. We expect the Russian
Federation will soon follow suit. Meanwhile it has had a moratorium
since it joined in 1996. As a result, there has not been a single
execution in any member states of the Council of Europe for 10 years.
In the whole of Europe, only Belarus is out of step.

But, as far as I am concerned, the abolition of the death penalty is
still an unfinished business. First, many Europeans are still in favour
of the death penalty. This is not something we can ignore. We need to
go out and explain to people why the death penalty is wrong, why it has
been abolished and why it should stay abolished. This is an area where
the Council of Europe and the European Commission can work together and,
I hope, will work together.

Second, we must look beyond Europe. Some of our closest friends and
allies continue to execute people. We all know that the decision to
abolish the death penalty must come from them. But until they decide to
do so – and eventually, they will – we should not remain silent.
Politely but persistently, we should encourage them to follow our
example and say yes to justice but no to cruelty, torture and death."

Press Release
Council of Europe Press Division
Ref: 576a06
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 25 60
Fax:+33 (0)3 88 41 39 11
[email protected]
internet:

To receive our press releases by e-mail, contact :
[email protected]

A political organisation set up in 1949, the Council of Europe works to
promote democracy and human rights continent-wide. It also develops
common responses to social, cultural and legal challenges in its 46
member states.

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address:  Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact:  Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel:  (374 10) 517 163
Fax:  (374 10) 517 301
E-Mail:  [email protected]
Website: 
October 10, 2006

Three New "Vardapets" in Holy Etchmiadzin

On September 15, three young priests successfully defended their doctoral
theses in the Gevorkian Theological Seminary of the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin.  The examination committee was comprised of His Eminence
Archbishop Nerses Bozabalian, Chairman; His Eminence Archbishop Navasard
Kjoyan, Vicar of the Araratian Pontifical Diocese; and His Grace Bishop
Arshak Khatchatrian, Chancellor of the Mother See. 

Rev. Fr. Barsegh Pilavchian defended his thesis entitled "The Spiritual and
Cultural Life of the Hungarian-Armenian Community".  Rev. Fr. Daniel
Tumanian defended his thesis entitled "The Third Chapter of the Book of
Genesis in Various Commentaries and Armenian Apocryphal Literature".  Rev.
Fr. Vasken Nanian defended his thesis entitled "The Presentation of the Lord
to the Temple (Candlemas) and its Introduction into the Ritual Structure and
Calendar of the Armenian Church".  All three priests are members of the
Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin.

The following day, on September 16, during the celebration of Divine
Liturgy, His Eminence Archbishop Navasard Kjoyan elevated the three monks
and bestowed them with the rank of "Vardapet" (archimandrite).  According to
tradition, the service was offered in the Church of St. Mesrop Mashtots in
Oshakan.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

Son Excellence
Monsieur Jacques Chirac
Président
de la République Française
Paris

Monsieur le Président,

En tant que Catholicos et Chef Spirituel de l’Eglise Arménienne Orthodoxe,
Siège de Cilicie, je salue, avec une joie particulière, votre dernière
déclaration à Erévan concernant le Génocide Arménien, où vous exprimez,
encore une fois, la position ferme et claire du peuple français à l’égard de
cette réalité historique.

Les Arméniens de Cilicie ont subi particulièrement le Génocide et ses
effets, suite auquel le Catholicossat Arménien de Cilicie a été forcé de
quitter son siège historique à Cilicie et s’est établi à Antélias, Liban.

La France, par sa fidélité aux valeurs humaines et aux principes de Droit et
de Justice est un modèle pour tous les pays qui continuent à dénier le
Génocide Arménien.

Le négationisme ne peut générer que de nouvaux génocides et par suite la
Communaute Internationale doit traiter sérieusement la question du Génocide
Arménien, qui reste toujours impuni. Je crois au dialogue entre les
cultures, les religions et les nations. C’est un thème que j’ai constamment
soulevé dans mes messages, mes interventions publiques et mes livres.
Cependant, c’est la proclamation de la vérité qui doit conduire au dialogue
et à la réconciliation.

l’Europe n’est pas un continent géographique, ni même une entité politique.
L’Europe est essentiellement une communauté de valeurs culturelles et
morales fondé sur les Droits de l’Homme. Par suite, je pose la question: où
est la place de la Turquie dans cette communauté?
Monsieur le Président,

Votre position en faveur d’une reconaissance du Génocide Arménien est digne
de la France, digne des principes relevés et défendus par la France, et du
rôle unique joué par la France dans le monde, en faveur de la défense des
Droits de l’Homme.

Je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur le Président, mes remerciements les plus
profonds.

Avec mes
prières et mes bénédictions,

ARAM I

CATHOLICOS DE CILICIE
Antélias, Liban

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

FIRS T YEAR REPORT ON THE "KHATCHER KALOUSDIAN"
CENTER FOR PEDAGOGICAL DEVELOPMENT
ACADEMIC YEAR 2006-2007

The July 2006 Israeli war on Lebanon proved to be destructive for Lebanon
and its economy. The educational was not the least damaged as well, even
though the standard academic year had been completed. The official exams
were not yet marked and we had to wait September until they were officially
published.

The "Khatcher Kalousdian" Pedagogical Center had presented 11 students for
official examinations. Three of these of were TS students: Abadallah Lina,
Shirinian Sarine and Dakesian Maral. The remaining eight were BT students:
Aroyian Julia, Aroyian Maral, Khatcherian Maral, Gaidzagian Talin,
Giragossian Hrip, Bedrossian Arpine, Stamboulian Shaghig and Vahradian
Sylva.

Only one BT student failed as a consequence of an unexpected turn of events
during the academic year. She might also sit for the spring round of the
official exams.

Including this year’s students, the center has thus far presented 64
students to official examinations with only 1 unsuccessful candidate and
another one with a pending status.

The center initiated its academic year 2006-2007 in September. The
admissions office accepted application on September 15 and 22. Classes
started on September 29. This year the center so far has 22 students
registered for nine classes a week each.

TS students sit for courses in: Improvement of the Armenian Language, Method
of Teaching Armenian History, Method of Teaching Armenian Language and
Literature, Pedagogical Literature, Arabic Language and Method of Teaching
the Language, Other Subjects Taught in Arabic, Psychology.

BT students have a slightly different schedule: Improvement of the Armenian
Language, Method of Teaching Armenian Language, Pedagogical Literature,
Arabic Language and Method of Teaching the Language, Other Subjects Taught
in Arabic, French Language.

An additional topic, Armenian Pedagogical Writing, will also be proposed to
students as an extracurricular course the followers of which will be
volunteers only.

Towards the end of the previous academic year our third and last methodical
work was published: The Journal of improvement of Armenian. We hope to
publish further works in the future under the scheme of the newly
established pedagogical publications’ project in the Catholicosate of
Cilicia.

K. Shahinian
Director "Khatcher Kalousdian"
Center For Pedagogical Development

Antelias, 7 October, 2006
##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the
institutions of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

FRANCE SACRIFICING FREE THOUGHT FOR ARMENIAN VOTES
TDN editorial by Yusuf KANLI

Turkish Daily News
Oct 9 2006

The French must see that they will not only lose Turkey, but at
the same time they will as well be sacrificing free thought just
to appease and get votes of a small Armenian minority in the coming
presidential elections

Neither with nationalistic slogans and declaring the issue a taboo
nor with imposing economic and cultural sanctions against countries
helping out Armenians to rewrite history with political statements
and parliamentary resolutions can we overcome the mounting pressure
demanding this country to acknowledge the 1915-1917 killings of the
Armenian population of this land as a "genocide.

"We can say that the French, Dutch, Danish or other European nations
lending support to the Armenian "genocide" claims are nothing but
an effort to find a way of forgetting their own "contributions" to
the suffering of not only the Armenians but other ethnic communities
of the dissolving Ottoman Empire, as well as how they collaborated
with Nazi Germany to butcher the Jews, Gypsies and other "unwanted"
peoples, or how they mercilessly staged an act of genocide in Algeria
and elsewhere as they were forced out of their colonies and in a
way to "cleanse the blood on their own hands" by demonstrating how
sensitive they are now on the issue of what might have happened to
the Armenians in the first quarter of last century.

We may as well try to provide an explanation that Russians were
attacking our territory, Armenians were collaborating with the enemy,
their forced resettlement had become an absolute necessity for national
defense, there was a civil war and perhaps more Turks (and Kurds) than
Armenians perished because of the prevailing conditions of the time, as
well as from epidemics and such. Still, we cannot say nothing happened
to the Ottoman Armenian population and all the claims are just fiction.

I was talking with a survivor of the 1915-17 events in Yerevan in
2001. He was a man in his early 90s. That is he was a young boy at
the time all those troubles were being staged on our land. "We fought
a war with the Turks. We lost it, they won it. We killed and got
killed. Today, we either decide to bury this in history and continue
the fight that we lost on the battle field, or look to creating a
common future together," he had said stressing that he hoped to "see"
one day before he dies his home city Erzurum once again.

His advice, though very precious for me, unfortunately cannot become
reality until the Armenian claims are resolved through a detailed
research into the issue by historians and both the Armenians and Turks
acknowledge their share in the massive suffering that was lived by our
peoples during those years. The suggestion of Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdoðan, thus, for the creation of a committee of scientists
from Turkey, Armenia and other states, which will work under the
auspices of the U.N., has to be considered very seriously.

The Turkish prime minister has as well declared that Turkey would
accept and abide with whatever the outcome of that commission’s work
would be.

Though "genocide" terminology only became part of international
law in 1952 and it cannot be applied retrospectively, the Erdoðan
was clear in his declaration that Turkey would accept whatever the
conclusion of the commission of historians would be. While this
must have been taken by Armenia as a historic opportunity to bring
clarification to what indeed happened in the first quarter of the
last century and bring an end to this hostility, which indeed has
been more harmful to landlocked Armenia than Turkey, unfortunately
the Yerevan administration has turned this golden opportunity down
with the back of its hand. Why? Because of the support they receive
to their unsubstantiated claims from politicians in France, Holland
and elsewhere who have been trying to win votes of the local Armenian
minorities buy paying lip service to their emotional allegations.

Legislating laws describing the 1915-17 events as "genocide" are
nothing but trying to rewrite history with political considerations.

It’s nothing new, Adolf Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s Soviet Union had
attempted to do the same thing as well. Rewriting history to serve
their political aims did not help either. It will not serve anyone
today either. However, what is more dangerous and indeed threatening is
the restrictions wanted to be imposed on freedom of expression with the
pretext of acting in solidarity with the Armenians. Criminalization of
"genocide denial" risking five years in prison and a hefty fine, or
forcing candidates to withdraw their candidacy or succumb to the claims
cannot and should not be considered as signs of a promising future
for Europe that we believe is founded on free thought and reason.

The impact of the cancellation of lucrative gigantic Turkish contracts
will perhaps hurt French and Dutch companies. But, will France arrest
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, or thousands of Turks who
might pour into France after the Thursday vote to declare publicly
their opposition to criminalization of genocide denial?

The French must see that they will not lose only Turkey, but at
the same time they will as well be sacrificing free thought just
to appease and get votes of a small Armenian minority in the coming
presidential elections.

–Boundary_(ID_+iIOvTm0Smy8zOQ5pMSUBg) —

TURKEY VOWS ECONOMIC SANCTIONS IF FRANCE ADOPTS CONTROVERSIAL BILL

Turkish Daily News
Oct 9 2006

Foreign Minister Gul says, ‘If the bill is passed, French
participation in major economic projects in Turkey, including the
planned construction of a nuclear plant for which the tender process
is expected to soon begin, will suffer,’

Turkish leaders warned of economic sanctions against France if the
controversial bill criminalizing any denial of the alleged genocide
of Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire was adopted.

"If the bill is passed, French participation in major economic
projects in Turkey, including the planned construction of a nuclear
plant for which the tender process is expected to soon begin, will
suffer," Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was quoted as saying in remarks
published yesterday.

"We will be absolutely unable to have [such cooperation] in big
tenders," Gul told mass-circulation daily Hurriyet, adding that he had
"openly" warned his French counterpart Philippe Douste-Blazy about
the repercussions of the bill.

The French bill, to be debated at the National Assembly on Thursday,
calls for five years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros for anyone
who denies that the Armenians under the Ottoman Empire were subjected
to a genocide during World War I. The adoption of the bill is seen
a high possibility.

In remarks to another Turkish daily Yeni Þafak, Gul said the
government’s reaction and the general reaction of the public would
be inevitable if the developments continued as they were.

"The French will lose Turkey," he said.

President Ahmet Necdet Sezer reportedly sent a letter to his French
counterpart, Jacques Chirac, warning that France would lose Turkey
if the contentious bill was legislated. Chirac recently said Turkey
must acknowledge the alleged genocide before joining the EU.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan also expressed his frustration
over the French bill.

"This is an issue between Turkey and Armenia. It is none of France’s
business," said.

"If Turkey’s prime minister — or any other minister, a historian or an
intellectual — goes to France one day and says it was not a genocide,
what are you going to do? Throw that person in jail?" he asked.

"I’m afraid that the adoption of the bill will deal a very serious
blow to our political and economic relations with France which will
be impossible to repair."

On Saturday, Erdoðan met with representatives of French companies
doing business in Turkey behind closed doors, urging them to lobby
French lawmakers to vote down the bill.

"I ask that you make all effort possible to prevent this," Erdoðan
was quoted as telling them.

French companies represented at the meeting included Danone, Peugeot,
Renault and Lafarge. France passed in 2001 a resolution recognizing
the killings as genocide, prompting Ankara to retaliate by sidelining
French companies from public tenders and canceling several projects
awarded to French firms.

Erdoðan also said the Turkish public viewed the bill as a "hostile
act," and said the legislation was against freedom of thought.

A 430-member Turkish-French Association sent letters to the French
headquarters of their companies, calling on the National Assembly to
turn down the bill, which would cause permanent damage to France’s
political interests. The French Association of Trade has launched a
petition campaign that condemns the bill. Turkey’s leading business
group the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association
(TUSÝAD) also condemned the bill, calling it the reflection of fears
that Turkey’s bid for EU membership can come true and an attempt at
disrupting efforts for constructive dialogue and analytical debate.

"I appeal to French politicians: Don’t you see that you are
jeopardizing all the political, economic and social relations that
France has had with Turkey for centuries for the sake of your
own political interests?" Omer Sabancý, head of TUSÝAD, said in
a statement.

On Friday, the Foreign Ministry warned that the adoption of the bill
could jeopardize "investments, the fruit of years of work, and France
will — so to speak — lose Turkey."

Ankara says the bill is designed as a political gesture to France’s
Armenian community. Many here also see it as a punch below the belt
by opponents of Turkey’s EU membership that will tarnish the country’s
image in Europe and fan anti-Western sentiment among Turks.

Military warns of cutting ties with France:

The military expressed full agreement with the Foreign Ministry,
which warned that the bill would inflict an irreparable heavy blow
to Turkish-French ties.

Speaking to daily Hurriyet, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaþar
Buyukanýt said if the bill was adopted, Turkey would cut military
ties with France.

If the French National Assembly votes for the bill on Thursday,
Turkey will close its doors to mutual visits, including military
visits. Joint military exercises with France will be dropped from
the agenda. Also, French firms will be prevented to run for bids in
Turkey, Hurriyet said.

–Boundary_(ID_SPh1+LDj/XJcF9gc0uNN7Q)–

‘GOLD ROBBERS’ FACE MORE CASES

Gulf Times, Qatar
Oct 9 2006

MORE cases have been filed against a group of 11 foreigners, mostly
Armenians, who have been charged with robbing gold shops in Doha,
sources said.

The accused – six men and five women – were detained about two months
after they came to Qatar as tourists.

Some of the accused are charged not with direct involvement in the
robbery but with being accomplices to the crime.

One of the accused told Gulf Times that during the interrogation he
was shown some 2.5kg of gold said to be taken from a Doha shop.

A primary court judge has renewed their remand until the end of the
month, legal sources said.

TURKISH INTELLECTUALS IN SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN FOR PERSECUTED WRITER
Submitted by Bill Weinberg

World War 4 Report, NY
Oct 9 2006

The New York Times notes Oct. 6 that charges were dropped against
Turkish novelist Elif Shafak, whose fictional character committed
the crime of refering to the "Armenian genocide." But almost
simultaneously, charges were brought against another writer, Hrant
Dink, who dared to uphold historical truth. This Sept. 29 report
from Turkey’s BIA news agency indicates growing dissent among Turkish
intellectuals:

A number of leading Turkish intellectuals have launched a new
civil disobedience action declaring themselves accomplices of
Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink whose most recent prosecution in
a series launched by Turkish courts is based on opinions he expressed
in an interview with the Reuters news agency.

The action comes in the wake of an Amnesty International (AI)
statement on Dink that said the human rights watchdog organization
was dismayed at recent reports that yet another case had been opened
against Dink on charges of "denigrating Turkishness" under Article
301 of the Turkish Penal Code.

The AI warned that if Dink was arrested on any of the charges leveled
against him, he would be declared a "Prisoner of Conscience" on the
international arena.

The latest charge against Dink was brought up following a statement
he made to Reuters on July 14 in which he mentioned the massacre of
Armenians during the Ottoman Empire. "Of course I’m saying it’s a
genocide" he said in the report. "Because its consequences show it
to be true and label it so. We see that people who had lived on this
soil for 4000 years were exterminated by these events."

Civil disobedience underway

Those launching this week’s campaign in support of Dink from Turkey
have issued a public statement where they accept participating in
his offense subject to a new prosecution and request to be tried in
the same case.

Those who launched the statement were musician Sanar Yurdatapan,
spokesman of the Initiative Against the Crime of Thought, lecturer
Prof. Dr. Taner Akcam, teacher Erdal Yildirim, student Gulnur Elcik
and editor-author Nihat Ates.

But the statement is open for new signatories and expected to attract
dozens or hundreds other, under the statement "I participate in Dink’s
remarks, I undersign them. I want to be a defendant in this case."

The statement itself can be found at and those
willing to sign it are asked to email [email protected]/

Background of the case

In reality issue to the case are not Dink’s remarks reflected to
the Reuters report but a 21 July 2006 news article in the weekly
Armenian-Tukish Agos magazine that he runs. Subject to the original
investigation was that news item and the remarks it contained.

A nationalist group of lawyers known for filing complaints against
Turkish intellectuals and writers, a group also held responsible for
interrupting many court proceedings with physical violence and dub
themselves now as the "Union of Grand Jurists," brought up the first
criminal complaint against Dink on these remarks.

As result, under article 301 of the Penal Code, a case was launched
by the Istanbul Sisli Prosecutor’s Office where both Dink and Serkis
Seropyan, as executives of the newspapers, were put on trial.

Amnesty concerned

The recent civil disobedience action follows of a strongly worded
statement by Amnesty International on the Hrant Dink case which was
issued from London this week.

AI said it considers that this new prosecution was "part of an emerging
pattern of harassment against the journalist exercising his right to
freedom of expression," noting that this is a right which Turkey,
as a State Party to the European Convention for the Protection of
Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights, has a legal obligation to uphold.

AI’s statement said that the rights monitoring group was "particularly
concerned at this latest prosecution, the third against Hrant Dink on
charges under Article 301, because it seems to constitute a pattern
of judicial harassment against the writer for peacefully expressing
his dissenting opinion.

"Furthermore, he has already been given a six-month suspended
prison sentence following an October 2005 conviction on charges of
‘denigrating Turkishness’ (upheld by the Court of Appeal in July
2006), and therefore if found guilty again on the same charge would
be imprisoned. Should he be, Amnesty International would consider
him a prisoner of conscience," it explained.

The Amnesty International statement also said that it considers this
latest prosecution to be "particularly disappointing following the
welcome acquittal four days ago of another writer, novelist Elif Safak,
on charges under Article 301 relating to statements made by characters
in her novel The Bastard of Istanbul.

"The organization had seen this as a positive step for freedom
of expression in Turkey but fears this acquittal may prove to be
the exception rather than the rule and demonstrates yet again the
failure of certain members of the Turkish judiciary and prosecution to
internalize international law, as required by Article 90 of the Turkish
constitution. The organization reiterates its call for Article 301
to be abolished in its entirety, thereby putting an end to arbitrary
implementation of this ill-defined law."

The statement continued:

"Finally, Amnesty International notes that this prosecution reportedly
arises from a complaint lodged by elements of civil society opposed to
the abolition of Article 301, who have lodged similar complaints in
the past seeking to secure such prosecutions and who have repeatedly
staged provocative and sometimes violent protests at trials, creating
a threatening atmosphere in the courtroom. The organization calls
on the Turkish authorities to ensure that all necessary measures are
taken to ensure the protection both of the defendants, their lawyers
and supporters in such cases, and of the course of justice itself."