Month: April 2007

REPUBLICAN PARTY INTENDS TO GET ONE THIRD OF THE VOTES

ArmRadio.am
26.04.2007 17:39

During the upcoming parliamentary elections, the Republican Party of
Armenia hopes to gain one third of the votes, RPA Spokesman Eduard
Sharmazanov told a press conference today.

He urged not to trust the "idle promises of populists." "RPA never
gave idle promises," he said. Eduard Sharmazanov stressed that "RPA
always keeps its promises."

Eduard Sharmazanov also assured that "gaining 5% more votes is not an
aim in itself for the Republican Party, as the leaders of the party
consider that transparency of the elections is the most important."

RPA Spokesman characterized the pre-election situation in the country
as positive.

"This year, cases of anti-propaganda and black PR are rare," he noted.

According to him, the serenity of the people is a sign of being
determined about the choice, rather than a sign of passivity.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKISH BELIEVERS "SATANICALLY TORTURED" BEFORE BEING KILLED

BosNewsLife, Hungary
April 26 2007

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT, READERS’ DISCRETION ADVISED

ISTANBUL, TURKEY (BosNewsLife)– There was increased concern
Thursday, April 26, about the plight of active Christians in Turkey
after investigators revealed that three evangelical believers were
"satanically tortured" last week before being killed.

The influential American human rights group International Christian
Concern (ICC) with website told BosNewsLife that
the circumstances surrounding the deaths of German Tilman Ekkehart
Geske, 45, and Turkish Christians Necati Aydin, 35, and Ugur Yuksel
,32, at the Christian Zirve publishing house were even worse than
thought.

ICC, based in Washington DC, said the troubles began on Easter
Sunday when five of the alleged killers had been to a service that
Pastor Necati arranged in the eastern town of Malatya, the capital
of Malatya province.

The men were reportedly known to local believers as searching for
the faith in Christ. The suspects, one of whom is the son of a mayor
in the Province of Malatya, are part of a tarikat, or a group of
"faithful believers" in Islam, ICC added.

Tarikat membership is "like a fraternity membership" and means that
"no one can get into public office without membership" of such
a group, ICC said. "On the day of the killing, the young Muslim
men had arranged to meet the Christians at 10:00 am [local time]
to ostensibly learn more about the Bible. They had gathered guns,
bread knives, ropes and towels [as] they knew there would be a lot
of blood, ready for their act of service to Allah," ICC stressed.

READING BIBLE

After Necati read a chapter from the Bible the assault reportedly
began. "The young men tied Ugur, Necati, and Tilman’s hands and feet
to chairs as they videoed their work on their cell phones," ICC said,
adding that what "followed in the next three hours is beyond belief."

ICC said the men were "disemboweled, and their intestines sliced up in
front of their eyes. They were emasculated and watched as those body
parts were destroyed." The group added that "fingers were chopped off"
and "their noses and mouths and anuses were sliced open" as part of
what it called "satanic torture."

It added that "possibly the worst part was watching as their brothers
were likewise tortured. Tilman was stabbed 156 times, Necati 99 times
and Ugur’s stabs were too numerous to count."

Finally, their throats were sliced from ear to ear, and their "heads
practically decapitated," ICC said.

Several hours later at 12:30 local time a fellow Christian reportedly
arrived at the publishing house but discovered that the door was
locked from the inside. After he called cell phones of the men, Ugur
apparently answered his phone saying: "We are not at the office. Go
to the hotel meeting. We are there. We will come there." Yet as Ugur
spoke he heard in the background weeping and a strange snarling sound,
ICC said, citing its investigation.

POLICE INTERVENTION

After he phoned police the nearest officer arrived in about five
minutes and pounded on the door shouting: "Police, open up,!" reports
said.

Initially the officer apparently believed it was a domestic
disturbance, but when he heard another snarl and a gurgling moan he
understood that sound as human suffering, ICC explained. The officer
"prepared the clip in his gun and tried over and over again to burst
through the door. One of the frightened assailants unlocked the door
for the policeman, who entered to find a grisly scene."

Reports said the attack happened following Muslim protests against
the distribution of Bibles and other Christian literature by the
publishing house for which they worked.

One of the victims, Necati Aydin, a husband and father of two young
children, was also an actor who reportedly played the role of Jesus
Christ in a theater production that TURK-7 network aired over the
Easter holidays.

DETENTION DEMANDED

Prosecutors have asked a court to allow jailing 11 suspects, 10 young
men and a woman, pending trial over the gruesome murder of the three
Christians. A 12th suspect, allegedly the leader, remains in hospital
with a serious head injury after jumping from the third-floor office
of the Christian publishing house in Malatya where the victims were
killed, to escape arrest.

At least four of the suspects have reportedly been charged with
"founding a terrorist organization and murder within the framework of
the organization." In a first reaction, Tillman’s wife publicly forgave
the those who killed her husband saying "they know not what they do."

ICC President Jeff King said he was impressed by the "contrast between
the acts of the killers and the forgiveness of Tillman’s wife." He
said it was "glaring and in the end seems to be at the center of this
story for us. For in the end, these events serve as a stark reminder
of the difference between Islam and Christianity."

He added that, for "the ‘faithful’ Muslims, following their god meant
brutally killing three men [with the excuse] "we did this to protect
Islam". For the faithful Christians, following God meant forgiving
the men who had tortured and murdered their loved ones."

The attacks have added to concern among Turkish Christians who comprise
about 0.2 percent of the mainly Muslim nation of over 71 million
people. The murders followed the January murder of Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink and the shooting of Italian Roman Catholic
priest Andrea Santoro in the town of Trabzon in February 2006. (With
reporting from Turkey).

RA PRIME MINISTER RECEIVED THE AMBASSADOR OF CHINA

ArmRadio.am
26.04.2007 16:41

RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan received the Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of China to Armenia Czyo Syuelian, who is
completing his diplomatic mission in our country.

On behalf of the Armenian Government the Prime Minister thanked the
Ambassador for his contribution to the development of Armenian-Chinese
ties during the five years of his tenure in office. Serge Sargsyan
expressed the willingness of the Armenian side to continue deepening
the cooperation between the two states. He underlined that during
the recent years Armenia and China have made great efforts to create
serious preconditions for the development of friendly and partnership
relations between the two countries. Ambassador Syuelian expressed
gratitude to RA Government and the Prime Minister for constant
attention and support. He characterized the Armenian-Chinese relations
as stable and dynamically developing.

During the meeting the interlocutors expressed appreciation for the
results of the sitting of the Armenian-Chinese Intergovernmental
Commission held on April 5.

At the end of the meeting RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan wished
success to the Ambassador of China in his further activity.

ARMENIAN FORCES WILL UNAMBIGUOUSLY WITHDRAW FROM LACHIN AND KALBAJAR

Today, Azerbaijan
April 26 2007

The occupied territories of Azerbaijan’ will be liberated by the
schedule to be worked out by Armenian Armed Forces, Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said when commenting on the negotiations
for the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The Minister said that considerable principles, issues, momentums on
the basic principles of the settlement have already been specified, but
the parties still have different approach to some of the principles,
which create need for continuation of negotiations.

The Minister reminded that if they do not accept any principle,
all the principles will be considered as not agreed, APA reports.

~Z The Minister said that the Prague Process is process with stages. He
stressed that Azerbaijan’s position is that Armenian forces should
withdraw from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. He said that
Azerbaijan approves that the process is carried out in stages,
because withdrawal from the occupied territories at the same time is
a difficult process.

Azerbaijani FM said that if the basis principles are agreed, the
occupied regions will be liberated by one after another in accordance
with a special schedule to be drawn up by specialists.

~Z Mammadyarov replying to the questions on the removing of invaders
from Lachin and Kalbajar, said that these regions have been occupied
like other regions stressing that Armenian forces will also be
removed from there unambiguously. The minister said that the process
of restoration of infrastructure will start after the invaders
are removed, territories will be cleared from mines, peacekeeping
troops will be deployed, and internally displaced persons will be
brought back.

Azerbaijani FM touching to the status issue said that Nagorno Karabakh
will be given autonomy in the composition of Azerbaijan and not only
Armenian community, but also Azerbaijani community should participate
in this work.

"The IDPS should be brought back to their original places, together
living of the communities should be provided, and only after the
status should be defined," the Minister said.

URL:

ARMENIAN-CHINESE RELATIONS ARE STABLE AND DYNAMICALLY DEVELOPING, AMBASSADOR OF CHINA SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 26 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 26, NOYAN TAPAN. Zuo Xueliang, Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of People’s Republic of China to Armenia,
completing his diplomatic mission in Armenia had a meeting with
RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsian on April 26, during which the
Ambassador expressed gratitude to RA government and Prime Minister
for their constant attention and assistance provided in the years of
his tenure. The Ambassador characterized Armenian-Chinese relations
as stable and dynamically developing, at that, in his words, RA
government’s purposeful work in this direction had a great importance.

S. Sargsian on behalf of the government expressed gratitude to
the Ambassador for his considerable contribution in the issue of
development of Armenian-Chinese relations in the five years of
Ambassador’s tenure. The Prime Minister expressed Armenian side’s
readiness to continue and to deepen cooperation between the two
states. He emphasized that in the past years both countries exerted
considerable efforts for creating serious preconditions aimed at
development of friendship and partnership between Armenia and China.

As Noyan Tapan was informed from RA government Information and
Public Relations Department, during the meeting the interlocutors
expressed satisfaction with the work of 5th sitting of Armenian-Chinese
Intergovernmental Commission held lately, during which the results of
the work done were summed up and abilities of extension of economic
and humanitarian cooperation were discussed.

AMBASSADOR ANNE DERSE: US POLICY ON AZERBAIJAN AND NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT HAS NOT CHANGED

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 26 2007

"The United States’ policy which respects Azerbaijan, respects status
of Nagorno Karabakh has not changed," US Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary to Azerbaijan Anne Derse said when commenting on
the State Department’s restoring the first version of initial 2006
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, APA reports.

The Ambassador said the language of the country report on Azerbaijan
has been changed back, it can be seen in the website of the State
Department.

Ms. Derse said the US is negotiating with Azerbaijan to restore the
high-level visit of Azerbaijani delegation to the US for bilateral
security talks.

POLITICIANS MUST BE TREATED WITH RESPECT, GURGEN ARSENIAN SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 26 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 26, NOYAN TAPAN. A politician has a right to say what
he says, and mass media has a right to publish what it publishes. At
the April 26 press conference, Gurgen Arsenian, the Chairman of the
United Labour Party (ULP) responded in this way the publication of
the short-hand record of the conversation between Orinats Yerkir
(Country of Law) party head Artur Baghdasarian and British diplomate.

In G. Arsenian’s words, public political activity involves work with
different structures as well, and implementation of overhearings does
not assist working out of political atmosphere in Armenia.

In his words, nobody may insist that the OYP head or Golos Armenii
(Voice of Armenia) editorial staff do not feel sorrow for the
Fatherland. The issue is what response the politician’s actions and
the information published by mass media will get by the public. In
G. Arsenian’s opinion, the public must have possibility to get
information and come to the conclusions but those conclusions must
not be directed or obliged.

As for overhearings, in the ULP head’s opinion, there is no country
where secret services do not implement similar actions, but it must
be done in the case of existence of necessary bases and not limit
the human rights. He did not exclude that the story connected with
the OYP Chairman may be a display of black PR, especially that the
conversation was recorded much earlier than published. "Politicians
of Armenia must be treated with respect. They are our citizens, and
they may not be divided into black and white ones, or classified to
ones of the first and second category," G. Arsenian mentioned.

ELMAR MAMMADYAROV: ARMENIAN FORCES WILL UNAMBIGUOUSLY WITHDRAW FROM LACHIN AND KALBAJAR

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 26 2007

The occupied territories of Azerbaijan’ will be liberated by the
schedule to be worked out by Armenian Armed Forces, Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said when commenting on the negotiations
for the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The minister said that considerable principles, issues, momentums on
the basic principles of the settlement have already been specified, but
the parties still have different approach to some of the principles,
which create need for continuation of negotiations. The Minister
reminded that if they do not accept any principle, all the principles
will be considered as not agreed.

The minister said that the Prague Process is process with stages. He
stressed that Azerbaijan’s position is that Armenian forces should
withdraw from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. He said that
Azerbaijan approves that the process is carried out in stages,
because withdrawal from the occupied territories at the same time is
a difficult process.

Azerbaijani FM said that if the basis principles are agreed, the
occupied regions will be liberated by one after another in accordance
with a special schedule to be drawn up by specialists.

Mammadyarov replying to the questions on the removing of invaders from
Lachin and Kalbajar, said that these regions have been occupied like
other regions stressing that Armenian forces will also be removed from
there unambiguously. The minister said that the process of restoration
of infrastructure will start after the invaders are removed,
territories will be cleared from mines, peacekeeping troops will be
deployed, and internally displaced persons will be brought back.

Azerbaijani FM touching to the status issue said that Nagorno Karabakh
will be given autonomy in the composition of Azerbaijan and not only
Armenian community, but also Azerbaijani community should participate
in this work.

"The IDPS should be brought back to their original places, together
living of the communities should be provided, and only after the
status should be defined," the minister said.

CANDIDATE FOR DEPUTACY HAMLET HOVSEPIAN WITHDRAWS HIS CANDIDATURE

Noyan Tapan
Apr 26 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 26, NOYAN TAPAN. Hamlet Hovsepian, member of Union of
Freedom Fight Veterans Party, registered as a candidate for deputacy
by majoritarian system at Yerevan electoral district N 5 withdrew
his candidature on April 26. Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed
about it by CEC Secretary Hamlet Abrahamian.

Four candidates continue electoral campaign at the above mentioned
electoral district: RA MPs, non-partisan Tatul Manaserian and RPA
member Levon Sargsian, as well as Chairman of Liberal Progressive
Party of Armenia Hovhannes Hovhannisian and member of Constitutional
Law Union Hayk Babukhanian.

So, in total, 129 candidates pretend on deputy mandates by majoritarian
system at 41 electoral districts.

To recap, the deadline for withdrawing candidatures in May 2.

THEY ARE ON FAMILIAR TERMS WITH ARMENIA AS IT HAS NO AUTHORITIES FORMED BY PEOPLE, ZHOGHOVRDAVARAKAN UGHI PARTY LEADER SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 26 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 26, NOYAN TAPAN. "The one that Artur Baghdasarian
did I estimate as something like a high treason towards the state
of Armenia," Manuk Gasparian, a NA deputy, the Chairman of the
Zhoghovrdavarakan Ughi (Democratic Path) party stated on April 26
at the Pastark club, touching upon the publication of the overheard
conversation between Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) party Chairman
Artur Baghdasarian and Deputy Ambassador of Great Britain to Armenia
Richard Hyde. It was at the same time mentioned that this publication
has no relation with the May 12 parliamentary elections, but is aimed
to compromising A. Baghdasarian in the new president’s elections
starting from today for he does not even have a wish to be nominated.

In M. Gasparian’s words, though "these authorities as well are not
good, either," but he considers a high treason "looking for a daddy
for the Armenian nation abroad." He stated that he himself would
never like that one of those placing an order for the head of his
nation "attempts to bring somebody to frighten Armenia." M. Gasparian
supposed that, maybe, A. Baghdasarian reached similar agreements with
representatives of at least 10 states.

"One must not bend in front of representatives of foreign
authorities. It is necessary first to be voted then to attempt to speak
to them with distances for respect finally exists towards our state,"
the deputy said. In M. Gasparian’s words, everbody was on familiar
terms with Armenia till now as Armenia has no authorities formed by
the people, and that is the reason that the authorities of Armenia
as well had to fawn on foreign states, including Russia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress