Month: April 2007

Giro Manoyan: We must make not only moral, but also territorial demands of Turkey

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.04.2007 14:20 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Currently the matter is not so much in recognizing
the Armenian Genocide, as recognizing the responsibility of the
Turkish government for that crime," "Hay Dat" office head Giro
Manoyan stated to a press conference in Yerevan. He said, Today
Turkey tries to increase his value both for the U.S. and the European
community. "Armenia’s foreign policy is clear and right in this
connection: we do not put preconditions and are sure the opening of
borders must not be connected with the Armenian Genocide, though ARF
Dashnaktsutyun thinks if someone has the right for preconditions,
it is Armenia and not Turkey.

Nevertheless, I am sure our government is on the right way," Manoyan
stressed.

He also added ARF Dashnaktsutyun thinks it necessary to make not only
moral, but also territorial demands of Turkey. "Turkey has problems
with all his neighbors – with Armenia, Greece, Iraq. Sooner or later
all those demands will be made," the "Hay Dat" office head said.

"A Commemorative Evening" to be held in Brussels

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.04.2007 14:49 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On the occasion of the 92nd anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide on April 25 in Brussels "A Commemorative Evening"
will be held under the auspices of the Armenian Ambassador to the
European institutions, Viguen Tchitechian. Francois Roelants du Vivier,
President of the Belgian Senate’s Commission on Foreign Relations
and Defense, will present opening remarks.

The evening’s message will be delivered by Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian,
whose talk is entitled, "Remembering a Past and Forging a Future", the
PanARMENIAN.Net journalist was told in FAON (Federation of Armenian
Organizations in Netherlands). He will travel to Brussels after
participating in the traditional April 24 commemoration in Yerevan.

ARMENIA IS THE BEST IN EUROPE

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[12:28 pm] 23 April, 2007

The Armenia weightlifting team stood out at the European Weightlifting
Championships in Strasbourg. The team enjoyed 10 gold and 8 silver
and bronze medals.

Armenian weightlifter Meline Daluzyan celebrated her gold medal in
the women’s 63-kg category pressing.

Inspired by Meline Daluzyan’s victory, Nazik Avdalyan won a silver
medal in the 69-kg category and Hripsime Khurshudyan celebrated a
gold medal in the 75-kg category. Khurshudyan won ahead of Russia’s
Tatiana Matveeva and Spain’s Lidia Valentin.

Tigran Martirosyan became the vice-champion in the men’s 69-kg
weightlifting class.

Armenian lifers Ara Khachatryan and Gevorg Davtyan competed in the
77-kg category. On the whole, the Armenian sportsmen turned the
European Championship into an Armenian Championship. They competed
to gain the title of the European champion.

Eventually, Davtyan became the winner and became the champion of
Europe for the second time. Ara Khachatryan enjoyed a bronze medal.

Georgia Devises New Plan for South Ossetia

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[12:54 pm] 21 April, 2007

The rebel administration dismisses the latest Georgian initiative
as an attempt to sow division and seek recognition for a pro-Tbilisi
faction in the region.

A new Georgian initiative on South Ossetia has been met with deep
suspicion in the unrecognised republic, where it has been dismissed
as a ploy to promote a rival pro-Tbilisi entity. In Georgia, the plan
has been seen as a credible transitional arrangement that could help
end the long-running territorial dispute.

President Mikheil Saakashvili has proposed that South Ossetia should
be run by a new, interim administration pending an end to the present
impasse.

The 1991-92 conflict left South Ossetia a self-declared independent
republic, a state of affairs that Georgia does not accept. Tbilisi
believes a negotiated settlement should keep the region within the
Georgian state, albeit with a degree of devolution.

Under the new plan, President Saakashvili would pick the people to
run the interim entity and define the rules by which the entity
operates. The question of the entity’s final status would not be
addressed at this transitional stage, although it is clear Tbilisi
envisages that it will ultimately regain control of the wayward
territory.

The three-page bill describes its aims as "promoting a peaceful
resolution of the conflict, restoring constitutional order on the
former South Ossetian autonomous territory, protecting the rights,
freedoms and interests of people and ethnic groups living on that
territory, determining the [final] status of the former South
Ossetian autonomous entity, and creating the appropriate conditions
for democratic elections."

The bill has now been submitted to the Georgian parliament, and from
what legislators have said so far, the signs are that it will be
approved. Only then will it become apparent when and how the proposed
administration is to take shape, but government sources say that
should happen soon.

Tbilisi has hinted that it is open to negotiations with South Ossetia’s
current leaders if they are interested in the plan. The speaker of
Georgian parliament Nino Burjanadze said the authorities were prepared
to "talk to anyone – including de facto president Eduard Kokoity –
who claims to represent the interests of South Ossetia’s people".

Most of all, though, Tbilisi’s plan looks like a way of raising the
status of the "alternative" – and friendly – government of South
Ossetia. Dismissed by the South Ossetian rebel authorities as a
"puppet administration", the "alternative government" sits in the
ethnic Georgian village Kurta.

Its leader Dmitry Sanakoyev, who set up the "alternative government"
last autumn, has been described by Saakashvili as "a hero who does
everything he can to bring about reconciliation between the Georgian
and Ossetian peoples". But the Georgian authorities have studiously
avoided ascribing the role of political leader to Sanakoyev, referring
to him merely as the head of a public organisation.

Significantly, perhaps, the bill says that either political leaders
or representatives of public organisations will be selected to run
the proposed administration.

Sanakoyev, meanwhile, has taken up the plan for an interim
administration with enthusiasm.

"I think it’s a good move for furthering the negotiating process," he
said. "I welcome the initiative and declare that we are ready to assume
the responsibility for further resolution of the Georgian-Ossetian
conflict."

Some analysts believe that by installing a pliable interim
administration, Tbilisi would be better placed to undermine the
Tskhinval government’s claim to act for everyone in South Ossetia, and
therefore to reduce the international impact of demands for the region
to be recognised as an independent state, or even annexed to Russia.

In Tskhinval, the de facto South Ossetian authorities suggested
Saakashvili had "lost his grip on reality".

Their foreign ministry issued a statement saying that "the authorities
in South Ossetia are determined not to allow the creation or
operation… of any ‘temporary’, ‘alternative’ or other governing
structures whose activities would lead to the further exacerbation
of Georgian-Ossetian relations".

South Ossetian first deputy prime minister Boris Chochiev told IWPR
that that the Georgian plan was designed to win greater recognition
for Sanakoyev’s pro-Georgian group, and then provoke the rival
administrations into "a civil war in which Ossetians will be pitted
against each other".

"All this is aimed at undermining the [formal] talks, and getting the
authorities in the Kurta collective farm recognised as the voice of
the Ossetian people.

What Saakashvili forgets is that Sanakoyev represents neither the
interests of the Ossetian people, nor those of the Georgian people,"
said Chochiev.

Nor does the Georgian plan sit well with Moscow, which has good
relations with the South Ossetian rebels. In a statement issued on
March 29, the Russian foreign ministry urged Tbilisi "to abandon its
plans to accord legitimacy to the alternative government of South
Ossetia and adopt a constructive position on taking the negotiating
process forward".

"The foreign ministry has been watching with concern the growing
propaganda emanating from Tbilisi in relation to the so-called movement
of Dmitry Sanakoyev. The aim is clear – to make untutored observers
inside and outside the country come to believe in the respectability
of what is in fact a network of agents set up by the Georgian secret
services".

The Georgian authorities responded by saying that Moscow’s angry
reaction only proved they had chosen the right course.

The United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and
Eurasian affairs, Matthew Bryza, appeared upbeat about the Georgian
initiative.

"As I understand it… the goal is to build contacts between South
Ossetians and other citizens of Georgia to the point that tensions
reduce, people feel that they’re all together in one common political
family, and then it’s possible to define and establish autonomy,"
he told a press conference in Tbilisi.

In Georgia, politicians and analysts have given the South Ossetia plan
a mixed response. Most political parties, including opposition ones,
have given the bill their backing, but some fear it is merely a PR
exercise by the authorities.

"If it’s possible to create an administrative entity where Ossetians
and Georgians can show the world that they can live together, run an
administration and maintain cultural ties, of course we will support
such an initiative," said Zviad Dzidziguri, leader of the opposition
Conservative Party.

Political analyst Paata Zakareishvili believes the Georgian authorities
are trying to find a way out of the situation they put themselves in
by creating the "alternative government" of South Ossetia, instead
of making real progress on resolving the conflict.

"It was wrong to rely on Dmitry Sanakoyev, who had neither public
support nor other leverage. Now the authorities are trying to give
him some status," said Zakareishvili. "It seems they [the Georgian
authorities] are unable to undertake real projects and confine
themselves to PR exercises."

Zaakareishvili said it would be difficult to persuade the international
community to recognise Sanakoyev as a party to negotiations.

Another analyst, Ramaz Sakvarelidze, said the key to the new initiative
would be persuading Russia to recognise Sanakoyev’s role – but he
added this would not happen in the near future.

Archil Gegeshidze of the Georgian International Relations and Strategic
Research Fund said the president’s initiative was interesting, but
would achieve nothing unless the international community gave it the
green light to it and the Georgian authorities regained the trust of
the Ossetian population.

South Ossetia has recently seen an upsurge in tensions following
a series of armed clashes, the most recent of which, on March 25,
left two Georgian policemen dead. Each side accuses the other of
provoking these incidents.

In South Ossetia, local people had heard of the Georgian initiative
but were largely sceptical.

Svetlana, a 47-year-old teacher in Tskhinvali, said she did not
believe that Tbilisi’s intentions were peaceful.

"I’m sure that all the recent initiatives from the Georgian government
have been undertaken not because they want to make it up with us,
but because they want to achieve their own ends," she said.

Tskhinval resident Alexander, 33, said, "A civil war [between
South Ossetian factions] would play into the hands of the Georgian
authorities, since if that happened they would have a real opportunity
to bring in their troops and launch hostilities."

He gave his own explanation for Georgia’s haste to come up with new
initiatives, saying, "Georgia wants to become a NATO member as soon
as possible, but before that it must resolve its territorial disputes.

That’s why they have been devising all these plans."

A 56-year-old pensioner in South Ossetia who withheld his name
expressed guarded optimism that a new interim administration might
"bring order to the region at last".

"We’re all tired of the uncertainty and chaos around us," he said. "I
think it will lead to changes for the better. Russia will never
recognise us, and living in a state of suspense is difficult."

By Giorgi Kupatadze in Tbilisi and Irina Kelekhsayeva in Tskhinval
Giorgi Kupatadze works for the News Georgia news agency in
Tbilisi. Irina Kelekhsayeva is a freelance journalist in Tskhinval.

Institute for War and Peace Reporting’s Caucasus Reporting Service

KARABAKH’S LONELIEST VILLAGE

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[01:12 pm] 21 April, 2007

The Karapetian family live in total isolation – but long for
neighbours.

The village of Jrkan in Nagorny Karabakh has a population of just two.

Husband and wife Sanasar and Gohar Karapetian are the only inhabitants
– and they are not even natives of this ghostly village.

Jrakn is situated 100 kilometres – a two-hour car journey on rough
roads – from Stepanakert, capital of the unrecognised republic of
Nagorny Karabakh.

The Karapetians have lived here on their own for 11 years, deprived
of human contact. Their nearest neighbours live several km away and
it’s several months since Gohar, 58, and her husband, 63, last spoke
to anyone.

The nearest human habitation is the village of Norashen, a veritable
metropolis by comparison, with a population of 100 people living in
new houses built by the New York-based charity the Armenian General
Benevolent Union.

It’s a half hour walk from Jrakn to Norashen – but when the road
linking the two is covered in mud, which is often the case, it takes
much longer.

"Someone died in the next village," said Gohar. "We heard about it
and attended the funeral. Everybody was staring at us in surprise –
maybe we look different from everyone else. We shared food with them,
stayed there for a while and then came back.

"They also told us there that the United States wants to start a war
against our neighbour Iran. We got scared, and I prayed in my mind
to God asking him to prevent anything bad befalling us."

Sanasar barely takes part in our conversation and according to his
wife, "the poor man has grown shy due to lack of human contact".

The couple ended up re-settling in Jrakn in the south of Nagorny
Karabakh, after they lost their house in the devastating earthquake
that shook the Armenian city of Gyumri in 1988.

Their house was destroyed and nine of their relatives were buried
under the ruins. They were left with a bed, two sets of bed linen
and a fridge.

For a long time, they lived in a garage, before they decided to build
a new home in the Armenian-controlled territory of Karabakh.

Jrakn was also a bleak village of ruins when the couple arrived
– a victim of the bitter 1991-4 Armenian-Azerbaijani war over
Karabakh. Apart from their makeshift house, it still has nothing but
ruins and trees.

The Karapetians chose Jrakn purely by accident.

"Our friends advised us to leave for Karabakh saying it’s easier to
survive there," said Gohar. "We found a map of Karabakh, studied it
and picked Hadrut region.

We managed to reach this village somehow. The landscape is very
beautiful and fertile. So we started living here."

In the two years they spent building a new house, the couple had to
sleep in their car as there was nowhere else to live. "Sometimes I
woke at night in the car and saw the foxes and jackals surround our
car – it was very scary," said Gohar.

The Karapetians’ house looks more like a cabin with a cattle-shed and
a garden full of fruit trees standing in front of it. Sanasar built
a small garage to put his car in, but the car has long since given
up the ghost.

Inside, the two rooms are gloomy and the concrete floor is muddy.

The Karapetians use one of the two rooms of the house as a storeroom,
keeping their crops of pumpkins, nuts and potatoes in one, while
the other serves as their bedroom and dining room. The windows are
covered with an oilcloth because "glassing them over requires lots
of money". The one source of light in the gloomy room is a dim bulb.

For heating fuel, they rely entirely on firewood, which has to be
fetched from a long distance. Water is collected from a nearby spring
and rainwater irrigates the garden. They have one cooking pan, which
they use to prepare food for themselves and their animals.

The couple’s only income is Gohar’s monthly pension of 10,000 drams
(28 US dollars). Her husband earns nothing because he lacks the
required documents.

"Thanks to Karabakh president Arkady Ghukasian my pension went up from
3000 to 10,000 drams. I wrote him a letter telling about my life. I
got nervous and excited when writing, and my tears made the letter
wet. I didn’t have any spare paper to write another one, so I sent
him a damp letter. Perhaps he felt how miserable we were and helped
us. May the Lord help him," said Gohar. She said that she uses the
extra money to pay electricity bills.

The couple are cut off from events in the rest of the world. They have
never had a television set in their house. There are no newspapers
even in the neighbouring village. The house contains neither a clock
nor a calendar. "We only know when it Friday as that’s the day when
soldiers march down by the lower path," said Sanasar.

They are not particularly interested in politics either, and when it
comes to the referendum on the constitution held in Nagorny Karabakh
last year, they say, "We never knew whether it passed or not."

The couple would like some neighbours, however, and according to
the Yerevan office of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, there
are plans to resettle Jrakn. The website of the AGBU says that the
charity plans to build 20 houses in the village by 2008, encouraging
Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan to settle here. It says that the
construction of the first ten houses will be finished by the first
quarter of 2007 and another ten houses will be built by summer 2008.

However, there is no sign of building work and the head of the
Migration, Refugees and Resettlement department in the Nagorny
Karabakh government, Serzh Amirkhanian, says there are no immediate
plans for reconstruction.

Meanwhile, Gohar and Sanasar would love to see their grandchildren
again in Armenia. Ever since they came here, they have not had the
opportunity to visit their family, still living in a garage in their
hometown of Gyumri.

"Every night I dream of Gyumri," said the grandmother.

"I wish at least two of them could come here, marry…and live…"

"We put our whole life into it, didn’t we?" added Gohar, saying that
they would never leave Jrakn after enduring so many hardships.

By Lusine Musaelian in Jrakn

Lusine Musaelian is a reporter of Demo paper published in Nagorny
Karabakh and a participant in IWPR’s Cross-Caucasus Journalism
Network project. Institute for War and Peace Reporting’s Caucasus
Reporting Service

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GEORGIA: HERITAGE BILL EVICTION FEARS

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[01:22 pm] 21 April, 2007

A draft law could end up forcing residents of Tbilisi’s historic
centre out of their homes.

The Georgian parliament is set to pass a bill aiming to preserve
historic parts of the city, but critics say it could lead to the
eviction of people living in these areas.

The bill obliges people living and working in so-called cultural
heritage zones, to pay a monthly fee of around three laris (1.50 US
dollars) for every square metre of their property.

The initiators of the proposed legislation say its necessary to help
the reconstruction of the Georgian capital’s cultural and historic
zones. However, people living there together with the parliamentary
opposition believe that the authorities are trying to use the new
legislation to clear the city’s old centre of its population.

The bill has already passed its second reading in the Georgian
parliament, with deputies failing to agree only on the size of the
monthly fee. The opposition and the public demand that the latter
be revoked.

The initial version of the bill had the fee ranging between 10 tetris
(five cents) and three laris (1.50 dollars) per square metre. In
Georgia, where the average salary is just 200 laris, the average
pension 38 laris, and unemployment is high, not many can afford to pay.

The Gegechkori family has lived at No. 12 Chonkadze Street since
1924. Their house is one of the oldest buildings in Tbilisi. Tika, 28,
is the only surviving member of the family. Her mother died recently,
having been predeceased by her father several years earlier, leaving
her the sole occupant of the house.

Tika is an art critic. Her monthly income does not exceed 200
laris. The floor area of her house is 100 square metres. If parliament
approves the bill, Tika will have to look elsewhere to live.

"I can hardly cope with my utility bills, how am to pay this fee?" she
said, as she paced her room nervously. "I cannot sell the house of my
ancestors, this is the only thing I have left. For years, my parents
obediently paid all taxes, including property ones, which were to be
used to repair the house."

She said her family had repeatedly filed complaints, both during
Soviet times and after Georgia became independent, asking to have
their house repaired, but in vain.

"Since the house is regarded as part of the cultural heritage, the
ministry of culture wouldn’t allow us to repair it on our own," said
Tika. "Now I think that the state wants to reduce the house to such
a state of disrepair, that they could get hold of it for peanuts."

The author of the new bill is the Georgian ministry of culture. An
initial law was adopted in 1999, but since then it has become clear
that it left many questions unanswered.

The ministry says the old law prohibits selling state-owned cultural
monuments, which has stymied efforts to draw private investments
into the historic centre of the city and carry out large-scale
reconstruction works there.

"As a result, the state has born the burden of upkeep on its own, which
has had a negative impact on monuments and heritage as a whole. Because
of these flaws, it’s become necessary to adopt new legislative acts,"
the ministry said in an explanatory note.

The size of the fee will be determined after research is carried out
on which places need repairing.

"The bill is not seeking to introduce a universal tax," said Minister
of Culture Goka Gabashvili. "The rehabilitation tax will be levied
only on streets with a high number of buildings that have cultural
heritage status."

The minister said the total area to be rebuilt would be extremely
limited, as the government could not afford to repair all buildings
that are heritage sites.

"Payment of the tax and rehabilitation of cultural heritage buildings
is a privilege, not a punishment," said the minister.

Opposition politicians say the government is trying to drive people
out of the city’s historic centre.

Leader of the Conservative Party Kakha Kukava told IWPR, "The sum
collected from the fees will be paltry.

The government itself has admitted that the fee has no fiscal
significance. It’s clear that the real aim is to evict people from
the historic area. People won’t be able to pay the fee and will have
to sell their houses."

The leader of another opposition party New Rights David Gamkrelidze
said, "It should be noted that when they talk about the payment
depending on floor area, they mean not only dwelling premises, but
an entire building, including flights of steps, the roof and even the
basement. I think that if the fee is imposed, the residents will face
a big problem."

David Narmania, who heads the Young Economists Association, said
adoption of the fee was unacceptable from the economic point of view.

"When money is paid regularly, it’s not a fee, but a tax," he
said. "According to the bill, the population is expected to pay a
specific sum for a certain period of time – months, or even years."

Narmania said the initiative violated the constitutional rights of
Georgian citizens, as "people, who could not afford paying the fee,
would have to move, which was an infringement on their right to choose
their place of residence".

By Tamar Dvali in Tbilisi

Tamar Dvali is a correspondent with 24 hours newspaper in
Tbilisi. Institute for War and Peace Reporting’s Caucasus Reporting
Service

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azerbaijan: Spotlight on Horror Jail

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[08:54 pm] 22 April, 2007

Mysterious deaths mount in high security prison.

International organisations have condemned the horrendous conditions
in Azerbaijan’s most notorious prison, whose former governor is about
to go on trial.

Sadagat Agayev, governor of Azerbaijan’s Gobustan high security prison,
was sacked from the job last November, accused of having abused his
powers. His trial is due to start soon.

The Gobustan prison is situated around 40 kilometres west of Baku. It
houses dangerous criminals, most of them on life-sentences and
is famous for its tough regime and riots by prisoners. Currently,
a large number of them are on hunger strike.

Several suspicious deaths have occurred at the prison over the past
year. The issue was highlighted in a report by Parliamentary Assembly
on Council of Europe co-rapporteur for Azerbaijan Andreas Herkel that
was submitted to the assembly on April 16.

"A group of Azerbaijani human rights activists have given me documents
with evidence that inmates of the Gobustan prison are subjected to
physical and psychological violence. This grieves me deeply, and I
think that a country aspiring to become part of Europe should not
allow such things to happen," Herkel said in his report.

The US Department of State’s most recent report on human rights
says that the last year saw three people die in police custody in
Azerbaijan due to abuse and mistreatment, but that no policemen or
officials were prosecuted for these deaths.

Last May, two lifers Magomed Bagirov and Elchin Aliev were found
hanged in Gobustan. A criminal investigation was inconclusive.

"The investigation identified no persons, through whose fault the
prisoners might have committed suicides," chief of staff of the justice
ministry’s central department Musa Gumbatov told IWPR. "That is why
the criminal case was closed down quickly."

In August, another life-term prisoner Kamandar Aslanov was said to
have killed himself. However, one of the Gobustan jail’s inmates
sent a message to Aslanov’s family, saying the man had been beaten
to death by jailers.

Prosecutor Tariel Gurbanov, who handled the case, told IWPR that
no evidence supporting the allegation had been found during the
investigation, "It appeared that Kamandar was an unbalanced person,
and his life sentence drove him into despair. We had no way other
than closing up the case."

On September 27, yet another Gobustan prisoner Yury Safaraliev was
found hanged in the prison’s baths.

His relatives blame the then governor Sadagat Agayev for the
death. They allege that Agayev disliked Yury for refusing to "render
tribute" – pay a bribe – to him.

"That is why the guards – upon orders from Sadagat Agayev – frequently
beat him [Safaraliev] and locked him up in solitary confinement,"
said Safaraliev’s mother. "Unable to endure the torture and bullying
any longer, Yura made several attempts to kill himself by cutting
his veins last January. Each time, he was saved. However, the last
time no one happened to be near to save him again."

Investigator from the Garadag district prosecutor’s office Vusal
Muslimov told IWPR that no traces of violence had been found
on Safaraliev’s body. "There’s no doubt that it was suicide,"
he said. "At first, a criminal case under article 125 (assisted
suicide) was initiated, however later it was dropped, since no persons
responsible for Safaraliev’s suicide had been identified."

Mysterious deaths continued after the prison authorities had
changed. Lifer Makhir Mustafayev died in his cell under strange
circumstances shortly after Agayev’s dismissal.

According to the justice ministry, Mustafayev was alone in his cell,
lost consciousness for some unknown reason and was burnt alive by a
fire sparked by a cigarette he’d been smoking.

Criminal expert Mahmud Gajiev said this version of events was absurd.

"If Mustafayev were alive and had just fainted, he would have been
brought round by the pain from being burnt in a cigarette-caused fire,"
he told IWPR.

Ayaz Imanov also met a mysterious death in the jail.

Acting prison governor Shahkishi Bagirov said the 27-year-old
Imanov had met his mother and two sisters the day he died, February
17. "[Imanov] had problems with his stomach," said Bagirov. "He
underwent treatment twice in the prison hospital. Maybe, this was
the cause of his death."

The Garadag district prosecutor Tariel Gurbanov told IWPR that
an investigation into the death was under way. "According to the
preliminary version, the prisoner died of heart failure," he said. "He
had stomach cramps on the day he met his family members for the last
time. The forensic expertise will establish the precise cause of
his death."

However, Imanov’s mother says her son had no problems with his health.

The Gobustan jail has also seen murders. On March 5, Bairam Ragimov,
sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment, was killed by his cellmates Isa
Aliev and Tarlan Aliev, who have now been charged with his murder.

"The cellmates demanded that Ragimov give them some of the money he’d
received from his family," said Gurbanov. "A quarrel followed that
resulted in their killing him."

"The deaths in detention facilities are a cause of great concern for
us," Nazim Alekberov, who heads central department of the justice
ministry, told IWPR.

"That is why we undertake internal office investigations in parallel
with investigations conducted by the prosecutor’s office."

But former prisoners and human rights activists say the real picture of
life in the jail may be even worse, as inmates are afraid to speak out.

"After visits by commissions, jailers beat prisoners, who have
complained to representatives of human rights organisations, within an
inch of their lives," said former prisoner Polad Gajiev. "That is why,
however intolerable the prison life, most prisoners dare not complain
to anyone, preferring to kill themselves.

"In Gobustan, they placed a lunatic named Babek in my cell. The man
almost never slept, he screamed and knocked his head against the wall
all the time.

Finally, I asked the prison authorities to get him out of my
cell. Because of my complaint, the jailers started beating me. This
lasted for several days. I had to cut my veins to get them to leave
me alone.

Fortunately, doctors of the prison hospital managed to save me."

There are also complaints of serious abuses in other prisons.

"My son was tortured for a long time in Colony No. 8," said Sekhergyul,
mother of prisoner Idris Abdullayev.

"He had to write a letter to president Ilham Aliev, using his blood
for ink. But he has never received a reply.

"Idris was beaten for refusing to share the content of parcels from
home with the authorities and jailers. I guess he will be subjected
to more tortures because of my complaints."

"Violations of law and mistreatment of prisoners happen in other jails
too," said Sahib Mamedov, a member of a public organisation that
monitors the prison system. "But suicides of prisoners and murders
by jailers are particularly frequent in the Gobustan prison."

Psychologist Azad Isazade said there were two types of suicide –
demonstrative gestures and real attempts to die. "Prisons have a
greater incidence of demonstrative suicides," he told IWPR. "A wish to
die is not the cause of the suicides, it’s just a way for prisoners
to express their protest against horrible prison conditions, against
violence, injustice and lawlessness."

He said prisoners harmed themselves to further their demands or get
themselves placed in the prison’s hospital, where conditions are more
tolerable. But, he added, suicidal gestures result in deaths too.

Director of the Human Rights Centre of Azerbaijan Eldar Zeinalov said
the prison authorities were directly responsible for what happened
in their prisons.

"Firstly, if conditions in prisons meet human norms, no one will resort
to suicide," he said. "Secondly, in order to prevent suicidal attempts,
prisoners should not be allowed to use piercing and cutting objects,
cords and so on. If prisoners have access to these things, it means
the authorities and staff of the prison are inefficient."

By Samir Kyazymly in Baku

Samir Kyazymly is a correspondent with the newspaper Gyundelik
Azerbaijan (Daily Azerbaijan). Institute for War and Peace Reporting
()

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:

POPE SHENOUDA III, PATRIARCH ZAKKA I AND CATHOLICOS ARAM I
SIGN A COMMON DECLARATION

April 19-21, 2007, the Heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, who
have their headquarters in the Middle East, His Holiness Pope Shenouda
III of the Coptic Church, His Holiness Patriarch Zakka I of the Syrian
Church and His Holiness Catholicos Aram I of the Armenian Church-Holy
See of Cilicia, held their 10th annual meeting, at St. Ephrem Syrian
Orthodox Monastery, Damascus-Syria. This fellowship of three Oriental
Orthodox Churches was founded in 1996, by the initiative of His
Holiness Aram I, at the Holy See of Cilicia, Antelias, Lebanon.

April 16-18, the Standing Committee of the Fellowship convened its
meeting in Antelias and Damascus. The representatives of the Holy See
of Cilicia in this six-member Committee are His Eminence Archbishop
Sebouh Sarkissian (Primate of Tehran) and His Grace Bishop Nareg
Alemezian (Ecumenical Officer).

During their deliberations, Heads addressed issues related to the
family of the Oriental Orthodox Churches and its theological dialogues
with various Churches, and discussed matters related to dialogue
with the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Roman Catholic Church, the
Anglican Communion and the Lutheran World Federation Churches of
the Reformation.

Pope Shenouda III and Patriarch Zakka I asked Catholicos Aram I
to follow up the issues related to these theological dialogues to
deepen the collaboration between the Oriental Orthodox Churches and
these Churches.

The spiritual Heads encouraged the continuation of their relations
and collaboration with the Russian Orthodox Church and the Oriental
Orthodox Churches with the United Bible Societies.

Regarding the official theological dialogues, three important decisions
were taken: First, to re-activate the Eastern Orthodox-Oriental
Orthodox theological dialogue, according to the decisions taken
during recent meetings in Antelias. Secondly, it is expected that
the Archbishop of Canterbury hold an official meeting with Catholicos
Aram I to clarify the current situation in the Anglican Communion and
discuss practical steps for the resumption of the dialogue. Thirdly,
to welcome the invitation received through Catholicos Aram I from the
Lutheran World Federation to strengthen relations with the Oriental
Orthodox Churches and to establish an instrument for regular bilateral
contacts.

Underlining the visible unity of church as a priority, their Holinesses
renewed their commitment to and active participation in the ecumenical
movement through the World Council of Churches and the Middle East
Council of Churches. Pope Shenouda III and Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I
extended their deep gratitude to Catholicos Aram I for his ecumenical
involvement of so many years and his leadership in the World Council
of Churches, especially as its moderator for the last fourteen years.

Analyzing the socio-political situation in the world and particularly
in the Middle East, they called their faithful to work constantly
for peace with justice. They also expressed their full support to the
Christian-Muslim dialogue as integral to the history and cultures of
the Middle East.

At the end of their meeting, Heads signed a Common Declaration.

The 11th meeting of the three Heads will be hosted by the Armenian
Church – Holy See of Cilicia, in Antelias-Lebanon, May 8-10, 2008.

THE TENTH MEETING OF THE HEADS

OF THE ORIENTAL ORTHODOX CHURCHES

IN THE MIDDLE EAST

St. Ephrem Monastery, Ma’arat Saydnaya,

Damascus, Syria

April 19-21, 2007

C O M M O N D E C L A R A T I O N

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; Amen.

We, Pope Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See
of St.

Mark, Patriarch Mar Ignatius Zakka I, Patriarch of Antioch and all the
East, and Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenians of the Great
House of Cilicia, give thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ for granting
us, once again, the opportunity to pray and to reflect together on
issues and challenges of common concern, at St. Ephrem Monastery,
in Ma’arat Saydnaya, Damascus, Syria. This is the tenth time that
we meet as Heads of Churches within the framework of the Fellowship
that we have established in 1996. The Standing Committee that we have
appointed has joined us.

In our meeting here in Ma’arat Saydnaya we reaffirmed our unity of
faith that, for centuries, has been the basis of our common doctrinal
position and theological teachings. Deeply rooted in the Holy
Scriptures, the Apostolic Faith and Tradition, the three Ecumenical
Councils (Nicea 325, Constantinople 381, and Ephesus 431) and the
teachings of our Church Fathers, our unity has sustained the life and
witness of the Churches of the Oriental Orthodox Family becoming a
living source of spiritual strength and missionary engagement. For
the Oriental Orthodox Churches the full communion and the visible
unity of churches are based on the unity of faith which is manifested
through Eucharistic communion and other Sacraments of the church.

In our unity of faith we are not confined to the family of the Oriental
Orthodox Churches; we feel also responsible to strive for the unity
of all churches, both in our region and in different parts of the
world. We consider the visible unity of church a priority. We remain
firmly committed to the ecumenical movement both through the World
Council of Churches, as a global ecumenical fellowship, and the Middle
East Council of Churches, as a regional ecumenical fellowship. We
will continue our active role in the World Council of Churches. We
express our satisfaction for the adoption of the consensus decision
making by the World Council of Churches. The Ninth General Assembly
of the World Council of Churches has already conducted its business
in Porto Allegre, Brazil, according to this procedure. We encourage
the Permanent Committee on Consensus and Collaboration to continue
the mandate of the Special Commission on Orthodox Participation in the
World Council of Churches. We will also continue our active role in the
Middle East Council of Churches, and we look forward with hope to the
next General Assembly of the M.E.C.C. in Cyprus, November 26-30, 2007.

H.H. Pope Shenouda III and H.H. Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I extend
their deep gratitude to H.H. Catholicos Aram I for his ecumenical
commitment for so many years and his leadership in the World Council
of Churches, especially as its moderator for the last fourteen years.

In our endeavor for the unity of the church, our Churches are engaged
in a number of bilateral theological dialogues. We believe that these
theological dialogues with the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic,
Anglican, Lutheran and Reformed Churches will further affirm the
orthodoxy of the Christological teachings of the Oriental Orthodox
Churches. Those theologians, who used to call us monophysite
(single nature), have came to realize that we are miaphysite
(one united nature), following the teachings of our common father
St. Cyril of Alexandria. There still exist differences of doctrinal,
ecclesiological, liturgical and ethical nature, which need more
dialogue and discussion with other churches. We should keep in mind
that the reception of the agreements of theological dialogues by the
churches needs time and patience.

Concerning the Theological Dialogue between the Eastern Orthodox and
the Oriental Orthodox Families, His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew I has commissioned the new co-president of the Joint
Commission of the dialogue Metropolitan Emmanuel of France to meet
Catholicos Aram I asking his assistance for the reactivation of this
theological dialogue.

Subsequently the two co-presidents of the Joint Commission,
Metropolitan Emmanuel and Metropolitan Bishoy met at the Armenian
Catholicosate of Cilicia, Antelias, Lebanon, on April 17, 2007 and
discussed the future steps.

The International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between
the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches held its
fourth meeting from January 28 to February 3, 2007 in Rome. The
fifth meeting of the Commission will take place at St. Ephrem Syrian
Orthodox monastery, Ma’arat Saydnaya, Damascus, Syria, from January 27
to February 2, 2008, by the invitation of Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I.

The Archbishop of Canterbury H.G. Rowan Williams recently sent a
delegation to visit us in Lebanon, Egypt and Syria to discuss the
possibility of resuming the work of the Commission of Theological
Dialogue between our Churches and the Anglican Communion. In order
to be able to achieve this goal, we expect that the Archbishop of
Canterbury hold an official meeting with Catholicos Aram I, who is in
charge of the theological dialogues of our Fellowship. The purpose of
this meeting will be to clarify the current situation in the Anglican
Communion, share with the Archbishop the views and concerns of our
three Churches, and discuss practical steps for the resumption of
the dialogue.

We received through Catholicos Aram I an invitation from the Lutheran
World Federation to strengthen relations with the Oriental Orthodox
Churches and to establish an instrument for regular bilateral
contacts. We welcome this invitation. We will convey this invitation
also to the other Churches of our Family.

We are fully aware of the events surrounding us in our region. Our
churches are called to work constantly for the just peace in the Middle
East. The Christian-Muslim dialogue has been integral to the history,
civilizations and cultures of the Middle East. Our churches in this
region have been in existential dialogue with Islam. Due to emerging
new situations and new developments taking place especially in Iraq
and Palestine, continuous efforts must be made to deepen mutual
respect and understanding between Muslim and Christian scholars and
community leaders. Everybody has the right to explain and defend his
or her religion without becoming aggressive and offensive towards
the other religion. The same should apply to media which became a
highly sensitive agent affecting the relations between cultures,
religions and nations.

We condemn all forms and expressions of violence. Religion should
be a promoter of love, hope and reconciliation, peace, justice and
human rights.

Religion cannot be exploited for non-religious purposes. We urge all
those who, for one reason or other, use violence to resolve their
problems. The problems must be resolved through dialogue, mutual
understanding and mutual respect.

We focused our attention on Iraq which is exposed to the destructive
activities of evil forces. This prevailing critical situation obliges
a great numbers of people, both Muslims and Christians, to emigrate
from their homeland. We encourage the United Nations (U.N.) and all
the humanitarian organizations to support the suffering people of
Iraq, wherever they are, till the Lord gives their country security
and stability.

We believe that the peace process must continue with new impetus,
and the Palestinian people must have its independent state and the
right to return home. Israel must implement all Resolutions of
the U.N. Security Council by withdrawing from the occupied Arab
territories, including the Farms of Shabaa in South of Lebanon,
Golan Heights and Jerusalem. Only full justice will bring about
comprehensive, real and permanent peace in the Middle East.

We pray and hope that the Lebanese leaders may soon reach, through
frank dialogue, to mutual understanding leading Lebanon to security,
peace, and unity with the participation of all communities.

We noted with satisfaction that the Christians in Iran are
participating in the social, cultural and economic life of the country
and enjoying the freedom of practicing their Christian faith.

We greet the President of the Republic of Syria, His Excellency
Dr. Bashar Al-Assad, the heads of all religious communities and the
people of Syria. We noted with joy that the Christians in Syria are
engaged in a renewal process: they are experiencing religious freedom;
they are organizing church activities; they are building new churches
and monasteries; and they are playing an active role in society and
contributing to the progress of the country.

We appeal to our faithful, in the Middle East and throughout the
world, to remain firmly attached to the Gospel, its values and
imperatives, and participate more actively in the church’s total life
and witness. We are committed to intensify and deepen further our
collaboration within this Fellowship. We are also committed, under
the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to give a renewed efficiency and
vitality to the witness of our Churches particularly in educational,
theological, diaconal, evangelistic and ecumenical spheres.

As we conclude our Tenth Meeting, we would like to express our
thanks to His Holiness Patriarch Mar Ignatius Zakka I for his warm
hospitability.

May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all the faithful of
our Churches.

Shenouda III Mar Ignatius Zakka I Aram I

Pope of Alexandria and Patrairch of Antioch Catholicos

Patriarch of the See and all the East of the Great

of St. Mark House of Cilicia

##

View the photos here:

s87.htm

tos88.htm

*****

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates
of the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the
Ecumenical activities 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
The Heritage Party
31 Moscovian Street
Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 53.69.13
Fax: (+374 – 10) 53.26.97
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Website:

April 23, 2007

Heritage Campaign Flourishes in the Face of Pressures and Attacks

Yerevan — As Heritage continues to carve its place as the majority
party in the new Armenian parliament, political attacks are on the
rise, from regional offices being soaked in paint to fear-mongering
confrontations on the part of neighborhood thugs and, occasionally,
local mayors, police, and security agents.

Two young female volunteers who were distributing Heritage flyers in
Yerevan’s Avan district on Friday, April 20, were not immune from
these attacks. At 5:15pm, midway through their campaigning, four
unknown males, having exited a BMW 520 vehicle (license plate 02OU909),
approached the college students, pushed them around, and confiscated
nearly 300 Heritage brochures. A police report was immediately filed,
and an official investigation is currently underway.

These incidents–as well as the blanket refusal of access for
Heritage to any billboards or overhangs, both public and private,
in Yerevan and across the country–betray an increasingly unfair and
intimidation-driven preelection cycle. The party will continue to
document these obstacles and present them to the Armenian public and
election monitoring groups. The OSCE observation mission has already
been informed.

Even so, Raffi K. Hovannisian and his fellow citizens continue their
campaign on a dynamic and triumphant ascent. On Sunday, April 22,
Hovannisian and Heritage’s candidates embarked on a tour through
the Gegharkunik marz, with enthusiastic public meetings in Sevan,
Gavar, Martuni, Tsovinar, and Vardenis. At Vardenik, where the
Hovannisian family has been honored with a school that bears the name
of world-renowned historian Richard Hovannisian, the Heritage team
enjoyed a particularly warm reception.

Today, the campaign bus "Toward Victory" is making its rounds in
Yerevan.

Tomorrow, in solemn commemoration of the victims of the Armenian
Genocide, three generations of Hovannisians, Heritage, and the entire
Armenian people will walk together to Tsitsernakaberd.

On April 25, Raffi Hovannisian will hold a press briefing at Heritage
Headquarters at noon, after which he and his fellow candidates will
visit Arax and other border villages between Etchmiadzin and Masis.

On April 26, the campaign caravan will travel toward triumph through
Talin, Artik, Maralik, Akhurian, Amasia, Giumri, and other towns in
the marzes of Aragatsotn and Shirak.

Founded in 2002, Heritage has regional divisions throughout the
land. Its central office is located at 31 Moscovian Street, Yerevan
0002, Armenia, with telephone contact at (374-10) 536.913, fax at
(374-10) 532.697, email at [email protected] or [email protected],
and website at

THE RADIO-STATION ‘AZATUTYUN’ (LIBERTY) AND ITS NEW ‘CRITERIA’

AZG Armenian Daily #074, 21/04/2007

I am sincerely surprised listening to the everyday news of the
radio-station ‘Azatutyun’. The most improbable thing to me was to hear
mistakes and disinformation by this radio-station. Let’s see a fragment
of the evening broadcast of March 3 about the parliamentary elections
in Armenia: ‘Armenia is divided into 41 electoral districts. Each
part is a separate theme of conversation. Which part is better,
which is stony? Where and how much is 1m^2 of land?

How many hectares of land can you reap and sow? What kind of neighbor
fall to his lot? A relative, who is a General, or the respect that
the candidate has, can do everything during the elections. Thus,
we can understand that the votes are on the table, rolled in lavash
(national bread)’.

After this ‘neutral’ commentary-preface the news follows saying ‘Only
Samvel Babaian, one of the leaders of the parties, put forward his
candidature by majority system’. Then the reporter contradicts himself
and goes on: ‘ARF (Dashnaktsutyun) and the opposition avoid putting up
their candidates by majority system. Ararat Zurabian puts forward his
candidature by majority system’. The reporter has forgotten that Ararat
Zurabian is the leader of the opposite ANM (HHSH) party. Besides,
the other leaders of the parties also take part in the parliamentary
elections by majority system: i. e. Gagik Tsarukian, Manuk Gasparian,
Hovhannes Hovhannisian, Khosrov Harutyunian, etc. Moreover, what about
the ARF (Dashnaktsutyun), it does not avoid putting up its candidates
by majority system. The party declares that their principle is to
form the parliament only by proportional representation, and they
have only one candidate by majority system.

After these lines, our point of view about the high professionalism
of the reporters of ‘Azatutyun’ radio-station blows up.

On March 6, in the evening broadcast the reporter mocks at the
elections saying: ‘Please agree, we speak so much about the clean
and just elections that we are even afraid of it. What if the
elections don’t be clean and pure? Will Mr. Bush strike Iran, or
Putin’s daughter marry Sahakashvili’s son, after that? In any case,
the authorities will not have right to declare that everything is
transparent. We do not speak about the opposition, as its point of
view is nothing for anyone. Sorry, only once the Constitutional Court
took into consideration the opinion of the opposition, and even the
Court was afraid of the boldness of itself.

Anyhow, the last word is up to the observers’.

We come to a conclusion from the above-mentioned, that the
radio-station ‘Azatutyun’ has not qualified reporters to do political
analyses.

What about Iran, all the media, especially the Russian one, was talking
about the strike that USA intended to realize against Iran. They
declare even the day and the time of the strike. Being one of the
neighbors of Iran the anxiety about this was big in Armenia, too.

Nevertheless, ‘Azatutyun’ radio-station didn’t say a word and didn’t
do any analyses and commentaries.

Probably I would not return to this theme if I did not read an
article in ‘Haykakan jamanak’ daily about the former worker of
‘Azatutyun’ radio-station Anna Karapetian. She told the reporter that
she was dismissed from her job even being the 12 years’ worker of the
radio-station. Anna Karapetian is a well-known professional reporter
and if she does not satisfy the requirements of the radio-station,
it means that the criteria of the radio-station were changed and the
radio-station needs non-qualified reporters only who do mistakes and
spread disinformation.

In order to show that the elections in Armenia are not as disgraced as
‘Azatutyun’ radio-station represents, we want to show some fragments
from the broadcast of the radio-station: UN Security Council has only
five members, Bagoto is the capital of Columbia, there are no other
countries in the world, besides Armenia, that demand taxes for the
import of alcohol, Serj Sargsian held the tenure of Prime Minister
before the funeral of Andranik Margarian, and ‘Surb Khach’ Church
of Akhtamar has never had any pilgrim and incense-bearer before the
reconstruction by Turkey.

Let us examine another example. In the broadcast of April 1 we heard
the opinion of the actor Levon Sharafian (living now in Los Angeles)
about the ‘Armenia’ pan-Armenian fund. From his point of view,
building the roads is a way of making money. No one wants to open a
dining-hall for the hungry people.

Levon Sharafian left our country in 1995 and he has Armenia of 1995
in his mind, when in the axis of the social policy of the country
was the opening of charity dining-halls. If not the reporter, but the
editor had to know that ‘Armenia’ pan-Armenian fund was established
to build roads which have a strategic role for our country, and not
to open dining-halls.

The actor could be ill-informed, but not the reporter, who had to be
informed and select a right interlocutor.

Thus, we can say that ‘Azatutyun’ radio-station is interested in not
giving the right information to the auditor, but to make its broadcast
full of disinformation.

New criteria are defined for ‘Azatutyun’ radio-station that have
nothing to do with professional journalism.

By Sara Petrosian