Month: July 2007

OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS INDULGE AZERBAIJAN’S CAPRICES

arminfo
2007-07-03 23:08:00

Unfortunately, the OSCE MG co-chairs are indulging Azerbaijan’s
caprices and are evading the question who is de factor and who is
de jure party to the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict, Nagorno-Karabakh
President Arkady Ghoukassyan said while giving a lecture in
Russian-Armenian University today.

He said that the mediators perfectly know what the conflict is about
and who is de facto and who is de jure party to it. "I think that
the present format of the peace talks has no future. This conflict
cannot be resolved without Nagorno-Karabakh’s involvement in the
peace process.

Azerbaijan’s non-constructive and aggressive policy is a serious
obstacle to progress. Strong as they might be the co-chairs will not
be able to do anything if the parties persist in refusing to make
concessions," Ghoukassyan said.

LEADER OF HERITAGE PARTY: LIBERTY SQUARE BELONGS TO ALL

arminfo
2007-07-03 23:07:00

Liberty Square belongs to all and we don’t need an invitation to go
there, the leader of heritage party Raffi Hovannisian told ArmInfo
when asked if his party will take part in this Friday rally in support
of Radio Liberty Armenia.

Heritage has always supported human rights and freedoms. Particularly,
it has petitioned for changing the measure of restraint for arrested
Zhirayr Sefilyan and Vardan Malkhasyan.

To remind, earlier the leader of Alternative movement Nikol Pashinyan
said that on July 6 Alternative, People’s Party of Armenia and
Hanrapetutyun will rally in support of Radio Liberty. Presently,
they are negotiating for enlarging the format.

KARABAKH PARLIAMENTARIAN: PRESENT NKR AUTHORITIES NEED ARMENIA ONLY WHEN IT GIVES THEM MONEY

arminfo
2007-07-03 22:56:00

"The present NKR authorities need Armenia only when it gives them
money.

Meanwhile, they do not assume an idea of Yerevan’s participation
in the process of NKR democratization", oppositional deputy of NKR
Parliament Gegham Baghdasaryan said today during the Round Table
"NKR Presidential Election: View from Yerevan", organized by the
"Caucasus" analytical center.

Armenia’s interference with the internal political affairs of NKR is
inadmissible. "On the contrary, the passive attitude of Armenia’s
society to the election situation in Karabakh seems strange to me,
since the election are the all-Armenian matter and they are able to
greatly affect the negotiation process on the Karabakh settlement",
G. Baghdasaryan said. He thinks that the election situation in
Karabakh is quite strange as the oppositional parties also gathered
around the power candidate. As a result, all of them turned out to
be in opposition to the people.

G. Baghdasaryan emphasized that availability of a real alternative to
the power candidate is of most importance for the Karabakh voters,
that assured nomination of the candidacy of deputy Foreign Minister
Masis Mailyan. "The positive is the fact that July 19 presidential
election in NKR will be held on the alternative basis for the first
time", the Karabakh parliamentarian said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AMENDMENTS TO LAW ON TELEVISION AND RADIO REJECTED

arminfo
2007-07-03 22:46:00

The National Assembly of Armenia has factually rejected the
amendments to the Law on Television and Radio as well as related
amendments to the Law on State Tax in the second and final reading,
Tuesday. Sixty-three parliamentarians supported the bill, which is
not enough for its adoption.

The amendments ban transmission of foreign TV and Radio programmes
on Public TV and Radio of Armenia as well as raise the tax for
broadcasting of foreign programmes on private TV channels to 60,000
drams per programme.

Justice Minister Gevorg Danielyan presented the bills to the
parliamentarians and explained that the amendments are based on the
fact that the Public TV and Radio have a special status of state
establishment operating without license, unlike private TV and
radio companies. Hence, Public Television and Radio Company must
wage the country’s information policy for public interests. Thus,
the Company must not be engaged in commerce providing air to foreign
companies. As regards private TV and Radio companies, they must pay
a relevant state tax for transmission of foreign TV programmes. The
Government intends to raise this tax 60 times taking into account
the international practice, G. Danielyan said.

It is noteworthy that RFE/RL programme is the only foreign programme
transmitted by the Public Television. The US Congress finances the
programme. Mass Media report that the amendments are aimed just against
RFE/RL. In response to MP Victor Dallakyan’s question if the amendments
will worsen the relations with the USA and become a reason for
cancellation of Millennium Challenge $235 million compact in Armenia,
G. Danielyan said: "Such processes could take place if broadcasting
of RFE/RL was banned in Armenia, but the amendments just regulate
the transmission of the programmes of this radio company." Moreover,
the minister said that US legislation bans broadcasting of foreign
programmes on local TVs and radios. At present, Armenian Liberty
pays some $150.000 yearly for broadcasting of its programmes on the
Armenian Public Radio.

NKR PRESIDENT: KOSOVO EXAMPLE ENCOURAGING

arminfo
2007-07-03 13:24:00

"Kosovo example encourages us," NKR President Arkady Ghouakssyan
said making a report "Nagorny Karabakh: prospects of settlement"
at the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University, Tuesday.

He said the international community applies dual standards
when stating that Kosovo example cannot become a precedent for
Karabakh. Russia disagrees with such opinions and has more logic and
devoted position. "If there is a solution to an analogous conflict,
no one will be able to avoid its affecting another one. It will have at
least an indirect impact. So far, no one has found a logic explanation
to why Kosovo model is not a precedent for other conflicts," Arkady
Ghoukassyan said. He also added that from the historical point of
view there is no issue which the international community relies on to
differentiate the settlement of the two conflicts. "Nagorny Karabakh
has much more arguments for recognition of its independence than
Kosovo," NKR president said.

NKR PRESIDENT’S ADVISOR THINKS DISCUSSIONS DEDICATED TO DOMESTIC POLITICAL PROBLEMS OF KARABAKH MUST NOT BE ORGANIZED IN YEREVAN

arminfo
2007-07-03 13:23:00

The NKR president’s advisor Arman Melikyan said over the discussion of
the topic "NKR presidential election: a view from Yerevan", organized
by the "Kavkaz" analytical centre in the office of the Russian news
agency "Regnum".

He also added that discussion on the NKR presidential election is
evidence of either distrust in ability of the people of Karabakh to
elect their leader or an attempt to impose pressure and meddle in
domestic affairs of the republic. prospect of the Karabakh conflict
settlement and to the problem of refugees resettlement. But at the
moment we have got an impression of the third states meddling in our
affairs,- Melikyan said. He at least admits that the acting parties
of Armenia might initiate such round tables but not foreign mass
media or analytical centres.

After the statements made in rather emotional tone, the NKR president’s
advisor Arman Melikyan, accompanied by perplexed look of Armenian
journalists, left the press-conference hall of the Caucasus office
of the Russian news agency Regnum.

TURKEY TRIAL LITMUS TEST FOR EU STATUS
Mustafa Yukselbaba, Reuters

Windsor Star (Ontario)
July 3, 2007 Tuesday
Final Edition

ISTANBUL – Eighteen suspects went on trial on Monday for the murder
of ethnic Armenian editor Hrant Dink in a case seen as a litmus
test for the rule of law and the right to free speech in Turkey,
a European Union candidate country.

Dink, whose comments about the massacre of Armenians in Turkey in 1915
angered Turkish nationalists, was gunned down outside his Istanbul
office in January by a 17-year-old who has confessed to the killing.

Up to 1,000 supporters of Dink’s family gathered outside the heavily
guarded Istanbul courthouse to demand justice amid claims that some
policemen were involved in the murder.

"Shoulder to shoulder against fascism," they chanted.

Dink’s widow said she wanted not revenge but justice.

"My beloved husband… never said a word against his country here
or abroad. He was a defender of truth… In return, he received the
traitor’s bullet," Rakel Dink told the court.

Dink’s lawyers have expressed fears over the independence of the
court, reflecting concerns about the possible involvement of Turkey’s
so-called "deep state."

DEEP STATE

The "deep state" refers to hardline nationalists in the state apparatus
ready to subvert the law for political ends.

Several Turkish newspapers on Monday quoted one of the main suspects,
Yasin Hayal, as saying he and his comrades murdered Dink on the orders
of police officers.

"I do not know what this ‘deep state’ means…but one thing is sure —
there was a group controlling us in the police," the Radikal daily
quoted Hayal as saying in a letter to prosecutors.

Police have not publicly commented on the accusations.

The European Union and human rights groups have shown a strong interest
in the Dink case, saying it is a crucial test for a justice system
often criticized for political bias.

ARKADY GHOUKASYAN: TERRI DAVIS IS SUBJECTIVE AND BIASED IN HIS ASSESSMENTS OF KARABAKH CONFLICT

arminfo
2007-07-03 12:38:00

"I am not blaming CE Secretary General Terri Davis for his statements
concerning the Karabakh conflict, NKR President Arkady Ghoukasyan
told ArmInfo correspondent. Asked how dangerous are the statements
of T. Davis aimed at transfer of the issue of the people’s struggle
for independence to the plane of vulgar ambition of the Armenian
people and claims for other’s territory, A. Ghoukasyan replied that
the international organizations have definite standards the limits of
which they are unable to exceed. "I do not think it may be essential
for Nagorno Karabakh. Such statements always sounded and they will
do, and the opposition of T. Davis will hardly be dangerous for us
as we strictly follow the way we choose", A. Ghoukasyan said. He
also added that such a position of the European official hinders the
settlement process in general. "Terri Davis or someone else cannot
prevent us from changing our position. I think that a man at such
a post must adhere to a neutral position so that to inspire trust,
if he tries to contribute to the conflict settlement anyhow. However,
he is subjective and biased in his assessments", NKR president resumed.

18 GO ON TRIAL IN TURKEY FOR KILLING OF JOURNALIST
Sabrina Tavernise – The New York Times Media Group

The International Herald Tribune, France
July 3, 2007 Tuesday

Young men charged in the murder of a Turkish-Armenian newspaper
editor went on trial here Monday in what has been described as a test
of the rule of law in Turkey, where authors can be prosecuted for
"insulting Turkishness."

The editor, Hrant Dink, was shot and killed in front of his office
in January. A Turkish teenager was arrested and charged with the crime.

The brazenness of the killing was compounded by links with the Turkish
authorities: Shortly after the murder, a video surfaced showing the
alleged killer posing with the Turkish police in a Black Sea town.

The verdict in the trial will have broad implications for free speech
in Turkey, where an article of the criminal code allows jail time
for "insulting Turkishness." A number of authors, including Dink,
have been charged with it, although few have been put in jail.

Dink, 52, was a vocal proponent of improving Turkey’s relations with
Armenia, its northern neighbor. The countries have suffered strained
ties since Turkey carried out what many term genocide against Armenians
during the First World War. He ran afoul of nationalist Turks when he
called that massacre genocide, a characterization Turkey has refused
to acknowledge.

The trial on Monday was a closed proceeding because some of the
18 defendants are minors. It took place inside a yellow four-story
courthouse in central Istanbul. In a square nearby, demonstrators
held placards and chanted slogans in support of Dink.

The teenager accused of shooting Dink exercised his right to remain
silent in the hearing Monday, according to Reuters, which cited
a lawyer for Dink’s family, Fethiye Cetin. Other suspects made
statements.

The trial is expected to last for several weeks. Liberal Turks were
generally skeptical that the trial would result in justice for Dink,
who had been broadly despised by the Turkish state.

"The judgment will not be free," said Aydin Ozipek, an economics
student at Fatih University in Istanbul. "There is a ruling class of
people who want everybody to be the same – no Kurds, no Armenians,
no head scarves."

International human rights associations called the trial a test for
the judiciary in Turkey.

"Hrant Dink’s murder trial is a critical test of the Turkish
judiciary’s independence," said Holly Cartner, Europe and Central Asia
director at Human Rights Watch. "We will be closely watching how the
court handles any evidence that may implicate the security forces."

WORLD – TURKEY PUTS 18 ON TRIAL FOR KILLING OF TOP ARMENIAN JOURNALIST

Morning Star
July 3, 2007 Tuesday

The trial of 18 suspects in the kiling of ethnic Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink began in Turkey on Monday, more than six months after he
was gunned down in Istanbul.

The case is widely seen as a test of whether Turkey’s judiciary will
be able to probe alleged official negligence over the killing.

Mr Dink was shot dead on January 19. He was hated by nationalists
for calling the mass killings of Armenians in the early 20th century
genocide.

The trial is being held behind closed doors because alleged killer
Ogun Samast is a minor.

Hundreds of protesters demonstrated near the courthouse, appealing
for justice and carrying a banner that read: "We are all witnesses,
we want justice."

Turkey had vowed to conduct a thorough inquiry and the governor and
police chief of the Black Sea city of Trabzon, the home town of the
alleged killer, were sacked for negligence.

Some security officials who posed for photographs with the gunman as
he held a Turkish flag were also dismissed.

However, many Turks are convinced that a network of state agents or
ex-officials, possibly with ties to organised crime, periodically
targets progressives in the name of nationalism.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress