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CRIMINAL CASE OPENED IN RELATION TO POLICEMEN WHO USED "CHERYOMUKHA-7" WEAPON AGAINST DEMONSTRATORS ON MARCH 1-2, 2008

Noyan Tapan
July 17, 2009

YEREVAN, JULY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Special Investigation
Service opened a criminal case in relation to 4 policemen who used
"Cheryomukha-7" special weapon against demonstrators during the
mass disorders in Yerevan on March 1-2, 2008. The case was opened
under Article 373 "Breach of Rules for Handling Arms, Ammunition
and Items Dangerous for Others" of the RA Criminal Code. The case
was initiated by instructions of the prosecutor Koryun Piloyan who
controls the legality of the investigation into the March 1 case,
NT correspondent was informed by spokeswoman for the RA Prosecutor
General Sona Truzian. To recap, the use of grenades containing
"Cheryomukha-7" tear gas resulted in the deaths of 4 civilians.

According to the same source, another case under the RA Criminal
Code’s Article 309 "Abuse of Authority" was initiated by the Special
Investigation Service based on the materials received from the National
Assembly Ad Hoc Committee. Within the framework of this case, it is
envisaged conducting an investigation in a video material that shows
a policeman chasing some people in civilian clothes and hitting them
with his baton without any reason.

DIVINE LITURGY CEREMONY IN THE MOTHER SEE OF HOLY ECHMIADZIN

ARMENPRESS
July 17, 2009

YEREVAN, JULY 17, ARMENPRESS: A divine liturgy will be held at 11:00
pm July 18 for the peace of the souls of the Armenians killed in the
result of the crashed Tehran-Yerevan aircraft; the liturgy will be
headed by the Catholicos of all-Armenian Garegin II in the Mother See
of Holy Echmiadzin, the press service of the Mother See told Armenpress

CANADIAN FAMILY MOURNS LOSS OF TWO MEMBERS IN PLANE CRASH

CTV Television, Inc.

SHOW: CANADA AM 7:32:00 ET
July 16, 2009 Thursday
Canada

ANCHORS: BEVERLY THOMSON

GUESTS: FRED KHACHIK, RELATIVE OF PLANE CRASH VICTIMS

THOMSON: And in developing news this morning, word that two
Canadians were on board the Caspian Airlines plane that crashed
in Iran yesterday. A hundred and sixty-eight people died when the
plane went down en route to Armenia. The two Canadians are 35-year-
old Nana Antashyam and her three-year-old son Edward Khachik. Nana
Antashyam’s husband is in Tehran with his brother Fred Khachik.

He [Fred] joins us now.

Ah, well, first of all, let me express our condolences to you and
your family. But thank you for joining us.

What can you tell us about the visit there that Nana and Edward
were making?

KHACHIK: I’m sorry, I cannot hear you.

THOMSON: Can you tell me about why Nana and Edward were there?

KHACHIK: Hello? Hello?

THOMSON: Yes, hello. Fred, can you hear me?

KHACHIK: Yes.

THOMSON: Can you tell me about why Nana and Edward were there?

KHACHIK: You are from where? CTV, right?

THOMSON: Right.

KHACHIK: They were in here for the wedding, in Europe. And they were
in here for the baptism of Edward.

THOMSON: What can you tell me about Nana Antashyam? Tell me a little
bit about her.

KHACHIK: She was a wonderful young woman, looking for a future
life. She had one child, Edward. She was, I think she was pregnant
with a second one. But we wasn’t sure because it was like at the
beginning of it.

And she was looking for a future life. She was full of life. And
she was a classic pianist. She was a teacher in the school, teaching
piano. And she was a very good lady.

THOMSON: And I’m sorry, Fred, I’m not sure that I understood you. Did
you say that she was also pregnant?

KHACHIK: I think my brother said because she was throwing up, she
could be pregnant again.

THOMSON: Oh dear.

Can you tell me a little bit about Edward?

KHACHIK: Edward was an amazing kid. He was, everybody surrounded him,
communicated with him. Some people, they said he can be the future
prime minister of Canada. Very smart in that age. He could sharply
answer you. And very intelligently answer you. And at a young age he
was speaking fluently English and the Armenian language.

THOMSON: We can’t imagine what your family is going through, Fred. We
are so sorry —

KHACHIK: They are going through like hell. They’re trying to cope
with it. I’m trying to comfort my brother, the whole family. Yeah,
it’s a very bad thing for us.

THOMSON: Okay, well, —

KHACHIK: And she has sisters, Nana, she had two sisters in Armenia. One
sister is a violinist in big, classic music.

THOMSON: Well, I know you’re going to need to hang tight to your
family. Um, —

KHACHIK: Yeah, we’re trying. It’s very hard. Very hard for my
brother. He looks at everything, when he’s left from his son and wife,
he goes crazy now.

THOMSON: Fred, take care —

KHACHIK: I try to comfort him.

THOMSON: Take care of your family.

KHACHIK: Yeah.

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION PARTY CANCELS PROTEST DUE TO PLANE CRASH DEATHS

Regnum
July 15 2009
Russia

15 July: Members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation –
Dashnaktsutyun [ARFD] were among the passengers of the TU-154 plane
flying to Yerevan from Tehran that crashed.

Ara Nranyan, an ARFD member of the Armenian National Assembly, has
told Regnum correspondent that there were two of them but he stopped
short of naming them.

Nranyan said that the ARFD decided to cancel a protest due to the
plane crash and a day of mourning for the victims on 16 July announced
under a decree by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan.

As Regnum reported earlier, the ARFD intended to picket the Armenian
Foreign Ministry [on 16 July] in protest at the ministry’s policy on
the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.

ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS COORDINATOR MEETS LITHUANIA’S AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA

ArmInfo
2009-07-16 12:33:00

ArmInfo. Coordinator of Armenian National Congress [ANC] Levon Zurabyan
met Lithuania’s Ambassador to Armenia Gedrius Apuokas yesterday.

As press-service of the ANC reported, the reason of the meeting was
the fact that chairmanship in the European Union transferred to Sweden
which in Armenia is represented by the Embassy of Lithuania.

They touched on domestic political situation in Armenia and the
problems of democracy development.

ARF DASHNAKTIUTYUN PARTY DEMANDS FROM PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA NOT TO SIGN A DOCUMENT WHEN MEETING ALIYEV

ArmInfo
2009-07-16 15:00:00

Arminfo. When demanding resignation of Armenian foreign minister ARFD
does not want ‘to hinder’ the Karabakh conflict settlement process,
it is just trying to give an opportunity of the president of Armenia
to change the existing situation and not to sign a document over his
meeting with the president of Azerbaijan, representative of the ARFD
Supreme Board Armen Rustamyan said at today’s press-conference in
Urbat club.

Asked what steps ARFD will take if Serzh Sargsyan signs a
document, Rustamyan replied in that case their fight will sharply
change. According to the Armenian Constitution, the president is
responsible for the foreign policy of the country. ‘We are not obliged
to demand the president’s resignation because of his every step. And if
we demand the president’s resignation, it means we shall create a basis
for the power change, but the ARFD does not have such intentions’, –
Rustamyan said. Touching on the new option of the Madrid principles,
he said that here the issue about the Nagornyy Karabakh status and the
people’s right fore self-determination are on the background. ‘This
is not in line with our conception’, – Rustamyan said.

RA MINISTER OF DIASPORA RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF COORDINATION COUNCIL OF ARMENIAN ORGANIZATIONS OF FRANCE ALEXIS GOVCIYAN

Noyan Tapan
July 15, 2009

YEREVAN, JULY 15, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA Minister
of Diaspora Hranush Hakobian received on July 15 President of
the Coordination Council of the Armenian Organizations of France,
AGBU Europe President Alexis Govciyan. The President discussed with
the guest the process of fullfilment of the agreements reached in
Paris as well as proposed him to carry out preparatory works in the
direction of increasing the number of participants from France in
the forthcoming professional gatherings.

According to the Press and Public Relations Department of the RA
Ministry of Diaspora, during the meeting the Minister proposed the
President of the Coordination Council of the Armenian Organizations
of France to work out and implement a joint program which can assist
making Armenia-Diaspora ties closer and support development of small
and medium-sized business. The Minister’s next proposal refered to
the assistance in the issue of translation of the French section of
the Hayern Aysor electronic newspaper.

Alexis Govciyan expressed readiness to discuss the presented proposals
and to more closely cooperate with the Ministry. The guest represented
the Minister works done by the AGBU Europe structure, particularly,
educational and cultural programs.

LAUNCH OF NEGOTIATIONS ON ARMENIAN – TURKISH RAPPROCHEMENT WAS A MISTAKE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
16.07.2009 18:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "I don’t recall the last time when Presidents of
major states like USA, France and Russia would make a joint statement,"
ARFD Supreme Body (SB) representative Armen Rustamyan told a news
conference in Yerevan.

If earlier there were only conjectures in connection with Madrid
principles, they’re currently officially publicized by MG OCSE
Co-Chairs, causing ARFD SB’s agitated reaction.

Rustamyan also noted that RA President is currently under the pressure
of USA, France and Russia.

According to him, opening the second diplomatic front was mistake as
Armenia does not possess enough resources for simultaneous settlement
of two issues.

MEMBERS OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT SPEAK OUT FOR CHINA ON XINJIANG VIOLENCE

Xinhua
July 15 2009
China

STRASBOURG, France, July 15 (Xinhua) — Some members of the European
Parliament (MEPs) on Wednesday spoke out for China on violence in its
Xinjiang region amid a misinformation campaign by the Western media.

In a debate, many MEPs pointed out the fact that the violence
that occurred on July 5 in Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang,
was carried out by Uygur separatists and that the majority of the
victims were ethnic Han Chinese.

Adrian Severin, who spoke for the Socialist group, said minority
rights should not be used as an excuse for separatist policies and
extremist means to promote these policies.

"While asking the Chinese government to refrain from excessive use of
power, we have to also ask everybody in this world to refrain from
using minority rights as a means for promoting geopolitical goals,"
he told the chamber.

Charles Tannock, a long-time critic of China, said he shared China’s
concern about Uygur Islamic terrorism.

Most of the Uygur population in Xinjiang are peaceful followers of
Islam. "However, sadly, some of the local population in recent years
has become increasingly radicalized by terrorists in league with
al-Qaeda," he said.

"I do share its (China’s) concern about the threat of Uygur Islamic
terrorism," he said.

As the EU pursues a one-China policy, "we shall not support in any
way the cessation of Xinjiang" from China, he said.

Tannock, who spoke for the European Conservatives and Reformists Group,
also blasted Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement
that the Xinjiang violence was genocide of Uygurs.

He noted that Erdogan has refused to recognize the Armenian genocide
by the Turks during and after World War I.

"His efforts to appeal to pan-Turkish nationalism are also hypocritical
given Turkey’s treatment of its own minorities, and in particular,
the Kurds in eastern Turkey," said Tannock.

IN CONNECTION WITH AIR CRASH IN IRAN, ARMENIAN PRESIDENT CUTS SHORT HIS VISIT TO SHIRAK REGION AND RETURNS TO YEREVAN

ArmInfo
2009-07-15 16:22:00

ArmInfo. On July 15, in connection with the crash of the Tu-154
aircraft flying from Tehran to Yerevan, Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan cut short his visit to Shirak region and returned to Yerevan,
the presidential press-service told ArmInfo.

To recall, there were 153 passengers, as well as 15 crew members
onboard the plane. According to preliminary data, all of them died.