Author: Andres-Papazian

ARMENIAN CONSCRIPT SHOOTS OFFICERS AND HIMSELF IN NKR: SIX BELIEVED TO BE DEAD AT MARTUNI BASE
Karine Ionesyan

ArmeniaNow
30.07.10

Army conscripts face front-line pressures and battle a history of
wrongdoing in the military

An Armenian conscript on duty in Martuni, Karabakh has killed himself
and five other servicemen according to information widely spread,
but not yet confirmed by the Ministry of Defense.

According to unofficial information, conscript Karo Ayvazyan shot
four officers, a fellow-conscript and then himself in an apparent
attempt to defend his comrade from the officers’ punishment.

Human rights activist Arthur Sakunts told ArmeniaNow that late
on Thursday (July 29), officers at the outpost found 20-year old
Andranik Sargsyan asleep on his watch and awoke him with insults and
humiliation. Ayvazyan, who was serving the same watch, then shot the
officers before shooting himself. Sargsyan also died in the shooting,
but it is unknown whether his death was intentional or the result of
random firing.

The Press Department of the MOD refused ArmeniaNow’s request for
information, stating that nothing is clear yet. The official website
of the ministry reports that on Thursday evening an “incident”
involving “use of firearms” and resulting in an unspecified number
of casualties took place at one of military bases. It also says
that military investigators have received the “strictest orders”
to clarify all circumstances of the incident ().

In addition to Sargsyan and Ayvazyan, the dead are: Vardges Tadevosyan
(Yerevan); Garegin Hovsepyan (Echmiadzin), Robert Hovhannisyan
(Vanadzor), Artyom Manasyan (Charentsavan).

The incident comes a day after another officer died in non-combat
circumstance in an unrelated case in Tavush, Armenia. According to
the MOD, 31-year-old lieutenant Artak Nazaryan used an automatic
weapon to commit suicide at his base. Nazaryan’s parents, however,
have challenged the official cause of death, reporting that forensics
revealed that Nazaryan had been beaten prior to his death.

From: A. Papazian

LEVON TER-PETROSYAN AND US AMBASSADOR MARIE YOVANOVICH HOLD KEY MEETING FORMER ARMENIAN PRESIDENT AND LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION

Tert.am
30.07.10

Former Armenian president and leader of the opposition movement
Armenian National Congress (HAK) Levon Ter-Petrosyan held a meeting
with US Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovich.

According to HAK information department the main issues on the agenda
were the perspectives of the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict and the Armenia-Turkey normalization.

Levon Ter-Petrosyan also raised issues such as releasing political
prisoners, restoring democracy, fighting corruption and boosting
economic development.

The parties also touched upon regional issues.

No other details of this meeting are reported.

Present at the meeting were also representatives of HAK central
office Levon Zurabyan, Davit Shahnazaryan, as well as deputy head of
US diplomatic mission in Armenia Bruce Donahue and US State Department
expert Paul Stronski.

From: A. Papazian

KARABAKH CANNOT APPEAL TO HAGUE COURT: SABINE FREIZER

Tert.am
30.07.10

The recent ruling of UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) over
the legality of the declaration of Kosovo’s independence cannot be
considered as precedent for other frozen conflicts, Director of Europe
Program of the International Crisis Group, Sabine Freizer told RFE/RL
Azerbaijani service.

The expert also said that the ICJ wanted by that ruling to simply
make it clear that the declaration of Kosovo’s independence does not
run counter the international law.

Asked about the consequences should Karabakh, South Ossetia, Abkhazia
or Transnistria appeal to ICJ for their recognition, Freizer said that
unrecognized republics cannot file a lawsuit at the ICJ, adding that in
case of Kosovo it was as Serbia who had brought the case to the court.

“To defend its claim in that international court Karabakh should be
backed by the majority of UN General Assembly members. The same is
necessary to do also in the [UN] Security Council. Karabakh is not a
[UN] member, therefore it cannot do that,” said she.

From: A. Papazian

ARTSAKH BY MAKAR BARKHUDARIANTS: IT IS ALL ABOUT KARABAKH

Tert.am
30.07.10

The scientific library of the NKR Foreign Ministry has received
as a gift the Russian version of the book Artsakh by bishop Makar
Barkhudaryants published in Science publishing office in St.
Petersburg, according to a release issued by NKR Foreign Ministry.

The edition was prepared by Bella and Vahe Grigorians; the translator
from the Armenian language is Nelson Alexanian. All the nuances and
author’s terminology are preserved within the translation.

First, the book was published in Armenian in 1895 in Baku. It is
of exclusive historical and source study significance. Historian,
ethnographer, teacher, religious figure, native of Artsakh Makar
Barkhudariants provided relevant information on the natural resources,
flora, fauna, and demography of the region, described its historical
monuments, collected and decoded the inscriptions on the gravestones,
church and monastery walls.

The book has repeatedly been used in scientific researches, served
as a guide-book in further descriptions of Artsakh, and has been a
unique work so far providing a full idea of the material and spiritual
culture of the region.

The Russian translation of the book is dedicated to the memory of
the soldiers and civilians deceased for the freedom and independence
of Karabakh-Artsakh.

The translation of the book, which is intended for local history
specialists, historians, theologians, statesmen, and private
citizens, allowed to increase the number of people wishing to get
true information on Artsakh. The book is distributed in authoritative
scientific institutions and libraries in St. Petersburg and Moscow.

From: A. Papazian

OMBUDSMAN ISSUED A STATEMENT

“The sequence of similar incidents increases the number of murders at
various military units and this cannot have a positive impact on the
army’s combativeness and the moral-psychological atmosphere of the
society,” announced today RA Human Rights Defender Armen Harutyunyan.

On July 27, 31-year old contractual soldier, expert of Eastern Studies,
Lieutenant Artak Nazaryan was shot at the military posts of the RA
Armed Forces’ 3rd army corpus.

A day later, a terrible incident took place at N military unit where
a soldier killed several soldiers and then committed suicide.

The RA Ministry of Defense has disseminated a message strictly giving
the corresponding services the direction for clarifying all details
of the incident.

“The Human Rights Defender expresses condolences to the families of
the victims, condemns the incidents and calls on the competent bodies
to take all necessary measures for a full, multifaceted and objective
revelation of the cases, as well as bring all culprits to justice,”
as stated in the statement.

From: A. Papazian

RESULTS WILL BE RELEASED ON AUGUST 4

The results of studies conducted by the working group created for the
purposes of studying the disputed issues on usage of water resources
from Argitch River will be discussed on August 4, as reported by
“Ecolur”.

The working group was created by Order 194-A issued by the RA Minister
of Nature Protection on July 26.

>From July 27 to August 3, the working group will conduct studies
in Geghahovit, Madina, Vaghashen, Nerkin Getashen, Verin Getashen
communities and Martuni city of Gegharkunik province, as well as
Aghnjadzor community of Vayots Dzor province.

From: A. Papazian

KARABAKH CAN’T APPEAL TO THE HAGUE

The verdict reached by the UN International Court of Justice cannot
be viewed as a precedent and used to solve other frozen conflicts
because it only refers to Kosovo,” European Program Director of the
International Crisis Group Sabina Fraiser told “Radio Liberty”.

What will be the consequences if Nagorno-Karabakh, South Ossetia,
Abkhazia or Transdniester appeal to the same court to study their
cases? In response, Sabina Fraizer said that an unrecognized state
may not appeal to the International Court of Justice.

“To appeal to the court, Karabakh must have the support of the
majority of the UN General Assembly members to defend the case in
the International Court and it needs to do the same for the Security
Council. The plaintiff must be a member of the UN. Nagorno-Karabakh
is not a member, meaning that it will not be able to do that,”
stated the European Program Director of the International Crisis
Group Sabina Fraizer.

Serbia had appealed to the International Court of Justice for the
case of Kosovo.

From: A. Papazian

“ARTSAKH” IS GRANTED TO ARTSAKH

The scientific library of the NKR MFA has received as a gift the
Russian version of the book ‘Artsakh’ by Bishop Makar Barkhudaryants
published in Science publishing office in St. Petersburg.

The edition was prepared by Bella and Vahe Grigorians, the translator
from the Armenian language is Nelson Alexanian. All the nuances and
author’s terminology are preserved within the translation.

First, the book was published in Armenian in 1895 in Baku. It is of
exceptional historical and source study significance. Historian,
ethnographer, teacher, religious figure, native of Artsakh Makar
Barkhudariants provided corresponding information on the natural
resources, flora, fauna, and demography of the region, described its
historical monuments, collected and decoded the inscriptions on the
gravestones, church- and monastery walls. The book was repeatedly
used in scientific researches, served as a guide-book in further
descriptions of Artsakh, and has been a unique work so far providing
a full idea of the material and spiritual culture of the region.

The Russian translation of the book is dedicated to the memory of
the soldiers and civilians deceased for the freedom and independence
of Karabakh-Artsakh.

The translation of the book, which is intended for local history
specialists, historians, theologians, statesmen, and common readers,
allowed to increase the number of people wishing to get true
information on Artsakh.

The book is distributed in authoritative scientific institutions and
libraries in St. Petersburg and Moscow.

From: A. Papazian

THEY CAN’T DISPUTE VIOLATIONS?

Today at 11 a.m. the RA Court of Appeals will examine the appeal
filed by “Ecodar” environmental NGO.

The appeal is against the Administrative Court’s verdict according to
which non-governmental organizations don’t have the right to dispute
violations of the law on ecology in court.

The Administrative Court previously hadn’t accepted the lawsuit based
on the same reason, after which “Ecodar” had appealed to the Court of
Appeals and the latter had forced the Administrative Court to examine
the lawsuit.

From: A. Papazian

OMBUDSMAN CALLING FOR DISCLOSURE OF TRAGIC ARMY INCIDENTS

Tert.am
30.07.10

Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Armen Harutyunyan has released a
written statement over the recent incidents in the armed forces in
Armenia’s armed forces claiming several lives.

“These consecutive incidents replenish the series of the killings in
various military units and cannot but have a negative influence on
the fighting capability of the army and on the ethical-psychological
atmosphere in the society,” reads the statement.

Further Armen Harutyunyan expresses his heartfelt condolences to
the relatives and the loved ones of those killed due to those tragic
incidents.

“The Human Rights Defender expresses condolences to the relatives
of those killed, condemns such incidents and calls on the relevant
bodies to take all the steps necessary for the full, impartial and
comprehensive disclosure of the circumstances, as well as for holding
those guilty accountable within the law,” reads the statement.

From: A. Papazian