Author: Andres-Papazian

FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway

The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one’s belief or religion
The right to join together and express one’s belief

===============================================
Thursday 6 June 2013
ARMENIA: NEW LEGAL AMENDMENTS TO END CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR JAILINGS?

Nine and a half years, and about 275 prisoners of conscience, after Armenia
should have by January 2004 introduced a civilian alternative to compulsory
military service, human rights defenders and conscientious objectors are
hoping this Council of Europe commitment will be met. The change comes in
new amendments to the Alternative Service Law, and to the Law on
Implementing the Criminal Code, which come into force on 8 June. “Our main
concern was that alternative civilian service should not be under military
control,” Jehovah’s Witness lawyer Artur Ispiryan told Forum 18 News
Service. “This appears to have been resolved.” Ispiryan and human rights
defenders Stepan Danielyan of Collaboration for Democracy and Avetik
Ishkhanyan of the Armenian Helsinki Committee stress that how the legal
changes are implemented will be crucial. “This will need close monitoring”,
Ishkhanyan told Forum 18. Concerns include the Defence Ministry’s role in
decisions on applications for alternative service, unclear wording of some
articles, and the length of alternative service.

ARMENIA: NEW LEGAL AMENDMENTS TO END CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR JAILINGS?

By Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service

Nine and a half years, and about 275 prisoners of conscience, after Armenia
should have by January 2004 introduced a civilian alternative to compulsory
military service, human rights defenders and conscientious objectors are
hoping this Council of Europe commitment will finally be met. The change
comes in new amendments to the 2003 Alternative Service Law and to the 2003
Law on Implementing the Criminal Code. “Our main concern was that
alternative civilian service should not be under military control,”
Jehovah’s Witness lawyer Artur Ispiryan told Forum 18 News Service from the
Armenian capital Yerevan on 5 June. “This appears to have been resolved.”

But both he and human rights defenders Stepan Danielyan of Collaboration
for Democracy and Avetik Ishkhanyan of the Armenian Helsinki Committee
point to other possible concerns. These include the Defence Ministry’s role
in decisions on applications for alternative service, unclear wording of
some articles, and the length of alternative service.

All three stress that how the legal changes are implemented will be
crucial. “All will depend on where young conscientious objectors are sent
to serve, and how they will react to the provisions on offer,” Ishkhanyan
told Forum 18 from Yerevan on 5 June. “This will need close monitoring.”

The amendments to the Law on Implementing the Criminal Code should allow
the 33 young men imprisoned for refusing military service, the six more who
have been convicted and await imprisonment, the further six whose trials
have begun and the 29 young men who are being investigated for prosecution
to apply to be transferred to alternative civilian service, Forum 18 notes.

What are the changes?

The main changes introduced by the amendments to the Alternative Service
Law and the Law on Implementing the Criminal Code are:

– Two types of alternative service

The Alternative Service Law in Article 5, as previously, allows two types
of alternative service. Both apply only to young men:

a.) “Alternative military service” for 30 months which is not connected
with bearing, keeping, maintaining or using weapons;

and b.) “Alternative labour service” for 36 months not connected with the
armed forces.

Article 3.1 makes alternative labour service open to all young men with a
conscientious objection to military service, whether they are religious or
not, Ishkhanyan of the Armenian Helsinki Committee told Forum 18.

Armenia previously required all young men to perform two years’ military
service. Since the Alternative Service Law entered into force in 2004,
those called up could instead apply for alternative service under military
control, which lasted up to 42 months. This did not meet Council of Europe
commitments or satisfy many conscientious objectors (see F18News 3 December
2012 ).

The reduction in length from 42 months of alternative service under
military control to the 36 months of alternative labour service is welcomed
by Danielyan of Collaboration for Democracy, Ishkhanyan of the Armenian
Helsinki Committee and Ispiryan of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. But they note
that this is 50 per cent longer than military service. “I believe this
should be at most six months more than military service,” Ishkhanyan told
Forum 18.

– Applications

To apply for alternative service, an applicant must in person go to their
local Military Commissariat and submit a written application within a
specified time period. Within 30 days of the application being registered,
the Regional Military Commissariat shall ascertain under the Conscription
Law whether the applicant can be either exempted from military service or
given deferred military service. If not, the application must be sent to
the Republican Committee.

Article 3.2, as previously, does not allow individuals once they are
performing either military or alternative service to change their minds and
transfer to the other. “We haven’t had such a case of an individual
performing military service changing their views and wanting to transfer to
alternative service,” Jehovah’s Witness lawyer Ispiryan told Forum 18. “But
this could be an issue.”

– Decisions

Decisions on alternative service applications are made by the “Republican
Committee”. Under Article 4 this is a standing committee made up of one
representative each from: the Territorial Administration Ministry; the
Healthcare Ministry; the Labour and Social Affairs Ministry; the Education
and Science Ministry; the Police; the Defence Ministry; and the Department
for Ethnic Minorities and Religious Affairs.

Danielyan of Collaboration for Democracy, Ishkhanyan of the Armenian
Helsinki Committee and Ispiryan of the Jehovah’s Witnesses raise questions
over the composition of the Republican Committee and the vagueness over the
way it is supposed to operate. “What if the Defence Ministry representative
ends up having the decisive voice?” Danielyan pointed out.

Article 8 states that applicants must be notified in advance of the time
and location of the meeting at which their application will be decided on,
and they can attend this meeting. The Republican Committee can require the
applicant to be present.

“Religious studies experts, psychologists and other professionals,
representatives of the locations where alternative service is performed,
religious and social organisations, and others persons can”, under Article
18.2, “be invited to the Republican Committee’s meeting.” However, there is
no indication of the basis on which such invitations shall be issued. For
example, Article 18.2 might allow a religious leader of one faith to have
an input into a decision on the application of someone from a different
faith. “The role of such individuals and what input they might give remains
unclear,” Ispiryan notes.

Applications must under Article 8.1 be decided upon by the Republican
Committee within one month. Decisions are valid if voted for by two thirds
of participating members, if more than half of the seven Committee members
are present. Such decisions must be sent to the applicant and the relevant
Regional Military Commissariat within 10 days.

The Republican Committee also decides on the type of alternative labour
service to be performed by successful applicants. Possible types of work
are decided on by the government, but no indication is given of which part
of the government makes this decision.

– Grounds for decisions

The Republican Committee can under Article 9 reject alternative service
applications if:

“1) The citizen who applied for alternative service has been invited twice
to the meeting of the Regional Conscription Committee and failed to appear
for unjustifiable reasons, or;

2) The applicant has submitted false information;

3) The application is obviously groundless.”

“It remains unclear on what basis the Republican Committee will take its
decisions,” Danielyan of Collaboration for Democracy told Forum 18. “It is
difficult to foresee how this provision will be applied,” Jehovah’s Witness
lawyer Ispiryan told Forum 18. “Conscientious convictions are hard to
prove.”

– Appeals

The amendments to the Alternative Service Law do not lay down any appeal
procedure or conditions. They merely state in Article 8.1.4 that “if the
Republican Committee makes a decision to reject the application, it must
state the basis for doing so and the procedure for appealing against the
decision”.

– Alternative labour service conditions

Article 14 states that alternative labour service is performed in state
agencies, Article 14.3 stating that there will be “no military
supervision”, Article 14.2 indicating that “supervision of the performance
and organisation of alternative labour service is carried out by state
agencies”.

Jehovah’s Witness lawyer Ispiryan particularly welcomes the declaration
that there can be no military supervision of alternative labour service,
which was introduced into the Alternative Service Law amendments between
the first and second readings.

However, Article 17.1 states that under Article 13 alternative labour
service workers “appear before the Military Commissariat to depart for
alternative service”, travelling to the alternative service location at
their own expense. The location of this should, under Article 17.4, be no
more than 30 kilometres (19 miles) away or expenses will be reimbursed.

But Article 14.2 states that “the head of the organisation where the
alternative labour service is carried out .. decides his type of work, the
regulations and conditions, and within three days notifies this in writing
to the Military Commissariat”. Article 14.3 states that “an alternative
labour worker can be transferred to another organisation or another place
of service upon agreement or initiative of the Republican Committee”.

Article 18.1 lays down that: “the Director of the place of alternative
labour service familiarises the worker with the rules of internal
discipline of the organisation and the details of the work to be
performed”. Article 18.2 requires the Director “to ensure the same working
conditions for the alternative labour worker, as they would be required to
provide for a contracted or employed worker who does the same kind of
work.”

Article 21.3 states that: “Alternative labour workers shall be held
responsible for unauthorised leave of absence from the place of service in
the same way prescribed by law for compulsory military service servicemen”.

– Current prisoners of conscience allowed to apply for transfer

Changes to the Law on Implementing the Criminal Code allow people convicted
of conscientious objection who are serving their sentence, or have been
paroled, or whose sentence was not applied conditionally, to apply before 1
August 2013 to perform alternative service. If this is granted their
criminal records will be removed.

Prisoners must apply to the administration of their prison. Time they have
already served counts towards the total required length of alternative
service. “The prison administration tells them within seven days if the
transfer is approved or not,” Jehovah’s Witness lawyer Ispiryan told Forum
18. “But it does not make clear who takes the decision.”

He also notes that a prisoner nearing the end of a two-year sentence might
choose not to apply for alternative service, as they would then have to
conduct just over a year of alternative civilian service to reach the new
specified length of such service of three years.

“It is a bit unfair that prison time counts exactly the same as alternative
service time,” Ispiryan told Forum 18. “But each individual will decide for
themselves whether to apply for a transfer. This is of course a personal
decision.”

– Past criminal records removed

The amendments to the Law on Implementing the Criminal Code allow
individuals convicted for conscientious objection to military service to
apply to have their criminal records expunged.

Compensation?

The amendments do not address the issue of compensation for conscientious
objectors who have been imprisoned. Twenty former imprisoned conscientious
objectors have gained compensation from the government, though only after
securing findings in their favour in four separate cases at the European
Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg (see below).

A further 26 Jehovah’s Witness conscientious objectors – 23 of them still
in prison – lodged their own cases to the ECtHR between December 2011 and
December 2012, Jehovah’s Witnesses told Forum 18.

Amendments approved

After delaying since joining the Council of Europe in January 2001,
Armenia’s Justice Ministry finally prepared amendments to provide
alternative civilian service in 2012. These were then presented to
Parliament (see F18News 3 December 2012
). Justice Minister
Hrair Tovmasyan presented the two sets of amendments to Parliament on 27
February 2013. On 18 March, deputies approved both in the first reading
with 103 in favour and just one (Deputy Shushan Petrosyan of the ruling
Republican Party) against. In the second (and final) reading on 2 May, 65
deputies voted in favour and two against, the parliamentary website notes.

The amendments were signed into law by President Serzh Sarkisyan on 21 May.
Both amendments enter into legal force on 8 June, the government’s legal
database notes.

Alternative civilian service unavailable – up till now

Although Armenia committed itself on joining the Council of Europe to
introduce a civilian, non-military alternative service by January 2004, it
failed to do so. It also pledged to release all those imprisoned for
refusing military service in the interim, but continued with a policy of
imprisonment (see eg. F18News 20 September 2012
).

A total of 33 Jehovah’s Witnesses are currently serving prison terms under
Criminal Code Article 327, Part 1 of between two and three years’
imprisonment. The longest serving prisoner is Harutyun Mnatsakanyan, given
a three-year prison sentence in August 2010. All are being held in prisons
in Kosh, Nubarashen or Erebuni.

Of the approximately 275 young men who have been convicted and imprisoned
to punish them for their conscientious objection to military service in the
past decade, all but one have been Jehovah’s Witnesses, Ishkhanyan notes.
The other – Pavel Karavanov – was a Molokan, a member of an early Russian
Protestant-style Christian community.

“In the Soviet period Seventh-day Adventists, Molokans and Pentecostals
often opposed military service,” Danielyan told Forum 18. “After
independence in 1991, some of these were forcibly conscripted. But now
these communities don’t object to military service, though some individuals
within them might choose alternative civilian service.”

Of all the former Soviet republics which still punish those who cannot
serve in the armed forces on grounds of conscience, Armenia has had by far
the highest rate of imprisonment for objectors. Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan
and Belarus – as well as the unrecognised entity of Nagorno-Karabakh in the
south Caucasus – have all imprisoned conscientious objectors in recent
years. Council of Europe member Turkey also imprisons conscientious
objectors, in defiance of ECtHR judgments (see a personal commentary, by
Derek Brett of Conscience and Peace Tax International, on conscientious
objection to military service and international law at
).

Strasbourg compensation

In four separate cases, the ECtHR in Strasbourg has found the Armenian
government to have violated the rights of conscientious objectors. In a
landmark case, the court ruled in July 2011 in favour of former
conscientious objector prisoner Vahan Bayatyan. The ECtHR handed down two
similar judgments against Armenia – in cases brought by Hayk Bukharatyan
and Ashot Tsaturyan – in January 2012 (see F18News 1 February 2012
).

In November 2012, the ECtHR – in its fourth decision against Armenia in
conscientious objector cases – found that Armenia had violated the rights
of 17 Jehovah’s Witness conscientious objectors. For the first time in such
cases, Armenia’s European Court Judge, Alvina Gyulumyan, did not dissent
from the judgment.

The November 2012 judgment awarded compensation of 6,000 Euros to each of
the 17 conscientious objectors. The government was also required to pay a
total of 10,000 Euros in costs for all the applicants (see F18News 3
December 2012 ).

This judgment became final on 27 February 2013, with compensation payable
by 27 May. The government allocated the funds to meet the 112,000 Euro
total at its 8 May meeting. It paid the compensation in mid-May, the
Justice Ministry and Jehovah’s Witnesses both confirmed to Forum 18.

Strasbourg cases to continue?

The 26 conscientious objectors who lodged further cases at the ECtHR in
Strasbourg have not been approached by any government official in the wake
of the two sets of amendments approved in May, Jehovah’s Witness lawyer
Ispiryan told Forum 18.

“All 26 were convicted after the court’s judgment in the Bayatyan case,” he
added. “Government officials have made them no offers over reaching a
friendly settlement. So the cases are likely to continue.” (END)

More coverage of freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Armenia and
the unrecognised entity of Nagorno-Karabakh is at

A personal commentary, by Derek Brett of Conscience and Peace Tax
International, on conscientious objection to military service and
international law in the light of the European Court of Human Rights’ July
2011 Bayatyan judgment is at
.

A compilation of Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE) freedom of religion or belief commitments can be found at
.

A printer-friendly map of Armenia is available at
.

All Forum 18 News Service material may be referred to, quoted from, or
republished in full, if Forum 18 is credited as the
source.
(END)

© Forum 18 News Service. All rights reserved. ISSN 1504-2855
You may reproduce or quote this article provided that credit is given to
F18News

Past and current Forum 18 information can be found at

From: A. Papazian

YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

MAY 31 – JUNE 6, 2013

HIGHLIGHTS:

`PRESS CLUB’ CYCLE: ETHICS OF REPORTING CRIME

SEMINAR DEALING WITH LEGAL REGULATION AND SELF-REGULATION OF MEDIA

RA PRIME MINISTER TIGRAN SARGSYAN ADDRESSED RA PROCURACY IN CONNECTION
TO
`HETQ’ ARTICLE

`PRESS CLUB’ CYCLE: ETHICS OF REPORTING CRIME

On June 3, another talk show of
`Press Club’
cycle, dealing with journalistic ethics, went on `Yerkir Media’ TV
channel. The weekly TV cycle is produced by Yerevan Press Club with
the support of Deutsche Welle Academy.

The talk show considered the professional norms for covering crimes
and police reports. The `Press Club’ discussants, Nerses Atabekian,
Chief Editor of `02′ weekly (print edition of RA Police), and Gohar
Sargsian, special correspondent of `Respublika Armenia’ newspaper,
expressed their views on this topical issue for Armenian media. The
program experts were Astghik Gevorgian, Chairwoman of Journalists
Union of Armenia, lawyer Ara Ghazarian, Avetik Ishkhanian, human
rights advocate, Chairman of Helsinki Committee of Armenia, and Arsen
Babayan, Head of Public Relations Unit of RA Judicial Department. YPC
President Boris Navasardian hosted the talk show.

The next `Press Club’ will be aired on `Yerkir Media’ on Monday, June
10 at 18.00 (rerun – on Saturday, June 15 at 12.00).

Watch `Press Club’ of June 3, 2013 here

SEMINAR DEALING WITH LEGAL REGULATION AND SELF-REGULATION OF MEDIA

On May 31 – June 2, Yerevan Press Club held a seminar on the `Current
situation and perspectives of legal regulation and self-regulation of
Armenian media’ in `Arthur’s Aghveran Resort’. The event was organized
under the `Alternative
Resources in Media’ project, supported by USAID. The participants of
the seminar were members of the Media
Ethics Observatory (MEO), heads
and representatives of media and journalistic organizations, including
the ones, which have joined the YPC initiative to establish a media
self-regulation body in Armenia.

Media expert Mesrop Harutiunian presented the recommendations to amend
the Code of Conduct of Media
Representatives with regard to issues of privacy. YPC legal expert
Iren Aloyan elaborated on the need of supplementing the Code of
Conduct with ethical norms for online media. The report of Elina
Poghosbekian, Editor of YPC Weekly Newsletter, was dealing with the
ethical aspect of media coverage of the 2012-2013
electoral cycle. Ara
Ghazarian, lawyer and member of the Information Disputes Council
, presented the recent judicial
practice on defamation cases. YPC expert Heriknaz Harutiunian talked
about activities towards raising public awareness of the MEO,
particularly about the
`Press Club’
TV shows cycle. In his speech, YPC President Boris Navasardian spoke
about the organizational issues of the MEO.

RA PRIME MINISTER TIGRAN SARGSYAN ADDRESSED RA PROCURACY IN CONNECTION
TO `HETQ’ ARTICLE

On June 3, RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan requested the RA
Procuracy to assess the evidence as contained in the article,
`Cyprus Troika: Who ‘Stripped’
Businessman Paylak Hayrapetyan of His Assets?’, published on May 29,
2013 in `Hetq’ online (edition of Investigative Journalists NGO). As
the Adviser to RA General Prosecutor Sona Truzian informed YPC, the
Prime Minister’s request was redirected to the RA Police and will be
examined in frames of the criminal proceedings instituted upon the
complaint of businessman Paylak Hayrapetyan.

The abovementioned `Hetq’ article particularly reported that the Prime
Minister of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan, Primate of the Ararat Diocese of
the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop Navasard Kjoyan and Ashot
Sukiasyan, who is engaged in diamond manufacturing, are the
shareholders of Wlispera Holdings Limited (WHL), an offshore company
registered in Cyprus. Further, the article stated that `WHL is
directly connected to a case involving the seizure of assets belonging
to businessman Paylak Hayrapetyan’ and presented some details of the
story. The piece also provided a screenshot of the registration
certificate of Wlispera Holding Limited.

On May 29, the same day of publication of the article, `Hetq’ stored
the answer of Harutyun Berberian, Press Secretary of Prime Minister,
`Prime Minister Sargsyan Ready to Go to Prosecutor General over
Hetq Exposé’. The answer stressed that Tigran Sargsyan has no
connection to Wlispera Holding Limited. `Moreover, neither has the
prime minister personally, or through any other authorized entity,
registered any organization in Cyprus or any other off-shore
location’, the letter emphasized. Harutyun Berberian noted that the
screenshot of the registration certificate provided in the `Hetq’
article is false, and Tigran Sargsyan will address the RA Procuracy.

Meanwhile, `Hetq’ mentioned in its editorial note that it has never
used false information and advised the Prime Minister `to first take a
look at the website of the Cyprus Department of Registrar of
Companies, to inspect the veracity of the information presented
therein’, as well as examine `the bank transfers from Armenia to the
company in question, and vice-versa, and then contact the proper
authorities of Cyprus to expose any `conspiracy’, if one indeed
exists’. Only having done so should the Prime Minister address to the
Procuracy, the editorial note stated. `Hetq’ also expressed hope that
the Procuracy will regard its article as a report on crime.

When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the
Yerevan Press Club is required. You are welcome to send any comment
and feedback about the Newsletter to: [email protected]

Subscription for the Newsletter is free. To subscribe or unsubscribe
from this mailing list, please send a message to: [email protected]

Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
____________________________________________
Yerevan Press Club
9B, Ghazar Parpetsi str.
0002, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+ 374 10) 53 00 67; 53 35 41; 53 76 62
Fax: (+374 10) 53 56 61
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site:

From: A. Papazian

‘Political Islam’ in the Middle East North Africa region

Ekklesia (London)
April 24, 2013

Our valued associate Dr Harry Hagopian has been as busy as ever in
travelling, advising, writing and broadcasting on the ever developing
events across the Middle East and North Africa region.

Our apologies that we have been a little slow in relaying a few of his
recent pieces, including this important podcast, in conversation with
James Abbott at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales,
on the rise of ‘Political Islam’ in the Middle East North Africa
(MENA) region and the impact on its people.

The podcast starts by defining key terms – words that are used
frequently and sometimes have a variety of definitions attached to
them. “Fundamentalism”, “radicalism” and “Islamism”, to name but a
few.

Dr Hagopian then goes on to discuss how Islamism has played its part
in the popular uprisings of the last two-and-a-half-years and the
current state of play.

This reflection was actually recorded on a very important anniversary
for Armenians around the globe. So the final thought in this podcast
focuses on the horrors of the Armenian Genocide, 1915-1923, a tragedy
that claimed 1.5 million lives and whose effects are still felt today.

The full podcast is available to play and to download (MP3 format)
here:

There are also short ‘audioboos’ available here:

Dr Harry Hagopian is an international lawyer, ecumenist and EU
political consultant. He also acts as a Middle East and inter-faith
advisor to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England & Wales and as
Middle East consultant to ACEP (Christians in Politics) in Paris. He
is an Ekklesia associate and regular contributor
().

Formerly an Executive Secretary of the Jerusalem Inter-Church
Committee and Executive Director of the Middle East Council of
Churches, Harry is now an international fellow at the Sorbonne III
University, Paris, consultant to the Campaign for Recognition of the
Armenian Genocide (UK), Ecumenical consultant to the Primate of
Armenian Church in UK & Ireland, and author of The Armenian Church in
the Holy Land. Dr Hagopian’s own website is
Follow him on Twitter here: @harryhagopian

From: A. Papazian

GETTING JUSTICE THE GERAGOS WAY

COMMUNITY | JUNE 6, 2013 2:40 PM
By Alin K. Gregorian

Mirror-Spectator Staff

LOS ANGELES – Mark Geragos commands attention. Whether it is in front
of TV cameras or St. James Armenian Church Men’s Club in Watertown,
he is able to connect with people. It is almost enough to make one
feel sorry for his opponents in court, in front of juries.

Geragos, who heads Geragos & Geragos, a large law firm in Los Angeles,
has just released a book, Mistrial: An Inside Look at How the Criminal
Justice System Works … and Sometimes Doesn’t, with his law partner
Pat Harris.

In the book, which is written in such a way that lay people would
understand, through anecdotes, Geragos makes suggestions for changes
to the US legal system. Some of his suggestions are appointing judges,
rather than electing them, and allowing them a bigger role in plea
bargaining.

Another suggestion is to change the sentencing for non-violent
drug offenders serving sentences that often surpass those of people
convicted of second-degree murder or sexual assault. He and Harris
suggest that Congress needs to address the issue of alternative
sentencing for drug addicts, as well as the mentally ill.

Most people seem to know Geragos both for the very famous clients he
represents, as well as his proud assertion of his Armenian heritage and
work on behalf of Armenian Genocide descendants. Among those clients
have been Michael Jackson, Chris brown, Winona Ryder and Mike Tyson.

Some, such as Scott Peterson, convicted of first-degree murder, have
been vilified in the media. “I think it is unethical to not take a
client just because they may be toxic to the public,” Geragos said.

While the famous clients can pay well, doing the work is that much
harder when there is a media circus, he said. “The media attention
compounds the representation. Having to deal with that magnifies the
defense and makes it quite a bit more time intensive,” he noted.

Still, when asked how he accepts cases, he said something about
the client has to appeal to him, even if the client does not have
universal appeal.

One case that he accepted about a year ago and meant a lot to him
involved an older veteran going up against an insurance company
regarding a policy on his house. “The guy was a 90-year-old WWII
veteran and the insurance company was just trying to screw him out
of $24,000 and I felt like they needed to be tried and have the jury
teach them a lesson. Luckily, the verdict came back to hit them with
$8 million in total, $7.5 million of which were punitive damages. And
to think they could’ve settled the whole thing for $24,000!”

Being a lawyer came naturally to him, as it was a family profession.

“I loved my father – he is my hero. I used to follow him around. I
watched him in court when he was a prosecutor and though I
considered going to divinity school – I was talked out of it by
the then-archbishop – he thought I could do more good as a lawyer,”
said Geragos in an interview.

Geragos was well-respected lawyer, but no more famous than other
lawyers, until he said, the case of Susan McDougal, the then-fiance of
his current law partner, Pat Harris. “I think the trajectory took off
when I represented Susan McDougal in the 1990s. That was a watershed
turning point for me,” he said. McDougal had been one of the people
entangled in the White Water case, along with Bill and Hilary Clinton
previously, and thus a focus of a federal criminal probe. The case
which brought her to Geragos involved her employer accusing her of
embezzlement after McDougal’s move to Los Angeles. Geragos was able
to clear her of all charges.

(Harris did not end up marrying McDougal. “I’ve got custody of Pat
Harris and he is married to a wonderful woman named Carol Welsman,
who is an internationally-known jazz singer,” Geragos joked.)

It is not only wealthy clients that can enlist the services of
Geragos. He said that at any given time, his firm handles 10-12 pro
bono cases.

Geragos has been rightly lionized in the Armenian community for his
vociferous defense of Armenians not only in TV studios, but in courts.

He and his firm were able to secure a $17 million win in 2005 against
the French insurance giant, Axa. They had accused the company of
benefiting from the deaths of Armenian policy holders during the
Armenian Genocide.

“The Genocide litigation has been extremely personally satisfying to
me and has certainly highlighted my career,” he noted.

More recently, Geragos, on Anderson Cooper’s CNN show, defended the
community against the repeated accusations of Ruslan Tsarni, the
uncle of alleged Boston Marathon bombers Tamerlan and DzhokharTsarnaev.

“I think it’s humbling any time people tell me that [I make them
proud]. Anytime I see an Armenian in the media or an Armenian
accomplishing something, there is a certain pride I feel to be an
Armenian as well,” he added.

Geragos said that he sees a shift in attitudes towards lawyers,
one in which defense attorneys are treated more as heroes. “I think
there’s been a definite change in the attitudes towards criminal
defense lawyers over time. When I was growing up, you could read
books like To Kill a Mockingbird and they were about noble defenders
of the underdog. Now, not so much,” he said.

In the book, he refers to Nancy Grace, the former prosecutor and
current TV host, who can target a defendant vociferously before all
the evidence is in. “She has a following and her followers respect
that kind of lawyer, and I think that has an impact on the people who
watch her and subsequently think that’s the way you should approach
a criminal,” Geragos explained.

One case in the book that he says drove Grace and other programs
similar to her was that of Scott Peterson, the California man convicted
of murdering his wife, Laci, and their unborn child. In the book,
Geragos laments that so many untruths were circulated regarding Scott
Peterson, who is currently on death row.

Mistrial is available from Amazon and all major book retailers. For
more information on his law firm, visit

From: A. Papazian

LESS ARMENIANS TRAVEL TO TURKEY AMID CURRENT TENSIONS

19:00 ~U 06.06.13

The number of Armenian tourists choosing to spend their summer in
Turkey has slightly decreased against the backdrop of the recent
escalations in the country, our small survey among tour operators
reveals.

Speaking to Tert.am, an employee of the Globe Travel Agency said that
their clients’ average number – seven or eight people per week – has
decreased over the past days, with most being interested in the
current developments in Turkey.

“They try to make inquiries as to whether or not it is worth leaving.

Most decide to wait until the situation clears up in Turkey,” she
said.

The tensions in Turkey have entered their second week, as large crowds
of people hold demonstrations in different cities and towns against a
decision to cut the trees at Istanbul’s Gezi Park.

The clashes have left four people dead and thousands injured. Scores
of others have been sent behind the bars.

An operator of the SacVoyage Travel agency told our correspondent they
now have less clients, adding with satisfaction that none of the
purchased tour packages have been returned.

Representatives from the Megatour and H Travel agencies gave almost
the same kind of information. The source from the latter company said,
however, that the difference is very little compared to previous
years.

From: A. Papazian

“SABER DANCE” IN THE STREETS OF YEREVAN ON ARAM KHACHATURIAN’S 110TH BIRTHDAY

19:49 06.06.2013
Aram Khachatourian

June 6, 2013, marks world-renowned Armenian composer Aram
Khachaturian’s 110th birthday. Throughout the year, the beloved
composer will be celebrated with various events throughout the world.

Armenia is no exception. Among the many traditional concerts and
performances that will take place, a unique performance -Saber Dance
on the Street – was unveiled today in the streets of Yerevan.

The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), in partnership with
the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra (APO) and Emporium, presented a
modern take on Khachaturian’s Saber Dance, from the ballet Gayane.

Passers-by, tourists and on-lookers were surprised by the Saber
Dance on the Street, which took place at the Cascade Complex and
Cafesjian Sculpture Garden. At first glance, they thought a real
fight, over a girl, had broken out. But, as APO Artistic Director and
Principal Conductor Maestro Eduard Topchjan appeared, joined by the
Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra and The Armenia State Dance Ensemble
Barekamutyun, spectators relaxed and began to enjoy the show.

To celebrate his 110th anniversary, UNESCO declared 2013 as the Year of
Khachaturian. His vast repertoire includes numerous works for piano,
violin, cello, orchestras, ballets and much more. Khachaturian passed
away on May 1, 1978, leaving a rich musical legacy for the world
to enjoy.

From: A. Papazian

ERDOGAN HAS GROWN FOND OF LEGISLATING ISLAMIC MORALITY – JOURNALIST

June 6, 2013 – 15:41 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Last autumn, several people very close to the prime
minister [Recep Tayyip Erdogan] started pontificating loudly on the
need for a “Hate Speech Law” curtailing disrespect of religious values,
journalist Sevan Nisanyan said.

“Prime Minister Erdogan has grown fond of legislating Islamic morality
on issues like abortion, adultery, alcoholic drinks, religious
education, and blasphemy. I thought it was a cheap shot to equate
“hate speech” with “anti-Islamic speech,” and I felt somebody must
stand up and say this.

In February 2012, tens of thousands of people gathered in Taksim Square
in Istanbul for anti-Armenian protests. Some of the signs and slogans
included, “You are all Armenians, you are all bastards.” Among the
speakers at the rally was Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin.

I don’t believe anyone has ever been prosecuted in Turkey for
advocating the murder, mayhem, or massacre of Armenians, Jews, Kurds,
atheists, gays, or liberals. Thousands, on the other hand, were
prosecuted and convicted in the past for “insulting Turkishness” under
the notorious Article 301 of the penal code. Now, “insulting Islam”
seems to be replacing that old juggernaut as a favorite instrument
to hit dissidents with,” The Armenian Weekly quoted Nisanyan as saying.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA MAY JOIN RUSSIA-LED CUSTOMS UNION IF ONLY KARABAKH IS INVITED TO JOIN IT TOO

YEREVAN, June 6. / ARKA /. A senior member of the ruling Republican
Party of Armenia argued today that Armenia could join the Russia-led
Customs Union that includes also Kazakhstan and Belarus only if
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) were invited to join it too.

Speaking at a news conference, Gagik Minasian, chairman of a parliament
committee on finance and budget affairs, said Armenia is already having
a customs union with NKR and in case Yerevan joins another customs
union it will have to create a customs border with Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic.

“Are we ready for this? Of course not,” he answered his own question.

In his opinion, if an invitation were sent to Karabakh to join the
Russia-led Customs Union, it would certainly prompt interesting
discussions.

“However, this question is not resolved yet and therefore, it is
illogical to talk about the full participation of Armenia in the
Customs Union”, he added.

Minasian said, however, that Armenia may cooperate with the Customs
Union in other formats.

“I hope that negotiations will result in a format that will satisfy
both Armenia and our other partners. This should be a win-win format,”
he said.

On April 10 Armenia’s prime minister Tigran Sargsyan and Viktor
Khristenko, the Russian head of the Customs Union’s executive body,
signed an essentially non-binding memorandum in Yerevan which says
that Armenia and the Customs Union will seek to “develop interaction”
in areas such as “simplification of trading procedures,” food safety,
sanitary standards and product certification. -0-

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJAN TO SUE ARMENIA IN INTERNATIONAL COURT

17:01 06.06.2013

Azerbaijan will sue Armenia in an international court, requiring to
pay compensation for the damage caused by “occupation,” Azerbaijani
Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the State Committee for Work with
Refugees and IDPs Ali Hasanov said, APA reports.

Hasanov said the evaluations are being carried out with the
participation of international experts and the scale of damage is
being calculated. According to the first calculations, the so called
“occupation” has caused more than $300 billion.

“The President of Azerbaijan instructed that the appraisal should
be carried out at the international level. The document is being
developed with the participation of International Society of
Appraisers. The document will be prepared by international experts
with the participation of Azerbaijani scientists, economists and NGOs
representatives,” Hasanov, said, adding that “the Azerbaijani side
will make a demand for compensation after the document is developed.”

From: A. Papazian

ARTSAKH WAR VETS TAKE PROTEST TO GOVERNMENT BUILDING; SOME WANT ACTION

Now, Not Tomorrow – Photos
Sona Avagyan

15:16, June 6, 2013
Artsakh war veterans took their protest for better living conditions
to the Government Building today in Yerevan.

The vets have been staging a round the clock sit-down demo in Freedom
Square since June 4.

Holding aloft the Armenian tri-color and displaying placards reading
“Raise the pensions of vets” and “Cut the utility payments of freedom
fighters by 50%”, they shouted their demands in front of a row of
police barring their way inside the building.

On May 13, the veterans had filed a letter with the government,
demanding that a new law on Artsakh War participants be drafted
that would grant them special status and certain allowances and
disbursements.

The government passed the letter on to the Ministry of Defense and
to the Ministry of Finance for review.

At today’s protest, Alexander Ghazaryan, who heads the Government’s
Reception Department, told reporters that pensions for vets are higher
than other citizens, thus proving that the government pays special
attention to their needs.

Robert Nazaretyan, who fought with the Shushi Special Brigade, told
Hetq that prior to 1998 freedom fighters had their utility bills cut
by 50%. Now they pay the full amount.

Nazaretyan left for the war at the age of eighteen in 1993. He fought
until 1994 and lost a foot and a hand in Martakert in 1995, after
joining the regular army.

He gets by on a monthly income of 79,000 AMD ($195). This is his
pension and disability allowance. He would like to work but can’t
find a job.

Gagik Ginosyan, director of the Garin Traditional Dance Ensemble
and himself a war vet, says that he receives no pension and has no
expectation of receiving one. He says that he’s in good physical
shape and that he’s ready to fight again.

Ginosyan points out that it’s the disabled vets getting around on
crutches and the families of the fighters who died on the battle
field that are in particular need of assistance.

“It’s not a question of raising the pension by 20-30%. For me, the
real issue is maintaining the dignity of these guys, so that they
can walk with honor, with their heads held high, in their own country.

They have earned such respect,” Ginosyan said.

An hour into the protest, one of the demonstrators said that Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsyan had promised to receive a four man delegation
from the vets either later today or tomorrow.

Some of the veterans saw this as another ploy by the government to
evade the issue.

The dissenters shouted, “There is no tomorrow. Right now.”

Volodya Avetisyan, the vet who arranged the meeting with PM Sargsyan,
tried to calm them down saying, “Patience. We can wait another day.”

With that, the vets returned to Freedom Square to discuss their
future moves.

Photos by Hakob Poghosyan

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From: A. Papazian