Author: Babajanian Karo

“RADIO LIBERTY”: SHIPMENT OF ARMS TO BAKU IS EXTREMELY CONCERNING, AS IT WANTS TO SETTLE KARABAKH CONFLICT BY MILITARY MEANS

18:44 15/03/2013 ” SOCIETY

Aliyev has been widely criticized in the West for overseeing a deeply
corrupt, oil-fed regime that has systematically muzzled and jailed
critics to cement its hold on power. The U.S. State Department, in
its annual human-rights report, has described Aliyev as “dominating”
the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government,
which are largely seen as serving the will of Azerbaijan’s ruling
clans, the European service of the Radio Liberty says.

Many, however, say such critiques ring hollow when the United States,
in practical terms, has done little to stop the persistent repression
of protesters, journalists, and human rights workers in Azerbaijan.

“Much of the concern centers on the supply of arms to Azerbaijan. The
country has used its energy revenues to fuel a massive military buildup
amid a bellicose standoff with neighboring Armenia over the disputed
territory of Nagorno-Karabakh,” the authors write.

According to the article Azerbaijan has steadily built up an arsenal of
crowd-control devices that it is using regularly against demonstrators
engaging in antigovernment protests, including truncheons, rubber
bullets, tear gas, and water cannons.

Authors remind that on March 10 in Baku the police used tear gas and
water cannons to break up the crowd who were protesting against the
deaths of soldiers in non-combat situation “Such clashes are expected
to grow as antigovernment sentiment mounts ahead of October elections
in which the country’s autocratic leader, Ilham Aliyev, is expected
to run for a controversial third term as president.”

On March 10, in Baku, a mass protest against the deaths of soldiers
in the army in non-combat situation was held. The rally was dispersed
by the police; at least 60 people were detained. According to the
opposition party “Musavat”, detainees were beaten and gassed in the
bus. Baku police also detained a number of parents of soldiers who
were dragged on the asphalt. On the eve news agency “Turan” provided
information that the authorities were going to use LRAD (Long Range
Acoustic Device) during Sunday’s protest in order to break up the
demonstrators.

Source: Panorama.am

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN: EPP PRESIDENT INDULGES IN ILLUSIONS

March 15, 2013 – 21:14 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Heritage party leader Raffi Hovannisian has urged
the president of European People’s Party (EPP) Wilfried Martens and
U.S. President Barack Obama against preaching democracy to Armenian
people.

“Martens distorted the European values by issuing a congratulatory
address on Armenian presidential elections. I don’t indulge in
illusions. Martens does,” Raffi Hovannisian said, adding that Heritage
will review its EPP membership in the future.

Heritage leader voiced confidence for the party to leave EPP, if the
latter shares Martens’s position on Armenian presidential vote.

ZHOGHOVURD: PARIS TRANSIT ROUTE FOR ARMENIAN FM?

TERT.AM
10:34 ~U 15.03.13

The paper says it has learned from “well-informed sources” that FM
Edward Nalbandian carries out all his official visits through Paris
because his family presently resides there.

But a Foreign Ministry spokesperson has reportedly declined the report,
saying that Nalbandian’s family is now in Yerevan. “Your report is
untrue. FM Edward Nalbandian’s family resides in Yerevan.

Likewise it is untrue that the foreign minister conducts all his
visits via a transit route to Paris,” Tigran Balayan has said in
response to a written request by Zhoghovurd.

But the paper says it is more inclined to trust its source, claiming
that the foreign office is in the habit of dismissing even the
undismissible.

Competition for the post of Director of Khosrov State Reserve is over

ARMINFO
Saturday, March 16, 10:42

The competition for the post of Director of Khosrov State Reserve has
been completed.

The favorite is acting Director Hrachya Hovakimyan.

“His interview impressed both the mass media and the greens, who
watched it live: he gave correct answers to all 10 questions. It was a
good show,” well-known environmentalist Eghia Nersisyan said.

The other three candidates Vardan Mamikonyan, Garnik Shaboyan and
Pargev Stepanyan were not as impressive, with only Shaboyan having
hope for the post.

Hovakimyan’s key rival is the former director of the reserve Vorontsov
Barseghyan, who retired in 2012 because of health problems, following
media reports of poaching activities in the reserve.

He told ArmInfo that he was a bit nervous during the interview, that’s
why some of his answers were not very good. “But I worked in Khosrov
for 38 years and feel I can do for the reserve more than ever,”
Barseghyan said.

In Nersisyan’s opinion, Hovakimyan’s interview has confirmed the
forecasts of the greens that the organizer of the competition, the
Environment Protection Ministry, would support his candidacy. “No
problem. We will not stop: if poaching cases in the reserve continue,
we will do our best to make them public,” Nersisyan said.

After Hovakimyan’s interview, a group of environmentalists, including
the coordinator of the Caucasus Nature Fund Arman Vermishyan, walked
out of the hall where the broadcast was being aired. In 2012 the
Caucasus Nature Fund and WWF-Armenia stopped financing Khosrov State
Reserve following near appointment of poacher nicknamed “Nono” as its
director. Vermishyan refused to comment on the new competition. He
said that the Fund would say later if it would continue its
cooperation with the reserve or not.

The results of the competition will be made public next week.

Armenian community of Akhalkalak works hard for Armenian language get
status of regional one

TERT.AM
17:58 – 16.03.13

On March 14 Akhalkalaki county council made a decision to apply to
Georgia’s parliament for the ratification of the European charter and
giving the Armenian language status of regional language,
Akhaltskha.Net website reports.

Speaking to the website, member of the Samtskhe-Javakhk Armenian NGO’s
council Mel Torosyan said he has delivered a speech at the sitting of
the council stressing that they have many times applied to the
country’s leadership for giving the Armenian language a status. He
said in some cases they did not receive any response in others, they
received quite `hopeful’ ones…

He said the change of power in the country relates to the issue as one
of the parties making part of the ruling coalition has sent a written
application and was successive in making the issue enter the agenda of
the county council.

Asked about possibility of ratification of the European charter by the
parliament but delay of the granting the Armenian language a regional
status, Torosyan said if parliament ratifies the charter the decision
on giving the status will not be delayed, bringing the example of
Ukraine. Though he did not exclude that some reasons will be made up
not to put the issue on the parliament’s agenda, or maybe it will not
get necessary number of votes. He said nothing is excluded.

Nazis Made Amazing Confessions Too

15:54 16/03/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

Yesterday the State and Legal Committee approved the motion on the ad
hoc committee to study March 1 for discussion at the plenary meeting
of the National Assembly. If the RPA votes for the motion, the third
committee will be set up to study March 1. The motion was postponed
upon agreement between the RPA and ANC last year in order to avoid
political manipulations.

The head of Vanadzor office of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Arthur
Sakunts said March 1 and 10 victims are again on the agenda in the
result of the political conjuncture or political deals. He noted that
March 1 and 10 victims should have been on the agenda of the
presidential election but all the parties refrained, so did the
candidates.

`I understand at that time Serzh Sargsyan was prime minister, so he
would not put forth this issue but issue number one of the political
and civil discourse did not become a policy issue, which I explain by
premeditated silence of political subjects,’ Arthur Sakunts says.

He notes that this is intended to distract people from the
presidential election. If this is another manipulation of March 1 to
address political aims, it is immoral because everyone is responsible
for March 1, first of all Robert Kocharyan.

`The fact-finding mission released the list of oligarchs whose
bodyguards received uniforms, which the special investigative service
was unable to reveal for five years,’ Arthur Sakunts said, adding that
the main addressee of post-electoral evaluations is Robert Kocharyan
with his political satellites.

`A crime has been committed against the Republic of Armenia and we
held a national election when this crime has not been revealed. The
fact-finding group did not interview Robert Kocharyan, Seiran Ohanyan,
Haik Harutiunyan, Levon Ter-Petrosyan (as opposition leader), the
fact-finding group was closed whereas Serzh Sargsyan should have
endorsed it.’ According to Arthur Sakunts, Vartan Oskanian was not
interviewed though he had made a statement on the state of emergency
of March 1.

`Will the ad hoc committee interview him?’ he asks.

The human rights activist says during the trial in Nurnberg some
representatives of the Nazi government made amazing confessions.

`I think there will be people who will confess that they carried out
an order, and if the ad hoc committee is intended to reveal this
issue, and if they tell whose order they carried out, the main actor
will not be brought before the committee but before the prosecutor
general’s office.

There need to be safeguards for an adequate and comprehensive
investigation. `If the majority agrees to this step, let’s assume that
Serzh Sargsyan is also ready to make a testimony. If there is a wish
to set up such a committee, he must be ready to make a testimony, as
in normal countries. For example, Clinton made a testimony to the
Congress committee in regard to Monica Lewinsky,’ Arthur Sakunts said.

Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire about 250 times in the past week

14:58 16.03.2013

According to the data of the NKR Defense Army, about 250 cases of
ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side were registered at the
line of contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and
Azerbaijan between March 10 and 16.

The rival fired more than 1,200 shots from weapons of different
caliber in the direction of the Armenian positions.

The front divisions of the NKR Defense Army took relevant measures to
pressure the activeness of the rival.

Has Head of National Security Completed His Task?

Haik Aramyan
14:00 16/03/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

The Armenian press reported that the head of the National Security
Service has health problems and probably will resign. According to the
Zhoghovurd, an agreement has been reached with Serzh Sargsyan to
postpone the process till April 9, the swearing-in day.

Gorik Hakobyan is above the retirement age but his service was
prolonged twice by one year each time on presidential decrees.

The head of the NSS is leaving in an interesting period. He has twice
appeared in the focus of attention in the post-electoral period. More
exactly, three times. First, the money laundering case involving
Member of Parliament Vartan Oskanian of PAP, second, the attempt on
the presidential candidate Paruir Hairikyan and the arrest of another
presidential candidate Vardan Sedrakyan.

Earlier Gorik Hakobyan was in the focus of attention when the
Azerbaijani assassin Safarov was extradited to Azerbaijan by Hungary.
Serzh Sargsyan said he had a special task for the head of NSS.

At that time, however, a lot of people suggested that the special task
referred to the domestic situation, intending to prevent activity of
opponent political forces. Given the immense amount of compromising
materials relating to the Armenian political class, the task was not
difficult for Gorik Hakobyan. Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Gagik Tsarukyan and
the ARF sank immediately.

Vartan Oskanian’s money laundering case is pending. There is no news
and will not be because this case will keep Oskanian under control,
such as make him head the PAP list in the upcoming municipal election.
The same goes for Gagik Tsarukyan because some tracks of the attempt
on Hairikyan’s life are leading to his direction.

Apparently, these cases will be pending for a long time because thus
the government will benefit from them. By the way, Galust Sahakyan had
stated that if this case has no grounds, the Prosecutor General and
the head of the NSS will be responsible.

Is it time to account? It is hard to tell. As to Gorik Hakobyan, he is
a professional with a scope of thinking of a former empire and he is
sick and tired of petty domestic problems.

Azerbaijan is to close the OSCE Office in Baku, members to OSCE oppose

13:52, 16 March, 2013

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, ARMENPRESS: Azerbaijan is trying to close the OSCE
Office in Baku, OSCE members are against. As reports Armenpress
referring toHumanRights.gov, the official United States Government
(USG) website, Political Counselor Christopher Robinson to the
Permanent Council in Vienna released a statement on the request by the
Government of Azerbaijan to change the mandate of the OSCE Office in
Baku.

”The current mandate of the Office in Baku, which was renewed at the
beginning of 2013, charges it to `promote the implementation of OSCE
principles and commitments… in all OSCE dimensions, including the
human, political, economic and environmental aspects of security and
stability.’

The OSCE Office in Baku performs critical capacity-building and
assistance tasks in Azerbaijan. We agree that important progress has
been made, but also believe that this mission and mandate continue to
play an important role in helping Azerbaijan to develop its democratic
institutions.

Moreover, reporting on political events and human rights conditions
serves as a crucial early warning mechanism, and contributes to the
OSCE’s role of conflict prevention and resolution. Timely reporting
provides prompt insight on possible escalation of tensions in already
tense regions. The United States believes that such timely reporting
is vital in promoting security and stability, and in shaping OSCE
assistance to Azerbaijan in the implementation of its commitments.

We believe it is in the best interest of the Government of Azerbaijan
to continue in good faith and respect the terms of the agreed mandate.

The United States values its close cooperation with the Government of
Azerbaijan in helping to build a strong democracy supported by a
vibrant civil society,” said in the statement.

Bomb threat made against Armenian Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Emerson

13:06, 16 March, 2013

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, ARMENPRESS: The Emerson Police Department is
investigating a bomb threat that was made at the Armenian Nursing and
Rehabilitation Center. As reports Armenpress referring to
NorthJersey.com site, The Emerson Police Department is currently
conducting an investigation into a bomb threat that was made at the
Armenian Home for Aged. According to the center’s administrator,
Mathew Russo, the front desk of the facility received a phone call
stating, “I’m gonna be putting a bomb in there today, so be ready to
run.”

`’The center immediately called the threat in to the Emerson Police
Department. After the call, three police units and a Bergen County
Police K-9 unit were dispatched to the scene,” said Emerson Police
Captain George Buono.

The facility’s staff prepared for a possible evacuation but after a
police search, no signs of any explosives were detected, and the
evacuation was called off. The residents of the facility were not
notified of the bomb threat. Buono said that police determined that
the building was safe. The Armenian Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
has already taken measures to upgrade security. “I am beyond proud of
my staff and the way that they conducted themselves during this
crisis,” said Russo, who worked with maintenance staff to search the
outside of the building.

An investigation by the Emerson Police Department is ongoing.