Author: Badalian Vardan

WASHINGTON DC TO HOST CONFERENCE “20 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS: ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES”

Today.az
Sept 6 2011
Azerbaijan

The issue of Nagorno-Karabakh and other regional conflicts will
be discussed at the conference of “Twenty Years of Independence in
the South Caucasus: Achievements and Challenges” in Washington DC
September 15, by the participation of top US officials and analysts,
the organizers informed.

The conference hosted by the New European Democracies Project at CSIS,
Washington DC-based think-tank, is particularly timely for several
reasons: Russia’s muscle-flexing in anticipation of presidential
elections in 2012; Iranian truculence; and recent parliamentary
elections in Turkey.

“Moreover, the conference will highlight US foreign policy in the South
Caucasus region as it comes under increasing scrutiny in the wake of
military withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan”, said the organizers.

Jennifer Walsh, Pentagon’s Principal Director for Eurasia, as well
as Eric Rubin, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and
Eurasia will be represent the US Government in the discussions.

Besides that, Department of Justice and USAID representative will e
participate at the conference

Some prominent analysts on the region, such as Janusz Bugajski from
CSIS, Ariel Cohen from Heritage Foundation, Svante Cornell from CACI,
Jon Chicky from the Defense University, and also Col. Robert Hamilton
from the Army War College will make special speeches over the topics.

Azerbaijan will be represented at the panel by Heydar Mirza, analyst
from the Council for International Relations of Azerbaijan, Georgia –
by Mamuka Tsereteli from American University and Armenia – by Rouben
Shougarian from Tufts University.

TOP OFFICIAL: ARMENIA’S INITIATIVES HAVE NO EFFECT ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

Trend
Sept 6 2011
Azerbaijan

New initiatives proposed by Armenia to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, have neither positive nor negative effect on this process,
Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Social and Political Department
Chief Ali Hasanov said.

“There is a simple formula to resolve the conflict,” Hasanov said. “It
is adherence to the international rule of law. Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity and civil rights of all people of Nagorno Karabakh must
be restored.”

“People speak about these international standards for many years,”
Hasanov said. “The Armenian side’s passivity or its dependence on the
others’ will, disruptiveness or compulsion to disruptiveness delay
this process.”

Hasanov said the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be resolved sooner or
later. The Azerbaijani territories cannot be always under occupation.

“The foreign countries and international organizations recognize
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity as a result of the policy conducted
by Azerbaijan in the international arena,” Hasanov said.

Hasanov added that Azerbaijan’s potential has not been exhausted to
continue the talks.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding
regions.

POLISH AMBASSADOR: TALKS ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH SETTLEMENT TO BE INTENSIFIED

Trend
Sept 6 2011
Azerbaijan

One can expect the intensification of the talks on Nagorno-Karabakh
in connection with the appointment of new EU Special Representative
for South Caucasus Philippe Lefort.

Polish Ambassador to Armenia Zdzislaw Rachinski expressed this opinion
to media, News.am. reported.

“France is not authorized to represent the EU position in the OSCE
Minsk Group. But it is clear that representing its position, France
represents the EU point of view.

Last week, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security
Policy Catherine Ashton welcomed the appointment of Philippe Lefort
EU Special Representative for South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia.

Ambassador Rachinski said that one of the conditions for successful
implementation of the EU projects in the region is effective
cooperation between all countries of South Caucasus.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding
regions.

TEACHER SHARES INSIGHT ON GENOCIDE WITH PIONEERING EFFORT IN RWANDA
By Kevin J. Bargnes

Buffalo News (New York)
September 5, 2011 Monday

Through a program funded in part by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum,
a local middle school teacher spent time in Rwanda this summer,
organizing that country’s first known genocide seminar for teachers.

Andrew T. Beiter, of Hamburg, who teaches eighth-grade social studies
at Springville Middle School, helped pull together the three-day
conference, held for 35 Rwandan teachers in the capital, Kigali.

It’s a country that is rebuilding after the 1994 genocide that killed
an estimated 800,000 people. And in his first trip to the country in
2009, Beiter realized that Rwandan teachers needed help explaining
the madness of genocide to their young students.

“When you understand the causes of genocide, you can prevent them,
instead of just react to them,” said Beiter, 46.

“These teachers face really, really unique problems. They go back to
classrooms where one of their students may be the child of survivors
and another student might be the child of the perpetrators, so
it’s much different than the Holocaust. [Both sides] came back and
commingled.”

All of the teachers were themselves survivors of the genocide but had
no in-depth knowledge of previous genocides, including the Holocaust.

Without that knowledge, the teachers can’t really teach, since most
Rwandan schools can afford little more than a teacher’s salary and
maybe a chalkboard, and not much instructional material. Beiter helped
find a series of speakers and experts to share their knowledge,
including a Holocaust survivor living in America, who talked with
the teachers via video chat.

“This is a place where teaching about the Holocaust and genocide
aren’t abstractions; it’s really real for them,” said Peter J.

Fredlake of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

Contrary to what Hollywood movies might make the area out to be,
Rwanda has recovered rapidly from its low point following the 1994
genocide. It has a functioning government that is progressive in
many ways — more than half of its legislature is composed of women,
and plastic bags are banned as part of its “green” effort.

“They bring in a tremendous number of tourists, they have an excellent
infrastructure of roads, and they’re some of the friendliest people
I’ve met in my entire life,” said Mark R. Gudgel, a high school English
teacher in Lincoln, Neb., who organized the conference with Beiter.

And since a new Rwandan law now requires that the history of genocide
be taught to children, Gudgel said, they hope to make the Kigali
conference an annual event.

Beyond that, Beiter hopes to expand his educational efforts to other
countries that have experienced genocide, including Bosnia, Armenia,
Namibia and Argentina. Beiter mentioned that they may even expand
some of their efforts to discuss U.S. efforts to fend off and kill
Native Americans during the 19th century.

“By teaching them how to teach the Holocaust, it provided the Rwandan
teachers a softer lens to look at their own experiences,” Beiter said.

“And that’ll be true about any place that has these atrocities.”

SITUATION IN ARMENIA IMPROVED BUT PEOPLE NOT ENTHUSIASTIC – POLAND’S ENVOY

news.am
Sept 6 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN.- Situation in Armenia improved considerably over the recent
10-15 years but the society is not that enthusiastic as it used to be
in early 90s, said Poland’s Ambassador to Armenia Zdzislaw Raczynsky.

“At the turn of the 90s, Poland also found itself in a difficult
geopolitical and economic situation. However, the elite and the
society, government and opposition – all united around the idea of
European integration and overcoming the crisis.

Strong and sustained reforms – what we once called the Balcerowicz
Plan – helped us to get what we have now in two decades. Of course,
Poland is not as rich country as Germany, does not have as many
attractions as Italy, but Poland’s economy is the sixth in the world
from the viewpoint of an attractive country for investments,” he said.

The Ambassador said he had visited Armenia in the 90s for the first
time stressing that changes in country’s life over the years are
quite noticeable.

RETURN OF OTTOMANS… TO LA
By Garen Yegparian

ASBAREZ
Tuesday, September 6th, 2011

No, this is not about living room footrests.

Nor is it about the so-called “neo-Ottomanism” of Turkey’s Foreign
Minister Davutoghlu.

It is about an UNBROKEN tradition of Ottoman (possibly even earlier
Turkish, but still at least terminologically stolen, er, borrowed
from the Persians) origin.

Who knew that the Ottoman Military Marching Band, “Mehter Takimi”,
still existed? Further, it seems its core was comprised of the
janissaries (yeneecheree, and more on this later). After that bloody
corps was eliminated, this traditional marching band, one of the
earliest in history, almost disappeared. Its revival commenced in
1911, SURVIVED THE TRANSITION FROM OTTOMAN TO REPUBLICAN TURKEY, and
since 1953 (in “celebration” of the fall of Constantinople to the
Turks) has been fully reconstituted as a band of the Turkish Armed
Forces. Most of this is from WikipediA.

Isn’t it interesting that the core of Kemal Ataturk’s “republic”,
the armed forces, are maintaining the band of a state with which the
current Turkish state doesn’t easily associate itself, for obvious
genocidal reasons in all likelihood?

Even worse, the janissaries, in their day, were among the most
egregious murderers of Armenians and other non-Moslems in the
Ottoman Empire. You’ll remember they were an elite corps composed
of the children of murdered Christians whose children were raised as
extremist Moslems.

So why this issue now? Well, this latter-day representative of
murderers is coming to town, for the SECOND time, on October 3. They
have pulled a permit from the City of Los Angeles to march and perform
along Hollywood Boulevard starting at Highland. They (35 individuals
according to the permit) plan to assemble at 4:00 pm, start marching
at 4:30, end at 6:15, and disband (no pun intended) at 6:30.

This is a despicable thing. It is occurring during Armenian culture
month, and just before the visit to the area by Catholicos Aram. It is
occurring in one of the biggest concentrations of Armenians living in
the LA basin. It is “related to the Anatolian Cultures & Food Festival
in Costa Mesa” according to the permit-yet another manifestation
of Turkish theft of indigenous culture. Plus, as mentioned above,
this would be the marching band’s second appearance in the area
this year, the first having been in April at the festival when it
performed. Clearly, I shamefully missed being aware of that one.

It is important, terribly so, to give these representatives of Turkey
and its government an unwelcoming greeting they’ll never forget! Who
remembers our success two decades ago when the Red Army Band’s
performance at the Shrine Auditorium was cancelled by the organizers
because of our demonstration? Something like that is what we need.

It would be even better if the permit were revoked! It a failure of
our community that such a permit was issued without our awareness
and input. But now, our organizations must make every effort to
prevent this event from becoming a success. Otherwise, we will be in a
situation comparable to early- and mid-1980s New York City. Back then,
the Turks, using “Children’s Day” (a legitimate holiday in Turkey,
falling on April 23)as their cover, started organizing a parade,
which is now annual and draws thousands, providing that genocidal
state lots of positive publicity. Let’s not allow October 3, 2011 to
become the wedge that creates a similar situation in Los Angeles.

Also, the Pacifica Institute, about whom I’ve written before, and
which may well be connected to Turkey’s Gulen movement, and which
is involved in constituting charter schools in the U.S. to spread
Turkish propaganda, is a sponsor of the food festival.

Some may wonder why we should care about a mere manifestation of
Turkish culture, which is the way organizers are passing this off
(based on the press releases on their website). Aside from the obvious
fact that culture is often used as a political tool, I always remember
Leo Sarkissian’s admonition that our policy had always been: if it’s
local Turks conducting an activity, that’s one thing; if it is a
state-based group from Turkey, then we respond.

Clearly, Mehter Takim meets the second criterion. Let’s get to work
and not let the Turkish government achieve another propaganda coup.

ISN’T THAT SOLDIER PART OF ARMENIA TOO?

12:57 pm | September 06, 2011

Statement by “Right of Speech” Union

“This morning, the “We Won’t Keep Silent” youth initiative released a
video showing the main character, former 20-year old soldier Hovhannes
in a mad state at the psychiatric hospital in Nork. Hovhannes went
crazy in the army.

The soldier had been serving in Askeran for fourteen months. The video
shocked people on social networks and the society. “Right of Speech”
condemns such pathetic manifestations of indifference and humiliation.

The slogan “You are Armenia” on the occasion of the 20th anniversary
of Armenia’s independence assumes that citizens should serve their
country and that the government should make sure citizens feel like
safe, full-fledged citizens. Each of us should feel full-fledged
and shouldn’t be ignored, and all social institutes should help the
government, especially the army. That model is totally distorted in
Armenia. Based on this, “Right of Speech” union calls on all people
who care to support the relatives of the soldier at the psychiatric
hospital in Nork.”

1/3 READY TO LEAVE COUNTRY

September 06, 2011

Social

Based on a survey conducted by “My Opinion” civil initiative, 28
percent of survey participants mentioned that they would emigrate
from Armenia if given the opportunity, stating that the main reasons
for emigration are unemployment and injustice.

“If given the opportunity, who would you appeal to in order to solve
your issues? In response to this question, the survey participants
mentioned Gagik Tsarukyan, followed by the names of high-ranking
officials and well-known people. However, Serzh Sargsyan’s name was
not on the list.

Based on the results of the survey, 45 percent of participants said
youth can unite only around the Karabakh issue.

CHILDREN PLAYING IN SEWAGE WATER IN YEREVAN DISTRICT

Tert.am
23:50 06.09.11

The sewage system at the buildings 68, 70 and 72 in Yerevan’s Shirak
Street has been clogged, with the sewage having already flooded yards,
playing grounds and was about to enter flats.

The residents made an emergency call to Yerevan Jur, the company
in charge, but it responded to the call only five days later,
residents said.

Ashot Hambardzumyan, the head of the Narine condominium that is in
charge of this kind of services in this area, said in an interview
with Tert.am that the worn-out sewage system causes such problems
for those residents very often.

He also said that sometimes it is impossible to get in touch with
1-85 service, and many times it responds slowly to such calls.

In the evening on Tuesday the service had responded to the call and
was already trying to unclog the sewage system.

Vardges Martirosyan, a sewage engineer, said that one of the reasons
such clogging occurs is that the sewage system is rather old.

He also said that residents throw food leftovers, worn-out cloths
and other things that are not supposed to be in the sewage system.

Martirosyan also called on residents to avoid throwing such things
in the system.

FROM GLENDALE TO YEREVAN: THE LAW WILL HUNT YOU DOWN

Armenian Weekly
Tue, Sep 6 2011

GLENDALE, Calif. (A.W.)-Murder suspects, burglars, cyber criminals,
and organized crime members may run, but the law has far-reaching
tentacles. As a recently released U.S. Embassy cable reveals,
cooperation between U.S. law enforcement agents and Armenia’s
detectives has increased, and a number of fugitives from the U.S. have
been arrested, indicted, and sentenced in Armenia, and in some cases
flown back to face the law in the U.S.

As a recently released U.S. Embassy cable reveals, cooperation between
U.S. law enforcement agents and Armenia’s detectives has increased.

The largest obstacle has been the language barrier, and a lack of
translators. Despite that hindrance, investigators from both countries
have successfully cooperated on a number of cases. In one instance,
detectives from the Glendale Police Department traveled to Yerevan to
be present at the trial of a man accused of murdering his girlfriend.

The cable was authored by U.S. Embassy Charge d’Affaires Anthony
Godfrey. It is dated Jan. 19, 2007, and titled “Armenia: Law
Enforcement Cooperation with U.S. Continues to Improve.”

The full text of the U.S. Embassy cable is below.

***

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: PGOV ASEC SOCI PINS AM

SUBJECT: ARMENIA: LAW ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION WITH U.S. CONTINUES
TO IMPROVE

Sensitive but Unclassified. Please Treat Accordingly. Not for Internet.

Summary

-~W-

¶1. (SBU) Law enforcement cooperation with Armenia continued to improve
in 2006, with concrete key successes despite a complex environment
and the lack of a formal bilateral legal framework.

Fugitive investigations continued to be the most fruitful
area of cooperation, but GOAM cooperation in an ongoing major
international cyber crime case was also important. Five fugitives from
U.S. justice were arrested in Armenia, and two were transferred to
U.S. custody to face trial. Two fugitives were indicted in Armenia
on U.S. murder charges; one case resulted in conviction while the
other is still pending. Information provided by the GOAM helps to
advance investigations into Eurasian organized crime groups based in
Southern California. U.S. cooperation resulted in the apprehension
and deportation to Armenia of fugitives sought by Armenian authorities.

Key Armenian institutions working with USG officials are the Prosecutor
General’s office (PG), the National Security Service (NSS) and the
Armenian police. Lack of resources to manage speedy translation
of U.S. evidentiary documents is a hindrance, as is the lack of a
full-time LEGATT in Yerevan, but we expect this level of cooperation
to continue. End Summary.

¶2. (SBU) One of the few negative consequences of strong links between
the Armenian community in the U.S. and their ethnic homeland is that
criminals seek to exploit the absence of institutionalized bilateral
law enforcement cooperation to avoid justice. Through the efforts of
various U.S. and Armenian organizations, we are working to make this
more difficult, and to ensure that the long arm of the law reaches
all the way from Glendale, California to Yerevan and back again. On
the U.S. side, we are fortunate to have well-established cooperation,
now led by our Legal Attache Office (based in Tbilisi) with full
engagement by post’s Regional Security Office. Glendale PD, LAPD,
the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and other federal and local
agencies work directly with us on specific cases. Cooperation is
so well-developed that our Consular Section’s anti-fraud unit has a
terminal which links them directly to Glendale PD’s database. While
in the past, criminals have sought refuge in the fact that Armenia’s
constitution prohibits extradition of its citizens, the PG’s office
now works to prosecute these suspects based on U.S. evidence.

¶3. (SBU) The U.S. Mission has several assistance programs with the
PG’s office and with the police, but they are kept entirely separate
from requests for law enforcement cooperation so as to remove the
possibility of misunderstanding a request for assistance as part of a
“quid pro quo” arrangement.

¶4. (SBU) At our request, LEGATT Tbilisi assembled a report of key
elements of law enforcement cooperation from 2006. The full report
was sent via email to EUR/CARC; highlights are included below. (Note:
Some of this information relates to ongoing investgations or judicial
proceedings which are not complete and should be treated as Law
Enforcement Sensitive. End Note.)

FUGITIVE INVESTIGATIONS

——–

One of the most productive areas of Law Enforcement cooperation is
the location, arrest and return of fugitives. The FBI tracks the
number of U.S. fugitives who are believed to be in Armenia, as well
as the number of Armenian fugitives believed to be in the U.S. As of
January 2007, the number of tracked fugitives is 67, which includes
those already returned to their country of origin. During 2006, the
FBI located two Armenian fugitives in the U.S., and returned one who
was wanted for attempted murder. The Armenian Services located 18 U.S.

fugitives. Of those, they arrested 5, and thus far have returned 3.

One of the 18 was convicted in Armenia for the murder he committed
in the U.S., and another is pending trial for murder. Two of the 18
died of natural causes before they were arrested by the Armenians.

It should be noted that the disparity in the number of U.S. fugitives
located by the Armenian Services and those arrested is not the fault
of Armenian Services. Due to the lack of an extradition treaty,
the Armenian Government can only deport those fugitives who are not
Armenian Citizens, or who have dual citizenship in both Armenia and
the U.S. The Prosecutor General Offices however, offers in all cases
to indict the individuals in Armenia for the crimes committed in
the U.S. Thus far, the PG’s Office has indicted two individuals for
murder, one of whom was convicted, the other pending trial, and is
currently reviewing U.S. evidence in order to indict a third fugitive
for burglary. The most significant hindrance to Armenian prosecution
is the lack of dedicated language translators. The FBI is currently
attempting to address this problem.

SARO TSATURYAN – In October 2006, the Armenian National Security
Service (NSS) advised they located Saro Gevorg Tsaturyan in Armenia.

Tsaturyan is wanted by the Glendale Police Department for two counts
of First Degree Residential Burglary and two counts of Grand Theft
of Personal Property. Tsaturyan and his Armenian co-conspirators have
burglarized numerous homes of ethnic Armenians in Los Angeles county.

The FBI has investigated him for various organized crime related
offenses, to include special interest alien smuggling. On 17 November
2006, the National Security Service of Armenia arrested Tsaturyan.

Tsaturyan is a permanent legal resident of the United States and fled
the country before being prosecuted for his crimes. The Prosecutor
General’s Office advised that the Government of Armenia cannot compel
Tsaturyan to return to the U.S. for trial, but offered to prosecute
him in Armenia for the crimes he committed in the U.S. Legatt has
initiated contact with Glendale Police Department for the foreign
prosecution. Legatt coordinated with U.S. Embassy translator who
is currently translating the documents necessary for indictment
in Armenia.

ANAIT ZAKARIAN – At the request of LA County Sheriff Leroy Baca, who
was recently in Yerevan, Armenia, Legat submitted a request to the
Armenian authorities to locate and arrest Anait Zakarian. Zakarian
is wanted for murder by Glendale Police. She is also wanted by the LA
County Sheriff’s Department for escape from an LASO prison before her
murder trial. The Armenian National Security Service advised Legat
that Zakarian moved from Armenia to Moscow and now resides there.

Based on this information, Glendale PD will seek an Interpol Red
Notice and pursue her arrest in Russia.

NERSES CHAMICHYAN – During July 2006, unidentified subjects kidnaped,
assaulted, then released U.S. Citizen Gevorg Chamichyan, in Yerevan,
Armenia. Chamichyan’s cousin in Los Angeles phoned the American
Embassy in Yerevan to report the crime. Legatt coordinated with RSO
section which linked up with Gevorg Chamichyan upon his release from
captivity. Conoff ensured Gevorg Chamichyan filed a complete police
report with Legatt’s liaison contacts in the Police of the Republic
of Armenia. Because the Armenian police made no translator available,
Conoff acted as translator during police and PG interrogations. While
the Consular Section coordinated the return of Gevorg Chamichyan to
the U.S., Gevorg’s brother, Nerses Chamichyan, showed up to assist.

Nerses Chamichyan, an Armenian citizen with lapsed Legal Permanent
Resident status in the U.S., is wanted for attempted murder in Los
Angeles. The Chamichyans belong to an organized crime group which
is battling with another group in Los Angeles. Gevorg’s kidnapping
was conducted in an attempt to discourage his family members from
testifying in a Los Angeles attempted murder trial. The RSO and
Consular Officer coordinated Chamichyan’s travel documents. LAPD
Detective George Shamlyan, who was in Yerevan conducting case
coordination on two unrelated investigations, agreed to escort
Chamichyan to LA. On 29 October 2006, Nerses Chamichyan arrived at
LAX airport and was taken into custody by the Glendale, California
Police Department without incident. Since his return, Chamichyan
testified in a significant Organized Crime trial which resulted in
convictions on all counts.

ARTUR KHANZADYAN – In September 2005, Artur Khanzadyan brutally
murdered his girlfriend and left her in the trunk of his automobile
in Glendale, California. By the time the body was discovered several
days later, police officers determined Khanzadyan had fled the U.S.

Approximately three weeks later, pursuant to Legatt’s request, the
National Security Service of Armenia located and arrested Khanzadyan.

Due to Khanzadyan’s status as an Armenian Citizen, the Armenian courts
ruled repeatedly that he could not be compelled to return to the U.S.

As a result of these rulings, the Prosecutor General of Armenia charged
Khanzadyan with murder in Armenia. The Glendale Police Department
translated their investigative case file and evidence which was passed
to the Armenian government. Khanzadyan’s trial began on August 22,
2006 in Armenia. Together with Conoff, two detectives from Glendale
Police Department attended the trial, as did the victim’s father. On
August 25, 2006, the court convicted Khanzadyan for murder and
sentenced him to 10 years in prison.

VAHAGN AKOPYAN – On April 4, 2006, the National Security Service
arrested Vahagn Akopyan who is wanted for murder in Los Angeles, CA.

Due to his Armenian Citizenship, the Armenian Government cannot
compel Akopyan to return to the U.S. However, the Prosecutor General
subsequently indicted Akopyan in Armenia for the U.S. murder. The
FBI turned over the complete translated case file to the Prosecutor
General’s Office in December 2006. Akopyan’s trial is currently
pending.

HAROUT BEKARIAN – On 20 June 2001, pursuant to an FBI investigation,
the U.S. District Court of the Central District of California
indicted Harout Bekarian for mail fraud, health care fraud, bribery
and conspiracy to launder money. When LA FBI agents attempted to arrest
Bekarian, they learned he had already fled to Armenia. On 10 May 2006,
the National Security Service of Armenia arrested Harout Bekarian.

Incident to arrest, Bekarian, who is an Armenian Citizen, advised
he would voluntarily return to the U.S. for trial. On 2 September
2006, the NSS transferred custody of Bekarian to Glendale, California
Police Department Detectives Craig Tweedy and Tigran Topadzikian. The
Detectives were in Yerevan in order to attend the trial of Artur
Khanzadyan. On 2 September, the Detectives transferred custody of
Bekarian to the FBI at the Los Angeles International Airport. Within
weeks of his return to the U.S., Harout Bekarian pled guilty to health
care fraud and conspiracy in Los Angeles. Sentencing is scheduled
for January 2007.

ANUSHAVAN MARTIROSYAN – In mid-2006, Glendale Police Department
requested Legat attempt to locate Anushavan Martirosyan in Armenia.

Martirosyan drove the getaway vehicle during a recent murder in
Glendale, California. The Armenian NSS initiated a search at Legat’s
request. The NSS advised Legat that Martirosyan is living in Moscow,
Russia. The NSS provided Martirosyan’s home telephone number. The
NSS also provided flight time and number for Martirosyan’s mother
and brother who flew to Moscow to visit him in October 2006. Legat
advised Glendale Police and Legat Moscow. Glendale Police intend to
indict Martirosyan as soon as possible and obtain an Interpol Red
Notice and UFAP warrant through FBI Los Angeles.

ARTUR YERANOSYAN – The Police of the Republic of Armenia approached
Legat Tbilisi on 12 May regarding an organized crime related shooting
which occurred in Yerevan the previous day. An ICE lookout determined
the subject, Arthur Yeranosyan was en route to Los Angeles. FBI Los
Angeles coordinated with BICE who detained Yeranosyan upon arrival at
LAX. On 25 May, a KLM contract guard escorted Yeranosyan to Amsterdam
and then onto a connecting flight to Yerevan. Armenian Federal Police
arrested Yeranosyan without incident upon his arrival at Zvarnots
International Airport in Yerevan. Los Angeles FBI sent Legat Tbilisi
toll information for Yeranosyan’s mobile telephone. The cell site
information for the mobile phone precisely mirrors Yeranosyan’s
movement, before during and after the shooting. The Police of the
Republic of Armenia and the Prosecutor General’s Office were both
appreciative for the evidence.

CYBER CRIME INVESTIGATIONS

———

GEVORG MKRTCHYAN – This investigation targets a cyber criminal
enterprise with members operating in Yerevan, Armenia; Moscow,
Russia; Spain; and New York. The sophisticated criminal enterprise
which is headed by an Armenian in Yerevan, hacks into commercial and
individuals’ bank accounts and transfers money to various bank accounts
around the world. Criminal associates in these countries then withdraw
the money and distribute it to other members of the organization.

Legatt has worked closely with the NSS since the inception of the
investigation. Legatt and NSS personnel traveled together to Spain
to coordinate with Law Enforcement Officers conducting the Spanish
portion of the investigation. The FBI offices in New York and Milwaukee
are also actively engaged in the investigation. The FBI anticipates
that subjects in Spain, Armenia, and the U.S. will be arrested in
early 2007.

MONEY LAUNDERING INVESTIGATIONS

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HAYK STEPANYAN – This investigation was initially opened in order to
respond to a simple request in support of an Armenian Prosecutor
General’s Office case. In furtherance of a money laundering
investigation, the PG’s office requested Legat provide information
on two Arkansas based companies which had transferred USD 50,000.00
to the subject of their investigation. When Little Rock FBI pursued
the lead, the companies were determined to be shell companies under
investigation by FBI Portland. In December 2006, two Portland FBI
agents traveled to Yerevan and met the investigator assigned to
the Armenian investigation. Portland agents determined that the two
investigations are directly linked, and will be provided copies of
all Armenian evidence which will assist the FBI. The meeting resulted
in new leads for domestic FBI field offices and valuable intelligence
which will be disseminated via EC.

COUNTERTERRORISM

ARTUR SOLOMONYAN – This FBI investigation resulted in the indictment
and arrest of individuals who were attempting to smuggle military
weapons from Armenia to the U.S. The Armenian NSS arrested two of the
individuals involved in this plot. One of them was immediately turned
over to the U.S. This individual has since been convicted in U.S.

Federal Court. The Prosecutor General’s Office of Armenia intends
to indict the second subject in Armenia upon completion of all the
U.S. trials.