Author: Badalian Vardan

OSCE TRAINS ARMENIAN LAWYERS ON PREPARING THIRD PARTY SUBMISSIONS

Third party submissions in constitutional and international human
rights procedures, and the enforcement of the European Court of Human
Rights (ECtHR) judgments will be discussed at a two-day workshop
organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan together with the Armenian
Chamber of Advocates that started in Yerevan today.

The workshop aims to identify avenues for drafting joint submissions on
specific human rights cases, including submissions on the execution
of judgements of ECtHR, in co-operation with international human
rights organizations.

The workshop brought together some 30 lawyers and human rights
defenders from various regions of Armenia; it is run by two experts
from the UK-based non-governmental organization Interights and several
local experts. Workshop participants will review the experience of the
execution and implementation of the ECtHR judgments, legal matters
related to reopening of cases, ECtHR case law on moral damage and
the validity of submissions to the Committee of Ministers.

The Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, Ambassador Andrey Sorokin,
underscored the role of advocates and human rights defenders in
promoting human rights and rule of law in the country. ~SA workshop
with such broad participation facilitates an open, informed and
professional discussion, crucial for continued enhancement of the
skills of legal practitioners and their effective involvement in
domestic and international instances,~T he said.

The workshop is a follow-up to the project launched by the Office
last year on preparation of amicus curiae (~Qfriends of the court~R)
briefs by lawyers and human rights defenders which resulted in the
preparation of seven written opinions to the Constitutional Court
and two requests for leave for submission to the ECtHR.

Ruben Sahakyan, the Chair of the Chamber of Advocates, said: ~SSince
2010, we have been successful in submitting opinions on each and
every application that the Constitutional Court has admitted into its
procedure. With the support from the OSCE we are striving to build
the capacity of the Chamber and its affiliated bodies in setting up
a working mechanism of amicus curiae briefs which remains until now
quite a unique experience for Armenia.~T

ARAM MANUKYAN: HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN’S STATEMENTS ARE A SHOW

Aram Manukyan, secretary of ANC parliamentary group, wondered today
at the National Assembly whether the second act will take place and
whether those responsible will be punished. He was speaking about the
data presented by the chairman of Control Chamber Ishkhan Zakaryan on
misappropriations of budget funds. He underlined that Ishkhan Zakaryan
has been presenting such revelations to the National Assembly for
three years, but no one has ever been held responsible.

Manukyan said that if people were punished, this system would
collapse. He added that the mob, which “helps” the power during
elections, receives something in exchange and avoids taxes. Manukyan
says that the authorities punish someone, but the others are still
kept to fulfill their orders through blackmail.

At the same time, Manukyan noted that the system makes everyone commit
frauds in order to be able to work. He says that it is impossible
not to commit frauds when you bribe to have your work done as you wish.

Aram Manukyan noted that speaker’s statements relating to the CC
revelations are a show. He said the he would be happy if the leaders
not ordinary workers are punished. This, according to him, may be a
part of the plan to make the prime minister the scapegoat.

Dwelling on the scandal around Tigran Sargsyan’s name, Aram Manukyan
said that it is not the premier’s fault, since he is being made the
scapegoat by the order and will of one person.

13:10 14/06/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

U.S. REPORT ON SYRIA CHEMICAL WEAPONS ‘FABRICATED’ – RUSSIAN MP

PanARMENIAN.Net – A U.S. government report concluding Syria has used
chemical weapons against rebels, crossing what U.S. President Barack
Obama has previously described as a “red line,” is a fabrication, a
senior Russian lawmaker said Friday, June 14, according to RIA Novosti.

“Information about the usage of chemical weapons by [Syrian President
Bashar] Assad is fabricated in the same way as the lie about [Saddam]
Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction [in Iraq],” Alexei Pushkov,
head of the Russian lower house of parliament’s international affairs
committee, said on Twitter.

U.S. intelligence reports presented to the UN and the international
community prior to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 claimed Saddam
Hussein’s regime possessed weapons of mass destruction including
nerve agents, ballistic missiles and a nuclear weapons program. The
U.S. claimed the threat posed by those weapons justified the invasion
of Iraq, but after the country was occupied, the alleged weapons of
mass destruction were never found.

President Obama is following the way of George W. Bush, Pushkov said.

The White House said on Thursday it now believes with “high confidence”
that Syrian government forces have used chemical weapons many times
during the two-year conflict there, and vowed to boost U.S.

aid to the armed opposition fighting to remove Assad from power.

White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said Obama
had decided to provide further support, including military support,
for Syrian opposition forces as a result of its conclusion that
government forces has used such chemical weapons.

Rhodes declined to clarify whether this support would entail providing
arms to the Syrian opposition, but said U.S. aid to armed opposition
on the ground would differ greatly “in scope and scale” from assistance
Washington had previously provided to the rebels. The U.S.

goal, Rhodes said, is to “strengthen their effectiveness.”

SOME VILLAGES IN SYUNIK REGION HAVE NEITHER PUPILS NOR SCHOOLS

11:17 14/06/2013 ” DAILY PRESS

It is sever year already that Kuris and Vahravar villages of RA Syunik
region have no schools. As the Kuris Mayor Surik Grigoryan has noted
at the interview with the “Zhoghovurd” daily, “We have neither pupils
nor schools. It is more than 5 years that the children go to Meghri
or Agarak schools [because of not having schools in our region].”

Mayor of Vahravar, Sargis Arakelyan, says that the village has no
school since 2004 and the pupils attend Meghri and Agarak schools.

“Having school is expensive, we have no transportation means, taxi
costs 1500AMD, that’s way the parents have to take the children to
school,” he said.

Source: Panorama.am

RULING PARTY MONOPOLIZES POLITICAL FIELD – ARF

June 14, 2013 | 12:04

YEREVAN. – The ruling Republican Party of Armenia is a monopolist
of political field in the county, ARF Dashanktsutyun member said in
the parliament.

The party cast itself as the ruling regime and the opposition
simultaneously, Armen Rustamyan said, commenting on Speaker Hovik
Abrahamyan’s criticism against the activities of the Control Chamber.

Rustamyan noted that the authorities prefer to play the role of a
critic, pushing out the opposition. They hurry to criticize the moves
before the opposition does this,” head of ARF faction added.

During the Thursday session, Armenian Speaker offered to punish
officials who allowed violations revealed by the Control Chamber.

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

IRANIAN AMBASSADOR TO AZERBAIJAN: ANY INSTABILITY CONNECTED WITH NKR WILL HAVE SERIOUS IMPACT ON IRAN’S SECURITY

14:33 13/06/2013 ” REGION

“Iran has had a positive effect on NKR conflict settlement,” Iranian
Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mohsen Pak Ayeen has stated, the Iranian
IRNA news agency reports.

Iranian Ambassador has given an interview to the Azerbaijani ATV
channel where he has touched upon the NKR conflict and has noted,
“Iran wants to see stability and peace in the region. Any instability
in the region will seriously affect Iran’s security.”

Ambassador Pak Ayeen also added, “We need to solve the conflict as
soon as possible. Iran has relations with the conflicting sides.

Taking into consideration the attempt of implementing a mediatory
mission, Tehran is ready to assist the settlement of the conflict.”

The current stage of the Karabakh conflict began in 1988, when
the parliament of Autonomous Oblast of Nagorno-Karabakh asked the
authorities of the Soviet Union, Armenia and Azerbaijan SSR to pass
the region to Armenia.

Azerbaijan responded to the request with protests against the civilians
of Armenian nationality. After the collapse of the Soviet Union a
full-scale war began. Azerbaijan had an overwhelming advantage in
quantity, in weapons and resources and hoped for a quick victory.

However, during the brutal war Azeri troops were defeated, losing
about 30,000 soldiers and a number of previously controlled areas.

On 12 May 1994, after the ceasefire agreement the hostilities in
the conflict zone were ceased. The agreement on cease-fire regime
is observed so far. Since 1992 to the present day negotiations with
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs United States, Russia and France,
are being held for reaching a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Source: Panorama.am

RICHARD GIRAGOSSIAN: EU ASSOCIATION WILL BOOST DEMOCRACY AND STABILITY

On June 13, a discussion on the EU-Armenia Association was held in
Yerevan. Richard Giragossian, head of the Regional Studies Center,
said EU association will boost democracy in Armenia and stability in
the region.

According to Giragossian, the EU integration is very important given
the isolation. The expert says that the society will benefit in
economic terms, and the oligarchs do not want changes.

13:26 13/06/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

ARMENIAN INVENTORS CONTRIVED 44 INVENTIONS THIS YEAR

09:14, 13 June, 2013

YEREVAN, JUNE 13, ARMENPRESS. An Armenian scientist invented a new
method of fostering hair growth and hair strengthening. The invention
made by inventor Ghukas Ulikhanyan received a certificate from
the Intellectual Property Agency of the Ministry of Economy of the
Republic of Armenia. In a conversation with “Armenpress” the Head of
Inventions and Utility Models Department of the Intellectual Property
Agency Avetis Peryan stated that the Armenian scientists have authored
other interesting inventions as well, including ointment for burn
treatment. The Agency has received 82 applications of inventions and
utility models during the first five months of the current year. The
total amount decreased for 4-5 percent in comparison with the same
period of the previous year.

Among other things the Head of Inventions and Utility Models Department
of the Intellectual Property Agency Avetis Peryan underscored: “56
applicants received certificates, 48 of them for inventions and 8 for
utility models. It’s also noteworthy that the authors of 4 inventions
and one utility model come from foreign countries.”

The national system of intellectual property protection in Armenia
started by the establishment of the Patent Office Under the Government
of the Republic of Armenia in January 1992 and the National Agency of
Copyright in December 1993. Later, in 2002, the Intellectual Property
Agency of the Republic of Armenia was established by merger of the
two organizations, which has the status of separate division acting
within the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia. In the same
year the Government of the Republic of Armenia adopted the statutes
and the structure of the Agency.

On June 10, 2011 The Government of the Republic of Armenia adopted
the “Strategy of the Republic of Armenia on Intellectual Property
Rights Protection”.

At present the legal field of intellectual property is regulated by
laws and legal acts as well as the international agreements of the
Republic of Armenia.

The Republic of Armenia is a member of the World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO) since 1993 and the Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO)
since 1995. The Agency cooperates with the European Patent Office
(EPO), other international and regional structures and foreign offices.

LA GRANDE DEPRIME DES DIPLOMATES ISRAELIENS

Mal payes, de plus en plus prives de pouvoir et d’influence sur la
politique etrangère, les diplomates israeliens n’hesitent plus a
descendre dans la rue pour exprimer leur ras-le-bol.

Quelque deux cents d’entre eux ont ainsi manifeste mardi a Jerusalem,
exigeant des augmentations de salaires geles depuis des annees, mais
aussi -et peut-etre surtout- que le ministère des Affaires etrangères
retrouve son lustre d’antan.

“Les diplomates en poste dans de nombreux pays n’arrivent plus a
finir le mois”, explique a l’AFP Yaïr Frommer, president du syndicat
des employes de ce ministère. “Nous en sommes arrives au point où un
tiers des effectifs a prefere quitter le ministère depuis 10 ans”.

“Rien n’est fait pour les conjoints qui perdent tous leurs droits,
notamment la retraite, si bien que les diplomates prefèrent rester
en Israël et vivre avec deux salaires”, affirme ce syndicaliste. Les
salaires des diplomates n’ont pas ete augmentes depuis 12 ans.

Le malaise porte aussi sur la perte de prestige de la carrière.

“Pas moins de quatre ministères se sont vu, pour des raisons
politiciennes, octroyer des prerogatives et des budgets qui relevaient
auparavant des Affaires etrangères, sans compter le fait que nous
n’avons plus de ministre a plein temps”, deplore un diplomate qui
souhaite conserver l’anonymat.

Il faisait allusion au fait que le Premier ministre Benjamin
Netanyahu est formellement chef de la diplomatie en attendant
un eventuel retour d’Avigdor Lieberman, pour qui le portefeuille
est reserve. Ce dernier pourrait reprendre les commandes dans les
prochaines semaines a condition d’etre blanchi dans un procès pour
fraude et abus de confiance.

Benjamin Netanyahu a egalement taille sur mesure pour Youval Steinitz,
un de ses proches, le ministère des Relations internationales, des
Affaires strategiques et des Renseignements, tandis que la ministre
de la Justice Tzipi Livni a ete chargee des negociations avec les
Palestiniens, qui relevaient deja du domaine reserve du chef du
gouvernement.

Sans oublier les emissaires speciaux du Premier ministre. Le directeur
du Conseil de securite nationale Yaakov Amidror mène regulièrement des
missions diplomatiques dans le monde, et l’avocat personnel du Premier
ministre, Yitzhak Molcho, chaperonne Mme Livni dans les discussions
avec le secretaire d’Etat americain John Kerry.

Les discussions avec la Turquie echappent egalement aux Affaires
etrangères. Elles sont gerees par Joseph Ciechanover, un conseiller
de M. Netanyahu, alors que les negociations avec des pays africains
pour l’expulsion d’immigres clandestins erythreens ont ete confiees
a Hagaï Hadass, un autre homme de confiance du Premier ministre.

Pour couronner le tout, Benjamin Netanyahu projette de creer une
“Direction nationale de la communication”, censee expliquer et
justifier la politique d’Israël, notamment a l’etranger.

“La plupart de ces missions devraient etre du ressort de professionnels
de la diplomatie. Nous sommes reduits a la portion congrue”, deplore
le diplomate qui parle d’un “sentiment d’humiliation”. “Plus personne
a l’etranger ne sait qui parle au nom de qui, cela nous rappelle la
cacophonie de l’Europe a Bruxelles”.

La fronde est telle que le syndicaliste Yaïr Frommer menace le
gouvernement d’intensifier l’epreuve de force.

“Si nous n’obtenons pas satisfaction, nous allons durcir les
‘sanctions’ et n’assurerons plus les services aux Israeliens a
l’etranger”, previent-il. D’ores et deja, les diplomates refusent
d’aider a l’organisation des voyages des ministres.

Le Shin Beth, le service de securite interieure, et l’armee se sont
ainsi substitues aux diplomates pour le voyage cette semaine de M.

Netanyahu en Pologne. “Le fait que des services de securite brisent
notre mouvement est un très mauvais signe pour la democratie”,
souligne M. Frommer.

En revanche, le Shin Beth a refuse de casser la grève et de suppleer
au personnel des Affaires etrangères pour les voyages de…

delegations sportives israeliennes a l’etranger, selon le quotidien
Haaretz.

jeudi 13 juin 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

NEW UN CORNERS OPENED IN 3 ARMENIAN CITIES

Xinhua General News Service, China
June 11, 2013 Tuesday 12:40 PM EST

YEREVAN, June 11 (Xinhua) — New UN corners were opened in three
Armenian cities on Tuesday, local media reported.

Now students, researchers, officials and journalists would be able
to get information about UN’s goals and activities as well as its
programs in Armenia through the new corners set up in Ijevan, Dilijan
and Stepanavan.

UN Department of Public Information has provided some 2,500 units of
materials for the corners.

At the moment there are seven UN corners in Armenia.

Armenia became a member of UN in 1992.