Author: Badalian Vardan

AZERBAIJAN WELCOMES EUROVISION AMID CLAIMS OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE

Scotsman

May 25 2012

Tens of millions of television viewers will tune into the Eurovision
Song Contest in the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan this weekend,
but a war of words over human rights may drown out the singing,.

Hundreds of fans have already arrived in the oil-rich Azeri capital of
Baku, which has undergone a multi-million pound facelift in preparation
for the event with a shiny new 23,000-seat rectangular Crystal Hall
on the shores of the Caspian Sea at the centre of the celebrations.

“People are very friendly in Azerbaijan and food is fantastic. We
enjoy being here and we love Eurovision,” said Dmitry, a 19-year-old
flag-draped fan from Moldova.

The multi-purpose Crystal Hall arena was built by a German firm in
eight months for an undisclosed sum. But human rights groups say some
buildings in Baku were torn down with the song contest in mind and
that the forced eviction of residents, especially in areas around
the Crystal Hall, casts a shadow over the event.

Azerbaijan is the fifth former Soviet republic after Estonia, Latvia,
Ukraine and Russia and the second Muslim country after Turkey to host
the event.

In preparation, it has trained thousands of police, temporary staff
and volunteers in basic foreign language skills to welcome contest
participants and cope with the thousands of fans arriving from
around Europe.

“I think that many more people will learn about our beautiful country
after Eurovision and many more will come to see it,” student Sabina
Mehdiyeva, 19, said, adding her voice to many Baku residents who
welcomed the event.

But, in spite of the effort to highlight progress that the nation
of nine million people has made since independence in 1991, critics
of president Ilham Aliyev’s government have taken the opportunity to
air allegations of human rights abuses.

They accuse Mr Aliyev, who succeeded his father to the presidency
of the Caspian Sea nation north of Iran in 2003, of clamping down
on dissent.

Dozens of peaceful protesters were arrested this month in Baku during
rallies and marches demanding democracy and the resignation of Mr
Aliyev’s government.

“A stern crackdown of freedom of expression, dissent, NGOs, critical
journalists, in fact anyone who criticises the Aliyev regime too
strongly, and we’ve seen this continue right up until the Eurovision
Song Contest,” Amnesty International Europe and Central Asia director
John Dalhuisen said.

But senior Azeri officials responded to allegations by calling them
“anti-Azeri propaganda”.

“Their conclusions do not correspond with reality”, said Ali Hasanov,
head of the public and political issues department at the presidential
administration.

The government is also under fire from Islamic figures who object to
the Eurovision jamboree. Senior Iranian cleric Ayatollah Sobhani has
issued a statement urging Muslims in the region to protest against
what he described as “anti-Islamic behaviour”.

The song contest has also been marred by the decision of Armenia
to pull out earlier this month. The move underscored tensions over
Nagorno-Karabakh, a mainly Armenian-populated enclave inside Azerbaijan
which Armenian forces seized control of after the collapse of the
Soviet Union.

RUSSIA: WE’LL WALK AWAY FROM AZERBAIJAN RADAR
Joshua Kucera

EurasiaNet.org

May 24 2012
NY

Russia is letting it be known that it’s ready to walk away from the
Gabala radar station it operates in Azerbaijan if the government in
Baku doesn’t moderate its bargaining position. That’s what a source
in Russia’s Ministry of Defense told Russian media today:

“The Russian military is disappointed by the non-constructive approach
from the Azerbaijani side concerning the talks on extending the lease
of the Gabala missile radar,” the source said, adding that Moscow
would likely leave Gabala if the talks did not move ahead…

The source in the Russian Defense Ministry also said that size of
the price increase was unreasonable, since the radar needed a full
renovation and the sum Baku was demanding for the lease was comparable
to the cost of constructing a new radar.

Recall that Azerbaijan has increased its demands from the current
$7 million a year, to $100 million and then $300 million. Unlike
many of Russia’s installations in the former USSR, like in Armenia,
Tajikistan or Ukraine, this one doesn’t really come with any security
guarantees, so Azerbaijan’s interest in it is not great. Meanwhile,
Russia has a newer radar in the North Caucasus that fulfillls the
same role as Gabala, so it has little interest in ponying up to
Azerbaijan. So while this leak by the Russian MoD could just be a
bargaining position, it looks like this deal is heading for rejection.

AZERBAIJAN DEMANDS APOLOGY FROM IRAN OVER EUROVISION

Voice of America

May 24 2012

Azerbaijan has demanded a formal apology from Iran for its recent
statements in connection with Baku’s hosting of the Eurovision song
contest.

A spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday called the
statements “insulting” and said the government expects an apology
from Tehran as soon as possible.

Azerbaijani protesters rallied outside the Iranian Embassy in Baku
last week to denounce Iran’s perceived anti-Azerbaijani policies and
violation of the rights of the Azerbaijani people in Iran. During
the rally, demonstrators displayed photos of Iran’s president and
the country’s spiritual leader with critical comments.

The protests were held in response to ongoing demonstrations in cities
across Iran against Azerbaijan’s cooperation with the West and its
hosting of Eurovision, Europe’s biggest songfest, which protest
organizers believe is against Islamic principles.

Iran on Monday recalled its envoy to Azerbaijan for consultations.

Azerbaijan has come under global scrutiny with the start of Eurovision
earlier this week. Baku sees the competition as a chance to boost its
image, while activist groups are seeking to use the occasion to draw
attention to their campaigns.

An estimated 120 million people worldwide will watch Eurovision,
which holds its final on Saturday.

Armenia has said it is boycotting the Eurovision contest.

Azerbaijan and Armenia have long engaged in a dispute about the
enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, a majority ethnic Armenian region deep
inside Azerbaijan.

The region declared independence from Azerbaijan in 1988, triggering
a six-year war that claimed 35,000 lives and left more than 1 million
people homeless.

International efforts to broker a peace deal have failed, and border
tensions between Armenian-backed forces and Azerbaijani troops
remain high.

RUSSIAN LED HACKING SPREE ON MILLIONS OF PCS

Sky News

May 24 2012

A Russian cybercrime mastermind who was behind a group that hijacked
30 million computers around the world has been jailed.

Georgiy Avanesov was convicted of computer sabotage in an Armenian
court and told to serve four years.

The court heard how Avanesov, aged in his 20s, carried out so-called
denial-of-service attacks, which exploit security weaknesses in
computers, and used a botnet – a network of compromised PCs – to
target victims.

The Bredolab botnet, as it was known, sent out 3.6 billion junk emails
every day at its height.

It also used servers in the Netherlands and was hired out to criminals
who used it to obtain information such as bank passwords and carry
out attacks on websites.

Avanesov was arrested at Armenia’s Yerevan airport in 2010 after the
Dutch server network was dismantled.

RA NA EX-SPEAKER: “TSARUKYAN NEVER ASKED PRESIDENT TO APPOINT ME AS PM”

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 24, 2012 – 22:25 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The head of the Republican Party of Armenia
(RPA) election headquarters, parliament ex-speaker Hovik Abrahamyan
refuted media reports suggesting Prosperous Armenia party leader Gagik
Tsarukyan (who’s related to Abrahamyan) addressed President Sargsyan
with a request to appoint him as Prime Minister or parliament speaker.

“I have enough authority with the party to do without such requests.

I’d refuse were I to receive such an offer,” Abrahamyan said.

He also denied having been present at May 23 Sargsyan-Tsarukyan
meeting.

Prosperous Armenia issued a statement, which said the party doesn’t
consider involvement in coalition government formation a reasonable
step.

“We maintained a common position throughout the whole election
campaign. I have repeatedly stated that I pursue no personal goals
other than political. Moreover, I reiterate readiness to suffer a
loss to retain public trust,” Gagik Tsarukyan stated.

According to polling results, Prosperous Armenia garnered about half
a million votes. These people voted for our party, out of faith in
us and the demand for tangible changes in the country’s social and
economic life. Given the election outcomes, Prosperous Armenia has
no constitutional possibility to participate in government formation
and implement its programs. Thus, I declare that our party doesn’t
deem participation in coalition formation reasonable,” the statement
by party leader read.

KARABAKH IN MINIATURE: GEORGIA AND AZERBAIJAN FAIL TO SOLVE DAVIT GAREJA MONASTERY DISPUTE NOT TO VIOLATE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY
By Aris Ghazinyan

ArmeniaNow
24.05.12 | 15:49

For the past two decades a giant monastery complex Davit Gareja,
60 km to the southeast of Tbilisi, on the Georgian-Azeri border,
has been the subject of dispute and tensions in the relations between
Baku and Tbilisi.

The complex that stretches for 25 kilometers is of exclusive value
with its numerous rock-hewn churches built between the 6th and 8th
centuries. The main monastery is the Lavra of Saint Davit of Gareja-
Eastern-Christian Assyrian monk who lived in 6-7th cc.

There are a great number of Georgian and Armenian inscriptions
preserved there, as well as eight Greek and more than twenty Arabian.

For more that two decades Georgia and Azerbaijan are trying to do
demarcation and delimitation of the border, however after 2007 no step
has been taken in that direction. The Georgian foreign ministry reports
that only 66 percent of the frontier has been reconciled so far.

Tensions have escalated again, this time in early May, when Azeri
frontiers without prior agreement or warning advanced their outpost
for some two kilometers into the Georgian area.

Azerbaijan’s one-sided actions outraged Tbilisi, which led to a public
march of protest against the Azeri aggression, which had willfully
taken control over the disputed border land.

Thousands of believers participating in the march – among them about
100 clergymen, famous workers of art, politicians – walked all the
way from the center of Tbilisi to the monastery complex.

Social movement “Protect Davit Gareja” took up mobilization of
volunteers ready to stand up for the Georgian people’s right to the
holy place.

The movement leaders doubt that the issue can be solved by peaceful
means, hence have started recruiting war veterans with combat
experience.

The dispute origins date back to the soviet times and the carelessness
with which USSR leaders drew administrative borders among the
member-republics.

As a result the giant monastery complex comprising of twenty rock-hewn
churches, hundreds of cells, chapels, refectories, and living quarters,
got divided by the border with the main church – Lavra of Saint Davit
of Gareja – appearing on the Azeri side of the Soviet-drawn border.

Recently Najaf Museybli, deputy director of the Institute of
Ethnography and Archeology of the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan,
stated that: “In the ancient times an Albanian kingdom settled these
territories, and Georgians didn’t live here. With time our ancestors
settled here…It’s not subject to discussion.”

“Azerbaijanis’ claims that they are successors of Caucasian Albanians
sound almost the same as if today’s Turks would claim they are
successors of Byzantine,” countered Tbilisi-based political analyst
Soso Tsintsadze.

During their May 21 meeting Georgian and Azeri presidents instructed
their respective border departments to carry out joint control over
the disputed land.

But it’s only a temporary solution, officials in Tbilisi warn.

Commissions on delimitation of frontiers have yet to define on whose
territory the disputed part of the monastery is located.

“Tbilisi has a concrete offer,” Giga Bokeria, head of the Security
Council of Georgia said during live broadcast on the First Georgian
TV Channel. “In exchange for the disputed land Azerbaijan is free to
choose one the other five border lands of Georgia of equal value.”

Nonetheless, Tbilisi made a similar offer several years ago, and Baku
turned it down.

“None of the sides wants to allow a precedent, when the border gets
even slightly changed and lands are exchanged. It’s a very delicate
issue for Georgia and Azerbaijan for as long as each has its own
issues with territorial integrity,” says theologian Levan Abashidze,
expert at Georgian Parliament’s department of research.

No doubt he was referring to the Armenian-Azeri confrontation.

The disputed story of Davit Gareja Monastery is “Karabakh
in Miniature”. Azeri authorities call Armenian churches Amaras,
Dadivank, Gandzasar and the entire territory of historic Artsakh
(Nagorno Karabakh) as “monuments of Albanian-Azeri heritage”.

But if in their case Georgians insist on the victory of “historic
justice”, they turn a blind eye to the same justice when it comes
to Armenians.

Hence, the Davit Gareja Monastery issue once again demonstrates
international double standards in miniature.

SOUTH CAUCASUS RAILWAY STILL UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN IRAN-ARMENIA RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

arminfo
Thursday, May 24, 19:21

The South Caucasus Railway (SCR) CJSC is still unable to participate
in the Iran-Armenia railway construction project, as the concessional
agreement of the Russian Railway OJSC, the owner of the SCR, with the
Government of Armenia has no item about investments in the construction
of new railroads, the SCR Director General Viktor Rebets said at
today’s press conference.

He said that no feasibility study has been worked out yet. “The project
of construction of the railway is announced to be in the phase of
development and its real cost is still to be estimated”, he said.

To recall in Feb 2012 President of Russian Railway OJSC Vladimir
Yakunin said in Yerevan that the SCR railroaders will participate
in the project in case of a positive decision. He said that from
the commercial point of view, the Iran-Armenia railway construction
project may be recovered within 30-50 years. He added that the issue
of the railway construction mostly depends on the world situation.

“There are many problems around the cooperation with Iran. These
problems are not created by us, but we should take this moment into
account”, he said and added that in any case the Russian and Iranian
railroaders are fruitfully cooperating.

To recall, the specified project was preliminarily estimated at
$2 billion. The railway will provide Armenia with an access to the
Persian Gulf and to the Central Asian markets via Iran. At the moment
Armenia’s railway communication with the external world is blocked by
Turkey and Azerbaijan. There is no railway communication with Russia
either because of the Georgian-Russian confrontation.

IRANIAN JOURNALIST MAKES FUN OF EUROVISION DUE IN BAKU: VIDEO

ARMENPRES

17:02, 24 May, 2012

YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS: A journalist from Iranian “Tekon” TV
Company, who is accredited to cover “Eurovision” song contest due in
Baku, has presented May 23 a reportage, in which he just makes fun
of the upcoming concert.

As Armenpress reports, the reportage, which is available in Youtube,
shows how the journalist is mocking the participants and is showing
the flaws of Azerbaijan in organizational issues while walking around
the city.

LE MONDE: I. ALIYEV PREVENTS DEMOCRACY IN THE STATE VERY CAREFULLY

French well-known magazine Le Monde published an article about the
dictatorship in Azerbaijan. As Armenian panorama.am writes Azerbaijani
“Azadlig” has published the whole article by Giyom Perye.

“Eurovision” is the first international meaningful event which young
Azerbaijani Republic hosts. It is a great opportunity for Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev, who leads the country since 2003 with strong
fists, to make a self-propaganda. This small state between Russia and
Iran is rich with natural resources. It now tries to attract European
investors presenting itself as worldly and connected with the modern
values. But in reality there is a wild leadership in Azerbaijan which
took whole natural resources in its hands.

On 2009 Aliyev provided chance for himself to be elected as a President
till the end of his life. Presidential elections in Azerbaijan will
be just formal on 2013. Aliyevs’ clan keeps the natural resources of
the state in its hands for already 45 years.

Aliyev now does it jointly with his wife’s family. Leader of new
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev leads the country by his father’s cult: Heydar
Aliyev’s photos and mottos are on all corners of the state. Every
year on May 10, on H. Aliyev’s birthday Flowers’ Day is organized
in Azerbaijan and 70 million USD is spent on it. I. Aliyev prevents
democracy in the state very carefully. The international organizations
make accusations towards Azerbaijan after every election.

Parliamentarian elections on 2010 were so falsified that no one
opposition member could appear in the Parliament.

Azerbaijani show as if they have tolerant attitude to the opposition
parties in the country but thousands members of those parties appear
in prisons frequently. The meetings are forbidden here. No word about
human rights protection can be here. There are jailed journalists
in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijani authorities are afraid Arabic revolutions can be repeated
in their state as well. And that is why hundreds of protestors have
appeared in prisons.

Great countries and European countries as well want to use Azerbaijani
oil and create alternative lines of oil besides Russia. NATO wants
to settle anti-racket systems in Azerbaijan.

“Now Azerbaijani relations are strained with Russia and Iran. And
in this context it tries to become closer to Israel. Some frames do
not like this. Israel claims to settle military base against Iran”,
the newspaper writes.

HEAD OF ARMENIA’S DELEGATION IS DISPLEASED BY PACE REPORT ON ELECTIONS

news.am
May 25, 2012 | 16:07

Regular session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe (PACE) Standing Committee was held Friday in Tirana, Albania,
during which the PACE Observation Mission’s report on Armenia’s May
6 National Assembly (NA) elections was presented.

But the report caused a “surprise and bewilderment” to NA MP and head
of Armenia’s delegation at PACE, Davit Harutyunyan.

He stressed: “Armenia recorded considerable success in terms of
accurate voting lists. All of the report’s accusations are superficial
and they disregard Armenian authorities’ reasonable explanations.

The great number of passports issued in 2011-2012 is explained by the
fact that Armenia has begun issuing national passports ever since
1992, and with a ten-year expiry date, and it is natural that the
old passports will have to be replaced with new ones in 2011-2012.”

Also, Harutyunyan commented on the growth in the number of voters and
said these numbers’ birth indicator “exceeds the death indicator by
close to 270 thousand,” and therefore these citizens became eligible
to vote for the first time in 2012 and became constituents.

“So as to reduce this biased and unjust report’s damaging effect,
I am authorized to formally invite the OSCE/ODIHR [OSCE Office for
Democratic Institutions and Human Rights] to conduct a post-election
mission to re-inspect the voting list inaccuracies,” Davit Harutyunyan
stated from the PACE floor.

“The report is full of manipulations,” he noted.

“The PACE Observation Mission should study and publicize a report on
its own. It [i.e., the report] must be based solely on real, direct
studies,” head of Armenia’s delegation at PACE proposed.