Author: Basmajian Ani

PRESIDENT KOCHARIAN WARNS AGAINST NEW PROTEST RALLIES, PROMISES TO EASE MEDIA RESTRICTIONS

ARMENPRESS
March 12, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS: President Robert Kocharian warned today
the opposition against staging new protest rallies in Yerevan saying
even talking about it was ‘nonsense" just 11 days after a bloody clash
between opposition demonstrators and security forces that left eight
people dead and dozens hurt.

Speaking to reporters, Kocharian said it was time to take a little
rest. His remarks came in response to a request to comment on
ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosian’s intention to stage a rally once
the state of emergency was lifted.

According to Kocharian, rallies and other mass assemblies should be
avoided for some time until tensions were down and polarization of
the society was reduced.

"Just imagine that the authorities allow a rally.

All those people who clashed with security troops on March 1-2
will gather in one square. Will come also police officers, as it is
their duty to ensure the people’s security. By the way, 108 police
officers were hurt in March 1-2 riot, 43 receiving bullet and explosion
wounds. No one can guarantee the safety of such a rally. Maybe, some
people will be glad to see renewed clashes with security troops and new
casualties to give foreign media an occasion to criticizes Armenian
authorities, but the authorities will not allow it, because there is
Article 40 of the Constitution that provides us with necessary legal
grounds for it. I advise that all citizens refrain from participation
in rallies and ignore provocative statements," Robert Kocharian stated.

Kocharian said everyone should realize that the weaker Armenia is
the bigger will be the temptation to exert pressure on the country
and its new president.

He said this is a textbook example.

Kocharian said the situation is not irreversible and things will
be back to normal track in a month or two. He said all those who
instigated the riot must be held accountable because if this is not
done the provocative actions will continue.

Kocharian agreed that the latest developments have affected the
economy, first of all the tourism sector, cutting drastically the
number of foreigners who planned to visit the country this year.

Robert Kocharian said also he was not going to extend the 20-day
state of emergency that was imposed on March 1.

Kocharian said there were no reason to prolong it.

To substantiate he quoted from law-enforcement bodies’ reports that
no violations of the state of emergency has been registered and that
the situation in Yerevan is under their full control.

Robert Kocharian said also he will decree, today or tomorrow, to lift
restrictions on mass media activity that came along with the state
of emergency.

According to the president, his decree will clearly indicate the
activities which mass media will have to avoid. Particularly, it will
refer to publication of obvious lies and provocative information.

SOLDIER OF AZERBAIJANI ARMY PURPOSEFULLY CROSSED ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI BORDER LINE

arminfo
2008-03-12 13:06:00

ArmInfo. Soldier of Azerbaijani army Yakub Alaverdi-ogli Mukhtarov,
born in 1988, purposefully crossed Armenian-Azerbaijani border line
on 9 March.

As ArmInfo was informed from press-service of Armenian Defence
Ministry, a soldier of the Azerbaijani armed forces crossed the
Armenian-Azerbaijani border line at the sector of Kolakir village
of Tavush region. According to Mukhatorov’s testimony, on 9 March he
applied to the commander of his platoon once again to be directed to
the hospital as he felt sick. But he was refused and tried to apply
to the commander of the brigade but was beaten up severely. Leaving
his gun at the action post Mukhtarov ran away and crossed the
Armenian-Azerbaijani border line. There are numerous traces of beating
at Mukhtarov’s body and old stigmas which, as Mukhtarov said, are
the result of non-statute relations with officers.

AZERBAIJANI SOLDIER WENT OVER TO ARMENIAN PARTY

DeFacto Agency
March 12 2008
Armenia

YEREVAN, 12.03.08. DE FACTO. March 9, at 7 p.m., Azerbaijan’s citizen,
serviceman, Private Yakoub Alaverdi-oghly Mukhtarov intentionally
crossed the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in the vicinity of the Kolagir
village, Tavoush region.

Yakoub Mukhtarov (born in 1988) is the resident of Sheki town, RA
Defense Ministry’s Press Office reports.

According to Mukhtarov’s evidences, March 9 he again applied to
the platoon commander to be taken to medical point in connection
with illness. Being turned down, he tried to appeal to the brigade
commander, however, was subject to cruel beating. Leaving the weapon in
the post, Mukhtarov took to flight, crossing the Armenian-Azerbaijani
border. Imprints of cruel beatings and old scars have been discovered
on Mukhtarov’s body.

Armenian Genocide Resource Center
5400 McBryde Ave
Richmond, CA 94805 USA
(510) 965-0152
Email [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE
MARCH 12, 2008

"Israeli genocide scholars respond to
reported statements of Ambassador Gaby
Levy denying the Armenian genocide."

OPEN LETTER TO MK TZIPI LIVNI,
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, ISRAEL

MK Tzipi Livni
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Jerusalem

We are writing to express our shock, disbelief and horror at the
statements attributed to Ambassador to Turkey Gaby Levy by the website
of Sabah News (Turkey) that `what we [Israel] did in Gaza is not
genocide just like there is no Armenian genocide.’ These statements
were reportedly in response to comments made by Prime Minister Erdogan
of Turkey criticizing Israel’s response to the terror attacks from
Gaza. We would like to believe that he was misquoted.

Ambassador Levy is insultingly wrong in denying the Armenian genocide.

There is an overwhelming body of historical evidence from many
separate and independent bodies of information to show that the mass
atrocities experienced by the Armenians were a result of an
intentional policy on the part of the Turkish government at the
time. It is precisely this evidence of intent to kill and destroy, in
whole or in part, as defined by the UN Convention on Genocide, which
is why these atrocities constitute genocide. They were adjudged
genocide by Raphael Lemkin, the person who gave the world the word-
concept of genocide, and have been so adjudged by any number of
impartial commissions and professional authorities, including the
International Association of Genocide Scholars.

Israel’s ambassador is humiliatingly further misdirected on Gaza,
where it is Hamas, an organization with a genocidal agenda, which is
carrying out terror attacks aimed at killing, destroying and expelling
the entire population. Israel is defending itself against the
perpetrators of this genocidal agenda. The Grad rockets Hamas is now
firing at population centers in Israel come from Iran which has
expressed a sworn determination to wipe out the State of Israel.

Clearly Israel has never embarked on a genocidal program or action in
Gaza, but for the ambassador to prove his point as it were by
comparing Israel’s actions today in Gaza to the known genocidal
activities of the Ottoman Turks against the Armenians and other
non-Moslem minorities in 1915 and on is self-defeating in the extreme.
The aim of Israel’s military actions in Gaza is to stop the genocidal
terror aimed at the Israeli public.

To link proof that Israel is not the aggressor in Gaza with a denial
of the validity of the Armenian Genocide is seriously harmful to
Israel. Ambassador Levy’s mission is not to revise historical truth,
but to represent Israel with honor, self-respect, competence and
integrity. He has failed the test on all counts. By publicly
declaring his denial of the Armenian genocide, he paves the way for
denial of all other genocidal threats, foremost of which are those now
facing Israel.

Israel’s relationship with Turkey is a matter of vital importance to
the two countries,. But this relationship does not require public
displays of obsequiousness and participation in genocide denial. It
does require Ambassador Levy to advise Turkey of the genocidal threats
>From Hamas, and from Iran, its paymaster.

We call upon the Government to repudiate the remarks attributed to
him.

Sincerely,

Prof. Yair Auron, PhD
Dept. of Sociology
Open University of Israel
[email protected]

Prof. Israel W. Charny, PhD (retired Tel Aviv University and Hebrew
University)
Executive Director, Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide, Jerusalem
Editor, Encyclopedia of Genocide [email protected]

Prof. Elihu D. Richter, MD, MPH
Genocide Prevention Program, Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Public
Health and Community Medicine
[email protected]

NKR MOD REFUTES THE MISINFORMATION OF AZERBAIJAN

armradio.am
10.03.2008 17:46

The NKR Ministry of Defense today refuted the statement of the
Azerbaijani side that on March 8 and 9 the Karabakhi forces fired the
frontier settlements in Aghdam region, as a result of which two were
killed and another two were wounded.

Head of the Press Service of NKR Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant
Colonel Senor Hasratyan told Mediamax that "such misinformation of
official Baku obviously pursues non-constructive objectives." According
to Hasratyan, if we do not take into consideration separate cases of
violation of the cease fire regime, the situation along the contact
line of the Armed Forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan can be
considered calm.

"The Karabkhi forces fully control the situation and in case of
necessity they will give a worthy response to any provocation of the
Azerbaijani side," Senor Hasratyan informed.

Rate of crime is up

07-03-2008 16:10:59 – KarabakhOpen

In 2007 535 crimes were reported in the republic against 513 in 2006.
This information was released by the College of the NKR Office of
Prosecutor General on March 6, which held a meeting to sum up the year
2007. The rate of crime against person increased to 102, while the rate
of crime against property was down by 33 and totaled 142.

According to the press service of the NKR Office of Prosecutor General,
the rate of crime went up in Stepanakert and the region of Askeran.

Interfax News Agency, Russia
Russia & CIS
March 7, 2008

Stepanakert warns Baku on responsibility for building up tensions on
dividing line

STEPANAKERT March 7

The Nagorno-Karabakh Foreign Ministry is worried over the massing of
Azeri military hardware on one of the sections of the dividing line
between the Armed Forces of the two sides, the ministry said in
Stepanakert on Friday.

"The Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army will give an adequate response to
any encroachment by Azeri Armed Forces," it said.

The ministry called on Azeri leadership "to reject attempts to
violate the truce."

"We disclaim any responsibility for the possible escalation of
tensions on the dividing line in connection with destructive steps,
taken by officials in Baku, that have not received an adequate
political assessment from the mediators," it said.

Several days ago, armed clashes took place on the dividing line, and
victims were reported on both sides.

OSCE REPRESENTATIVE’S STATEMENT

AZG Armenian Daily
07/03/2008

Post-election

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, called
on Armenian authorities to lift restrictions on independent news
reporting that have been imposed since the state of emergency was
declared on March 1.

It is informed that he referred to President Robert Kocharian’s state
of emergency decree of March 1, under which the media may cite only
official sources when reporting on national politics.

US AMBASSADOR TO AZERBAIJAN: CLASHES IN THE FRONTLINE SHOW THAT CONFLICT PARTIES SHOULD CONTINUE NEGOTIATIONS WITH OSCE MG

Azeri Press Agency
March 6 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku. Tamara Grigoryeva-APA. "US regrets for clashes in the frontline
and death of several militants," Anne Derse , US ambassador to
Azerbaijan said, APA reports.

Ms. Derse noted that US called both of countries to stop violation of
cease-fire and stressed that the solution to the conflict by military
way was impossible.

"The conflict should be resolved by peaceful means. Such speculations
cause danger to stability in the region. The developments show that
the conflict parties should continue the negotiations with OSCE MG.

We have contacted with both governments and embassies. Matthew Bryza
conducted negotiations with the two countries in Yerevan yesterday and
in Baku today and tried to deliver possibility of peaceful solution
to the conflict," she said.

ARMENIA WORKS FOR PREVENTION OF UN VOTE ON AZERBAIJAN’S RESOLUTION ON KARABAKH

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.03.2008 13:17 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan’s resolution on Karabakh awaits vote in
the UN on March 14, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian told
a news conference in Yerevan.

Azerbaijan attempts to make use of the tensed political situation
in Armenia, according to him. "We work for prevention of this vote,
since Azerbaijan tries to use the crisis in Armenia to achieve its
own ends. Unfortunately, passage of the resolution will put Armenia’s
President-elect in an awkward position and will mean that Azerbaijan
intends to change its stance in the talks," the Minister said.

Armenia’s efforts produce effect bout it’s hard to foretell the
outcome of the vote, according to him.

"Exploiting the situation in Kosovo and tensions inside Armenia,
Baku attempts to press for recognition of its territorial
integrity. Presently, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs are persuading
Azerbaijan to recall the resolution. I can’t say whether they will
succeed but I am hopeful that the OSCE MG co-chair states will not
support the resolution.

On February 26, Azerbaijan introduced in the UN General Assembly
a draft resolution titled "Situation in occupied territories of
Azerbaijan", which urges to confirm Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity
and right to Nagorno Karabakh.