Author: Boshkezenian Garik

MONITORING IN DETENTIONS FACILITIES

ahos15263.html
11:00:00 – 22/09/2009

OSCE office organizes training course on monitoring right to health
in Armenian detention facilities

TSAKHKADZOR, Armenia, 21 September 2009 –An OSCE-supported training
course on the right to health and international standards in Armenia’s
detention facilities ended in Tsakhkadzor today.

Members of the Public Monitoring Groups for Penitentiary Institutions
and Police Detention Centres and observer trainees participated
in the two-day course, organized by non-governmental organization
Civil Society Institute and funded by the OSCE Office in Yerevan
in partnership with the OSI Armenia, OSI Budapest Human Rights and
Governance Grants Program and OSI New York Law and Health Initiative.

‘Monitoring of the detention facilities is the best instrument to
safeguard the right to health of detainees," said Ambassador Sergey
Kapinos, the Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan. "All components
of the right to health, including access to doctors, equivalence of
care, patients’ consent, confidentiality and professional competence
should be taken into consideration by the groups as well as by the
responsible bodies in penitentiary institutions. We believe that this
training will raise the professional capacity of the public observers
and foster better compliance to rules of treatment and international
human rights standards on the conditions of penitentiary institutions.’

The local and international trainers delivered courses on international
standards of the right to health, national mechanisms and international
best practices of harm reduction in detention facilities. As part
of the course the participants visited penitentiaries and pre-trial
detention centres to learn about and monitor conditions of the
detainees.

‘The training course aims to enhance the monitoring skills of the
observers by providing international experience on protecting the
right to health of detainees and prisoners, and hence contribute to
more effective monitoring,’ added Arman Danielyan, the head of the
Public Monitoring Group for Penitentiary Institutions.

A similar five-day training course on the principles of human right
monitoring in penitentiaries will be held in October, and trainees
will be selected to become new members of the Public Monitoring Group
for Penitentiary Institutions.

OSCE Office has promoted the public oversight of Armenian penitentiary
institutions and police detention centres as part of human rights
protection activities.

120,000 DRAMS FOR PUGACHEVA’S CONCERT

la-pugacheva
07:03 pm | September 22, 2009

Society

Russian primadonna Alla Pugacheva will perform at the Karen Demirchyan
sport-concert complex on September 25 as part of her farewell tour.

Tickets are still not sold out for the concer that has been advertised
for the past couple of months. The reason for this are the prices that
range from 5,000 to 120,000 drams. The average prices are 15,000-30,000
drams. The 20,000 dram tickets are sold out, leaving only the tickets
for up to 120,000 drams.

As box offices told "A1+", low-cost tickets were sold very quickly. As
far as the most expensive [120,000 drams] tickets are concerned,
they sold rather well. However, they weren’t able to say exactly how
many tickets were sold.

Based on the advertisements, this concert is going to be
unprecedented. The event organizers assure that Pugacheva’s
performances will be followed by mini performances as Russian theatre
and dance groups are working on stage props.

Many Russian journalists and creative groups will come to Armenia to
participate in the two-hour long concert, while Pugacheva will arrive
to Armenia in the Russian President’s personal airplane.

NEW DEPUTY FROM PROSPEROUS ARMENIA PARTY

06:43 pm | September 22, 2009

Politics

Member of the "Prosperous Armenia" party Ruben Gevorgyan turned
deputy again.

The Central Electoral Commission of Armenia registered him as deputy
of the National Assembly through a proportional electoral procedure
during the commission’s special session.

Ruben Gevorgyan, who the people also know as "Tsaghik Rubo", will
replace member of the "Prosperous Armenia" party Rubik Harutyunyan
who was appointed Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations by the
September 11 decision of Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.

THEY WON’T DESTROY IT?

rt
11:38 am | September 22, 2009

Society

According to sources, a special consultation took place at the
"Zvartnots" international airport during which owner of the airport,
Argentinean Armenian businessman Eduardo Ernekian informed that the
second old terminal of the airport will be under construction.

This presupposes the demolition of the airport tower and the oval
section and the construction of a new hotel complex. For more
information, "A1+" asked the airport news department, which refuted
the news.

The Head of the Chief Department of the RA Civil Aviation Artyom
Movsesyan also denied the news. He said that there was no such news
and that he was hearing that for the first time.

However, head of the architectural studio of the "HyeNakhagits"
Institute, architect Mher Cherkezyan who has participated in drafting
the airport plan, said: "The objective is to make the airport
correspond to international norms and it is not excluded that the
oval section and the tower will be demolished." He mentioned that
the Argentineans are involved in drafting the new terminal.

The architect went on to say that they can’t do anything because the
structure has already been privatized.

Let us recall that the "Zvartnots" international airport was opened
in 1981. After two years, it was recognized as the best airport in
the USSR. It is one of the best sights in Armenia and has received
a state award.

The airport is currently privately owned because the Armenian
government handed the airport to the Argentinean "Corporacion America"
company for 30 years in 2002.

The new terminal was opened in summer 2007 and another one is scheduled
to open in 2011.

ARMENIAN COMMUNITY OF KOLKATA CELEBRATED RA INDEPENDENCE DAY

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.09.2009 15:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The 150-member Armenian community of Kolkata got
together to celebrate the independence day of Armenia (September 21)
over the weekend. After centuries of struggle first with the Ottoman
Empire and then with erstwhile USSR the Republic of Armenia finally
won independence in 1991.

Armenians came to Kolkata as traders more than 400 years ago. The
community flourished so much that they even started lending money to
East India Company. It is even said that the Battle of Plassey was
fought by the British with Armenian money. There was a time when the
number of Armenians in the city exceeded 30,000 but only 35 families
remain today.

The community’s new spiritual head in the country, Father Khoren
Hovhannisyan, has been planning grand celebrations with key members
for the past five months. His efforts have resulted in the revival
of Armenian Club that had been lying defunct for long. Hovhannisyan
also heads Armenian College, the only institution of its kind in the
city that caters to the needs of Armenian children sent here from
their own country.

Armenian Club at Queen’s Mansions was established in 1921 by racing
magnate J C Galstaun. As the community started dwindling with many
migrating to the US, Australia and Europe, interest in the club
waned. Though there are about 150 Armenians in the city, the club
has only 14 members, Times of India reported.

Trend, Azerbaijan
Sept 18 2009

No one can cripple Turkish-Azerbaijani relations: Turkish FM

No one can damage the Turkish-Azerbaijani relations, Turkish Foreign
Minister, Ahmet Davudoglu, said in his interview with CNN Turk.

"The relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan are always in the first
place," said Davudoglu.

The minister added that the relations between Ankara and Yerevan
should first ensure the interests of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

"Development of the Turkish-Armenian relations will depend on the
events in the region," said the minister. One of the main goals of
Ankara is to establish peace in the Caucasus, said Davudoglu.

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am , Armenia
Sept 19 2009

Turkey has four positions on the issue: Prosperous Armenia

14:03 / 09/19/2009Turkey should explain why it has four different
positions on Armenia-Turkey relations’ normalization, Naira Zohrabyan,
Prosperous Armenia Party MP told NEWS.am, commenting on Nalbandyan’s
statement, that `Attempting to link Armenian-Turkish and Karabakhi
processes, Turkey might fail both’.

`It is absolutely clear that currently Protocols do not contain any
preconditions and they should not say so at any stage, including
signing. If Turkish Government representatives pursue their policy of
four positions, that is: 1) for international community; 2) for talks
with Armenia; 3) for Turkish society and 4) for Azerbaijan, then it is
Turkish authorities’ problem. They have to explain why there are
several viewpoints on one matter,’ Zohrabyan said.

According to MP, relations’ normalization is equally advantageous both
for Armenia and Turkey. Asked whether Serzh Sargsyan will go to Turkey
October 14 if the border is not open, Zohrabyan replied: `It is not a
good start. Not everything should be turned into practicality. I
consider crucial RA President’s statement that he would go to hear out
Diaspora’s opnion.’

FAMOUS MUSICIANS ARE PERFORMING AT YEREVAN’S MUSIC FESTIVAL

Aysor
Sept 17 2009
Armenia

An Italian conductor, Aldo Sisillo, and State Philarmonic Orchestra of
Armenia performed yesterday at the Third Yerevan International Music
Festival in the Concert Hall aft. Aram Khachatryan. The soloists were
Anahit Chushyan from the UK and German clarinetist Wolfgang Meyer,
both the well-known performers.

The Third Yerevan International Music Festival is held under the
high patronage of Armenia’s first lady Ms Rita Sargsyan and Ministry
of Culture. The Festival’s artistic directors are Edward Topchyan,
Chief Conductor of Armenian State Philharmonic Orchestra, and cellist
Alexander Chaushyan from the UK.

There have been sounded Overture to The Flying Dutchman by Wagner
and La forza del destino by Verdi, Clarinet Concerto â~D-1 by Weber,
Variations for Clarinet by Rossini and Piano Concerto by Haydn.

Recall that the clarinetist Wolfgang Meyer and pianist Anahit Chushyan
will perform today. The program will include works by Brahms and
Schumann.

THE MOST ABSURD DECISION IN THE HISTORY OF EBU

Aysor
Sept 17 2009
Armenia

Today was published European Broadcasting Union’s decision on scandal
around interrogations at Azerbaijan’s National Security Ministry of
those who voted in "Eurovision-2009" for Armenia.

In particular, the published decision says:

"The EBU committee responsible for running the Eurovision Song Contest,
the so-called Reference Group, examined the matter at a meeting in Oslo
on 11 September 2009 and decided to amend the rules of the Eurovision
Song Contest to hold the participating broadcaster strictly liable for
any disclosure of information which could be used to identify voters.

The new rule aims to ensure that voters’ privacy is respected, and
if it is not the EBU will be in a position to impose appropriate
sanctions on the offending broadcaster.

The regulations governing the previous editions of the Eurovision
Song Contest imposed an obligation on the telecom companies involved
in the televoting to respect the privacy of the voters. However, the
EBU does not have an ability to impose sanctions on them, therefore
the new rule was developed."

At the first onset some logical questions arise.

1. If EBU has to adopt new rules which will provide voters’ privacy
it just confirms that Azerbaijan’s voters’ privacy was strongly
violated. Nonetheless, the country-organizer of Eurovision Dance
Contest 2010 and large petrodollars owner has not been penalized. Why?

2. Why broadcaster must be responsible for breach of privacy and
be sanctioned?

3. Why EBU which guarantees fair, open voting for television audiences
hasn’t yet taken care of appropriate sanctions regarding breach rules?

4. On what basis EBU cooperate with private Digame mobile company
which carries out the counting of votes not being able to prevent
the arbitrary and illegality of voting?

It seems all these questions will remain unanswered.

Nonetheless, such absurd decisions will give a start to a new round
of proceedings and perturbations all around Europe.

ARMENIAN LEADER, BRITISH BARONESS DISCUSS KARABAKH, TIES WITH TURKEY

Armenian Second TV Channel
Sept 17 2009

[Presenter, referring to previous report] Immediately after this
meeting [with heads of political parties] [Armenian] President [Serzh]
Sargsyan met with Baroness Caroline Cox, a member of the House
of Lords of the Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and
the chairperson of the Armenian-British parliamentary council. The
president of the republic said that the process of normalization of
Armenian-Turkish ties was the most discussed issue in Armenia these
days and that in the coming days numerous discussions would take
place in Armenia in various formats. He said that he would visit a
few countries that have Armenian communities in the coming days.

[Sargsyan speaking at a meeting] I would like to use the occasion and
to say that today the most discussed topic in Armenia is our latest
initiative – establishing relations with the Turks, establishing
relations without any precondition. Discussions of various formats
are being held in Armenia and I believe that the series of these
discussions will continue with greater intensity. These series also
include consultations with our friends, the opinion of our friends is
extremely important for us. Of course, the series of these discussions
include, and maybe will even occupy the central place in my meetings
with representatives of the diaspora. I intend to meet our brothers
and sisters in various centres in the coming weeks and to try to learn
their opinion as well. You understand that this is a hard process,
this is a complicated process; to some extent a painful process with
objective grounds, but a necessary process.

[Presenter] Caroline Cox also showed interest in the recent
developments in negotiations on the Karabakh settlement. President
Sargsyan gave detailed explanations regarding those. Under a 16
September decree of the Armenian president, Caroline Cox was awarded
a decoration of honour for her significant personal input into the
strengthening and development of Armenian-British relations and for
many years of selfless humanitarian activities.