Author: Chakrian Hovsep

REGIONAL TV CHANNELS MADE TO BROADCAST KENTRON PROGRAMS
Panorama.am
13:44 20/10/06
Mesrop Movsisyan, editor of A1+, told Panorama.am that Grigor Amalyan,
chairman of TV and Radio National Committee, makes 11 regional TV
channels re-broadcast the programs of Kentron TV station. “They even
tell when the broadcast should be made and mention that it must be
done in pre-election period,” Movsisyan details.
Movsisyan said that Amalyan refers to violations by these companies as
an excuse in forcing them to show this or that program. For example,
they show films, which have no license, the committee says.
It must be mentioned that Murad Guloyan, member of parliament, is the
main shareholder of Kentron TV company. Guloyan is a close friend of
Gagik Tsarukyan, leader of Prosperous Armenia and also a member of
parliament. Prosperous Armenia has launched active advocacy programs
in the regions. No wonder that Kentron TV station is required to be
aired in the regions. /Panorama.am/

Turkish Daily News
Oct 20 2006
Turkish Press Yesterday
Friday, October 20, 2006
The French made ‘a bad mistake’:
Yeni ªafak yesterday reported statements from European Union term
president Finland’s Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja on the adoption
of a bill by the French Parliament making it a crime to deny claims
of genocide of the Armenians by the Ottoman Turks.
The Finnish foreign minister said that the French Parliament’s decision
was “a bad mistake” and expressed hope for its rapid withdrawal.
“Parliaments and governments are not to intervene in by legislating
which historical truths are to be allowed and which are not,”
he added. Tuomioja also said the bill would increase the power of
hard-liners in Turkey.
–Boundary_(ID_JZXbpfARPjIewtoWQcO4Jg)–

CEREMONY DEDICATED TO 15th ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE OF ARMENIA
HELD IN PARIS
PARIS, OCTOBER 20, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Prime Minister Andranik Margarian
and the RA delegation members, who are on a working visit in France,
participated on late October 18 in a ceremony dedicated to the
15th anniversary of independence of the Republic of Armenia held in
the Garnier Opera in Paris. Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, the French
Minister of Culture made a speech after the opening speech made by
Edvard Nalbandian, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
of Armenia to France. Then the floor was given to the RA Prime
Minister. Mentioning that the Armenian people celebrated with
great lustre the 15th anniversary of the independence of Armenia,
A.Margarian emphasized that the young Republic of Armenia and the
people made great efforts to overcome political, economic, social
and other most difficult problems arisen on the independence way. The
Prime Minister also touched upon the process fixed in the economy of
Armenia after overcoming difficulties of the first years, reforms
aimed to building democracy, free market relations, a legal state,
growth of the country’s defensive capacity. The RA government head
also touched upon in his speech the practical assistance of friendly
countries and first of all, of France, in the issue of recognition and
condemnation of the Armenian Genocide, mentioning that Armenia observes
it as a preventing factor for similar crimes against the mankind are
never repeated in future. According to the information submitted to
Noyan Tapan by the RA Government’s Information and Public Relations
Department, RA Prime Minister Andranik Margarian’s meeting with Paris
Mayor Bertrand Delanoe took place on October 19 during which issues of
mutual interest relating to the bilateral cooperation were discussed.

“RESPOND FRANCE BY PROMOTING FREEDOMS”
Erol Onderoglu
BÝA, Turkey
Oct 18 2006
PEN’s Sayar gives out signals on freedom of expression after “genocide
vote” in France saying “retaliation should be by abolishing article
301”. TGC’s Erinc refutes France PM’s statement. Prosecuted journalist
Duzel wants to see what happens ýn practice.
BÝA (Istanbul) – What kind of messages do statements made by Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government after the French
Parliament’s vote on the “Draft Law to Punish Those Who Deny The
Armenian Genocide” entail for development of freedom of expression
in Turkey?
International PEN Turkey Chair Vecdi Sayar who believes the statements
are encouraging says “In retaliation to the Genocide Bill, Turkey
should rid herself of article 301 and similar constraints on freedom
of expression”.
Journalists Association of Turkey (TGC) chair Orhan Erinc, meanwhile,
refers to television news program on which the Prime Minister is being
quoted saying “Freedom of expression is banned in France. Over here
we can talk as we wish”.
“I wish” says Erinc. “I prefer to see these remarks of the Prime
Minister as a message that the obstacles placed in front of the freedom
of expression in the Penal Code (TCK) and the Anti-Terror Law (TMY)
will be lifted”.
Subject to a series of enquiries and prosecutions based on her
important interviews published in the “Radikal” newspaper, journalist
Nese Duzel believes one should not take the government for its words.
“I don’t know what will be changed in Turkey. Let’s see what happens
in practice” she cautions.
Government doesn’t give credit to “tit for tat”
In the days during which the Armenian genocide bill was being debated
in France and passed at parliament, messages of “boycotting French
products” spread in Turkey.
The Parliament Justice Commission chaired by Justice and Development
Party deputy Koksal Toptan intended to react to the bill with a Turkish
draft that was alleged to be five months old which would recognize
the Genocide in Algeria [committed by France] and criminalize the
recognition of the Armenian genocide.
Although criticism of France was severe and sporadic boycotts occurred
at public level in some wok places, government members agreed on the
position that Turkey should not make te same mistake.
Historian, EU and RSF reaction to France
In this period France, a part of the European Union that has on the
international arena wanted for article 301 in Turkey to be abolished,
was accused itself of shackling down opinions.
Not only Turkey but officials of the EU as well as the Paris-based
Reporters Without Frontiers (RSF) organization reacted to France.
Following these developments, bianet asked their opinion of the future
of freedom of expression from International PEN Turkey Center chairman
Vecdi Sayar, TGC chairman Orhan Erinc and journalist Nese Duzel.
Sayar: Retaliate by lifting 301
PEN Turkey Center chairman Vecdi Sayar believes that in retaliation
to the French bill, Turkey most conclusive step would be to abolish
article 301 of the TCK and similar other restrictive legislation.
“Government statements are giving such positive indications in this
direction” he says. “I believe this would be the correct thing to do.
Perhaps we can extract something right out of the mistake in France”.
Erinc: We can’t talk how we want
Referring to PM Erdogan’s remarks on a CNN Turk television program
saying “Freedom of opinion is banned in France. Over here we can talk
the way we wish” TGC’s chairman Erinc says he does not share this view.
“While it is impossible not to share he view of the Prime Minister
in his first sentence, the remark that we can talk the way we wish
is a view that unfortunately we cannot share” Erinc said.
Erinc prefers to see Erdogan’s remark as an indication that
restrictions on the freedom of expression brought on by some articles
of the TCK and TMY will be lifted and adds, “Otherwise, looking at
the prosecutions launched against freedom of expression, it is not
possible to accept these words of the Prime Minister”.
Noting that 69 court cases had been filed in Turkey under article 301
in the past year, Erinc says the effect of the French vote on Turkey
could have been negative. In his words, “With its vote France has not
only completely disregarded its own freedom of expression, but has
also pulled up a wall in front of the changeability of the articles of
law that impose a bottleneck on the freedom of expression in Turkey”.
Duzel: Not waiting for anything, looking at practice
Journalist Nese Duzel who has been charged for “enticing hatred
and enmity” but later acquitted for her important interviews in
“Radikal” newspaper with Alawite leaders is now subject to an enquiry
and prosecution for “propaganda of a terrorist organization” due to
her reporting on the views of various experts and politicians on the
Kurdish issue.
“I don’t know what will be changed in Turkey” she says “but we need
to look into what happens in practice”.
Duzel has a gloomy look at the future and recalls “With 301
the government withdrew what it had given. Many leaps towards
democratization in the past two years have been withdrawn with the
TMY and the new TCK”.
Noting that legislation restricting freedom of expression continued
to exist in the new penal code, Duzel says “A progressive step has
not yet been taken. In practice it has started to become like the
past too because cases that to me once had come to an end are being
revived again”.
Dink: Let us do what is correct
Appearing on an NTV live program the previous evening, Armenian-Turkish
journalist Hrant Dink who is prosecuted in Turkey for his remarks
recognizing an Armenian genocide, said the French vote results could
actually be favorable for Turkey and that Turkey should do what
is correct.
Editor-in-Chief of the Armenian-Turkish “Agos” newspaper, Dink said,
that Turkey would not be the one to lose out of this bill and expressed
belief that “after this, Turkey will display the freedom of expression
that has been taken from its hands”.
Stating that until the French vote the world public opinion saw
the Armenians as the aggrieved and the Turks as being unjust, Dink
noted “From now on the Turkish expression has become the one that is
aggrieved. I believe that the Turkish official expression will use
these conditions and will display the freedom of expression that has
been taken from its hands”.
Dink said that anti-EU circles could be expected to exploit the
development and that this itself could lead to problems in Turkey’s
relations with the Union.
Saying that the French Parliament continuously used the expression
that “Turkey should look to itself”, Dink asked “is Turkey going to
be able to look to itself? They have mentioned [Penal Code] article
301. These are not wrong either. There we are against the [violation
of] freedom of expression. But in Turkey there are laws, cases, that
repress the freedom of expression. Let us do what is right. After that,
as France has done in their mistake, they will be left isolated”.
What did government officials say?
On the freedom of expression, senior government officials have made
some recent remarks that were widely reported in the media. State
Minister and chief negotiator Ali Babacan told Turkish journalists
in Brussels that the French decision would affect feelings towards
the EU in a negative way.
Babacan said, “If the French make mistakes, it is not correct for
us to give a response with further mistakes. We will continue with
our reforms. What is correct is clear and we will continue what is
correct with reforms”.
Gul: Progress will continue
Visiting Luxembourg for a meeting Turkey’s Foreign Minister Abdullah
Gul emphasized the difference between Turkey and other countries.
“Our difference is that we are aware of what we are missing,” he said
adding, however, that the country had advanced much in a short time.
“Some things do overshadow the progress we have made,” he said. “We
still have things to do and we are determined to do them”.
–Boundary_(ID_owa4mItPNAnqJMmNZ4Tj9Q )–

TAKE THAT BACK
John Hanratty
Georgian (St. George Bay), Canada
Oct 18 2006
We live in strange times.
The National Assembly of France has just passed a controversial
new law. They’re making it illegal to say that the Turkish
expulsion/massacre of Armenians in the early 1900s was not genocide.
Let’s repeat that: the new law says you can’t deny that the Armenian
deaths constituted genocide.
It’s always weird when a government tries to tell you what to believe
or what you can say. With a few exceptions, democratic societies
allow their citizens to believe or say whatever they want to.
In Canada, even when people want to deny that the Holocaust happened,
they’re allowed to. But Canadians are not allowed to incite hatred
against identifiable groups.
Perhaps the French politicians would argue that any denial of the
Turkish genocide against the Armenians is automatically inciting
hatred against Armenians, but that’s a stretch.
The Turks did execute or starve over a million Armenians around the
time of World War I. The Turkish government makes a counter-claim
that the Armenians killed over 500,000 Turks around the same time.
But it will soon be illegal in France to debate or discuss this
question, or use the wrong terminology to do so.
The point is: where will this stop? What statement or belief will
they outlaw next?
A somewhat similar kind of controversy erupted in Canada last week.
Federal Liberal leadership hopeful Michael Ignatieff set off a
firestorm when he accused Israel of war crimes in its recent attacks
in Lebanon.
After a couple of clumsy efforts to clarify his remarks, Mr.
Ignatieff finally made the point that there were crimes on both sides
of the recent Israeli-Hezbollah conflict.
What’s striking about both the French and Canadian controversies
is the degree of passion that has been aroused. Large protests and
threats in Turkey against the French law, versus strong lobbying
by Armenians.A huge uproar in Europe outside of France, because of
Turkey’s application to enter the European Union.
By the way, the new Canadian government says that it was indeed
genocide against the Armenians, but they won’t jail any of us who
choose to deny or doubt it.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ignatieff has lost some key supporters from his
front-running campaign for the Liberal leadership because of his
poorly-chosen remarks about Israel. (He had previously gotten himself
into trouble over other opinions about Ukraine, I believe it was.)
Prime Minister Stephen Harper quickly jumped in and tried to label
all of the Liberal leadership candidates as anti-Israeli.
Who says politics is boring these days, anyway?
943&sid=14816

“TURKISH-FRENCH RELATIONS WERE HARMED” – TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER
Anatolia news agency, Turkey
15 Oct 06
Ankara, 15 October: Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul left for
Luxembourg to attend foreign ministers’ meeting of Turkey-EU Troika.
Gul replied to the questions of reporters prior to his departure from
Ankara’s Esenboga Airport.
Asked whether he considered French President Jacques Chirac (who
telephoned Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and said he was
sorry for the adoption of a bill in the French National Assembly that
would make it a crime to deny so-called Armenian genocide) “sincere”,
Gul said Erdogan discussed all the issues in question with Chirac.
“We have concerns. Unfortunately Turkish-French relations were
harmed. I hope France will become aware of this,” Gul noted.
Gul stated that all the international community and the EU circles
criticized this bill, indicating that, “France is discredited. I hope
French politicians and statesmen will become aware of this and take
necessary measures.”
Gul said Turkey would maintain its efforts within the framework of
a programme to prevent the bill become a law. He said many measures
were in question, stating that all those would be discussed in a
special agenda of the Turkish parliament on Tuesday [17 October].
Giving information about the Turkey-EU Troika meeting, Gul said
during his contacts in Luxembourg, he would explain [to] EU executives
Turkey’s expectations as regards to the Progress Report expected to
be made public on 8 November.
Gul said the meeting was important as it takes place immediately
after the screening process and prior to the Progress Report.
Turkish FM indicated that the studies that were fulfilled within the
framework of Turkey’s EU membership and the future studies would be
discussed in detail with the EU partners. He said Turkey’s negotiation
process would be reviewed and at the same time the parties would
exchange views on various regional and international matters.
Gul said the EU party explicitly displayed its will on dialogue and
cooperation with Turkey on various international matters with the
effect of several developments that occurred recently.
“The role that Turkey may play on regional issues and global issues
like the alliance of civilizations become more apparent recently. The
crisis which erupted in the Middle East in July is the best example
for this,” Gul added.
Stating that the Troika meeting would take place at a time when
Turkey was passing through an important corner in EU membership
process, Gul said, “to this end, I have no doubt that both parties
would benefit from the meeting in the best way to further improve
Turkish-EU relations.”
Gul also said he would have the opportunity to meet foreign ministers
of several EU member countries during his visit to Luxembourg.
Replying to a question about Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code
(TCK), Gul said, “all the ideas, unless they include violence or incite
violence, should be spoken and written in Turkey. It would be injustice
to Turkey to say that people cannot express their views in Turkey.”
Gul pointed out that there were several problems stemming from
implementation, and noted that, “we are closely pursuing them. We
will do what is necessary.”
“This is a process and we follow the implementation. However, I will
recall the public opinion when I go to the EU. Copenhagen criteria
has already changed with this attitude of France. Turkey is aware
of its deficiencies as a country which is not a full member. We are
exerting efforts to eliminate the deficiencies. We do all those as
our people deserve this,” Gul said.
Proposal of Finland
Replying to a question about Cyprus proposal of Finland, Gul said this
country was in good will efforts to find a solution particularly to
Cyprus question and prevent this problem to overshadow the EU process.
Gul said Finland talked about this issue with Turkey before, noting
that, “we said Turkey will welcome every kind of good will efforts.
We will welcome all constructive and objective initiatives. We said
we would cooperate.”
Gul said this issue would also be discussed in Luxembourg.
Gul wished the good will steps taken by Turkey to be noticed, and noted
that, “it should not be forgotten that the island has two parties. One
is the Turkish Cypriot party, other is the Greek Cypriot party. The
disagreement is between them. We are not the direct party of the
issue. Thus, everybody should talk to TRNC [self-declared Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus] executives in order to make progress
and to be constructive.”
Gul said he hoped Finland would talk to TRNC President Mehmet Ali
Talat to understand the matter better and to convince the parties.

TURKEY-FRANCE-ARMENIA: CHIRAC EXPRESSES REGRET
Gareth Cartman
Paris Link, France
Oct 16 2006
Jacques Chirac has expressed his regret to the Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Attempting to re-explain the French position
on the Armenian genocide, Chirac is being forced to backtrack on
comments he made in Yerevan, Armenia.
A telephone call was enough to indicate to Prime Minister Erdogan of
Turkey that Jacques Chirac was not fully in agreement with his own
parliament regarding the passing of the law penalising negation of
the Armenian Genocide by Turks in 1915.
Turkey denies the concept of genocide and continues to contest the
actual number of deaths perpetrated by the Ottoman empire during the
second world war. The Socialist party in France proposed the law
last week in parliament, which passed succesfully without most of
the house voting. The Senate is extremely unlikely to accept the law,
and even if it did, President Chirac would annul it immediately.
Chirac continued to underline that Turkey would have to accept the
Armenian genocide as a pre-condition for entry into the European
Union. Turkey still views Chirac’s line as hostile, although has
called for consumers not to boycott French products.
The Turkish Union of Consumers has also called for a softer line to
be taken against France, although still maintains that some kind of
boycott is essential as an indication of its fury towards France.
Demonstrations continued throughout the weekend against the proposed
law.

The Associated Press
October 12, 2006 Thursday 4:43 PM GMT
French lawmakers infuriate Turkey with Armenia genocide vote
By EMMANUEL GEORGES-PICOT, Associated Press Writer
Infuriating Turkey, a thin turnout of French lawmakers Thursday
approved a bill that would make it a crime to deny that mass killings
of Armenians in Turkey during the World War I era amounted to
genocide.
In Ankara, angry Turks threw eggs at the French Embassy amid growing
calls to boycott French goods, although the bill could face an
impossible struggle to become law or even make it to the upper house
for further discussion.
“No one should harbor the conviction that Turkey will take this
lightly,” Turkey’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said.
The bill passed 106-19, but the majority of the 557 lawmakers in
France’s lower house did not take part in the vote.
President Jacques Chirac’s government opposed the bill, although it
did not use its majority in the lower house to vote it down. Instead,
most ruling party lawmakers did not vote on the text that was brought
by the opposition Socialist Party.
Chirac’s government is thought to be unlikely to forward the bill for
passage by the Senate.
The French president did not comment on the vote Thursday, although
he previously has said that the bill “is more of a polemic than legal
reality.”
His former spokeswoman Catherine Colonna, now France’s minister for
European affairs, told parliament Thursday that the government did
not look favorably on the bill.
“It is not for the law to write history,” she said shortly before the
vote.
The Armenia genocide issue has become intertwined with ongoing debate
in France and across Europe about whether to admit mostly Muslim
Turkey into the European Union. France is home to hundreds of
thousands of people whose families came from Armenia.
On Thursday, Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk won the Nobel literature
prize for his works dealing with the symbols of clashing cultures.
Pamuk was charged last year for telling a Swiss newspaper in February
2005 that Turkey was unwilling to deal with two of the most painful
episodes in recent Turkish history: the massacre of Armenians and
recent guerrilla fighting in Turkey’s overwhelmingly Kurdish
southeast. The charge was later dropped.
Chirac says he favors Turkey’s membership in the EU. But on a visit
to Armenia last month, he also urged Turkey to recognize “the
genocide of Armenians” in order to join the EU.
“Each country grows by acknowledging its dramas and errors of the
past,” Chirac said.
Gul, the Turkish foreign minister, said the bill dealt a serious blow
to Turkish-French relations and damaged the credibility of France as
an EU member which defends freedom of expression.
“From now on, France will never describe itself as the homeland of
freedoms,” Gul said.
France has already recognized the killings of up to 1.5 million
Armenians from 1915 to 1919 as genocide; under Thursday’s bill, those
who contest it was genocide would risk up to a year in prison and
fines of up to $56,000.
A law passed in 1990 makes it a crime to deny the Holocaust.
Armenia accuses Turkey of massacring Armenians during World War I,
when Armenia was under the Ottoman Empire. Turkey says Armenians were
killed in civil unrest during the collapse of the empire.
Outside the French parliament building, a few dozen protesters of
Armenian descent celebrated.
“The memory of the victims is finally totally respected,” said Alexis
Govciyan, head of a group of Armenian organizations in France.
The vote on the bill in Paris dominated front pages of most Turkish
newspapers, with some reporting that thousands of Turks have promised
to go to France and deny genocide in hopes of getting arrested if the
bill passes. Two TV networks in Turkey broadcast the parliamentary
floor debate live.
Associated Press writer Selcan Hacaoglu contributed to this report
from Ankara, Turkey.

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
October 13, 2006 Friday
“THERE IS THE DANGER THAT THE SITUATION WILL WORSEN YET”
by: Mikhail Vignansky
AN INTERVIEW WITH MAJOR GENERAL ANDREI POPOV, RUSSIAN ARMY GROUP IN
THE CAUCASUS COMMANDER; An interview with Major General Andrei Popov,
Russian Army Group in the Caucasus Commander.
The Russian Army Group in the Caucasus returned to a normal state of
combat readiness on October 9. Its readiness status had been upped in
late September, when the Georgians arrested four Russian officers on
charges of espionage and cordoned off the Army Group headquarters in
Tbilisi demanding the fifth suspect. Here is an interview with Major
General Andrei Popov, Commander of the Russian Army Group in the
Caucasus.
Andrei Popov: Tension abated some, the siege was lifted from the
headquarters, and we are back to a normal state of readiness now. And
yet, there is the danger that the situation will worsen yet. That is
why we are ever ready to upgrade the readiness status again.
Question: Georgia announced that new rules of transit of personnel
and military shipments to the 102nd Military Base in Gyumri (Armenia)
came into effect on October 9…
Andrei Popov: I do not know what new rules are meant by that. All
procedures are specified by the withdrawal accord signed in 2005. We
always apply for transit permits on time. We always discuss
everything with the Georgian side beforehand.
Question: How many servicemen and members of their families are in
Georgia nowadays?
Andrei Popov: Almost 3,000 servicemen and as many family members.
Question: How many civilians were evacuated by planes of the
Emergency Ministry?
Andrei Popov: Forty-four people.
Question: Did anybody else apply for evacuation?
Andrei Popov: Five people did.
Question: Have the Russian sanctions against Georgia backfired and
affected the military? How do objects of the Russian Army Group in
the Caucasus receive shipments and reinforcements?
Andrei Popov: Nothing has affected us. We’ve been bringing everything
via Armenia or buying whatever we need right here for several years
already. We have what we need to last until the withdrawal scheduled
for 2008. Unfortunately, Georgia has been making problems with visas
for our servicemen for over a week already. As for the measures taken
by the Russian leadership, we support them wholeheartedly.
Question: The Russian Army Group in the Caucasus was scheduled to
turn over to Georgia five objects that are no longer used in
September and October…
Andrei Popov: We are ready to keep our part of the bargain. It’s the
Georgians who have been silent.
Source: Vremya Novosti, October 10, 2006, p. 6

A1+
HAKOBYAN DEPRIVED OF IMMUNITY
[08:45 pm] 13 October, 2006
The Parliament agreed to the mediation of the RA Public Prosecutor
`to involve NA deputy Hakob Hakobyan in the case as accused’. 56
deputies voted for and 22 voted against. 84 deputies participated in
the secret vote. Six ballots were invalid.
Member of the calculating committee Aghasi Arshakyan announced that
there were violations during the voting as different deputies marked
the ballots differently. But head of the committee Gagik Meliqyan
announced that the information does not correspond to reality and the
voting took place according to the regulations.
By the way, Hakob Hakobyan himself voted for his being involved in the
case as accused.
Before voting the factions represented their positions about the
issue.
National Unity announced that they will not participate in the
voting. Leader of the United Labor party faction Gourgen Arsenyan and
secretary of «Justice» faction Grigor Haroutyunyan announced that
their deputies are free to vote as they want to. The Orinats Yerkir
and People’s Party were of the same opinion. The ARF Dashnaktsutyun
was for restricting the immunity of deputies, and the Republican party
was for realization of justice and «not patriotic speeches».
Leader of the Republican faction Galoust Sahakyan blamed the
opposition and reminded that Hakobyan is their friend and even if he
has committed a crime, he is still their friend; in the end he noted
that the Parliament does not have the right to hinder realization of
justice.
NA Speaker Tigran Torosyan added that the Parliament has no right to
deprive the deputy of his right to prove his innocence.
After the speeches the floor was given to Hakob Hakobyan. He informed
that he has really participated in the quarrel. «Yes, I did it and I
prevented bloodshed», he said and informed that thanks to him the
quarrel did not end with shooting and victims. Hakobyan informed that
he is not against investigation, but if they try to violate his
rights, he will defend himself. «I warn you, I’m not afraid of death».
The deputy also announced that he was elected in 1999 and in 1991-1999
he was a common citizen and asked why his affairs weren’t checked
then. He also showed the case against his friend where his name was
involved two, `Three courts have justified him’, he underlined.
Hakobyan claimed that 90% of the case is fabricated against him. He
claimed that the representatives of the Karate federation stopped the
supply of gas to his gas station and demanded money in order to
restart it. According to him, this was the reason why the quarrel
started. He informed the Public Prosecutor that 165 houses have been
searched illegally, 35 people have been arrested and there has been no
news about them for the last four days, but the criminal case has been
initiated only against four people. `Where are the others?’ the deputy
asked.
At the end of his speech Hakob Hakobyan informed that his rights have
been violated in the isolation cell: he had no telephone and no
advocate.