Author: Chalian Meline

CNN
June 9 2006

Kenya calls high rollers mercenaries, arrests them
10 luxury cars, jewelry, guns, machetes found at Armenians’ home

Friday, June 9, 2006 Posted: 1554 GMT (2354 HKT)

NAIROBI, Kenya (Reuters) — Kenyan police on Friday arrested two
Armenian brothers whose swaggering lifestyle turned them into
celebrities after they were accused of being mercenaries involved in
a controversial police raid on media offices.

There have been repeated allegations that the wealthy Armenians,
known for their fleet of luxury cars and flashy jewelry, were
protected by powerful political allies in Kenya.

Police seized a Mercedes car with government plates during a raid on
the heavily guarded home of Artur Margariyan and Arthur Sargsian in a
ritzy Nairobi suburb early on Friday. A lesser known brother, Arman,
was also arrested.

Police sources said they made the arrests after the brothers roughed
up customs officials at Nairobi airport. They have not made public
any exact charges.

“They were supposed to pay for some items they were carrying, and
they got into a scuffle before leaving. They were followed home,”
said a police official speaking on condition of anonymity.

The sources said later the brothers were at the airport on Friday
awaiting deportation.

Accused of tie to media raid
The private Citizen television station showed police seizing a dozen
car license plates, including some supposed to be issued only to
diplomats, during the raid. Among more than 10 luxury cars at their
home, a Lexus truck could also be seen with red and blue police
lights in the grille.

The police official said guns, machetes and bulletproof vests were
recovered.

The brothers burst onto Kenyan front pages in March after opposition
politician Raila Odinga accused them of being mercenaries behind a
raid on a major Kenyan media house that drew a storm of domestic and
international criticism.

The brothers denied Odinga’s charges.

The raid by police commandos on KTN television and its sister
newspaper the Standard was seen as a low point in the three-year rule
of President Mwai Kibaki, already suffering from a sharp fall in
popularity and major corruption scandals.

The Kenyan government justified the raid by saying journalists had
been bribed to plant stories that threatened national security, but
never clarified what the stories were.

The government promised an investigation into the Armenians, but has
never made results public.

Lawyers for the men could not immediately be reached for comment on
Friday.

The brothers have told Reuters they are businessmen based in Dubai
with interests in import-export, property development, a nightclub
and gold and diamond trading.

They have become fixtures in cartoons and gossip columns despite
their repeated assertions that they are respectable businessmen
prepared to invest large sums in Kenya.

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
June 9 2006

I hope that Armenian government will analyze results of high-level
talks and look through its position – Azeri deputy FM

Source: Trend
Author: R.Abdullayev

09.06.2006

I hope that the Armenian government will analyze the results of the
talks at high level in Rambue and Bucharest, and review its position
in the direction of constructivism, Araz Azimov, the Azerbaijani
deputy foreign minister, made such a statement in his interview to
journalists on June 9, Trend reports.

According to Azimov, day-by-day Armenia becomes alone in its position
on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict because today there is no support for
the position of an aggressor-country. `In no country of the world,
Yerevan cannot receive any support in its occupation of Azerbaijani
lands. Several countries have already expressed their unwillingness
to establish normal relations with Armenia. Yerevan understands that
its current position will not bring desirable results,’ told Azimov.
Azimov stressed his confidence that the position of Armenia would
further weaken day-by-day.

`Half of the Armenian people have leaved the country. Therefore, the
current position should be looked through,’ added Azimov.

Touching on the upcoming meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign
ministers, Azimov ruled out that the meeting would focus on the
process of negotiations, in particular the issues that what steps can
be taken as a result of the meeting of presidents in Bucharest. We
have to find an answer to the question: in what direction does it
need to continue the peace talks to regulate the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict?

Besides, Azimov expressed his attitude towards the rotation of
co-chairs of OSCE Minsk group. `I don’t think that the diplomat who
will substitute Steven Mann will be less experienced in the process
of Azerbaijan-Armenian conflict. To my knowledge, the diplomat is
also experienced and principal,’ told Azimov.

Furthermore, Azimov spoke about the positive activity of Steven Mann
in the co-chair position. `From the conceptual point of view and
position of the talks process, Mann brought important advancement to
the dialogue process on the solution of Azerbaijani-Armenian
conflict,’ considers Azimov.

ARMENIA PASSES AZERBAIJAN HAMMER – SYMBOL OF CHAIRMANSHIP IN BSEC PA

YEREVAN, JUNE 8, NOYAN TAPAN. The 27th session of the Parliamentary
Assembly (PA) of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) ended on June 8
in Yerevan.

Armenia that had been presiding at PA BSEC over the past 6 months,
passed chairmanship to Azerbaijan. RA NA Speaker Tigran Torosian gave
the hammer – symbol of chairmanship in the organization, to head of
Azerbaijani delegation Asaf Hajiev for the latter to pass it to
Chairman of Milli Majlis Oktay Asadov. “I am sure that our
organization headed by the new Chairman, Mr Oktay Asadov, will
continue to follow its good traditions and will achieve greater
success in its activity,” Torosian mentioned.

Hajiev read the greeting of the new BSEC PA Chairman, which, in
particular, mentioned that all participants of the Yerevan forum are
invited to the Assembly’s next sitting to be held on November 22-23 in
the city of Baku.

In his speech Tigran Torosian mentioned the active participation of
all Assembly members in the session. “Unfortunately, there are
conflicts in the region that can be solved only thanks to a joint
purposeful work in the future. I want to express confidence that BSEC
PA’s activity will continue to be aimed at not only establishment of
firm economic, but also friendly contacts among our peoples,” the
Armenian Parliament Speaker emphasized.

Official Baku discontent that the international structures do not
intend to exert pressure over Armenia

ArmRadio.am
09.06.2006 13:20

Head of the Socio-Political Department of the Office to the President
of Azerbaijan Ali Hasanov is discontent with the fact that `the
international structures and the OSCE Minsk Group do not intend to
exert pressure over Armenia.’

Ali Hasanov declared that `Azerbaijan is not satisfied with the peace
talks on the Karabakh conflict settlement.

Turning to the prospects of continuing the dialogue between the
leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Hasanov noted that the Presidents
themselves should decide this. `In case Ilham Aliev decides that the
meetings have no more prospects, Azerbaijan will apply other adequate
measures,’ he declared.

In Hasanov’s words, the OSCE Minsk Group has new suggestions, which
are not made public, but the sides are discussing these.

`We are not content with the current talks, since Armenia does not
refuse from its non-constructive position, and international
structures and the OSCE Minsk Group do not intend to exert pressure on
it,’ Ali Hasanov declared.

Gor Vardanyan’s `Destiny’ film to be screened in Yerevan on June 11

ArmRadio.am
09.06.2006 14:56

First screening of Gor Vardanyan’s `Destiny’ film is expected June
11th. It is a movie telling about the Karabakh movement, where
concrete historical events and political figures have been replaced by
a collective image.

`Except the story of an Armenian, the ‘Destiny’ is a human story,’
said protagonist Gor Vardanyan. Everyone can find himself here. The
movie has been presented in the contest program of the `Golden
Apricot’ international festival.

`The film will have also an international screening,’ Gor Vardanyan
said. On June 13 it will be screened in Artsakh.

ARMENIAN VILLAGE OPERATION (AVO) AND MDF-KAMURJ IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DIASPORA DONATION MICRO FINANCED 25 FARMERS IN LORI REGION

AZG Armenian Daily
09/06/2006

Armenia Village Operation (AVO) is a non-governmental organization,
founded by Hilda Grigorian, a Diaspora residence of Glendale,
California. AVO’s mission is to contribute to the livelihood of civil
society in the most vulnerable areas in Armenia, the overall vision
is to put an end to extreme poverty in Armenia.

Ever since it’s establishment, AVO in partnership with UNDP and
other private donors has successfully completed numerous community
development projects in rural areas of Armenia. AVO has recently
signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Eurasia Foundation to
implement youth and women development projects in the country.

Microfinance Development Fund Kamurj (MDF-Kamurj) is a mature and
internationally well recognized Armenian microfinance organization
(), founded by Save the Children and CRS and financed
by a number of international donors. The organization has been in micro
finance industry since 2000, currently is serving 9,300 economically
active vulnerable families in urban and rural Armenia with over 3.8
million Dollars of microfinance loans outstanding.

A coalition was established between AVO, MDF-Kamurj and an Armenian
Diaspora, Mr. Johnny Sahagian, to implement a microfinance project
in the Gargar village of Lori Region. With generous contribution of Mr.

Sahagian, disbursement of micro loans was made to 25 farmers to
purchase seed, farming materials and tools to expand their farming
operation and generate income and employment in Gargar village.

Mr. Johnny Sahagian is a business entrepreneur with an ambition
to contribute funds to this particular village where his great
grandparents were born and raised. Mr. Sahagian traveled to Armenia
and expressed his deep concern of the poor condition of the villages,
his son Khoren spent months in Armenia working on humanitarian
projects. Mr. Sahagian said “it’s important for our community to
understand the importance of employment and income generation in the
rural areas, to contribute to community development of our villages
and avoid high migration, let’s teach people how to fish so they can
feed themselves for life”.

For more information about Armenia Village Operation, please visit

Pic 1. Hilda Grigorian, MDF Kamurj staff and Gargar Community Leaders.

Pic 2. MDF Kamurj staff disbursing funds to community.

AYNUR SOFIYEVA: “FIDE RECOGNIZES TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF AZERBAIJAN”

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 8 2006

In the next congress of FIDE held in Turin city of Italy, there was
a dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia Chess Federation leadership.

In the meeting, Armenians proposed accepting of tournament by FIDE,
which was held in occupied Nagorno Garabagh. Instead they confronted
the severe reply of Aynur Sofiyeva: “Making a speech I asked to
put an end to this talk. I stated that Armenian have nothing to do
with Nagorno Garabagh as well as with Khankendi. How can they hold
tournament in the occupied territory of Azerbaijan?” According to
Aynur Soviyeva after that speech, FIDE president Kirsan Ilumjinov
supported Azerbaijan Chess Federation: “He said in his speech
that holding of tournament of Armenia in the occupied territory is
illegal. FIDE leader said that Azerbaijan Chess Federation should give
permission for holding tournament in Azerbaijani territories occupied
by Armenia.” According to Aynur Sofiyeva, three sided meeting – FIDE,
Azerbaijan and Armenia delegation participation, was to be held with
regard to this matter.

THE “ISLAMIC CONFERENCE” SUPPORTS AZERI POSITION ON KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

ArmRadio.am
08.06.2006 12:20

“We back Azerbaijan in its aspiration to return its lands,” declared
Ekmeletdin Ikhsanoghlu, Secretary General of the “Islamic conference”
organization, at a news conference in Moscow yesterday.

According to “Trand” Agency, he declared that their organization
supports any peace talks between the sides.

“We support Azerbaijan and call on Armenia to cooperate with all
those on the international arena, who aspire for the settlement of the
conflict, be it within the OSCE Minsk Group, UN or other international
structures,” Secretary General of the organization said.

TURKEY WANTS UNBLOCKING OF ITS BORDER WITH ARMENIA

Regnum, Russia
June 7 2006

Turkey wants its border with Armenia to be unblocked, Member of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (PABSEC) committee on legal and political questions,
member of the Turkish Republican People’s Party, MP Mehmet Sevigen
has announced talking to the press. According to him, Turkey, from
its part, does its best, and Armenia, in its turn, should take all
necessary steps for it. “Armenia should observe the UN resolution
and free Azerbaijani territories occupied by it,” Sevigen declared.

Speaking on the issue of recognizing the Armenian Genocide in the
Ottoman Empire in 1915, Sevigen said “the events of 1915 were not
genocide, but a so-called genocide.” “Armenia should give up claiming
for recognizing the events as genocide. Historians should take this
issue. Turkey declassified its archives dating back to the Ottoman
Empire and invited all historians, for whom this was of interest.

When everything becomes clear, we shall see that things are not what
politicians say today,” Sevigen said.

It is worth mentioning, there are no diplomatic relations between
Turkey and Armenia, and the border between the two countries is
blocked on the initiative of the Turkish side.

FIRST SEMINAR OF RETRAINING OF JUDGES ON ISSUES OF GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE LAW OPENS IN YEREVAN

Noyan Tapan
Jun 06 2006

YEREVAN, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The first seminar of retraining of judges
on issues of general administrative law is being held on June 6-9 in
Yerevan. The seminar is held under the aegis of GTZ (German Technical
Company), by the instruction of the Federal Ministry of Cooperation
of Germany, with the sponsorship of RA Ministry of Justice and RA
Cassation Court. The subject of study at the seminar will be the bases
of administration, which form the bases of new RA Administrative Law,
the acting law “On Administrative Legal Proceedings,” as well as the
draft Code of Administrative Legal Proceedings. The judges will have
a possibility to discuss all painful issues cooperating with their
German colleagues, to study the work of this system in practice,
after which to apply it in Armenia. RA Minister of Justice David
Haroutiunian mentioned in his interview to journalists that the
establishment of the administrative justice is important on the way
of becoming a legal state. The system of administrative justice to be
created will solve arguments between the executive power of any level
and citizens, it is supposed that the system be put into operation
next year. RA Minister of Justice explained that in the citizen-power
arguments of administrative legal proceedings the sides are unequal
in difference to the civil legal proceedings, primordially the power
is stronger than citizens, and such legal proceedings are required
that will protect the interests of citizens.