Author: Emil Lazarian

JUSTICE MINISTER DAVID HAROUTIUNIAN INTENDS TO PARTICIPATE IN 2007 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

Noyan Tapan
Jul 6 2006

YEREVAN, JULY 6, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Justice Minister David Haroutiunian
is going to take part in the 2007 parliamentary elections and does
not intend to take part in the 2008 presidential elections. The
non-partisan Minister declared this to journalists on July 6 at the
parliament without disclosing with what political force he is going to
take part in the elections. The Minister "at least for the present does
not intend to create a party." He also does not exclude his joining
any party or remaining non-partisan. "I have been always engaged in
politics and will continue to," D.Haroutunian assured. According to
him, this is conditioned by a number of unsolved problems, both in the
justice and educational spheres the Minister intends to complete. The
last developments in the country prompt to him that "no non-partisan
MPs or those presening the policy of any party non-precisely should
exist any longer." He assured that if he continues to be engaged in
politics, it is unequivocal that he will express the viewpoint of
some party.

In response to journalists’ question, the Minister highly appreciated
the professionalism of his Spokesperson Ara Saghatelian having
resigned lately mentioning that the latter "was a good employee"
and he was pleased with Saghatelian’s work.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARTURS READY TO TESTIFY, SAYS LAWYER
Story By Mugumo Munene And Lucas Barasa

The Nation, Kenya
July 6 2006

The two Armenians who were deported to Dubai after causing a commotion
at Kenya’s main airport are ready to return to the country to testify
before the Kiruki commission.

However lawyer Oscar Avedi, who appeared before the commission to
state the case of the suspect brothers, was turned away after he
failed to vouch for his clients’ shadowy identity.

In a twist of events, Mr Avedi, who was standing in for lawyer Gibson
Morara in representing the two, admitted that he did not know the
true identity of his clients.

And yesterday it turned out that the Armenians were casually issued
with the security passes, which would allow them access to the aircraft
parking lots (apron) and all lounges in all airports.

The passes were given following verbal instructions given over the
telephone to the issuing officer, Mr Edward Mutai, who is the ninth
witness to appear before the commission.

A stunned assisting counsel Ms Dorcas Oduor asked Mr Mutai: "Do you
realise that you gave a pass to two people to access to aprons and
lounges in all our airports without anything? You don’t know them,
you don’t even know what they were going to do. Think of the known
and unknown that could have happened if they continued to hold these
passes."

Last week, it emerged that the Government had received two official
communications from Interpol Armenia, which branded the two brothers
as impostors.

The communications, one in March and the other in April, stated that
neither Artur Margaryan, the tall bearded one nor Artur Sargsyan,
the shorter one who always wore dark spectacles, were related to the
Armenian prime minister as they had publicly claimed.

Their identity was muddled further after it turned out that they
had used different names to acquire Kenyan passports, which had been
stolen blank from the Immigrations department in May.

Mr Margaryan and his bodyguard, Mr Julius T. Lucas, were issued with
passes on February 10, while Ms Sharfina Alarakiya and Mr Sargasyan
Arman (Artur Sargsyan) were given the documents on June 8.

Yesterday, Mr Mutai admitted that regulations were flouted, as the
true identity of the Armenians was never sought before the passes
were issued.

For a Kenyan to be issued with such a pass, they would require a
certificate of good conduct from the director of CID. They would also
require finger and palm prints in addition to detailed information
given in the prescribed forms.

Additionally, the employer is required to fill a separate form stating
their business at the airport and vouching for their employer’s worth
of trust.

Foreigners are required to be introduced to KAA through Foreign
Affairs ministry.

None of the rules was followed when the Armenians were issued with
the documents. Neither did the Government officials take issue with
the scant details provided in the application forms. Instead, they
simply walked off with their passes and application forms within
minutes. The forms cannot be traced.

Following is the exchange between commission chairman Shedrack Kiruki
and Mr Avedi over the identity of the two brothers.

Avedi: My lords, I’m Oscar Avedi, and I’m here on behalf of Gibson
Morara advocate, who is unwell and asked me to appear before you
today for purposes of representing the Artur brothers.

Kiruki: Mr Avedi, can you tell us exactly whom you want to represent.

Avedi: Artur Margaryan and and Artur Sargsyan.

Kiruki: We are told that those people have never been to Kenya. Can
you tell us who your clients are?

Avedi: They are willing to come and testify and we will be making an
application for them to come and testify.

Kiruki: We have been told that Arturs have never been to our country.

Avedi: Those are the people who are being mentioned and they are the
ones I’m representing right now as we speak.

Kiruki: What if it turns out that they are not the people you are
representing?

Avedi: Then it will turn out that the inquiry is here investigating
other people and not the two brothers.

Kiruki: We have been told that the Arturs are in Armenia and have
never been here.

Avedi: True, but the inquiry is investigating the Artur brothers and
that is why we are here.

Kiruki: You are coming to represent who yourself?

Avedi: I’m holding brief for Gibson Morara, who has been instructed to
come on record for the two brothers Artur Margaryan and Artur Sargsyan.

Kiruki: Mr Avedi can you go and find out exactly who you want to
represent because those people have never been to our country. Find
out from the person you are holding brief for, on whose behalf you
are appearing.

Avedi: Yes. On a point of clarification, I believe the commission of
inquiry is looking into the conduct of the two brothers.

Isaack: Maybe, what the chairman wanted to find out from you is this;
your clients have been holding themselves out as Artur Margaryan and
Artur Sargsyan here, but do you know their real names.

Avedi: I do not know their real names. Maybe at the end of the inquiry
we will know who they really are.

Kiruki: How can you represent someone whose real name you don’t know?

Avedi: They have called themselves the Artur brothers.

Kiruki: That is why we are asking you to find out who is involved.

The inquiry covers more than that. It’s not only the names that
were thrown around. When you come here, tell us who you are going to
appear for.

Avedi: I’m appearing for people who are the subject of the inquiry.

At the end of it, we will get to know who they really are.

Kiruki: We have evidence that the people who are mentioned have
never stepped in our country. We’d like to know who you are going
to represent.

Avedi: At the end of it, we will know who they are. They are willing
to come and testify and we will ask them; who are you?

Kiruki: Would it be too much to ask your friend?

Avedi: No, I can do that. But for clarification, is leave being
granted?

Kiruki: We can’t grant you permission to represent someone you
don’t know.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BRITISH REPORTER BARRED ENTRY TO RUSSIA
By Oliver Bullough

St.Petersburg Times, Russia
July 4 2006

MOSCOW – Russia has refused a visa to a British journalist well-known
for his coverage of Chechnya and the turbulent Caucasus, citing the
needs of "state security".

Thomas de Waal, who has previously worked in Moscow for the
English-language Moscow Times, the St. Petersburg Times, the BBC and
the Times, said on Monday he had been due to attend the presentation
of a Russian version of his book on the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.

But the Federal Migration Service refused him a visa.

The service was not available for comment on Monday but in its letter
refusing the application it cited a 1996 law that says a visa can be
refused "in the aims of securing state security."

De Waal said he had cooperated with Russian officials in the past
on Nagorno-Karabakh, a South Caucasus region officially part of
Azerbaijan but ruled by Armenians, and did not believe they would
bar him for his views on the conflict.

"This clearly has to be because of the other main thing that I write
about, which is Chechnya," de Waal, 39, told Reuters by telephone
from London.

Russian officials have been sensitive about Western criticism of the
war in Chechnya, where they have struggled to crush separatism for
more than a decade, and local journalists have been prosecuted for
sympathising with the rebels.

President Vladimir Putin in 2002 said a foreign journalist critical of
Russia’s policy in the region should become a Muslim and be circumcised
"in such a way that nothing grows back."

Russia barred U.S. channel ABC news from Russia after it ran an
interview with Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev.

Press freedom groups say that Russia tries to intimidate journalists
into only reporting the Kremlin view on Chechnya.

A Russian journalist in February was convicted of provoking racial
hatred after he printed articles by rebel leaders.

De Waal is best known in Russia for appearing as an expert witness for
the defense at the extradition trial of rebel leader Akhmed Zakayev
in London. He said that his involvement in the trial could be behind
his failure to get a visa.

The British court in 2003 declined to extradite Zakayev, giving him
political asylum instead – a move that infuriated Moscow, which calls
Zakayev a terrorist.

"It is possible that the wheels turn rather slowly, or that this is
a cumulative account of things I have done over the last 10 years,"
de Waal said. He last visited Russia in January 2005.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MAMMADYAROV: "ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN CONFLICT IS OBSTACLE FOR GLOBAL ENERGY PROJECTS IN THE REGION"

Today, Azerbaijan
July 4 2006

Yesterday Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov has received NATO assistant
secretary general for Public Diplomacy, Jan Furne.

According to APA, the guest stated close cooperation of NATO Public
Diplomacy department with Azerbaijan, NATO week held in Baku,
Euroatlantic information center’s opening to be the personification
of the cooperation.

In his turn, foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov brought to the
attention of attaching great importance to cooperation with NATO. He
stated that Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict is obstacle to global energy
and other projects implementation in the region.

The Minister speaking of paying attention to the education, stated
the Heydar Aliyev Foundation President Mehriban Aliyeva services,
as well as touched upon the diplomatic academy to be established at
the Ministry.

URL:

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BRITISH JOURNALIST DENIED ENTRY VISA

IFEX, Canada
Int’l Freedom of Expression eXpress
July 5 2006

Date: 04 July 2006
Source: Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations (CJES)
Person(s): Thomas de Vaal
Target(s): journalist(s)
Type(s) of violation(s): other
Urgency: Threat

(CJES/IFEX) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia (MID) has
denied an entry visa to the Caucasus Editor and Project Coordinator
for the Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) in London, Mr.

Thomas de Vaal. The journalist sought entry in response to an
invitation from the Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ) to participate
in the launching ceremony for the Russian translation of his book
"Black Garden", focusing on the events and situation in Nagorny
Karabakh.

The MID invoked a law which allows the denial of entry to foreigners
if considered necessary to guarantee the safety of the state. In the
official justification for the visa denial, of which CJES has a copy,
it is written: "According to item 1 of clause 27 of the Federal
Law from August, 15th, 1996 114-FZ, ‘On order of departure from
the Russian Federation and entrance to the Russian Federation’, the
citizen of Great Britain, Mr. De Vaal Thomas Patrick, born 12/7/1966,
is not allowed to enter the territory of the Russian Federation". The
document was signed by the chief of registration for the invitations
department, Mr. N. Kurakov.

"We are sure that the denial of the visa is, first of all, related to
the fact that Thomas de Vaal wrote about the Chechen Republic. This
theme was present in his articles when he was a correspondent for
‘The Moscow Times’ and ‘The Times’", said CJES Director Oleg Panfilov.

Panfilov also noted that de Vaal "is known as well for having been a
witness in London in the legal proceedings on the possible extradition
of Ahmed Zakaev".

As de Vaal told Panfilov, he was surprised by the visa denial since,
after having served as witness on the legal proceedings for Ahmad
Zakaev in London, "he has already twice visited Russia".

According to de Vaal, his visa denial, and especially its justification
on grounds of his being a "threat to safety of Russia", "is ironic
enough", considering he had communicated with MID employees and other
officials, some of whom had even been invited to the launching of
his book in Moscow.

Panfilov observes that it not the first time authorities have forbidden
entrance to foreign journalists: "Since 2000, we have collected a list
of names of journalists who have been denied Russian entry visas,
and this list now contains more than 30 names. I think that all
this is connected with the Chechen Republic because almost all those
journalists to whom a visa was denied either had worked in the Chechen
Republic or wrote about it, as is the case with Thomas de Vaal".

ARMENIAN MINISTER BACKS GARABAGH MEDIATORS’ PROPOSALS

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
July 4 2006

Baku, July 3, AssA-Irada
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian has praised the latest
proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen mediating settlement
to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict.

"The proposals are largely acceptable for the Armenian side and we are
ready to continue talks with Azerbaijan," he told a news conference
in Yerevan on Monday.

The minister said the suggestions equally benefit both parties to
the conflict, regarding this as "the right way to reach compromise".

"I believe that Azerbaijan will realize this and take appropriate
steps," said Oskanian.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OSCE TACKLES MONITORING OF AZERI LAND SET ABLAZE BY ARMENIANS

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
July 4 2006

Baku, July 3, AssA-Irada
The OSCE chairman’s special envoy Andrjej Caspzyk started a monitoring
of the occupied Azeri territories set ablaze by Armenians over the
past month. The three-day research will take place on the frontline
as well as a number of villages of the Aghdam and Khojavand districts,
the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry said.

Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said the observations will be
reflected in a relevant report. He said that considering the gravity of
the situation, the Azerbaijani side has offered to provide assistance
in the activities.

"Andrjej Caspzyk was expected to go there today and I discussed this
with him last week. He will conclude based on his findings which
areas have been affected and how much damage has been inflicted,"
Mammadyarov said.

The Foreign Ministry says over 132 hectares of Azerbaijani land have
been burnt down by Armenians. The financial damage amounts to millions
of dollars.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CLERICS CONCERNED ABOUT WORLD DEVIATION FROM RELIGIOUS VALUES
Yelena Dorofeyeva, Olga Kostromina

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
July 4, 2006 Tuesday

Delegates to the World Religious Summit are concerned about the modern
world’s deviation from religious values. They think this may lead to
degradation of mankind.

Ethnic and cultural tensions and conflicts threaten mankind, said
Cardinal Walter Kasper. Secularism, especially that in the Western
world, is the main reason for weaker morals, he added. At the same
time, the cardinal stressed the danger of attempts to misuse religion
as a pretext for hatred and murder.

U.S. rabbi Arthur Schneier called for promoting public cooperation
through inter-religious dialog. He thinks that Judaists, Christians,
Muslims and Buddhists must help world leaders to fight intolerance.

Politicians should not treat with contempt the role of religions in
their country, the rabbi said. In his opinion, religion can make a
weighty contribution to the public development.

Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Iliya II said that politicians
"should more actively use the religious factor in the globalization
epoch." "Church and religious leaders may play a serious role in the
solution of such problems as terrorism, national conflicts, refugees,
drug addition and poverty," he said. In some countries clerics have
such powers, he said.

Catholicos of all Armenians Garegin II spoke of the dangerous public
alienation from religious values. He thinks that this alienation is
a cause of cloning and euthanasia.

A Hindu cleric, Sri S.T. Swamiji, said they must recognize the
diversity of the world bestowed by Lord, and help other people accept
this world as it is.

Syrian Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassun reminded delegates of the
high mission of human beings. He said that religions are bound to
care for natural resources and people created after the image and
likeness of God.

BAKU: KARABAKH PROCESS BASES ON CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN FMS BUT NOT PRESIDENTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.07.2006 14:55 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process
bases upon the consultations between the Foreign Ministers of Armenia
and Azerbaijan but not Presidents, head of the department of press
and information policy at the Azeri MFA Tahir Taghizade stated. He
"expresses surprise" over the latest statement by the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-chairs, "who again laid stress on the necessity of presidential
meetings." "We are all well aware that the negotiation process bases
on the contacts between the Foreign Ministers. They should discuss the
whole scope of issues and build foundation for presidential meetings,"
Taghizade said. At that he pointed out to the identity of approaches
of the OSCE Minsk Group and Baku, which stands for stepwise settlement
of the conflict.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FATE OF JAVAKHK DEPENDS ON ARTSAKH

Panorama.am
15:06 04/07/06

Manvel Yeghiazaryan, commander of Arabo detachment is sure that
president Robert Kocharyan will not sign under any document on
Karabakh conflict if it is not pro-Armenian. However, he also said
that there are some people around Kocharyan who force the president
to go to such concessions. M. Yeghiazaryan did not detail who those
officials are. But Liova Sahakyan, member of Independence Army,
made public names who, according to him, urge Kocharyan to go to
concessions which are not favorable for Armenians. Among them, he
mentioned a number of high rank officials.

The commander of Artsakh regiment Michael Apresyan said that there
must be no speech about return of refugees because this will result in
elimination of Armenians from Karabakh. In the words of Yeghiazaryan,
then we can lose Javakhk also because Armenian in Javakhk will
think that the motherland cannot help them and will leave the
region.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress