Author: Emil Lazarian

30 RACIST MURDERS COMMITTED IN RUSSIA THIS YEAR – ARMENIAN DIASPORA LEADER

MOSNEWS, Russia
May 31 2006

30 murders motivated by ethnic and religious hatred have been committed
in Russia this year, president of the Union of Armenians in Russia Ara
Abramyan said. He added that 390 racially motivated attacks had been
registered in Russia in 2005, and that seven Armenians had been killed
in the country this year alone, Ekho Moskvy radio reported Wednesday.

The Armenian diaspora leader urged Russia to develop a comprehensive
approach to fighting xenophobia and racial hatred crimes and stressed
that society should condemn members of radical nationalist groups,
RIA Novosti quotes Abramyan as saying.

“They must know that they have no place in society,” he said, adding
that society should start an open dialogue with young people on these
sensitive issues.

Extremism and xenophobia in Russia have been in the spotlight following
a wave of race-hate attacks across the country and the publication
of a report by Amnesty International attacking the government for
not doing enough to combat the problem.

Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev said on May 17 that some 6,000
young people under the age of 18 were involved in extremist activities
in Russia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

WITHDRAWAL OF BASES FROM GEORGIA TO ARMENIA WILL NOT DETERIORATE SITUATION IN REGION, RUSSIAN DM SAYS

Prime News Agency, Georgia
May 31 2006

Tbilisi. May 31 (Prime-News) – Withdrawal of equipment from the Russian
military bases in Georgia to Armenia will not stir destabilisation
in the region, Sergey Ivanov, Russian Defence Minister says.

Part of equipment is being withdrawn to the military base in Gyumr
and it can not be a reason for destabilisation, especially when
taking into consideration that withdrawal does not violate the
agreement on limits within the frameworks of the European Convention
on Conventional Armament, Sergey Ivanov said at the meeting of the
CIS defence ministers in Baku.

According to him, the main part of equipment is being withdrawn
to Russia. As for the Russian military base in Batumi, it will be
withdrawn to Russia by ships.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKEY: ERDOGAN-US CONGRESSMEN OVERVIEW CYPRUS ISSUE

Reporter, Greece
May 31 2006

16:20 – 31 May 2006 – It is a must to lift unfair isolations and
embargoes imposed on self-declared, so-called “Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus” (TRNC), said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan when he met the members of a US House of Representatives
delegation in Ankara. Erdogan and delegation members focused on
Cyprus and allegations regarding the so-called Armenian genocide,
during the meeting.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERI DM ON POSSIBLE PARTICPATION OF UKRAINE IN THE KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

ForUm, Ukraine
May 31 2006

Defence Minister of Azerbaijan Safar Abiyev does not rule out that
the peacekeeping corps of ODED-GUAM may engage a peaceful settlement
mission in Nagorny Karabakh. He has revealed it Wednesday at a press
conference after a session of CIS Defence Ministers’ Council.

He emphasised the question has been under consideration for many years
and now ODED-GUAN experts are addressing it. Yesterday the issue has
been discussed by Ukrainian and Azeri Defence Ministers.

“The issue is being worked out,” mentioned Abiyev.

Azeri Defence Minister stresses that a formation of such unit stands
beyond ministerial authority, the issue will be considered at the
presidential level.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

‘ARMENIA SHOULD BECOME THE COUNTRY THAT WE DREAM OF’
Says Artur Baghdasarian

AZG Armenian Daily
31/05/2006

Artur Baghdasarian, leader of “Orinats Yerkir” party, is going to
remain a common deputy of RA National Assembly, and is not going to
be the party’s leader.

As for the members of OY faction, they are determined to talk over
Baghdasrain to remain the party’s leader.

Anyway, Samvel Balasanian, head of “OY” faction, informed ArmInfo
that one can consider that he have already resigned from his
position. Meanwhile deputy Hovhannes Margarian also assured that he
has always been and will always be a member of “OY” party, even till
the end of time.

As for the probable cooperation of “OY” with the opposition forces,
Balasanian said that at present, they don’t hold any negotiations on
that issue. At the same time he didn’t excluded the cooperation of
his party with the opposition forces.

THE PARLIAMENT TURNED DOWN TWO DRAFTS

A1+
[07:28 pm] 31 May, 2006

The draft amendment to the RA Criminal Code which presupposed the
criminal punishment of those businessmen who have refused to pay
6 million AMD was rejected once again in the Parliament. The main
opponents of the draft were the faction “People’s Deputy” and the
Orinats Yerkir, as well as independent deputies.

“The draft amendment to the criminal code was brought to the Parliament
at the end of the previous year and at the beginning of the current
year. This is the third time it has been turned down in the NA,”
member of the OYP Hovhannes Margaryan said.

“The punishment for any economic crime must be economic too. If
the businessmen has appropriated 1000 AMD, he must first restore
the loss and then pay x percent of it. If you take him to prison,
who will pay his debts?” independent deputy Khachatur Suqiasyan told
“A1+”. According to him, it would be better for this person to make
payments and continue his activity. “In other cases if a company uses
fabricated documents and harms the country, they can be considered
criminals”, he thinks.

Besides this, another draft was rejected today. The draft amendments
to the RA Law on Income about registering the estate and income of
individuals was rejected with 54 deputies against is and one for. It
presupposed that the individuals with income of more than 500 thousand
AMD were to register their estate and income.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BURNS SUPPER AND THE BRITISH EMBASSY HELP MOTHERS AND CHILDREN IN GEGHARKUNIK AND LORI MARZ

Armenpress
May 31 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS: The British Embassy in Armenia held a
press conference today to mark the handover of funds raised at the
2006 Burns Supper to the beneficiary, Project Nova.

This year the 8th annual Burns Supper raised AMD 9 Million ($20,000),
for the purchase of much needed medical equipment for the Martuni
Community Maternity Hospital in Gegharkunik Marz. The purchase of
the equipment will be arranged by Project NOVA, which will receive
the money on behalf of the beneficiary on the day of press conference.

Through its partner, Project NOVA, will provide an E150 Breeze
Ventilator to the Martuni Maternity hospital. There are approximately
1100 babies delivered in this hospital each year of which about 120
need intensive care.

Martuni Maternity Hospital also looks after women with complicated
pregnancies both from the Martuni and the Vardenis regions of
the marz. This donation will provide the necessary intensive care
facilities on-site so that there will no longer be a need to refer
babies and pregnant women to clinics in Yerevan.

Additionally, a small portion of this donation will be used to renovate
an ultrasound device in Alaverdi Maternity Hospital to upgrade the
diagnostic capacity of the clinic. The 2006 Burns Supper raised
funds through the sale of the tickets and through an auction on the
night. The impressive amount raised was due to the generous support
of sponsors: HSBC bank, the Marriott Armenia hotel, the Yerevan Brandy
Factory, Hovnanian International and British Airways.

The embassy said it was also very grateful to the generous prizes
offered in the auction by the following companies: London-Yerevan
insurance company, Tufenkian Rugs, Artbridge cafe, Hugo Boss, Davidoff,
First Floor arts salon, Dolmama restaurant, Phoenicia restaurant,
Arena bowling club and Litte medical center.

The Burns Supper was started by close friends of Burns a few years
after his death in 1796 as a tribute to his memory. For about 200
years on or around his birthday, January 25th, Scots both at home and
abroad remember Robert Burns enjoying a traditional Scottish meal,
the drinking of Scottish whiskey and the recitation of works by,
about, and in the spirit of Robert Burns.

This year the USAID-supported Project NOVA began its work in Kotayk
and Gegharkunik Marzes to strengthen access to maternal and child
health services among rural populations.

The project collaborates with the maternity hospitals, outpatient
women’s consultations and rural primary health care facilities to
reinforce their capacity to offer higher quality of life. Project
activities include training, equipping and upgrading rural health
posts and strengthening the overall management and supervision of care.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN OMBUDSMAN TO DEAL WITH HERITAGE CASE

Panorama.am
14:53 31/05/06

Yesterday evening the leader of Jarangutiun (Heritage) party Raffi
Hovhannisyan addressed a letter to Human Rights Ombudsman which ,
according to Armen Harutunyan, reported about a crime case. Such
complaints-applications are forwarded to respected bodies, Armen
Harutunyan said. However, according to R. Hovhannisyan they have
been to all concerned instances concerning the case of the closing
the party office.

On May 29 by the ruling of Kentron and Nork-Marash community first
instance court and in the presence of law-enforcement bodies, the door
of the office was opened and the keys handed to party representatives.

The court ruling was based on R. Hovhannisyan’s civil lawsuit. 24
hours after the office was opened, the law enforcement bodies again
closed it. According to Raffi Hovhannisyan, “this act is illegal,
unfair and does not comply with court decision.”

Today A. Harutunyan said he is going to forward the information to
prosecutor’s office and promised to monitor the case.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AUSTRIAN PARISH COMMUNITY OF ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH ELECTS NEW BOARD AND CHAIRMAN

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 31 2006

VIENNA, MAY 31, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Board and Chairman’s
elections of the Austrian Parish Community of the Armenian Apostolic
Church that took place on May 28 in the central hall of the Vienna
State Federal Administration, passed in an unprecedented strained
atmosphere. There were few reasons: First of all, a number of
processes took place during the previous presidency on which the
Austrian Armenian community still waits for explanations.

Especially the story presented in the April issue of the “Azg”
newspaper on the will that spiritual pastor Archbishop Mesrop Grigorian
formed and which had an incomprehensible development, waits for
its outcome. Then, the decision, adopted by the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin, to refuse Armenians from Armenia having the electoral
right of their right of electoral vote. Those issues made problems of
the community even deeper, and there was only one outcome: to elect
a board involving new, young, fresh forces and to connect with it
explanation of all noisy cases and the process leading to unity. As
a result of calcualting votes ended at midnight, the new board staff
and the name of the Chairman were stated. Lawyer Doctor Haig Asenbauer
who is the author of a scientific thesis about the Armenian Genocide,
an offspring of the famous family of Chgnavorians, was elected the
Chairman by majority of votes. His mother is UN Advisor Arshaluis
Chgnavorian, maestro Loris Chgnavorian’s sister, father is British
Petroleum specialist-advisor Erwin Asenbauer. In the opinion of the
majority of the community and old and new (from Armenian) members,
such a young staff of the board and the newly elected Chairman are
serious guarantees for presenting oneself under the Austrian Armenian
joint flag.

RA OMBUDSMAN CALLS ON CITIZENS WHO SUFFERED FROM URBAN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS TO ASSERT THEIR RIGHTS

Noyan Tapan
May 31 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. The decision of the RA Constitutional
Court has provided the citizens, who lost their houses as a result
of urban development programs in downtown Yerevan, with a new legal
opportunity to protect their rights. The RA Ombudsman Armen Harutyunian
stated this during the May 31 press conference dedicated to the 100th
day of his term of office. He reminded that citizens have received the
right to appeal to court based on a newly discovered evidence until
July 18. He believes that irrespective of court rulings, citizens will
have document-based grounds to continue defending their rights in the
European Court of Human Rights. A. Harutyunian said that he filed
a petition to the RA Prime Minister Andranik Margarian, in which,
taking into account the necessity to rule out further violations
of citizens’s rights and to restore their violated rights during
implementation of urban development programs, he proposed suspending
forced alienation of citizens’ property for state needs (until a law
regulating such proceses is adopted) and discussing the possibility
of paying back the 10% income tax deducted from the sums calculated
for owners and users by a compensation agreement. According to the RA
Ombudsman, there are problems with unauthorized buildings, as a result
of which the rights of other citizens are violated. The RA Ombudsman
Staff has sent a certificate based on such cases to the mayor and is
waiting for a response. Another certificate was filed to the Head of
the RA Department for Compulsory Execution of Court Acts, taking into
consideration a large number of complaints about execution of court
acts. During the 3 first months of the ombudsman’s term of office, the
RA Ombudsman Staff’s employees paid 15 visits to marzes. The ombudsman
received 770 applications, but many complaints were not related to
the activity of the RA Ombudsman. In the opinion of A. Harutyunian,
the human rights sitiation is not satisfactory in Armenia, “there is
much to be done”. In response to a question, A. Harutyunian said that
he has received an application from Chairman of the Heritage party,
former Armenian foreign minister Raffi Harutyunian in connection with
the illegal use of his office property. The RA Ombudsman noted that
the case will be examined, after which R. Hovhannisian’s application
qualified as a “Report on Crime” will be sent to the prosecutor’s
office for investigation.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress