Author: Hakobian Adrine

POLICE STATEMENT: POLICE DETAINS GAGIK JHANGIRYAN

Lragir
13:04:31 – 24/02/2008

The Police of Armenia released a statement at night. It runs that the
department of organized crime of the police received a report that the
people in the black BMW X5 and silver VAZ 21010 cars are armed and
intend to destabilize the situation in the capital, the police
statement runs.

On February 23 at about 11 pm the officers of the department stopped
the mentioned cars, and the people in the cars resisted, during which
the gun of the police officer Rafik Muradyan shot, and the officer of
the same department Gevorg Malkhasyan, officer of the 3rd department
Tigran Karapetyan and Vardan Jhangiryan who resisted received light
injuries. The police detained the ex-deputy prosecutor general Gagik
Jhangiryan, Vardan Jhangiryan, Karen Hovanisyan and Levon Poghosyan,
the police statement runs.

According to the statement, Gagik Jhangiryan had a CZ 75 revolver made
in Czech, Vardan Jhangiryan carried a PSM revolver, Karen Hovanisyan
had a Makarov revolver. The policemen also found a hunting rifle, a
Browning revolver, a knife, handcuffs and body armor. Vardan Jhangiryan
has been arrested, and charges were brought against him.

"OUR STATEMENT DOES NOT MEAN WE ARE QUESTIONING THE OUTCOME OF ARMENIA’S ELECTION", MATTHEW BRYZA SAID

Mediamax
February 21, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew
Bryza said in an interview to Mediamax today: "our statement does
not mean we are questioning the outcome of Armenia’s election".

Matthew Bryza said this commenting on Mediamax’s request the statement
by U.S. State Department representative Edgar Vazquez, who said the
United States of America are concerned over reports of problems in
the vote count in the presidential elections in Armenia, which took
place on February 19.

"Our statement does not mean we are questioning the outcome of
Armenia’s election. But, nor are we yet in a position to declare all
the concerns about irregularities have been fully addressed. That will
take a little bit of time, as was the case with Georgia’s January 5
presidential election. We have seen the statements by ODIHR and Javier
Solana, and share those assessments", – Matthew Bryza told Mediamax.

U.S. EMBASSY PERSUADES AMERICAN CITIZENS IN ARMENIA TO AVOID DEMOSTRATIONS

Noyan Tapan
Feb 21, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The Embassy of the United States of
America in Yerevan persuades the American citizens, who are in Armenia,
to avoid the political demonstrations connected with the presidential
elections of Armenia and be cautious, even if there is a demonstration
in the vicinity: "Even peaceful demonstrations can turn into clashes
and later escalate into violence," is said in the message, in which
it is stressed at the same time that "the demonstrations and marches
proceeding on central avenues are so far of peaceful character."

"The American citizens should always get acquianted with the coverages
of the media concerning the local events and always be aware what is
happening around them," is mentioned in the message of the Embassy
addressed to the American citizens.

U.S. EMBASSY URGE AMERICAN CITIZENS AVOID OPPOSITION DEMONSTRATIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.02.2008 19:19 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The U.S. Embassy Yerevan anticipates that
post-election political demonstrations in central Yerevan may continue,
possibly for the next few days.

Demonstrations and marches through central avenues have been peaceful
so far.

"We wish to remind American citizens that even demonstrations intended
to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into
violence.

American citizens are therefore urged to avoid demonstrations, and to
exercise caution if within the vicinity of any demonstrations. American
citizens should stay current with media coverage of local events
and be aware of their surroundings at all times," the Embassy’s
statement says.

Representative of Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s staff Nikol Pashinyan said
"in case of necessity, actions of protest will be held simultaneously
in various parts of Yerevan."

"We will hold peaceful protest actions until the legal ways of
struggle are exhausted. If the authorities do not satisfy our demand
to hold a new election, the protest actions will stop being peaceful",
Pashinyan said.

CRJ-100 PASSENGERS GET CURED

Panorama.am
16:01 21/02/2008

Passengers of CRJ-100 "Belavia" airplane get cured.

According to Karen Nahapetyan, the passengers’ doctor said that the
passengers might go home in these days.

He said that Stepan Yeritsyan, the citizen of Georgia was well operated
on 18 February.

Note that the airplane belonging to Belavia comapny crashed on 14
February at "Zvartnots" airport, Yerevan. There were 18 passengers
and 3 staff members in the airplane, some were injured, and there
were no fatal cases.

ARONIAN IMPROVES POSITION

AZG Armenian Daily
20/02/2008

Chess

During the Linares Chess Championship in the town of Morelia, Mexico,
Levon Aronian defeated Vishvanatan Anand. Playing with the whites,
Anand proved unable to withstand the impetus of Aronian and was
forced to surrender. In the next round Aronian’s opponenet was Teymur
Tajabov. The game was draw. Thus, after the 3rd round, Levon Aronian
gained 1,5 points improving his rating and winning the 3rd place.

The leader of the contest is Vaselin Topalov, who played draw with
Rajabov and defeated Vassily Ivanchuk in the next round. The second
comes Vishvanatan Anand with 2 points, who won the match with Magnus
Karlsen on the 58th move.

KARABAKH HAS SERIOUS GROUNDS FOR INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF SOVEREIGNTY

KarabakhOpen
20-02-2008 11:33:36

On February 19 a solemn meeting was held in Stepanakert devoted to the
20th anniversary of the beginning of the Karabakh movement. The members
of the Committee of Russian Intelligentsia Karabakh participated in
the celebration. The delegation of Armenia was absent since Armenia
was voting to president.

The speaker of the Karabakh parliament Ashot Ghulyan said over the
past 20 years Karabakh has built a state and a system of public
administration.

"We have a serious basis for the international recognition of our
sovereignty. These reasons comply with the international law: we have
held free elections for 16 years, law-enforcement bodies are formed,
powers are divided, army is under civil control, which is one of the
most effective armies in the region," Ashot Ghulyan said.

On February 20 a rally will be held at the Square of Freedom of
Stepanakert which will simulate the demonstration on February 20,
1988 when tens of thousands of people demanded the secession of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region from Azerbaijan and unification
with Armenia.

In the evening there will be celebrations and firework.

A. Lebedev: Presidential election in Armenia are conducted in conformity
with the norms of Armenia’s election legislation

2008-02-19 13:44:00

ArmInfo. President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan received Secretary General of
the CIS Executive Secretariat Aleksander Lebedev, Tuesday.

The presidential press-service reports, A. Lebedev said observers have
visited polling stations throughout the country, met members of Election
Commissions and campaign agents. He stressed that the presidential election
are conducted in conformity with the norms of the country’s election
legislation. For his part, Robert Kocharyan said that the authorities have
taken all the necessary measures to ensure normal election. The parties
expressed confidence that the election will continue in calm atmosphere
without emergency situations. The parties also touched upon the informal
summit of CIS Leaders scheduled for February 22 in Moscow.

Campaign agents of presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosyan say they were beaten up

2008-02-19 14:54:00

ArmInfo. Press Secretary of Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s Central Campaign
Headquarters Arman Musinyan had a meeting with media at 2:30 pm. The
candidate’s campaign agents Gurgen Yeghiazaryan and Yerjanik Abgaryan
attended the meeting and stated that they were beaten up. They said
atmosphere of terror reigns in the town of Abovyan, Kotayk region with
regard to the agents of Levon Ter-Petrosyan and electors. Yeghiazaryan
and Abgaryan said ‘hooligans reign over polling stations ensuring
votes for Serzh Sargsyan’.

For his part, A. Musinyan said they registered numerous cases when
passports are provided to soldiers to organize their voting at
civil polling stations. ‘Our agents confiscated false passports
in the town of Talin, Aragatsotn region, and will demonstrate them
when necessary. Mass ballot-stuffing is observed in the town of
Artashat. Mayor of Chambarak personally controls over open voting in
favor of Serzh Sargsyan. The passport office of the police is turned
into market when a great number of villagers have been gathered. They
are given the so-called 9th form (temporary document given in case
of losing passport) and made to vote at the polling stations 10/05,
10/11, 10/12, 10/13, 10/14, 10/15, 10/16, 10/17> , A. Musinyan said.

Armenia holds presidential elections

09:33 | 19/ 02/ 2008

YEREVAN, February 19 (RIA Novosti) – The former Soviet republic
of Armenia is holding presidential elections on Tuesday to find a
successor to Robert Kocharyan, currently serving his second and final
term as president.

There are nine presidential candidates. The two front-runners,
according to recent public opinion polls, are Serzh Sarkisyan, the
country’s prime minister and head of the ruling Republican Party,
and Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Armenia’s first president.

A candidate must receive 50% plus one vote to become president. If
no winner can be announced, a second round of voting will follow in
two weeks.

Preliminary election results will be announced on February 20, with
the final count to be officially made public on February 26.

Armenia held parliamentary elections on May 12 last year. The
Republican Party and other pro-presidential parties won a majority
in the polls.