Author: Hambardsumian Paul

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
January 18, 2007
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]

CONGRESSMAN CROWLEY URGES CONGRESS TO HONOR DINK’S MEMORY BY SUPPORTING
REPEAL OF ARTICLE 301

Washington, DC – Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY) yesterday urged Congress to
honor the memory of slain journalist and human rights activist, Hrant
Dink, by supporting the immediate repeal of Article 301 of the Turkish
penal code.

The much-criticized law used to curb freedom of speech and criminalize
public discussion on the Armenian Genocide is widely believed to have
led to Dink’s assassination in broad daylight on an Istanbul street on
January 19, 2007.

"Many informed observers believe Hrant Dink’s prosecution under Article
301 opened him up to a campaign of harassment and death threats from
ultranationalists, which eventually led to his murder," said Crowley.
"To this day, citizens of Turkey live under threat of this gag law, with
Hrant Dink’s own son prosecuted under this law because he reprinted his
father’s newspaper article." [See text of Crowley’s remarks in the House
of Representatives below.]

"This is not the action of a true democracy," he continued. "It is
reflective of how a totalitarian state would behave, and this is not the
Turkey we, the United States of America, have aligned our country with."

Last January, Crowley introduced legislation (H. Res. 102) which
condemned Dink’s murder, honored his legacy and called on Turkey to take
appropriate action to protect freedom of speech by repealing Article
301. The resolution is currently pending in the House Foreign Affairs
Committee.

"With no demonstrable steps taken to abolish Article 301 a year after
Hrant Dink’s murder, it is clear that Armenians and other minorities are
still at risk in Turkey," said Assembly Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny. "We therefore commend Congressman Crowley for spearheading
this legislation and urge its timely adoption. Passage of H. Res. 102
will pay lasting tribute to Dink’s legacy of tolerance and send a clear
message that the United States does not stand for repression of free
speech."

The Assembly remains committed to honoring Hrant Dink’s memory and
legacy. For more on Dink, including background information, official
statements and media reports, please visit the Hrant Dink Resource Page
on the Assembly’s Website at

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. It is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt
membership organization.

NR#2008-003

Editor’s Note: Below is the full text of Congressman Crowley’s remarks
on the floor of the House of Representatives.

SPEECH OF
HON. JOSEPH CROWLEY
OF NEW YORK
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2008

Madam Speaker, I rise today to solemnly remember the life of journalist
and activist Hrant Dink.

On January 19, 2007, Mr. Dink was gunned down by a Turkish
ultranationalist outside his newspaper office in Istanbul, Turkey.

Hrant Dink was a man who called for tolerance, peaceful dialogue, and
greater civil rights for all Turkish citizens. He was a fierce defender
of freedom and believed all people have equal rights under the law. He
believed that everyone should have the right to know the truth about
their Nation’s past, however dark that past may be.

Hrant Dink had been prosecuted by the Turkish Government under penal
code 301, a law that bans free speech and was used to suppress a wide
range of dissenting opinion, from criticism of Turkish Government
institutions to opposing official Turkish denial of the Ottoman campaign
of genocide against its Armenian population. Under the all-encompassing
phrase "insulting Turkishness," a citizen in Turkey can receive a prison
sentence of up to 3 years with the offense being increased by 50 percent
if the so-called offense is committed abroad.

Nearly 100 journalists and intellectuals have been prosecuted under
article 301, including Nobel Prize author Orhan Pamuk. Many informed
observers believe Hrant Dink’s prosecution under article 301 opened him
up to a campaign of harassment and death threats from ultranationalists,
which eventually led to his murder. To this day, citizens of Turkey live
under threat of this gag law, with Hrant Dink’s own son prosecuted under
this law because he reprinted his father’s newspaper articles.

This is not the action of a true democracy. It is reflective of how a
totalitarian state would behave, and this is not the Turkey we, the
United States of America, have aligned our country with.

Amnesty International has called for a complete repeal of this punitive
legislation. The European Commission has repeatedly asked for its
repeal.

Unfortunately, indications now suggest that the Government of Turkey is
only tinkering with changes, making this gag rule even more ambiguous.
Today, I ask the House to support calls for the Turkish Government to
immediately repeal article 301.

One year ago, Members of Congress, their staffers and several members,
and members of several communities, came together to watch "Screamers,"
a film about genocide in the last century, featuring, among others,
Hrant Dink . Here, in the Halls of Congress, we watched as Hrant Dink
discussed the problems of article 301.

Just 2 days after the film’s premiere, Hrant Dink was shot dead, a man
who only wanted to speak the truth about historical facts as he saw
them, a man who wanted every citizen to be treated equally, a man we
should applaud here in America for his courage and dedication to
democracy.

I believe that if Turkey wants to further explore the opportunities that
she wishes to do within the present European Union, she must address the
issue of article 301. I hope my colleagues will join me in honoring the
memory of Hrant Dink and continue to urge the repeal of article 301.

-end-

ARMENIAN DIPLOMATS DO NOT TRADE IN CARS

Lragir
Jan 24 2008
Armenia

The response of the head of the press and information department of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Karapetyan to Radio Liberty

Mr. Karapetyan, the German DPA agency informs that the diplomats
representing Armenia to Buenos Aires have appeared among diplomats of
over 30 other countries, who are suspected by the foreign ministry
of Argentina of illegal import of cars. Please confirm or refute
this information.

The part of the information published in the Clarin , an Argentinian
newspaper, and spread by the German agency DPA concerning the Armenian
embassy to Argentina and its staff is not true.

In Argentina no Armenian diplomat has ever bought a personal car and
has never been involved in any profit deal.

The Armenian embassy to Argentina owns a Honda Accord car which was
donated to the embassy in 2006 by the national benefactor Eduardo
Seferyan, and one For Focus which was bought in 2007. The Armenian
embassy does not own any other car.

It should be noted that the authoritative Argentinean newspaper La
Nacion published a story about the same incident but did not mention
the Armenian embassy.

The foreign minister of Argentina Jorge Taiana has initiated an
investigation in illegal import of cars. Several senior officials
of the foreign ministry and customs service of Argentina have been
dismissed.

The Armenian embassy urges in a letter to the editor of the Clarin
to refute the wrong information.

DIMITRIJ RUPEL: RESOLUTION OF THE FROZEN CONFLICTS IN TRANSDNIESTRA, SOUTH OSSETIA AND NAGORNO-KARABAKH IS IMPORTANT FOR US

Azeri Press Agency
Jan 24 2008
Azerbaijan

Chairman of the European Union, Slovene Foreign Minister Dimitrij
Rupel addressed the OSCE Permanent Council today, APA reports.

Speaking about European Union’s priorities Dimitrij Rupel noted that
Kosovo remained as much a concern today as in 2005, when Slovenia held
the OSCE’s Chairmanship and Minister Rupel was the Organization’s
Chairman-in-Office and said the Organization should continue its
important work in Kosovo. He also touched on the elections in OSCE
area this year. Minister Rupel said the EU strongly supports the
OSCE’s election-observation work and called on all OSCE participating
States to enable the Organization’s Office for Democratic Institutions
and Human Rights "to observe their elections without restriction,
in accordance with established practice and in line with the spirit
of their commitments."

Minister Rupel also expressed the EU’s appreciation for the OSCE’s
efforts aimed at resolving the frozen conflicts in Transdniestra,
South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

"The European Union fully supports the work of the OSCE," he said.

KARABAKH TALKS SHOULDN’T BE STOPPED DURING ELECTION PERIOD

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.01.2008 14:43 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "It would be interesting to know the results of the
talks new Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will hold on the issues
under discussion," said Dennis Sammut, Executive Director of LINKS.

Karabakh talks should not be stooped for the period of
elections. "Everyone in Baku and Yerevan knows that the problem unites
the society. On the whole, leadership and opposition both in Armenia
and Azerbaijan do not differ on the Karabakh problem. I do not rule
out that election campaigns will suspend the settlement process but
the presidential hopefuls have programs which can really encourage
talks. In my opinion, the candidates should assure their voters that
they feel responsibility for the Karabakh process. I hope that this
year will not be just waste of time," Mr Sammut said, Day.az reports.

GANIRA PASHAYEVA SLAMS COUNCIL OF EUROPE FOR ARMENIANS’ ARSONS IN AZERI LANDS

Azeri Press Agency
Jan 23 2008
Azerbaijan

Though Azerbaijani delegation raised issue in Council of Europe
(CE), and its various structures on Armenians’ arsons in the occupied
Azerbaijani territories for several times, the organization did not
give proper reaction, member of Azerbaijani delegation to PACE Ganira
Pashayeva said while addressing Parliamentary Assembly of Council of
Europe (PACE) winter session, APA Europe Bureau reports.

Azerbaijani MP said that though footages of Armenians’ arsons were
presented, organization did not give strict reaction to it.

"Thousand hectares area caught fire and was destructed, flora and fauna
were damaged. These arsons not only damage ecology of Azerbaijan,
but Europe at the same time.Therefore, many forests are cut in the
Azerbaijani 20 % occupied lands and sold as raw material to foreign
countries," she said. Ms. Pashayeva noted that they expect serious
efforts from Assembly to prevent ecological disasters and stressed
that PACE member countries should give reaction to such events and
take any measures. Pashayeva stated that Azerbaijan has got drinking
water problem and a big part of water reserve is in Azerbaijani
occupied lands.

"Other serious problem is that, rivers flowing through Armenia to
Azerbaijan are polluted with chemical, biological and other dangerous
wastes by Armenia," she said. Azerbaijan raised this issue in various
international organizations, as well as, presented written appeal to
the Committee of Ministers of Council of Europe, but proper reactions
were not given. Pashayeva mentioned that Armenia did not ratify
convention on protection of trans-border water.

Today, Azerbaijan
Jan 18 2008

Khazar Ibragim: "Why did "the developing" Armenia hand all its
enterprises to Russia? Though what can we expect from a country,
which is contemptuously called an outpost?"

18 January 2008 [17:59] – Today.Az

"Why did "the developing" Armenia hand all its enterprises to
Russia? Though what can we expect from a country, which is
contemptuously called an outpost?", spokesman for the Foreign
Ministry of Azerbaijan Khazar Ibragim said commenting on the
announcement of the spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Armenia,
who stated that signs of despair are obvious in Azerbaijan.

He said the announcement evidences that the Foreign Ministry of
Armenia prefers to set the desired for the reality. In particular, he
commented on Karapetyan’s conclusion, according to which Armenia
leaves Azerbaijan behind on almost all international standards

"He and other Armenian diplomats, who make such announcements, would
better take training courses. In particular, it would be interesting
to me to listen to their answer to the question "why does Armenia,
which "outstrips" Azerbaijan on almost all world standards" lags
behind Azerbaijan by the GDP growth rates and by the volume of
budget. Why did "the developing" Armenia hand all its enterprises to
Russia? Though what can we expect from a country, which is
contemptuously called an outpost? Only a good facial expression in a
bad game or attempts to hide from it people the truth that the
positions of this country have weakened through the last few years,
while Azerbaijan’s influence is growing"

He noted that Karapetyan’s statement is designed for Armenian
audience in the threshold of presidential elections. He also referred
to it the statement that it will take another 10-15 years for
Azerbaijani army to reach the level of the Armenian troops.

"There is also the statistics of a number of international
organizations, including OSCE and UN, according to which Armenia
violates international conventions in open by dislocating military
technique in the occupied lands thus violating the CFE Treaty quotes.
If Armenian diplomats, who state that Armenia outstrips Azerbaijan,
imply this, I fully agree with them. Armenia is really a leader on
the Earth in ignoring all existing international norms and
resolutions"

He also commented on Matthew Bryza’s statement that any resolution on
the Garabagh conflict must be supported by the people of Nagorno
Garabagh, despite official Baku’s repeated announcements that the
term "people of Nagorno Garabagh" does not exist.

"We have witnessed that Armenian mass medias misinterpret Matthew
Bryza’s statements and that was confirmed by the latter. He opposed
the announcements of the Armenian press that he criticized the slogan
"Two states-one nation" and the policy in this direction.

He also agreed that the representatives of Armenian and Azerbaijani
communities of Nagorno Garabagh must be informed about the
negotiation process.

"And it does take place. The OSCE co-chairmen regularly meet with
them".

He noted that Azerbaijan will never agree on the unilateral
settlement of the issue and on the participation of only the
representatives of the Armenian community of Nagorno Garabagh in the
negotiation process.

/Day.Az/

URL:

INTERNET TO HELP RA CITIZENS TO CONTROL CALCULATION OF VOTES AT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

2008-01-16 17:53:00

ArmInfo. RA citizens will be able to control the process of calculation
of votes during the presidential election in Armenia via Internet
in real-time, members of RA CEC from the Republican party Abram
Bakhchagulyan said at today’s discussions in the National press-club,
dedicated to the forthcoming presidential election in Armenia,
commenting on the reasons for failures in the work of the Central
Election Committee’s site.

He said that the presidential election will become the first electoral
process in Armenia, during which such a system will be applied. This
system was not used before as there was a danger of hacking. A
protection system has been acquired at present, which will rule out
any possible intervention.

Commenting on the statements of his oppositional colleague, member
of CEC Sona Sarkisyan about the existing clamant inaccuracies in
the voters’ lists, Bakhchagulyan did not agree and said that the
international specialists recognized the voters’ lists of Armenia the
best ones in the territory of CIS and even the Eastern Europe. The
voters’ register in the country is corrected not within a couple
of months before the election, like in other CIS countries, but
continuously, the CEC member said. As for availability of nonexistent
names, addresses, flat numbers and even names of nonexistent streets,
Bakhchagulyan said that the courts received no applications over
the whole past period on the fact of such inaccuracies available in
the lists.

Commenting on the opposition’s proposals to print the bulletins
abroad, the CEC member said that this initiative was declined for the
reason that the legislation envisages efficient measures to avoid
any violations. In particular, he said, all the bulletins will be
numbered and definite numbers will be provided for each electoral
district. All this will be published and any voter will be able
to verify compliance of this information during the voting. The
opposition’s proposal to mark the voters’ fingers with an ink is
unacceptable for A. Bakhchagulyan. "Armenia’s citizens are not
criminals and such mechanisms are unacceptable. Other efficient
measures exist to avoid the citizens’ repeated voting, namely, seals
in the voters’ passports, and we shall use this method", he resumed.

BIDS FOR OVER 100 TALES ALREADY RECEIVED FOR CONTEST OF TRUE LOVE
STORIES ON OCCASION OF SURB SARGIS HOLIDAY

YEREVAN, JANUARY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. On the occasion of Holiday of Surb
Sargis, the intercessor for young people and love, on January 21, the
Ararat patriarchal diocese has announced a contest of true love stories
on three subjects – "Surb Sargis, the Intercessor for Our Love", "Surb
Sargis, the Intercessor for Our Strong Family" and "Surb Sargis –
Strong Family, Strong Homeland". NT correspondent was informed by the
press service of the Ararat patriarchal diocese that bids for over 100
tales and love stories have already been received. The organizers will
read them carefully and then choose the best works. Monetary prizes are
envisaged for the best works on the 3 above mentioned sujects in the
amount of 150, 100 and 50 thousand drams. The best stories will be
published in "Shoghakn Araratian" official newspaper of the Ararat
patriarchal diocese.

In addition to the contest of true love stories and tales, the Ararat
patriarchal diocese has organized painting and photo contests on the
same subjects, with monetary prizes being instituted. The deadline for
submitting bids is January 17.

The festivities on the occasion of Holiday of Surb Sargis will finish
by a grand concert to be given at A. Spendiarian National Academic
Theatre of Opera and Ballet on January 21. An exhibition-sale of the
best 20 works of the painting and photo contests will be held at the
theatre lobby two hours prior to the concert. At the conclusion of the
concert, the names of the contest winners will be announced and they
will be handed monetary prizes and awards symbolizing the holiday.

TENEMENT HOUSES ARE NOT GASIFIED

A1+
11 January, 2008

Residents of 16-storey buildings complain that their applications
for gasification have been rejected.

None of tenement-houses of Ajapniak community is gasified though the
residents submitted applications a few months ago. The applications
have not been processed for different reasons.

"Under construction norms buildings having 11 and more storeys cannot
be gasified as they lack corresponding technical conditions," Press
Secretary of "ArmRusGasArd" Company Shushan Sardarian told A1+.

Asked why some of the tenement-houses of the commune have been
gasified, she said their technical conditions meet the required
criteria. Most of them have ventiducts. Yet many residents turned
the ventiducts into pantries thus causing technical inconveniences.

"We haven’t gasified buildings lacking technical requirements as
we don’t want to run the risk and endanger residents. We care for
residents’ security," Shushan Sargasian says.

Our experts attended the disputed buildings, got acquainted with
the general picture and drew corresponding conclusions," the press
secretary said.

UN CODE PENAL À REFORMER; TURQUIE
par Guillaume Perrier

Le Point
10 janvier 2008

Depuis plus de deux ans, c’est le grief numero un de l’Union europeenne
contre la Turquie. L’article 301 du Code penal, qui sanctionne
" l’insulte a l’identite turque ", est une entrave a la liberte
d’expression que le gouvernement turc promet de lever depuis des mois.

Il est devenu tristement celèbre pour avoir servi de base legale a une
avalanche de procedures contre des intellectuels et des journalistes
turcs, coupables de remettre en question la verite officielle sur les
problèmes kurde ou armenien. Ce fut le cas en 2005 du romancier et
Prix Nobel Orhan Pamuk. Le journaliste armenien Hrant Dink, assassine
en janvier 2007, en a egalement ete victime. C’est justement avant
le premier anniversaire de sa mort que le Parlement doit voter
l’amendement, malgre la frilosite de la classe politique.

Une reforme a minima, car le Code penal regorge d’autres articles
contestes qui pourraient rapidement prendre le relais. Et c’est tout
le système judiciaire qui doit etre reforme

–Boundary_(ID_5aoOHBHoToDzwx9B1+drgw)–