Author: Harutyunian Christine

De : Karine Appy [mailto:[email protected]]
Envoyé : jeudi 27 décembre 2007 17:43
À : destinataires inconnus:
Objet : FIDH – Pakistan – Communiqué

Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l’Homme (FIDH)

Communiqué

Pakistan
Assassinat de Benazir Bhutto :
les espoirs de démocratie s’éloignent

Paris, le 27 décembre 2007 – La Fédération internationale des
ligues des
droits de l’Homme (FIDH) condamne vivement l’attentat survenu le 27
décembre 2007 à Rawalpindi, dans la banlieue d’Islamabad (Pakistan)
ayant coûté la vie à l’ex-Premier ministre et opposante, Mme
Benazir
Bhutto, alors qu’elle quittait une réunion publique de son parti, et
à
plus de quinze de personnes.

A deux semaines des élections legislatives, la FIDH considère que
cet
acte criminel constitue une escalade spectaculaire dans la
généralisation de la violence politique au Pakistan, éloignant
chaque
jour tout espoir de démocratie dans ce pays.

Il intervient dans un contexte d’atteintes répétées contre la
démocratie
et les droits de l’Homme, dénoncées par la FIDH en écho à son
organisation membre au Pakistan, la Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
(HRCP). Après avoir mis la main sur le judiciaire et plus
particulièrement la Cour Suprême, avoir muselé médias, avocats
et
défenseurs des droits de l’Homme, après s’être organisé une
élection
largement contestée, le Président Pervez Musharraf organisait un
simulacre d’élections législatives où la corruption électorale
semblait,
selon HRCP déjà flagrante (1) <> . Ces violations des droits
fondamentaux constituent et créent les conditions d’une radicalisation
et de la généralisation de la violence politique au Pakistan.

C’est pourquoi la FIDH appelle les autorités pakistanaises à :
* diligenter une enquête indépendante et impartiale chargée de
faire la lumière sur l’assassinat de Mme Benazir Bhutto et traduire
ses
responsables devant la justice, en assurant le respect du droit à un
procès équitable ;
* garantir l’intégrité physique et morale des acteurs politiques
au Pakistan ;
* garantir l’intégrité physique et une liberté d’action effective
aux avocats, journalistes, opposants politiques, défenseurs des droits
de l’Homme et acteurs de la société civile.
Enfin, la FIDH réitère son appel pour l’envoi d’une commission
internationale d’enquête au Pakistan, composée notamment des
rapporteurs
indépendants des Nations unies.

Contact presse : Karine Appy + 33 1 43 55 14 12 / + 33 1 43 55 25 18 / +
33 6 68 42 93 47
_____

(1)Voir les prises de position publiques de HRCP et de la FIDH,

INTERNATIONAL MEDIATORS ATTACH NEW ELEMENTS TO PROPOSALS ON ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI CONFLICT SETTLEMENT: US DIPLOMAT

2007-12-25 14:12:00

ArmInfo. The international mediators attached new elements to the
last proposals on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, which were
presented to Azerbaijan and Armenia in Madrid. The details of the
elements are not made publicly available due to the confidentiality of
the talks. "There are several new elements to this proposal, although
I would rather not comment on the specifics until the presidents have
had the opportunity to thoroughly study the principles and discuss
their views with us," said the US Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group,
Matthew Bryza, in his online interview with Trend on 24 December.

The written proposals which are comprised of ten principles were
presented to the conflicting sides by the OSCE Co-chairs late November
in Madrid.

Presenting the proposals to the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and
Armenia, the mediators stated that they presented the proposals in
a written form for prompt adoption due to the danger that after the
possible replacement of the powers in both countries as a result
of the presidential elections, the new heads may deny the agreement
reached by the sides. The principles of the settlement are not made
publicly available due to the confidentiality of the talks.

According to Bryza, the mediators have not yet heard the formal
responses of Presidents of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev and Armenia, Robert
Kocharyan, to the proposed Basic Principles for the Settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict. "We consider it a positive development
that the two sides are seriously studying the document and have both
indicated an oral "gentlemen’s agreement" is possible before the
Armenian elections in February. We will discuss our proposal with the
presidents in detail when we travel to the region in mid-January,"
Bryza said.

"Once an agreement is reached, we are assuming the sides will disclose
the specifics of the Basic Principles to the public. However, until
we have reached an agreement, we would rather not to comment on these
specific elements," he said.

"The Co-Chairs firmly believe the current set of ideas on the table
provides the only logical and practicable way to advance towards a
peaceful settlement of the conflict, and we hope the two presidents
will come to this conclusion as well," the US diplomat said.

ANCA AND SAVE DARFUR COALITION URGE PRESIDENT BUSH TO SIGN SUDAN DIVESTMENT BILL

armradio.am
24.12.2007 10:51

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) joined with the Save
Darfur Coalition and a range of faith-based organizations yesterday in
urging President Bush to sign the Sudan Accountability and Divestment
Act into law. The legislation, adopted unanimously by the House and
Senate despite opposition from the Departments of State and Justice,
would allow states and localities to divest from companies involved
in certain Sudanese business sectors and allow mutual fund and private
pension managers to cut ties with those same companies.

In a December 21st letter to President Bush, signed by over
thirty groups including the American Jewish World Service, Genocide
Intervention Network, Jewish World Watch, National Council of Churches,
and the US-Armenia Public Affairs Committee (USAPAC), organizations
noted that "signing of the bill, supportive public statements issued
along with the signing, the vigorous implementation of this bill, and
additional pressure on Sudan to end the violence are all necessary
ingredients of a comprehensive US policy — and will send a message
to the Government of Sudan that there are serious consequences for
its ruthless violations of international law."

Last week, upon Senate adoption of the measure, bill author, Sen. Chris
Dodd (D-CT) noted that "this legislation empowers Americans to
exercise their rights as investors, taxpayers, and pensioners to
divest from businesses directly contributing to the violence and
misery of hundreds of thousands of innocent Darfuris." House Darfur
legislation champion Barbara Lee (D-CA), who had introduced earlier
Sudan divestment legislation prominently included in this bill,
explained "Let’s stop the rhetoric and do something, do something
now that we have declared for 3 years genocide taking place. We need
to put the United States on the right side of history. Divestment
worked in South Africa when our former colleague and my mayor now,
Ron Dellums, when he led the effort in the 1980s. It can work now in
Sudan. So I urge the President to join us in saying to the Government
of Khartoum not on our watch, not on our dime."

The call coincided with the President’s signing of separate legislation
allowing US courts to prosecute non-US nationals residing in the US
who have been complicit in perpetration of genocide. Bill author,
Senate Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), explained the
importance of the legislation.

"There is no safe haven for the hundreds of thousands of Sudanese who
have faced genocide in Darfur and yet without this law, our country
could become a safe haven for their killers. Today’s action by the
President makes it crystal clear: the legal loophole in our law is
closed and perpetrators of genocide who come to our country will now
face significant consequences."

The ANCA has, since its introduction, supported the adoption of
this legislation and worked to support its passage by the House as
part of a coalition that includes the Save Darfur Coalition, Genocide
Intervention Network, American Jewish World Service, Armenian Assembly
of America, Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch, Alliance for
Justice, and Refugees International. In a March letter to members of
the Senate, the coalition stressed that, "The United States must not
remain passive when those suspected of genocide enter or are found in
its territory. By eliminating barriers to prosecution, the Genocide
Accountability Act will ensure that perpetrators of genocide do not
evade accountability when they are found in the United States. We
welcome its introduction and strongly urge its enactment into law."

Sen. Durbin’s legislation is the first bill from the newly established
Senate Subcommittee on Human Rights and Law to become law. Sen. Durbin
and Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) are lead sponsors of the Armenian Genocide
Resolution (S.Res.106) which currently has over 30 cosponsors.

KOCHARIAN: ARMENIA-IRAN COOPERATION EFFICIENTLY DEVELOPING

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.12.2007 13:44 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Robert Kocharian met Friday with
Iranian Ambassador Ali Reza Haghighian, who is completing his mission
in the republic, the RA leader’s press office reported.

President Kocharian marked out the efficiency of the Armenian-Iranian
cooperation, specifically during the recent years, and voiced hope
for successful implementation of future joint projects.

For his part, Amb. Haghighian said he leaves Armenia with consent
that all scheduled programs have been implemented.

Mr Kocharian wished the diplomat every success in his future activities
and sent cordial greetings to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

LAST EVENT DEVOTED TO GARZOU 100 ANNIVERSARY IN NATIONAL GALLERY

Panorama.am
20:34 20/12/2007

Today an exhibition was organized in National Gallery devoted to
the 100 anniversary of famous French-Armenian artist Garzou (Garnik
Zulumyan).

Garzou’s illustrations were particularly presented in the
exhibition. 50 canvases were presented there, for example A. Moroi’s
"France", E. Hemingway’s "Farewell to Arms" books illustrations.

Note that Garzou carried out personal exhibitions not only in France,
but also in Armenia. The first personal exhibition took place in 1966,
and 150 graphical works he devoted to the National Gallery.

The most famous way of Gaou’s thoughts expression is a line. His
works look like a bunch of lines, but then you see obviously that
those lines present a city, a building, a human being. Garzou’s works
remind of a stormy sea.

INGLAB AKHMEDOV: "AZERBAIJAN "COMPENSATES" LOWER PRICES IN ARMENIA WITH HIGHER INCOMES OF THE AZERBAIJANI POPULATION"

Today, Azerbaijan
.html
Dec 20 2007

"Considering lower incomes of the population in Armenia and weaker
budget potential, we have the following: Azerbaijan "compensates"
relatively lower prices in Armenia with higher incomes of the
Azerbaijani population", famous economist Inglab Akhmedov said in his
interview while commenting on conclusions drawn from the WB report,
according to which life in Azerbaijan is cheaper than in Armenia
and Georgia.

He said it is impossible to draw such conclusions, as the said report
fixes both index of prices of definite goods and exchange rate of the
national currency, which is just an indication of existing tendencies
in these countries.

He noted that the said report describes the situation in 2005, which
is quite different from that of 2007. According to him, the current
situation is worsened by the well-known resolution of the Tariff
Council of January 8 of 2007.

"On the whole, it is possible to state that the year of 2007 is
marked with inflation, which was "imported" even to the United
States. Inflation was high in Azerbaijan and our country has neared
Georgia by this indicator. As is known, prices on foodstuffs are
higher in Georgia as compared to Azerbaijan due to high prices on
energy sources. If we take into account the fact that incomes of the
population are higher in our country than in Georgia, we will come
to a conclusion that the purchasing capacity of the population in
Azerbaijan is currently higher than in Georgia", he said.

He added that the purchasing capacity of Armenian population is also
lower as compared to Azerbaijan.

"PROSPEROUS ARMENIA" STATED THAT IT WILL SUPPORT SERZH SARKISIAN DURING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Mediamax
December 20, 2007

Yerevan /Mediamax/. "Prosperous Armenia" party stated today that during
the presidential elections of February 19 of 2008, it will support
the Prime Minister, the Chairman of Republican Party of Armenia (RPA)
Serzh Sarkisian.

Mediamax reports that the statement, approved today in Yerevan
following the results of the extended session of "Prosperous Armenia"
party’s political council, reads this.

The documents notes that the decision on supporting Serzh Sarkisian is
based on the coalitional agreement, signed with the RPA following the
results of parliamentary elections of 2007, as well as the "mutual
respect and trust".

"We are sure that our single candidate will in the best way solve
the problems, which Armenia faces, and will be able to preserve the
political stability", the statement reads.

ARMENIA, TURKEY BORDER WAS DETERMINED BY 1920 SEVRES TREATY, SAYS MANOYAN

Haber Gazete, Turkey
/armenia.htm
Dec 20 2007

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)–The Armenian National Assembly Thursday
began two days of hearings on Turkey-Armenia relations, during which
Armenian Revolutionary Federation Political Director said the border
between Turkey and Armenia was drawn by the 1920 Sevres Treaty,
to which the Ottoman Empire was a signatory.

In testimony presented to the hearing, Giro Manoyan said that Armenia,
as a member of several international organizations, has recognized
the borders inherited from the Soviet Union, whereas the legal border
is the one outlined by the internationally adopted 1920 Sevres Treaty.

He suggested that the National Assembly adopt legislation that
prohibits the Armenian government from signing any treaty or document
that does not recognize the boundaries set by the Sevres Treaty.

Manoyan also recommended that preliminary programs be implemented to
engage the executive and legislative branches in the discussion of
the aforementioned argument within the international community.

Manoyan also said the closure of the border by Turkey was key factor
in addressing Turkey-Armenia relations, adding that Turkey’s failure
to recognize the Armenian Genocide and adopt measures for proper
reparations and restitutions also impeded the process of normalizing
relations.

He also emphasized that the 16-year history of the Republic of Armenia
has demonstrated that threats and short-term or temporary steps do
not yield tangible results in this process.

The Parliamentary hearings were initiated by the National Assembly’s
Standing Committee on Foreign Relations and are scheduled to last
for two days.

Participating in the hearings were the Foreign Relations Committee
Chairman and ARF Supreme Body Representative Armen Rustamian, the
Speaker of the National Assembly Tigran Torosyan, Vice Speaker and
Presidential Candidate Vahan Hovannesian, the Director of Turkish
Studies at the Armenian Oriental Institute Ruben Safrastian, Armenian
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, EU Special Representative Peter
Semneby, Director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Hayk
Demoyan, and a number of other politicians, foreign diplomats, and
representatives from Armenia’s intelligentsia. A journalist from the
Turkish Armenian Weekly Agos was also present.

Also invited to the two-day hearings were two dozen prominent Turks,
including Foreign Minister Ali Babacan and Nobel Prize-winning novelist
Orhan Pamuk. But none of have accepted the invitation.

Committee Chairman Rustamian outlined that the purpose of the hearings
is to clarify the reasons of the current crisis in the Armenian-Turkish
relations, to assess the nature of the existing problems and to make
clear the opportunities and mechanisms of parliamentary diplomacy in
the normalization of relations.

"This hearing is long over due," he said. "There has been no issue that
has had such significance in the history of our nation–for its past,
present and future. It was clear that our parliament had to engage
in such process to clarify its goals. I am expecting comprehensive,
deep and interested discussions."

Rustamian added that the lack of relations between the two countries
exceeds the boundaries of the two states and have a great impact on
contemporary geopolitical developments. The Parliament had to get
involved in the process, he said.

During his speech at the hearing, Vice Speaker Hovannesian, a member
of the ARF Bureau, stated that Armenian-Turkish relations have entered
a dead-end.

"As long as Talaat Pasha, Enver and Jamal are seen as national heroes
in Turkey, "nothing will change," he added.

"There has never been cooperation between a dictatorship and a
democracy," he said during his speech at the hearing. "We are not
saying Armenia is a classic democracy but Turkey is a classical
example of a totalitarian regime."

"Like a dictatorship, Turkey tries to control not just the present,
but also the past, he said. "This is the reason why any serious
investigations into the Armenian Genocide and its reasons are barred,
while any information about these events is forcefully denied to
Turkish society." Turkish society needs the truth, he added.

The parliamentary hearings must lead to a consensus on what Armenia
expects from Turkey, Hovannesian stated. The hearings must lay out
what Armenia considers to be proper reparations and retributions and
the Turkish Parliament should be informed about it, he added.

Hovannesian added that reforms in Turkey are being made in a
distorted fashion. Turkey’s admission in the EU will be a defeat,
he added. Turkey will not adopt European values. Instead, Europe will
end up adopting Turkish values, which are completely alien to the EU.

Turkey cannot hope to achieve European values and become a member
of the EU unless it establishes an Armenian Genocide Museum in
Ankara. The Turkish youth need to be given a possibility to get
acquainted with one of the darkest chapters of their history, added
Demoyan. According to the Armenian Genocide Museum Director, today’s
Turkey is not able to recognize the Armenian Genocide, as history
because an artificial reality was created for Turkey and it serves
as the backbone of Turkish nationalism.

Foreign Minister Oskanian said Turkey’s precondition that Armenia
must abandon genocide recognition is inadmissible for Armenia.

"Turkey wants fulfillment of its preconditions first and only then
establishment of diplomatic relations and opening of the border." he
said during his address to the committee. "Show me a European state
which kept borders closed because of problems with neighbors."

Oskanian said, Turkey’s entry to the EU "would be good for us in
the political, economic and moral senses." But he made it clear
that Armenia believes it should happen only after Ankara drops its
preconditions for establishing diplomatic relations with Yerevan
and opening the Turkish-Armenian border. He said his government is
worried that the EU will be more lenient towards the Turks than it
was towards the former Communist states of Eastern Europe.

"Our concern is whether the EU will be as fair and demanding as it
was towards other [nations seeking EU membership] or will take a
political decision on Turkey’s membership for other considerations,"
he said. "The international community rates opening of the border as
the primary condition. Show me a European state which kept borders
closed because of problems with neighbors," the Minister said.

"Any country would want its neighbor to be predictable and act within
the framework of a clear value system," said Parliament Speaker
Torosian, who is also a leading member of Sarkisian’s Republican
Party. But he rejected Turkish demands that the Armenian Diaspora stop
campaigning for international recognition of the Armenian genocide
and Turkey’s compliance with EU standards.

While the EU stands for an unconditional normalization of
Turkish-Armenian relations, it has not included the issue on the
agenda of its accession talks with Ankara.

Peter Semneby, the EU’s special representative to the South Caucasus,
avoided any criticism of the Turkish policy on Armenia as he spoke
during the hearings. He said instead that Yerevan should not be
worried about a growing Turkish presence in the region.

"It’s in Armenia’s interests that Turkey plays a larger role in the
South Caucasus and that it gets a stake in the well being of the
whole region," Semneby said.

Torosian, however voiced his concern that Turkey’s decision to not
participate in the discussions would not contribute to dialogue.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM OF ARMENIA TAKES 93RD PLACE IN LAST FIFA CLASSIFICATION LIST OF THIS YEAR

Noyan Tapan
Dec 19 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The National Football Team of
Armenia takes the 93rd place in the last list of the 2007 tournament
season of the FIFA classification of national teams. It should be
mentioned that Armenia took 123rd place in 2006.

The national team of Armenia have held 12 meetings, have gained
3 victories, have finished four meetings in a draw and have been
defeated for five times during the tournament season of this year.

The best three is composed of the combined teams of Argentine, Brazil,
and Italy. Among the neighbour countries of Armenia Georgia takes
77th place, and Azerbaijan the 115th place. Among the CIS countries
Russia has the best result and takes the 23rd place.

INTERVIEW WITH ALINOUSH TARIAN, THE FIRST WOMAN PHYSICS PROFESSOR IN MODERN IRAN

Payvand, Iran
Dec 19 2007

The first Iranian woman, teacher of physics, the founder of the first
solar telescopic observatory in Iran, was graduated from Sorbonne
University in Paris, and after teaching for 30 years in universities
is now resting in an elderly house; her best memories regards the
successful students who are today professors.

Alinoush Tarian, was born in an Armenian family in 1920 in Tehran.

She graduated in Khordad 1326 [1947] from Tehran University Science
Department and began her career in physics laboratories of the same
university and was elected as the chief of laboratory operations in
the same year.

She could not convince her teacher (Dr Hessabi) to pay for her studies
abroad and was obliged to go to Paris on her own where she began
studying in Atmospheric physic in Paris University. She graduated
in 1856 and after rejecting a teaching job in Sorbonne University
came back to Iran to become an assistant professor in thermodynamics
physics in Tehran University.

She studied on solar physics observatory for 4 months by a scholarship
of German government and finally became the first female professor
of physics in Iran on 1964.

In 1966 she became a member of the geophysics committee of Tehran
University and in 1969 finally was elected as the chief of the solar
physics studies in that university and began to work in the solar
observatory which she was one of its founders. She was retired on 1979.

Alinoush Tarian has dedicated herself to teaching students in this
country and is now living in an elderly house. We went there with
one of her colleagues to have an interview with her.

When asked for her best memory from the teaching days, she answers:
All my memories from those days are nice. I loved the students and
they loved me as well. So I did not have any difficulty during my
teaching career.

Q: What is you best memory?

A: Thirty years of teaching and the construction of the solar
observatory.

Q: What was the reason for your success?

A: Human attitude. One day a colleague asked me why do the students
come to see me but did not go to him? I said maybe his attitude was
not good enough to attract the students.

Q: Did you use a scholarship to study abroad?

A: My grades were always good. When I graduated, I asked for a
scholarship but they did not accept because I was woman. I went to
Paris by myself. I did not accept to work in Paris University because
I loved my country and told them I had to go back and serve my country.

Q: Did you have a trip to Germany?

A: The German government gave me a scholarship to study the basics
of solar observatories and I went to study there for a few months.

Q: What made you think of building a solar observatory?

A: When I returned and started to work in the university I requested
the building of an observatory for the students to become familiar
with this type of observatory.

Q: How many languages do you know?

A: My mother studied in Switzerland. My father and mother knew French,
English and Armenian. My brother and I learned Persian and Armenian
from childhood. We studied French to understand what our parents say
and caught them by surprise. I know Turkish and English as well.

Q: Were you satisfied with your salary?

A: My salary was very low. Unfortunately in Iran teachers are not
remunerated well. When I graduated, my father’s friend suggested
working for his company with 10 times the university salary; but I
preferred to work in the university.

Q: Have you been to Armenia?

A: Unfortunately no. I wished to go to Armenia when I was young but at
that time if someone went to Armenia he would be sacked from his job.

Q: If you had the opportunity to go back what would you do?

A: If I were to go back, I would do the same thing because I love
studying and teaching. I am honoured to see my students’ success
in physics.

Q: Any recommendation for students and teachers?

A: Teachers must study continuously and keep themselves updated. The
students should study hard.

Note: Original article published in Persian by Fars News Agency.

Translated for Payvand.com by BMarz translators:

Photos at