Author: Harutyunian Christine

San Gabriel Valley Tribune, CA
June 14 2008

Armenian genocide still haunts Turkey

By Zanku Armenian and Dickran Tabakian
Article Launched: 06/13/2008 07:15:16 AM PDT

ON April 24, in cities across the United States and around the world,
people remembered the 1.5 million Armenians murdered by the government
of Turkey during the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

The commemoration in the U.S. includes gratitude for efforts by
Americans during that period to save countless Armenian lives and
opening the doors of this country as a haven from the brutality of
Turkey’s armed forces.

The U.S. ambassador to Turkey between 1913-1916, Henry Morgenthau,
wrote of this first modern example of genocide in his memoirs. "When
the Turkish authorities gave the orders for these deportations, they
were merely giving the death warrant to a whole race; they understood
this well, and, in their conversations with me, they made no
particular attempt to conceal the fact . . . I am confident that the
whole history of the human race contains no such horrible episode as
this," Morgenthau wrote.

Morgenthau did not realize what similar horrors awaited the human race
a few decades later when the German Nazis would take their turn in
race extermination.

Sadly, on April 24 the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group fell victim
to the Armenian genocide denial campaign perpetrated by today’s
government of Turkey when the newspapers printed an opinion piece by
Jason Epstein that attempted to cleverly cast doubt on the historical
facts surrounding the Armenian Genocide and whether it should be
commemorated.

Epstein is a former legislative director for B’nai B’rith
International, a prominent Jewish organization that, among the issues
it promotes, works to build racial tolerance and awareness of issues
having to do with genocide. It would seem logical that someone with
Jason Epstein’s background would be sensitive to Holocaust deniers and
other races who suffered genocide.

Upon closer examination, however, it becomes apparent Mr. Epstein
doesn’t follow that logic.

According to Justice Department records, he has been paid a
substantial price by the Turkish government as a lobbyist – to the
tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Since his time at B’nai
B’rith, Epstein has crossed over and joined the paid army of lobbyists
and public relations soldiers who have been hired by Turkey. These
people spend their days distorting the facts of history in a losing
battle to deny the Armenian Genocide, much like today’s Holocaust
deniers.

The Turkish government’s decades-long Armenian genocide denial
campaign, in which Epstein is a bit player, spends millions every year
attempting to wipe the blood of genocide victims off the government’s
hands. This failed policy has prevented Turkey from joining the
civilized world and will continue to be a barrier as it attempts to
join the European Union. Turkey’s government must mature and come to
terms with its history.

Instead, the government prosecutes and persecutes Turkish citizens for
speaking the truth about the Armenian Genocide.

At the same time, the Turkish government attempts to export its gag
rule on free speech about the Armenian Genocide to the U.S. by
blackmailing our Congress into not speaking the truth with threats to
cut off northern supply lines to our troops in Iraq.

The Armenian National Committee of America and other American
community, academic and political organizations and hundreds of
elected officials such as our own Congressman Adam Schiff work hard
every day to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide.

At its core, these efforts aim to align our government’s policies on
these issues with our fundamental American values of respect for human
rights.

Epstein, given his past, should find his lost integrity and
concentrate his efforts on breaking the cycle of genocide in the world
instead of protecting the perpetrators of genocide denial. This would
be a more productive use of his time instead of lecturing the Armenian
American community, which is very proud of its contributions to this
society, as well as helping the growing democracy in Armenia.

But then again, perhaps Epstein is not interested in representing that
side of the issue because there is little money to be made defending
victims of genocide or standing for justice and what is right.

Zanku Armenian is on the board of directors of the Armenian National
Committee of America, Western Region.

Dickran Tabakian is chairman of the Armenian National Committee,
Pasadena.

11 OF 21 CANDIDATES OF JUDGES GOT SATISFACTORY MARKS

KarabakhOpen
13-06-2008 11:42:54

On July 1 the Court of Appeal will be set up, and the judges of the
Court of Appeal and the first instance court will be appointed till
June 20.

In order to assess the candidates an exam was held on June 5 which
21 candidates took.

11 of 21 got satisfactory marks.

FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway

The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one’s belief or religion
The right to join together and express one’s belief

========================================== ======
Thursday 12 June 2008
AZERBAIJAN: "WASN’T ONE PRISON TERM ENOUGH?"

Baptist former prisoner of conscience Zaur Balaev has been summoned and
threatened with a new prison term, he has told Forum 18 News Service.
"Haven’t you learnt from your imprisonment?" Balaev quoted police officers
as telling him. "Wasn’t one prison term enough for you?" One officer added:
"You may not be afraid, but you’ve forgotten you’ve got a wife, daughter
and a son." Police banned Balaeev’s church from meeting, a ban the
congregation has defied. Kamandar Hasanov, the deputy police chief in
Azerbaijan’s north-western Zakatala region, denied to Forum 18 that he had
threatened Balaev. Hasanov also refused to discuss with Forum 18 the
harassment of Balaev’s Baptist congregation, why Muslim men with beards
were forcibly shaved and banned from Zakatala’s mosque in recent years, and
why religious books were confiscated in a raid on a Jehovah’s Witness home.
A local resident told Forum 18 that the pressure to shave off beards has at
present halted.

AZERBAIJAN: "WASN’T ONE PRISON TERM ENOUGH?"

By Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service <;

Baptist former prisoner of conscience Zaur Balaev – freed on 19 March
after being held for nearly a year to punish him for leading his
congregation – was summoned and threatened with a new prison term in early
May, he told Forum 18 News Service on 12 June from his home village of
Aliabad in the north-western region of Zakatala [Zaqatala]. "Haven’t you
learnt from your imprisonment?" Balaev quoted police officers as telling
him. "Wasn’t one prison term enough for you?" And, in what Balaev says was
a clear threat, one officer added: "You may not be afraid, but you’ve
forgotten you’ve got a wife, daughter and a son."

Balaev said the threats came from Kamandar Hasanov, the deputy regional
police chief, and two of his colleagues in Hasanov’s office in Zakatala.
"They didn’t hit me but they were very crude."

Balaev said the police banned his church from meeting, a ban the
congregation has defied. Police have continued to visit his church during
worship services. "They realise they can’t drive us out," he told Forum 18,
referring to the fact that all the church members are local people. "But
they observe us closely."

Hasanov denied to Forum 18 that he had threatened Balaev. "There were no
threats," he told Forum 18 from Zakatala on 12 June. "Who said there were
any threats and raids?" He declined to say why the Baptist congregations in
Aliabad cannot meet for worship without harassment, why Muslim men with
beards were forcibly shaved and banned from Zakatala’s mosque in recent
years and why religious books were confiscated in a raid on a Jehovah’s
Witness home in Zakatala in March. "Call me back later," Hasanov said and
put down the phone. He was not in the office later in the day.

Strongly backing Balaev and his congregation is Ilya Zenchenko, head of
Azerbaijan’s Baptist Union. "They used very bad threats against him," he
told Forum 18 in the capital Baku in late May. "This must be reported. They
definitely want to threaten him, telling him ‘this is an Islamic country
and Christians shouldn’t be here’."

Balaev was arrested in May 2007 on charges of attacking five police
officers and damaging a police car that he and his church insist were
trumped up. He was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, but was freed
under amnesty in March, perhaps as a result of international attention to
his case (see F18News 19 March 2008
< e_id=1102>). Another prisoner of
conscience, Jehovah’s Witness conscientious objector Samir Huseynov, was
freed on 1 May (see F18News 14 May 2008
< e_id=1129>).

However, Said Dadashbeyli, a Muslim teacher on a 14 year jail term is
still in prison. His lawyer and family have insisted to Forum 18 that he is
"completely innocent." His lawyer, Elchin Gambarov, claims the Azerbaijani
government wanted to show foreign governments that there was a serious
Islamist threat. Dadashbeyli’s family told Forum 18 that he promoted a
"European style of Islam" and rejected fundamentalism (see F18News 28 May
2008 < 1134>).

The 44-year-old Balaev told Forum 18 his health suffered during his
imprisonment. He was held for four months in an investigation cell together
with some twenty other prisoners who smoked constantly and some of whom
suffered from tuberculosis (see F18News 9 August 2007
< e_id=1005>).

Like the overwhelming majority of Aliabad’s inhabitants, Balaev is from
the Georgian-speaking Ingilo minority, which was converted to Islam several
centuries ago. The congregation he leads has existed for more than fifteen
years and has repeatedly been barred from gaining state registration (see
eg. F18News 8 December 2004
< e_id=471>). Forum 18 believes it
to be Azerbaijan’s religious community that holds the record for the
longest denial of registration.

Although police have not punished church members for continuing to meet,
Balaev told Forum 18 that they have continued to visit services both of his
congregation and of another Baptist congregation in the village led by
Hamid Shabanov. "They visited us three times and other congregations
twice," Balaev complained. "Pastor Hamid was also summoned by the police
and threatened." He said police scrutiny had been particularly intense
during a visit some two weeks earlier by fellow church members from Baku.
"Police asked them why they had come and what they were doing. They
demanded to see their identity documents and wrote down their details."

Balaev reported that Christian literature confiscated from Pastor Shabanov
a year ago has still not been returned (see F18News 4 June 2007
< e_id-8>).

After Balaev’s release, church members accompanied by Zenchenko tried once
more to have their signatures on the congregation’s registration
application officially notarised by Zakatala’s notary. "But they absolutely
refused to do this," Zenchenko told Forum 18. "This is how they have
behaved for years."

Jeyhun Mamedov of the State Committee for Work with Religious
Organisations in Baku refused adamantly to discuss the threats to Balaev
and harassment of his congregation and other religious communities in
Zakatala Region with Forum 18 in his office in Baku on 21 May. However, he
pledged to investigate the refusal of the notary to notarise the signatures
on the registration application. Mamedov’s telephone has gone unanswered
every time Forum 18 has called since then.

Najiba Mamedova, Zakatala’s notary, screamed down the phone at Forum 18
when it tried to find out why the notary’s office is refusing to notarise
the signatures on the registration application. "You’ve been going on about
this for years," she told Forum 18 on 12 June. "You’re a provocateur. It’s
none of your business. Armenians have occupied Nagorno-Karabakh for more
than 15 years and we’ve spent blood over it. One Karabakh is enough." When
Forum 18 pointed out that the Aliabad Baptist church has no connection with
Armenians and that its members are Azerbaijani citizens she angrily put the
phone down.

In November 2004 Mamedova angrily threw Forum 18 out of her office during
a visit to try to find out why she was then refusing to notarise the
signatures (see F18News 8 December 2004
=471).

Numerous religious communities of a variety of faiths have been denied
registration over recent years (see F18News 6 February 2008
< e_id=1082> and forthcoming
F18News article).

Children given Christian first names by their parents in Aliabad have been
denied birth certificates by officials angry at their choice of name (see
F18News 19 March 2008 ).

Meanwhile, Jehovah’s Witnesses told Forum 18 that four police officers and
two official witnesses raided the Zakatala home of Matanat Gurbanova and
her family at noon on 25 March. Although she and her husband were out,
police ignored her daughter’s request that they should come back and
insisted on conducting a search. When the daughter fainted in shock the
police gave her water to bring her round then threatened her physically
when she continued to object to the raid, Jehovah’s Witnesses reported.
Police confiscated Gurbanova’s religious literature.

Jehovah’s Witnesses and Protestants in other parts of Azerbaijan also
continue to experience raids and police threats against their members (see
F18News 9 June 2008 < 1140>).

Deputy police chief Hasanov told the media after the raid that 570 books
and 78 brochures – which he described as "banned" literature – had been
removed and that an investigation was underway.

Several days later, when Gurbanova was again out, a police officer again
visited and said she could go to the investigator and collect the
literature. "I did not go since I consider they acted unlawfully,"
Gurbanova wrote in a 2 April complaint to the Zakatala Regional
Prosecutor’s Office and the General Prosecutor’s Office in the capital
Baku. She insisted the raid violated her rights to freedom of thought,
speech and conscience guaranteed in Articles 47 and 48 of Azerbaijan’s
Constitution and Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Zakatala’s Muslim community has also faced official pressure in recent
years. In October 2007 the APA press agency reported local Muslims as
complaining that police officer Nasib Musaev had banned men with beards
from praying at the prayer room at the town’s market. They say he summoned
all the men and ordered them to shave off their beards if they wanted to be
allowed into the prayer room. APA said local Muslims had complained about
the ban to the State Committee in Baku. Musaev denied to APA that he had
issued any ban, claiming that anyone who wanted to could pray at the prayer
room.

Local Muslims had earlier complained of close police scrutiny and pressure
to shave off beards. However, one local resident told Forum 18 on 12 June
that this problem seems to have at present halted. (END)

For a personal commentary, by an Azeri Protestant, on how the
international community can help establish religious freedom in Azerbaijan,
see < 482>.

For more background information see Forum 18’s Azerbaijan religious
freedom survey at <‘ >.

More coverage of freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Azerbaijan
is at <; religion=all&country=23>.

A survey of the religious freedom decline in the eastern part of the
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) area is at
< id=806>.

A printer-friendly map of Azerbaijan is available at
< s/atlas/index.html?Parent=asia&Rootmap=azerba& gt;.
(END)

© Forum 18 News Service. All rights reserved. ISSN 1504-2855
You may reproduce or quote this article provided that credit is given to
F18News

Past and current Forum 18 information can be found at

WILL AD HOC COMMITTEE ACT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS?

A1+
11 June, 2008

"A full revelation of the March 1 occurrences is first of all
advantageous to the authorities as only after giving answers to these
thorny questions they will be able to turn over the page and go ahead.

Otherwise questions will continue being put from the NA rostrum and
numerous squares," said the chairman of the NA Standing Committee
on Legal Affairs David Harutiunian. He is confident that they have
chosen the best form of an ad hoc committee.

David Harutiunian says the committee is to consider the issues posed
in the Human Rights Ombudsman’s special report as well.

Asked whether the journalists will have an access to follow the
committee’s work and whether the committee’s activities will be
broadcast on TV, David Harutiunian said "he finds it inexpedient as
cameras and journalists imply some elements of a show and a political
force tries to appear to the best in front of cameras.

The only opposition force in the National Assembly, "Zharangutiun,"
demands to have a clear-cut proportion of forces in the committee-50%
from the opposition and another 50 % from the authorities. This will
enable the committee to gain public confidence.

"We shouldn’t draw a preconceived opinion of the committee which
isn’t yet set up. We cannot say the child is deaf or blind unless
he/she is born," said OYK MP Hovhannes Margarian.

The co-author of the proposal, BHK member Naira Zohrabian says we
shouldn’t be ill-disposed to the committee. She advised recruiting
more specialists and experts in the committee.

"Zharangutiun" MP Vardan Khachatrian noted that the March 1 events
divided Armenia’s history into two parts. That page cannot be closed
unless public confidence is restored.

"I wouldn’t like the March 1 events to stir up hostility and give
grounds for settling accounts," Vardan Khacahtrian said in reply to
NA Speaker Tigran Torossian. Then he added that some issues really
demand discretion.

The draft bill on the formation of an ad hoc committee will be brought
to a vote on June 12. The "Zharangutiun" will abstain in the vote
while the coalition majority will vote for the bill.

Russian Becomes Enemy Language In Former USSR

Pravda, Russia
June 11 2008

The Russian administration has decided to do everything possible to
make Russian the official language in all countries of the former
USSR (currently known as the Commonwealth of Independent States,
CIS). However, the leaders of some of those countries are not eager
to follow Russia at this point.

The idea to make the Russian language the official language on the
post-Soviet space is not new. Russia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry
started working on the subject in 2003.

If a country decides to acknowledge Russia its official language
then it is up to this country to elaborate necessary mechanisms for
it," a spokesman for the Institute of the CIS, Vladimir Zharikhin
told Pravda.ru.

The specialist urged not to politicize the issue of the Russian
language in post-Soviet states. "This is a humanitarian mission,
first and foremost. Studying the Russian language and culture is one
of the ways to become a part of world culture," he said.

A spokesman for the Center of Strategic Research, Sergei Mikheyev, was
more skeptic in his comments about the problem. "We remain on the
declarative level of the Russian language status, as it was five years
ago. The situation has only worsened during those years. Nationalist
forces in some countries strive to distance themselves from Russia,
its language and culture as much as possible. Like Viktor Yushchenko
said – Russia ends where the Russian language ends," Mikheyev
told Pravda.ru.

Fore the time being, none of the countries of the former Soviet Union
has agreed to acknowledge Russian its official language. In addition,
nationalist movements in many of those countries try to get rid of
the Russian language. People already start to forget it.

"Many young people do not speak and do not understand
Russian. Russian can become an elite language in Georgia, which is a
great misfortune," the Russian Ambassador to Georgia, Vyacheslav
Kovalenko said.

Speaking about Georgia, this country does not see any reason for its
citizens to study Russian. Knowledge of Russia is not required for job
seekers even at the companies owned by Russian entrepreneurs. However,
it will be difficult for young Georgians to come to Russia or try to
enter a Russian university.

If the situation continues to develop like that in the future,
CIA organizations, Like GUAM for example, will have to acknowledge
English its international communication language.

Armenia gradually forgets Russian too. Despite Armenians friendly
ties with Russia, it was decided not to broadcast programs in the
Russian language on Armenian TV channels.

As for Ukraine, about 50 percent of its population speaks Russian. The
Ukrainian authorities have discussed the question of the Russian
language on numerous occasions. However, President Yushchenko is not
going to spend any funds to support the Russian language and culture
in Ukraine.

Many guest workers from Central Asia, who come to Moscow or other
cities of Russia for earnings, can hardly speak Russians. The
governments of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are too busy
with their economic problems to tackle the language problem.

It just so happens that studying Russian has become a person problem
on the post-Soviet space. The number of Russian schools continues to
decline, whereas the Russian-speaking population leaves. The former
USSR seems to forget that language is a highly important part of the
cultural code of a nation.

62ND PAN-MACEDONIAN UNION OF AMERICA CONGRESS ENDS

Greek News
me=News&file=article&sid=8729&mode=thr ead&order=0&thold=0
June 9 2008
New York

New York.- The 62nd congress of the Panmacedonian Union of America
ended here on Saturday May 31st, with the re-election of Nina Gatzouli
as the Union’s president and the ratification of a resolution stressing
that "we shall never accept any name for FYROM (the Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia) that will contain the term ‘Macedonia’ or
its derivatives."

The delegates declared their "steadfast opposition" to the recognition
of FYROM by the United States with the name "Republic of Macedonia"
and called for "continuous propaganda on irredentism that is being
emitted by FYROM, including the appropriation and distortion of the
Greek cultural heritage of Macedonia, to stop completely."

During the official dinner, Archbishop of America Demetrios was
honoured with the "Filippio Award." Receiving the award, the primate
of the Greek Orthodox Church of America called on the delegates and
the expatriates in general to confront FYROM’s propaganda "that has
infiltrated government services and public libraries in the United
States."

Greek Ambassador to the United States Alexandros Mallias said on
his part that "your decision to honour Archbishop Demetrios with the
‘Filippio Award’ gives it a splendour and a moral base."

DECLARATION The Pan-Macedonian Association of the USA in a duly
convened meeting at its 62nd Annual Convention on May 29 to May 31st,
2008, in New York, NY USA declares the following: 1. We strongly
oppose the recognition of The Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia
(The FYROM) as the "Republic of Macedonia" by the government of the
United States of America.

2. We demand that the continuous irredentist propaganda emanating
from The FYROM, including the falsification of the Hellenic heritage
of Macedonia, stops immediately.

3. We shall never accept an Orthodox Church with the term "Macedonia"
or its derivatives in its name.

4. We oppose the use of the name Republic of "Macedonia" in any
legal document within the Hellenic Republic, or by Hellenic interests
worldwide.

5. We condemn terrorism in all of its forms.

6. Turkey must respect the territorial integrity of the Republic of
Cyprus, which is a full EU member. Turkey must immediately remove all
its occupation troops, it must remove the illegal settlers who were
brought to Cyprus from the mainland of Turkey, return all properties
to the rightful owners and make all reparations to the Cypriots.

7. We regard the continued discriminatory acts, rules, and
policy of Turkey against the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate
of Constantinople, a violation of freedom of religion that is
inconsistent with the country’s aspirations to become a member of
the European Union. We demand the reopening of the Theological
School of Halki, the restoration of the confiscated property of
the Ecumenical Patriarchate and we demand respect for the property
rights of Hellenes in Constantinople. The recent decision by Turkish
Supreme Court rejecting the ecumenicity of the Patriarch is contrary
to European Union Laws.

8. We demand recognition by the U.S.A. and Turkish governments of
the genocides against the Armenian, Assyrian as well as the Hellenic
genocide.

9. We condemn the continuous violations by Turkey of the Greek
territorial space.

10. We expect from the Republic of Bulgaria to return of the Holy
Relics that were removed from the monasteries of Drama and Serres.

11. We demand the return of the Parthenon Marbles to the place of
their origin.

12. The Kalash of the northern Himalayan region of the Hindu Kush
Mountains of Pakistan are Hellenic descendants of the armies of
Alexander the Great. The Kalash Indigenous people have sustained their
ancient culture and traditions since the 4th century B.C., yet they
are in danger of extinction. Being our Hellenic Macedonian brothers
and sisters, we support their efforts to sustain their ethnic values
and identity.

13. We support the Kalash proposal to "Bring the Glory Back" which
is, to apply the rule of Law of Alexander the Great, as the guideline
for the Security Council of the United Nations".

14. The retrieval of bones of Greek soldiers, who fell during WWII
battles in the mountains of Northern Epirus, is not an economic
transaction, but a humanitarian issue and our national duty. The
road of Albania to the European Union requires the RESPECT of Human,
Political, Cultural, Religious and Educational Rights of the Greek
minority.

15. The Albanians should cease all propaganda regarding the Chams if
Albania is to proceed in its Euro-Atlantic integration.

16. We urge all Greek-Americans to register to vote and exercise that
right in all upcoming elections. We also urge them to influence their
local, state and national Representatives to support the Hellenic
national issues and specifically support HR 356 and SR 300, regarding
the irredentist propaganda of the FYROM.

17. The Greek Parliament should not ratify any agreement for the
admission of the FYROM into NATO or the European Union even under
any name that includes the term "Macedonia" or its derivatives.

18. We disagree with the Greek political leaders in regards of the
previous decision of the political leaders which excluded the use of
the term "Macedonia" for the name of the FYROM.

SEVENTY ARMENIAN PEACEKEEPERS WILL LEAVE FOR KOSOVO TODAY

armradio.am
09.06.2008 14:25

RA Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan said in Yerevan today that in its
current Program the Government pays great attention to the defense
capacity of the Armed forces.

Speaking at a press conference in Yerevan today, Seyran Ohanyan said
a new Law on Defense and a the development plan of the Armed Forces
until 2015 will be adopted this year.

Seyran Ohanyan stressed the great importance of doubling the Armenian
peacekeeping contingent in Kosovo.

The Minister informed that the negotiations on Armenia’s participation
in the NATO mission in Afghanistan will continue. According to him,
the question was discussed during the recent sitting of the Alliance
in 26+1 format.

A 70-member group of peacekeepers will leave for Kosovo today.

SESSION OF REPRESENTATIVES OF LAW MACHINERY OF ARMENIA’S NORTHERN REGIONS HELD IN VANADZOR

arminfo
2008-06-09 16:44:00

ArmInfo. Session of representatives of the law machinery of Armenia’s
northern regions was held in Vanadzor yesterday.

The session was dedicated to the problems of fight against corruption
crimes, their prevention, revelation and investigation. The
session, organized on the initiative of RA Prosecutor General
Aghvan Hovsepyan, was held with participation of RA Justice Minister
Gevork Danielyan, representatives of the Police, NSS, Customs and
Tax Committees, subdivisions of the Prosecutor’s Office and regional
administrations. As A. Hovsepyan said, holding of such sessions is
called to increase the efficiency of corruption-fight, localize and
clarify specific issues which need to be clarified. The session lasted
over 4 hours, during which the participants presented their approaches
to solution of one or another issues. This is the first session and
it is envisaged to hold two more sessions, with participation of
representatives of the southern regions’ law machinery, expectedly,
in Armavir and Yerevan. The terms of these sessions have not been
yet specified.

RA NA SPEAKER NOT GOING TO RESIGN

Noyan Tapan

Ju ne 9, 2008

YEREVAN, JUNE 9, NOYAN TAPAN. "I have said that I am not going
to resign," NA Speaker Tigran Torosian told journalists on June
9. According to the latest publications in press, the stopping of
deputy powers of NA deputy Henrik Abrahamian from electoral district N
17 is conditioned by the circumstance that the former deputy’s brother,
Head of the RA President’s Administration, Hovik Abrahamian intends
to be elected deputy from that electoral district and to become NA
Speaker later.

T. Torosian said that parliament Speaker’s resignation is a serious
event in any country and it is the result of change on either country’s
main issues of principle or change of some political situation. "There
is no such precondition, and I just have no right to take such a step,"
T. Torosian said. He also mentioned that everyone should realize
his responsibility on this or that post. "Under the circumstance, I
think no one has a moral right to play children’s games," T. Torosian
said meanwhile mentioning that to resign the post of the NA Speaker
means to deliver a blow to state’s authority and to show a disdainful
attitude to society.

HULIQ (press release), NC
June 6 2008

Karabakh To Enlarge Security Zone If Azerbaijan Attacks

The president of Nagorno Karaback Bako Sahakyan says enlargement of
the security zone will be the only means for peace in case of
aggression from Azerbaijan.

President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan declared in
an interview with RBC Daily that "Azerbaijan’s belligerent statements
exert no psychological influence on us."

Application of force will result in many human losses on both sides,
but will not solve the Karabakh issue. In case of necessity the
military actions will be taken deep into Azerbaijani territory. In
case of aggression we shall behave that way, because the enlargement
of the security zone will be the only means for ensuring peace for our
people,’ Bako Sahakyan said.

Nagorno Karabakh Republic Presidnet underlined the necessity of
Stepanakert’s full participation in the negotiation process.

`We do not lay the emphasis on the number of participants of the
talks. However, unless Azerbaijan starts negotiations with us, all
other formats will be ineffective,’ the President said.

Asked about the perspectives of return of Azeri refugees, Bako
Sahakyan said: `We do not rule out the return of Azerbaijani refugees
to Karabakh. But we are sure that it’s not permissible until the
political solution of the issue. With unreasonable actions we can make
the refugees face new tragic consequences. It’s also necessary to
combine the issue of Azerbaijani refugees with the issue of Armenian
refugees. Today it is viewed unilaterally. Naturally, it does not
satisfy us.’

Source: By Public Radio of Armenia