Author: Jagharian Tania

FIVE NEW PROJECTS TO RECEIVE FUNDING FROM ITVS
By Kristin Brzoznowski

World Screen News
lename=fivenew12178.htm
Dec 18 2008
NY

SAN FRANCISCO, December 17: The Independent Television Service
(ITVS) has selected five projects from its recently completed ITVS
International Call 2008 for funding, with two more expected to be
announced shortly.

The films set to receive production funding were selected from
an application process, which included 385 submissions from 74
countries. Since 2005, some 100 international programs have been
supported through ITVS International’s Global Perspectives Project
and its International Media Development Fund.

The 2008 International Call projects selected for funding and
U.S. television broadcast include The Caviar Connection by Dragan
Nikolic and Jovana Nikolic (Serbia), Jalanan by Daniel Ziv and Leonard
Retel Helmrich (Indonesia), The Last Tightrope Dancer in Armenia by
Vardan Hovhannisyan and Inna Sahakyan (Armenia), Last Train Home by
Lixin Fan and Mila Aung-Thwin (China) and On the Borders of Desperation
by Nima Sarvestani (Kurdistan–Iran, Iraq).

The deadline for submission for projects to be considered in the next
ITVS International Call is February 6, 2009.

YOU SHOULDN’T PUNISH THE SWITCHMEN
Lilit Poghosyan

Hayots Ashkharh Daily
18 Dec 2008
Armenia

If The Organizers Are In Freedom

Interview with the President of the Sakharov Foundation of the
Protection of Human Rights Levon Nersisyan

"Today the PACE monitoring committee is discussing the "issue" of
Armenia. Do you think they will condemn us for not releasing the
"political prisoners" as expected by the revolutionary public?"

"They are politicized structures, where they employ emphasized double
standards. That is why, frankly, I’m not very much interested in what
issues they will discuss during the session of the committee and what
decision they will take regarding Armenia.

Of course we would be very glad if the decision is pro-Armenian, but
if we go deep into the "European criteria", on the one hand they pass
condemning resolutions, as in Armenia’s case and on the other hand they
manifest quite different stance, as for example in case of Georgia."

"By your assessment are there political prisoners in Armenia at
the moment?"

"I have to respond to your question by a question. Is there any
politics in Armenia? Politics is first of all a struggle between
ideas and projects.

Do you see any struggle between ideas, stances, and programs in
our country?

Have you ever seen our elections to be held

under the "flag" of ideological, political and program based
struggle. No. The struggle is among individuals, or personalized
approaches at best, or the parties fixed on individuals.

And, where there is personalized struggle, there is no place for
politics.

If I’m a political figure, if I haven’t joined the government, if I
haven’t got a any program, or if I have put my program in my pocket
and I promise the heaven in case people vote for me, I’m sorry this
has nothing to do with politics. If you have any proposals, ideas,
any approach regarding the settlement of certain problems faced
by society, just make them public and let the people make their
choice. Where were these people many years before? Those who call
themselves radical opposition. They were in the government, holding
positions. They had both time and chance to show what they could do.

On the other hand if some people committed criminal offenses, why
didn’t they speak about it before? Why does the ruling power only now
remember about it? Each criminal offense must be punished on time. If
they haven’t done that there will always appear people who would like
to politicize it, manifesting vendetta, political persecutions etc."

"The "political prisoners" of our days are persecuted not for their
previous crimes, but for the organization of March 1 mass disorder and
for direct particip ation in this disorder. What they want is that
the leaders are released and those who followed their provocative
appeals be punished. Is this approach justified?"

"No doubt there were people who have organized and headed all those
developments. If the charges imposed are grounded, that is to say
if they are confirmed by the facts, naturally these people must
be punished.

You can’t punish the "switchmen", passing round the organizers.

Of course the switchmen are also guilty but they say everyone has
its share.

After all you can’t spit on the face of the policeman, use foul
language and call it democracy. I’m sorry but it is hooliganism,
and far not democracy.

If the leaders call to "overthrow the government of chieftains" and
to do it by all the possible means: by breaking, destroying, etc.,
some part of society, who are disapproved of these authorities will
naturally follow them.

Of course the leaders must firstly be subjected to liability and not
those who trusted them and took to the streets, to break and destroy
everything at hand.

Society should also give their assessment. After all we must form civil
attitude towards the country, our motherland and state institutes. We
shouldn’t split the people into those from Karabakh, Yerevan, Gyumry,
etc, saying that if this or that person is from Javakhq or Karabakh
he/she is our enemy. If we20are guided by this mentality we will
appear in the middle age."

IT IS PROPOSED CREATING PRIVATE COMPULSORY ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan

Dec 19, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The team of the program studying the
current compulsory enforcement system in Armenia and the expediency
of introducing a private system has proposed creating a private,
self-sufficient and self-financed system of enforcement of court
acts and decisions in the country and discontinuing the functions of
the current state system. This World Bank-financed study was done by
consulting companies DPK Consulting (the U.S) and Ameria (Armenia)
and the Program Implementation Office of the Ministry of Justice that
propose creating a parallel private system competing with the state
one – as an alternative, as well as a third version: the gradual
introduction of a private system, during which the functions of the
state system will be reduced.

The program executives propose compulsory enforcement-related reforms
in Armenia, in particular, a new law on compulsory enforcement system.

The program head Joseph Traficanti said that the problems of the
service on compulsory enforcement of court acts are system ones in
Armenia. According to him, an educational visit of 5 persons from
Armenia to three countries: Macedonia, Bulgaria and Estonia was
financed under the program. The experience of the indicated countries
was studied during the visit. J. Traficanti said that a private system
will be of great use to Armenia: one of its positive aspects is that
it is neutral for the state in terms of expenditures. In reality
the system is a semiprivate one as its activities are regulated by
a state body and sums collected are also managed at the state level.

In the words of Nevenka Ivanovska, an expert representing Macedonia’s
compulsory enforcement system, Macedonia, Estonia, the Netherlands,
Latvia and Lithuania are examples of positive experience for Armenia
because the efficiency of activity has increased threefold after the
introduction of a new system in these countries.

The Armenian government will examine the conclusions of the study
and make a respective decision.

E. SHARMAZANOV: "ARMENIA NOT WORTHY OF BEING SUSPENDED OF VOTING RIGHT"

Panorama.am
16:22 18/12/2008

Edward Sharmazanov, a member of Republican Fraction of National
Assembly, said that it was "unfavorable" for Armenia. "I don’t think
that Armenia is one of the members of Council of Europe where human
rights are in extremely bad situation. To compare we can see that
in these recent months some positive changes have been made. And the
Monitoring Committee has also notified it," said E. Sharmazanov.

"Our European colleagues should be aware of the fact that putting
sanctions country is not democratized," he said. E. Sharmazanov hopes
that when in January the co-rapporteurs arrive in Armenia, they will
see that "problems have become less in Armenia".

To Panorama.am question whether the arrested of "March 1" would be
set free, as according to the PACE report "persons could be charged
and deprived of their liberty for political motivation in Armenia",
E. Sharmazanov did not give a definite answer. "Problems are not
solved in one day. After March 1 the atmosphere of trust has been
increased and not reduced," he said.

IMPRISONED EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF AZADLYG NEWSPAPER GANIMAT ZAHID MEETS WITH HIS WIFE

Today.Az
17 December 2008 [11:30]

Family of editor-in-chief of Azadlyg newspaper Ganimat Zahid, held
in correctional facility No 17, met him, said journalist’s wide
Ayanda Mursaliyeva, Day.Az reports with reference to the Institute
for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety.

She said Ganimat Zahid feels normal and has no complaints about his
treatment by the officials of the facility.

Mursaliyeva noted that her husband condemns the attack against the
Yeni Musavat newspaper correspondent Zamin Haji by the chairman of
the Organization for Karabakh Liberation Akif Naghi.

"Today a court proceeding will be held in the Baku Appellate Court to
consider the claim about the manuscripts of Ganimat Zahid. My husband
has already been notified about it", noted she.

It should be noted that while being in the Bailov investigation
facility No 1 Ganimat Zahid wrote a book about the modern history
of Azerbaijan.

It should be noted that on March 7 of 2008 the Yasamal district court
of Baku presided by judge Sudaba Mamedova passed a sentence about
editor-in-chief of the opposition of Azadlyg newspaper Ganimat Zahid
and Baku resident Vusal Hasanov. Under the verdict, Ganimat Zahid is
sentenced to four years in prison and Vusal Hasanov to 1.5 years.

ARMENIAN POLITICIAN: "THE KARABAKH BORDER MUST PASS BY THE WATER CANAL UNDER AGHDAM"

Today.Az
litics/49593.html
Dec 16 2008
Azerbaijan

"International peacekeeping forces in Karabakh can be dislocated
on the area between the current border of Karabakh, defined by a
ceasefire agreement and a water canal under Aghdam", said leader of
the Popular Party of Armenia Tigran Karapetyan at a press conference
on December 15.

"Like my military friends I think that the border of Karabakh must
have passed not the current like, defined by the ceasefire agreement
of 1994 but by the water canal under Aghdam.

As for the presence of international peacekeeping forces in Karabakh,
which may also include US militaries, they can be dislocated in this
area between the current border and the water canal under Aghdam.

This territory does not belong either to us or to Azerbaijanis",
said Tigran Karapetyan.

He also urged Russia to intensify its policy on the Caucasus.

"Russia must develop a special and more definite policy towards the
Caucasus. Today it has only "not to damage" approach. Yet, it is too
small a support", noted the politician.

WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE MCC PROGRAM IN ARMENIA?

Lragir.am
16:54:19 – 16/12/2008

Background information on the status of the MCA-Armenia program.

What is the status of the MCC program in Armenia?

On Dec 11. 2008, the MCC Board met in Washington and reviewed progress
made on reform measures initiated by the government of Armenia in
recent months.

The Board reiterated its concerns about the status of democratic
governance in the country and underlined its expectation that
the government of Armenia will fulfill commitments to implement
substantive reforms. The Board noted that it would again review
Armenia’s performance and examine continued collaboration with the
country at its March meeting.

â~@¢ The MCA-Armenia Compact continues to operate. However, as an
expression of MCC’s serious concern about recent developments in
Armenia, last Spring MCC halted the contracting process for the major
273 km Compact-funded road works. In response, the Armenian government
proposed and formally agreed to use $16.8 million of its own resources
to proceed with the initial phase of the road program. That decision
gave Armenia extra time during which MCC hopes to see signs that
the Government of Armenia is committed to improving the performance
criteria central to MCC eligibility.

At the moment, the $16.8 million provided by the Government of Armenia
has not been fully exhausted.

â~@¢ MCC is monitoring the situation closely, along with the rest
of the US government. It is proceeding with implementation of all
other aspects of the $236 million Compact, while maintaining a close
dialogue with the Government of Armenia on policy performance issues.

General Background: The $236 million Armenia-MCC Compact signed
in March, 2006 focuses on one goal: the reduction of rural poverty
through a sustainable increase in the economic performance of the
agricultural sector.

This is a five-year program of strategic investments in rural
roads, irrigation infrastructure and technical and financial
assistance to improve the supply of water and to support farmers and
agribusinesses. The Compact was signed in March, 2006 and entered
into force in September 2006.

On Dec 12, 2008 MCA-Armenia submitted its tenth disbursement request
for approximately $6.8 million to the MCC. This request pertains to
all MCA-Compact related expenses for January through March, with
the exception of funds for the major 273 km road works contract
which were halted last June (see below). MCC is reviewing the $6.8
million disbursement request according to established procedures and
a decision is expected shortly.

There have been nine quarterly disbursements from MCC totaling about
$25 million since the compact entered into force in September 2006.

The MCA-Armenia Compact is beginning its third year of implementation
and progress on the ground is already evi dent. Construction of the
first 6.5 km of irrigation canals has been completed and the design
of major irrigation infrastructure works is proceeding. Training for
over 18,000 farmers has been completed and $1.5 million in small
credit loans have been disbursed to agribusinesses and farmers. A
pilot rural road rehabilitation of 24.5 km, located south of Gyumi
city is nearing completion.

Despite the progress in Compact implementation, MCC continues to have
concerns about the conduct of the recent election in Armenia and
the post-election situation, including violence, the imposition of
a state of emergency, mass arrests, and restrictions on the freedom
of assembly and the press.

–Boundary_(ID_0YLAO2AkwMJVeXoGcMHHLg)–

AMALIA KOSTANIAN: FIGHTING CORRUPTION IS ONLY DONE IN LOWER LINKS IN ARMENIA, WHICH IS WRONG

Noyan Tapan

Dec 15, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. Fighting corruption should be
started with the upper links and be finished with the lower ones,
Amalia Kostanian, the Chairwoman of the Transparency International
anti-corruption center, considers.

During the summing up the results of the two-year program under
the title The Role of Media, NGOs, and State Government Bodies in
Fighting Corruption she refuted the affirmation of another speaker,
Chairman of RA Civil Service Council Manvel Badalian that we should
look for corruption not in the upper but at the lower links. According
to her, there is corruption in Armenia in both lower and upper links,
and we should attend to "very and very dangerous political corruption
in the upper links."

The arrests of lower link officials are not convincing, as they
"are not the people, who are most of all guilty," she said.

Raising salaries is only one method to fight corruption, but the
prevailing majority of people interrogated by the center does not
consider that, in particular, raising judges’ salaries will lead to
reduction of corruption phenomena in the judicial system. "These system
issues should not be solved one-sidedly," the NGO head said. "Let us
fight corruption in an adequate way," she appealed.

According to A. Kostanian’s evaluation, Armenia has a terrible
regress in the spheres of human rights and freedom of press, fair
legal procedure. No efficient fight can be carried out in the tax
body or any other sphere unless justice and freedom of expression
are ensured. "They attack journalists or intimidate civil activists,
on the one hand, they call them for fighting corruption, on the other
hand, beat and intimidate them."

According to her, fighting corruption is not systematized in Armenia.

U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to RA Marie
Yovanovitch said that corruption is a human evil, which should be
fought every day, fighting corruption is not only government’s task,
the whole society should take part in it. According to her, certain
steps are undertaken in Armenia, nevertheless society wants to know how
much the authorities are ready to unmask the high-ranking officials,
businessmen having strong contacts.

THE PATH VIA RUSSIA IS NOT SUITABLE FOR AMERICANS
by Olga Allenova

WPS Agency
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
December 15, 2008 Monday
Russia

The US is seeking alternative routes to Afghanistan

PENTAGON IS WORKING OUT AN ALTERNATIVE ROUTE FOR DELIVERY OF CARGOES TO
AFGHANISTAN BYPASSING RUSSIA; Afghan television channel Lemar reported
with reference to top-ranking sources in Pentagon that the US was
considering an option of the so-called Afghan transit via Georgia,
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. According to Western experts,
such transit will enable the US and NATO to accomplish the operation
in Afghanistan successfully without the assistance of Russia and to
gain a foothold in the countries of the Caspian Basin.

Afghan television channel Lemar reported with reference to top-ranking
sources in Pentagon that the US was considering an option of the
so-called Afghan transit via Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and
Uzbekistan. According to Western experts, such transit will enable the
US and NATO to accomplish the operation in Afghanistan successfully
without the assistance of Russia and to gain a foothold in the
countries of the Caspian Basin.

Admiral Mullen partially confirmed this information. He stated, "We
took a lot of effort to work out other routes to deliver supplies to
the troops. We achieved serious success in this direction."

Andrei Serenko, expert of the center for studying of contemporary
Afghanistan, reported, "At present, Americans have only two routes to
Afghanistan: via Peshawar and via Kandahar. However, the throughput
capacity of the route via Kandahar is not very big. Besides, it is
not very safe, leaving apart the fact that it is assigned to the
British. Bearing in mind that the price that Russia may set is giving
up of the AMD deployment in Eastern Europe, the US needs a new route."

Observers in Brussels have been speaking about negotiations with Russia
on opening the ground transit to Afghanistan for a long time. This
very factor became one of the main reasons for unfreezing of relations
with Russia at the latest meeting of the foreign ministers of the
NATO member states. Serenko said, "The operation in Afghanistan is
one of the main tasks of Washington now. Elections will take place
in Afghanistan in May and, bearing in mind the existence of strong
opposition to President Hamid Karzai, not the pro-American forces may
ascend to power. This will mean that the difficult and long operation
in Afghanistan has been fruitless. That is why it is important for
Washington to conduct a ground operation and to "wipe off" the Talibs
by May."

At any rate, even if the efforts of NATO turn out to be successful
and Russia decides to sign a general agreement with the alliance,
this will not solve the problem. The air transit is expensive and its
capacity is not very big. Besides, the alliance will hardly be content
with dependence on the stance of Moscow. Expert Serenko explains,
"Russia has already shown that some day it may insert troops into
another state. Hence, it may block the transit for NATO too. That is
why NATO will wish to be on the safe side and open a new route."

Negotiations conducted in the Central Asia by officials of the US
administration confirm existence of the new project too. Their results
are already obvious: last week the parliament of Kazakhstan ratified
the memorandum on support of the operation in Afghanistan. These
documents enable the US to use the military part of the airport of
Alma-Ata as a reserve airfield for emergency landings for military
airplanes flying to Afghanistan.

The parliament of Georgia confirmed negotiations on the new Afghan
route too. One of the parliament members from the ruling national
movement of Georgia stated, "The port in Poti is strategically
important for our Western allies. It is possible to deliver
cargoes from Poti to Azerbaijan and from there to Kazakhstan and
Uzbekistan. However, as I know, the fundamental agreement of Azerbaijan
with this project has not been received yet."

Azerbaijani political scientists state, "Such negotiations may take
place and the price of the agreement of Azerbaijan is settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh problem." Azerbaijani parliament member Anar
Mamedkhanov remarked, "Azerbaijan has beneficial geographic location
and it will use it for its national interests, first of all, for
solving of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem."

POLITICAL PRISONERS NEVER RESORT TO VIOLENCE
GEVORG HAROUTYUNYAN

Hayots Ashkharh Daily
12 Dec 2008
Armenia

Interview with NP RAZMIK ZOHRABYAN, Vice Chair of the Republican Party
and a political prisoner of the Soviet times

`Mr. Zohrabyan, why are the radical leaders roused by the fact that the
President of the country granted an amnesty to three individuals
convicted for the March 1 disorders, based on the requests they had
submitted.’

`I definitely welcome the fact that President Serge Sargsyan
demonstrated good will. The President of the country has granted an
amnesty to those participants of the `March 1′ events who admit the
fact of their having committed a crime and at the same time, do not
give up the idea of protecting their political beliefs and continuing
the struggle.

Undoubtedly, the individuals who were granted an amnesty committed
offences punishable under the Criminal Code, and their guilt was
confirmed by the court. I attach much importance to the fact that the
President of the country expressed willingness to continue exercising
his constitutional right of granting amnesties. I am convinced that the
request-appeals of all the convicts will be studied one by one, and the
series of amnesties may continue.

It is obvious that many of the participants of the `March 1′ disorders
were deluded. For some reason, they found themselves in the
atmosphere
of protest rallies and resorted to illegal acts in the existing tense
situation. Their deeds had social causes; these are criminal offences
which, however, do not have a political pretext.

The radicals realize this very well, and they know perfectly well that
to date, not all the active participants, organizers or leaders of the
post-electoral developments have been detained. Some of them have taken
to flight; they resort to any method to hide from or avoid justice. The
strange thing is that these people call on the individuals who were
imprisoned because of them and instead of them not to write requests
and continue `their struggle’ in the places of detention.’

`What if all the detainees were granted a pardon together? Wouldn’t
that be more proper?’

`Let’s keep in mind that the radical opposition had plans to stage a
coup d’état or a revolution. They themselves confirm that fact in their
public speeches. And that’s a crime against the constitutional order of
the country. The law-enforcement system is capable of preventing this
attempt of staging a coup d’état; that’s why, at least the organizers
and chief participants of such disorders should be held criminally
liable.

But I don’t think this should apply to many of those detained at
present, because they are less guilty than the real organizers and they
do deserve an20amnesty.’

`Can the individuals detained within the frameworks of the `March 1′
case be considered `political prisoners’?’

`No, because apart from expressing their political views they also
resorted to violence and committed offences. And they were convicted
for that. A political prisoner can be the one who led an exclusively
political struggle and did not resort to violence or any other illegal
act.

The entire democratic world is guided by this principle. Any political
figure committing robbery, murder or an act of violence in Europe, the
United States, China and any other country is definitely convicted.

In the Soviet Union, I wasn’t convicted for my political views; I was
convicted for concrete actions, particularly, for printing and
disseminating anti-Soviet leaflets and burning Lenin’s picture on the
square. I also made appeals for proclaiming Armenia’s independence from
the USSR, but I didn’t resort to violence. However, it is impossible
for any Government not to condemn those who built barricades and showed
resistance to the government with stones, iron sticks and arms in an
attempt to seize power. Neither can they be granted amnesty if they
haven’t admitted their guilt and haven’t repented.

Whereas, an amnesty applies to all the individuals who committed the
same crime, without consideration of the circumstances, personal
characters an
d motives. How can the state pardon those who wanted to
dismantle the state-government system, the Army and the law enforcement
bodies and seize power?

If we forgive revanchism today, it may acquire a more organized nature
tomorrow. After all, revanchists funded by foreign forces pursue a goal
to provoke a civil war and bring harm to the independence and statehood
of the Republic of Armenia and Artsakh.’