Author: Kafian Jirair

Sofia News Agency, Bulgaria
May 24 2008

Bulgarian Court Rules in Favor of Armenian Genocide Recognition

24 May 2008, Saturday

The District Administrative Court in Bulgaria’s Danube city of Ruse
rejected Friday the appeals against the declaration of the City
Council recognizing the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire.

The appeals were table to the Court by the Ruse District Governor
Mariya Dimova, and by city counselors from the ethnic Turkish Movement
for Rights and Freedoms party.

The Court ruling states that the declaration recognizing the genocide
over Armenians and Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire could not be
disputed because it was not an administrative act, it was only
declarative, and had no legal consequences.

The declaration recognizing the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman
Empire between 1915 and 1922 was adopted by the Ruse City Council on
April 17.

LEVIK KHACHATRIAN SENTENCED TO SUSPENDED IMPRISONMENT

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 22, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 22, NOYAN TAPAN. The general jurisdiction court of
Yerevan’s Kentron and Nork-Marash communities, presided over by judge
Arayik Melkumian, sentenced Levik Khachatrian accused of using not
dangerous violence to a power representative (part 1, RA Criminal
Code) to 1.5 years’ suspended imprisonment with 2 years’ probation
term. By the defence party’s mediation the judicial enquiry on the
case continued by the speeded-up order on May 20, as the defendant
has heart problems and is to have medical treatment. L. Khachatrian
is a member of the Armenian National Movement Board, is a former NA
deputy, and the commander of the Kasakh detachment.

The judicial enquiry on the case against Isahak Malkhasian finished
at the general jurisdiction court of Yerevan’s Shengavit community,
presided over by judge Gagik Poghosian. I. Malkhasian is the brother
of NA deputy Myasnik Malkhasian, who is a defendant on another
case. I. Malkhasian did not admit the accusation brought to him,
use of not dangerous violence to a power representative and illegal
keeping of cold arms (part 4, Article 235). The defendant stated that
he was brought to the Police not at about 20:30, March 1, but from
8:00 to 8:30 am, and those bringing him to the Police are not the
people who spoke in the court. Prosecutor Koryun Piloyan persisted
on the accusation and mediated to sentence I. Malkhasian in total to
3 years’ imprisonment by two articles. The defence party will speak
at the May 23 court sitting.

According to the information provided by Alina Yengoyan, the
Spokesperson of the RA Cassation Court, the court sitting on the
case against Roman Mnatsakanian accused of committing mass disorders
(part 2, Article 225) failed in Yerevan Criminal Court due to the
absence of the lawyer. The sitting was postponed until June 3. And the
court sitting on the case of appeal complaints of Samvel Karapetian
and Simon Amirkhanian also failed in the Criminal Appeal Court due
to the absence of the lawyer. They have been found guilty by the
general jurisdiction court of the Gegharkunik region for involvement
in rigging of the results of the RA presidential elections at polling
station N 22/21 and have been sentenced to 3 years’ imprisonment.

IRAN’S MOBILE OPERATOR SIGNS ROAMING AGREEMENT WITH KARABAKH TELECOM OPERATING IN AZERBAIJANI OCCUPIED LANDS

Today.Az
45153.html
May 21 2008
Azerbaijan

Mobile operator of Iran Telecommunications Kish Company has signed a
roaming agreement, contradicting the international norms, with Karabakh
Telecom operating in the occupied Azerbaijan’s territory Karabakh.

APA reports that Nagorno Karabakh is shown as Armenia’s territory on
the official website of the company.

Besides, Gemini network LTD producing phone cards (GeMobile) in
Lithuania also made it available to phone to Nagorno Karabakh and
other occupied regions of Azerbaijan. European subscribers can contact
Nagorno Karabakh and the occupied regions of Azerbaijan through these
phone cards.

The website (;country=99&am p;rage=rrice)
of this company also shows Nagorno Karabakh as Armenian territory.

The situation is the same in Russian company Telekomtrade
(). The company allows to phone from
Russia to the occupied Azerbaijani territories. The company’s website
also shows Nagorno Karabakh as Armenia’s territory.

Press secretary for Iranian embassy in Azerbaijan Majid Feyzullahi
Kish said the Telecommunications Company was a private organization.

"I suppose the company did it because of the lack of information,
not on purpose," he said.

Azerbaijani ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Iran
Abbasali Hasanov said they would investigate the cooperation between
Telecommunications Kish Company and Karabakh Telecom.

First secretary of Lithuania’s Embassy in Azerbaijan Viliyes Samuela
told APA that he would inform his country’s Foreign Ministry about it.

He said Lithuania’s policy in connection with Azerbaijan had not
changed.

"It is a private company. It may have happened mistakenly and due to
the lack of information," he said.

Spokesman for Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Khazar Ibrahim said that
relevant instructions would be given to Azerbaijan’s diplomatic
missions in these countries.

BEYOND LAW
G. Petrosyan

KarabakhOpen
21-05-2008 11:41:00

Over the past few years the government has focused on the renovation of
schools and hospitals. The society naturally approves this. There is no
need to explain to an Armenian the importance of a school. Sometimes,
however, it becomes a good business and a screen for misappropriation.

The activities of Armenia Fund in Martakert, compared with the program
for which the telethon was held, underwent considerable change. We have
learned that disagreement to the change was the reason of resignation
of the ex-head of the regional administration of Martakert Smbat
Santuryan who worked out the program.

A new program was worked out, the priority of which can be considered
with reservations. Naturally, there was not enough money for the
original program. One of the reasons was the depreciation of the
dollar. The losses of the foundation in 2004 when the rate of exchange
of the dollar dropped from 590 to 500 drams are understood but in
the next three years the foundation in fact made the same mistake.

Thoughts on misconduct by some officials occur in this context, or
at best the incompetency of the staff of the foundation who could
have kept the sum in drams.

Besides, all the projects must be approved by the ministry of building
but in case of Armenia Foundation this is ignored, which leads to
heavy consequences.

For instance, during the renovation of the hospital of Martakert
building regulations were ignored, and openings were made in the main
walls which eventually ruined the building (although the official
version is problems with the ground).

As a result of the reconstruction of the hospital part of the money
raised for the region of Hadrut was spent, and an organization close to
Prime Minister Ara Harutiunyan started to renovate the hospital. Money
ended, and now the prime minister reaches for the money of Karabakh
Telecom which pledged it for charity in 2008.

During the telethon in the region of Hadrut money was raised for
the schools of the village of Hakaku, and the repair of the school
of the village of Togh half of which was repaired in 2001, and the
other half was in ruins since the war. In the old part of the school
there is a music school for which several rooms were somehow fixed.

The ruined part was expected to be repaired, which would accommodate
the school, while the part of the school which was repaired in
2001 by CRS would accommodate the music school and the nursery
school. Especially that the heating of the nursery school would not
be a problem since a boiler house is being built.

For whatever reason, the project involved the renovation of the
renovated part of the school building, whereas the ruined part was
left as it was.

Apparently, the local government interfered for which second-hand
building materials are highly important. In this case, there were
windows and floor which could be used once again. The project value
was 100 million drams.

However, the most interesting thing happened when the building
company lobbied by Prime Minister Ara Harutiunyan took interest
in this project. The value of the project was raised by 40 million
drams. Perhaps the money was "raised" at the expense of the school of
Hakaku, and the construction of the school of Hakaku was financed from
the state budget 2008, as part of the program of investments in Hadrut.

Here is a paradox: the Diaspora raises money for the people of NKR
and it is the money of people till some point. As soon as the money
is raised, they are controlled by some officials.

Karabakh-Open.com hailed the improvement of relations between the NKR
government and Armenia Foundation, hoping that it would improve the
quality of work and effectiveness of spending. Apparently, however,
it would be better for the cause if these relations are tense.

UZBEK-BRITISH JOINT ENTERPRISE UNITECH INTRODUCES NAGORNO KARABAKH IN ITS SITE AS ARMENIAN TERRITORY

Azeri Press Agency
May 20 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku. Zaur Nurmammadov-APA. Uzbek-British Joint Company UNITECH
has introduced Nagorno Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in its site as
Armenian territory, APA reports.

The company sells Platinum Mobile SIM-cards for mobile calling
to Nagorno Karabakh. UNITECH Joint Company was founded by the
Uzbekistani Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investment and
Trade, Uzbektelecom Joint Company, "Khalgaro Hamkorlik Markazi" Joint
Company and British Carthill Investment Ltd. Russian "Technology"
Company of the European owners’ group is also selling SIM-Travel cards
for calling to Nagorno Karabakh. This company shows Nagorno Karabakh
region in its official site () as an
independent country. There are several telecommunication companies,
which introduce Nagorno Karabakh in their sites as an independent
country. Those are Russian ARKTEL Ltd. (),
SMARTS (), ExtellSIM ()
and several Ukrainian companies like MTS-Ukraine, Golden Telecom,
UMC and Beeline, which have signed illegal roaming contracts with
the separatist regime as well.

FAILED TO INCLUDE AZERBAIJANI CITIZENS, ARMENIANS BY NATIONALITY, IN LIST OF VOTERS: CHAIRMAN OF CENTRAL ELECTION COMMISSION

Trend News Agency
20.05.08 15:31

Azerbaijan, Baku, 20 May /corr. Trend News E.Babayev / It was a big
failure as the names of Azerbaijani citizens, Armenians by nationality,
were not included in the voters list. "Unfortunately the international
organizations could not make an effective contribution to get the
names of Azerbaijani citizens, Armenian by nationality, included in
the list of voters," the Chairman of the Central Election Commission
(CEC), Mazahir Panahov, briefed the media on 20 May.

Some 125 district election commissions have devised and submitted the
list of voters to the Commission. The CEC will complete and confirm
the voters at the end of May.

The number of citizens having voting right exceeds 4.6mln in
Azerbaijan. More than 4,000 voters of Khankendi district election
commission No 122 were added in the list of voters. The citizens of
occupied Azerbaijan lands, including Nagorno-Karabakh, will not be
able to realize their voting rights.

According to Panahov, no results were obtained from numerous appeals
to the international organizations to assist in adding Azerbaijani
citizens, Armenian by nationality, in the list of voters.

The Presidential elections in Azerbaijan will take place on 15 October.

SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF TURKS HAVE SECULARISM CONCERNS

Hürriye
May 20 2008
Turkey

Turkey’s leading business leader criticizied critics and commentators
who see the current impasse as an "establishment’s resistance," saying
significant segment of Turkish people have concerns over secularism.

"There are those who see the current impasse solely in terms of an
entrenched establishment’s resistance to and fight with the forces
of democratization. This would be a grave oversimplification of the
present situation,"

Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association’s (TUSIAD)
chairwoman, Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag, said last week in a speech
delivered at 38th St. Gallen Symposium in Switzerland.

Turkish public’s view on Islamist-rooted AKP is divided as
some decisions of the ruling party creates question marks over
secularism. However foreign reporters and officials define the conflict
in Turkey as a "power struggle between secular establishment, including
army and judiciary, and newly emerging conservatives."

"Although it is true such a resistance exists, the concerns of a
significant segment of our population over the issue of secularism
or about an infringement on their lifestyles cannot be dismissed out
of hand," Yalcindag added according to her speech text published on
TUSIAD’s website Monday.

"I see this crisis and the worrying polarization in our politics as a
reflection of a deeper conflict that inflicts the global community. In
other words the dislocations caused by integration with global
capitalism, the shift in the relative power of social groups, generate
reactions and lead to fierce struggles between winners and losers. In
our case the language of that struggle is that of secularism."

Turkey’s top prosecutor filed an indictment against the ruling
AKP claiming the party had become the "focal point of anti-secular
activities" in March. The prosecutor also asked for the banning from
politics of 71 members of the party including the prime minister and
the president. The Constitutional Court is reviewing the case and is
expected to rule on the matter within the next few months.

–Boundary_(ID_Vy7t8nWu6d8WduMYVrJ5aQ)–

MEETING OF PAN-ARMENIAN HAYASTAN FUND TO BE CHAIRED BY SERGE SARGSIAN
By Marietta Makarian

AZG Armenian Daily
20/05/2008

Hayastan Fund

The 17th meeting of the Board of Trustees of Pan-Armenian Hayastan
Fund will be held on May 27 in Yerevan. NKR President Bako Sahakian,
NKR and Armenian Prime Ministers, also Foreign Affairs and Finance
Ministers will participate in the meeting, as they are members of
the Board of Trustees since the meeting of June 2007.

Hayastan Fund Executive Director Vahe Aghabekiants will present
the ongoing projects in Armenia and Artsakh, including the rural
development project.

On May 26, on the eve of the meeting of the Board of Trustees handing
of Presidential Awards will take place at the presidential palace.

THERE IS A NEED OF PARTIES’ UNIFICATION, POLITICAL SPHERE’S CLARIFICATION IN ARMENIA, ALBERT BAZEYAN CONSIDERS

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 19, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The political system in Armenia
is incomplete and having more than 70 parties is too much for a
state, as there cannot be so many ideologies and state development
models. Political figure Albert Bazeyan expressed such an opinion at
the May 19 press conference adding that there is a need of political
parties’ unification, political field’s enlargement and clarification
in the country.

He said that the National Revival (Bazeyan was its Chairman), Dashink
(Alliance) parties and the Ramkavar-Azatakan Party of Armenia have
been de facto united today. According to A. Bazeyan, this process will
be permanent: discussions and consultation meetings with individual
parties, individual political figures acting in the same ideological
sphere are organized. "Its goal is to create an influential political
force enjoying confidence of certain strata of society, which will be
able to take part in our country’s political processes, elections,"
he said.

A. Bazeyan said that all legal problems of parties’ unification process
have been solved, only some organization problems remain. According
to him, preliminary conferences of local structures will take place
in autumn, which will be followed by the "enlarged" party’s congress.

ARMENIA TO MEET 75% OF ITS DEMAND FOR GRAIN ON ITS OWN IN 2012

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 16, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. In 2007, the overall expenditures of
agriculture made 8 bln drams (about 27 mln USD), 2 bln drams of which
was allocated for salaries of employees in forestry and veterinary
service, the RA minister of agriculture Davit Lokian said at the May
16 discussion on execution of the 2007 state budget at the National
Assembly.

In his words, the ministry implemented three large programs last
year. In particular, under the subsidising program in Aragatsotn and
Chambarak, farmers were allocated 35 thousand drams for cultivating a
hectare of land on certian conditions. Besides, pedigree animals were
brought to Armenia and given to farmers. Commodity credits were given
at 0% interest rate for four years. This process will continue, and,
according to the minister, another 500 pedigree animals were brought
into the country in recent days. As a result of this program, it is
envisaged producing up to a million tons of dairy products in Armenia
in 2012. A program on grain crops’ import and seed production is also
underway. The states compensates for some part of the expenses: about
110 mln drams is allocated to farms. As a result of this program’s
implementation, in 2011 Armenia shall become a self-sufficient country
in terms of wheat and corn production, while in 2012 it will reach
the first degree of self-sufficiency when 75% of demand for grain is
met domestically.

Another big program of the ministry is construction of dams of the
Arax River, for which about 1.4 bln drams was allocated in the autumn
of 2007.

The ministry also provides credits to farms.